Platform Variety

November 02, 2022

Read The Full Prompt

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. Think about how iTunes makes apps available for iPhone users or Match.com helps those seeking partners.

For this assignment, please pick ONE of the following two options:

1) Identify a firms that operates a platform. Describe how it creates and capture value, and evaluate its scalability and sustainability.  To make it interesting, please stay away from well-known platforms such as those owned by Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix.

2) Identify a firm that tried to work with a platform (e.g., Epic on the Apple platform, or Zynga on the Facebook platform). Describe the opportunities and challenges in this firm’s journey as it tried to create and capture value. Again, evaluate its sustainability.

In both cases, stress the strategy for value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of value capture.

750 words max

Assignment

Create an approximately 750-word post. Make your contribution by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by 9 a.m. on November 3.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

 

If you have any problems with the d3.hbs.org platform, please and visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice. or email diplatform@hbs.edu for help.

Submitted (41)

Too Good To Go – the social enterprise tackling global food waste
Irina
Posted on October 30, 2022 at 9:49 pm
Too good to go: the world's leading platform for fighting food waste
Goodreads: A Platform for Readers and Authors
Michelle
Posted on October 28, 2022 at 11:18 pm
Goodreads is a platform with over 125 million members and 3.5 billion books which enables readers to find new books, rate and review past reads, receive personalized reading recommendations, and engage with friends and authors.
ClassPass: Fitness Everywhere, for Everyone
Amy Eginton
Posted on November 1, 2022 at 11:57 pm
Worldwide access to thousands of top-rated gyms, fitness studios, salons and spas
ToursbyLocals: Connecting Tourists with Authentic, Local Guides
Kaitlyn C
Posted on October 28, 2022 at 4:50 pm
ToursByLocals is a leading online marketplace connecting travelers in search of customized, private tours with a curated selection of local tour guides, providing exceptional travel experiences in over 160 countries.
Vivino – or how i tricked my friends into thinking I’m a sommelier
Laura
Last modified on November 2, 2022 at 12:33 am
"THE NETFLIX OF WINE." Vivino is disrupting a dusty industry on its mission to democratize wine. Founded by non-wine people. Valued at $800bn. But how?
Platform Scalability & Sustainability at Venmo
Elizabeth M.
Last modified on October 31, 2022 at 12:33 am
Venmo is the person-to-person money transfer app of choice for Millennials in the U.S. due to its scalability and marketing in the 2010's, but it's sustainability is under threat with new entrants and Gen-Z coming of age.
Evidation Health: A Platform that Pays You to Track Your Health
Patric Cao
Posted on October 29, 2022 at 1:11 pm
Evidation Health is a platform connecting users interested in tracking their health data and research organizations wanting to conduct studies on those same users.
Warehowz: Airbnb for Warehousing…sort of.
Natasha VK
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 6:10 pm
Have space? Looking for space? Warehowz is an on-demand warehousing solution that is revolutionizing the way businesses solve their warehousing challenges. 
Fiverr – Talent Without Borders
Sultana Vukor-Quarshie
Last modified on November 2, 2022 at 6:34 pm
The platform that allows freelancers across the globe to offer everything from Digital Marketing to App Development to Gaming to Astrology
Peloton’s Shift to Multidimensional Brand at the Right Timing
Jiwon Woo
Last modified on October 31, 2022 at 9:52 pm
COVID 19 has reduced the number of physical experiences people engage in, and in some cases this shift the virtual version potentially is more valued than the physical. Peloton is an exemplary multidimensional brand that ultimately married physical and virtual [...]
Hinge: Limit direct network effects to ensure dating quality
Kate Sinnwell
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 5:54 pm
The dating platform landscape is a winner take most scenario. Competition like Tinder is perceived for making fast matches through swiping and casual hookups, Bumble focuses on the empowering women aspect of dating. The market is divided by what target [...]
Convenience at Your Fingertips: Rappi – Colombia & Latam’s One-Stop Shop
Isabella Giraldo
Last modified on November 1, 2022 at 7:42 pm
A unicorn capitalizing on convenience changed the game in Colombia and continues to grow as it enters new markets across Latam
mPharma – is a platform model always successful?
Yifei Wu
Posted on October 29, 2022 at 6:12 pm
When it first started, mPharma focused on connecting patients, doctors and pharmacies through an electronic prescription network (EPN). But a myriad of the platform's "cold start" problems rooted in the Ghanaian context hampered the EPN platform strategy, forcing the company [...]
STRAVA: COMPETE AGAINST THE WORLD
Yannik Dobler
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Strava is a social network for digital tracking of sports activities. Compare yourself with friends and world-class athletes and become a local sports celebrity.
Dunzo: Deliver anything, anywhere
Aditya Mate
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 6:53 pm
Food delivery apps are commonplace. But what if you want to retrieve the laptop charger forgotten at home or photocopy an important document and send to your colleague or send a large potted-plant to a friend? Just Dunzo it.
Nuvocargo: Linking Mexico and the US
Manuel Llano
Last modified on October 27, 2022 at 8:41 pm
Nuvocargo is a platform connecting trucking companies and shippers looking to export or import goods between Mexico and the US.
TikTok
Nitya
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 8:57 pm
Social media has evolved from words (Facebook), to images (Instagram and Snapchat), to now with the rise of TikTok, videos. TikTok is a short-form video sharing platform that allows users to create and view content and captures value through advertisements. [...]
ProtonMail, Apple, and the Battle to Build a “Privacy Ecosystem”
Anon
Last modified on November 2, 2022 at 12:26 am
ProtonMail argues that hefty App Store commissions undermine Apple's stated commitment to user privacy and reduce consumer choice on the platform.
Pinterest: Discover, Share, and Pins
Feifei Shen
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 2:59 pm
“Pinterest is the visual discovery engine. It is where you find and do what you love. With Pinterest, you can discover useful and relevant things that inspire you to do stuff.”
The value creation triangle, what Coursera brings to learners
Lina E
Last modified on November 1, 2022 at 1:52 pm
Coursera now educates 113+million learners globally. How did the platform connect learners, educators, and institutions?
EasyCancha: Connecting sports men and women with sports facilities … and other sporty people
Katy Triantafilo
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 5:48 pm
easycancha started as an online platform that connects people that want to play certain sports with the various sport facilities that they have near them
Win-win, creating a win-win from downstream to upstream in retail
Gigi Yang
Posted on November 2, 2022 at 9:13 am
Win-win inc. is a big data service provider in the retail sector that connects the end distribution channels with the upstream FMCG brands. Its product offerings include the sales and distribution dashboard, precision promotion system, supply chain optimization solutions, etc.
Bagging Up Value at Instacart
Julien Clayton
Last modified on November 2, 2022 at 4:13 pm
In 10 years Instacart has grown from a scrappy startup to a household name with a $13B valuation. Is their business model sustainable at scale though?
Udaan – Digitizing and Transforming the Indian Trade Industry
Karthik Sajikumar
Last modified on October 30, 2022 at 10:24 pm
Udaan is India’s largest business-to-business e-commerce platform. It has operations across categories including lifestyle, electronics, home & kitchen, staples, fruits and vegetables, FMCG, pharma, toys and general merchandise.
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