What this book covers
Chapter 1, Fundamentals of Platform Business Models, covers what a platform is in general and how that concept applies to digital platforms and the platform business model. It will cover the fundamentals of the platform business model by explaining the characteristics and components of a digital platform that are needed to support the platform model. This chapter will also describe all the benefits of the platform model. At the end of this chapter, you will have a good understanding of what a platform business model is, why it is important, and how it can be supported by the right digital platform.
Chapter 2, Differences between Linear Products and Platforms, explains why you have to adopt different techniques and mindsets for platform product management. The chapter will start by explaining how platforms are different from linear products and then explain how product managers should think differently in terms of the different methods that need to be applied when building platforms. This chapter will cover a real-world use case to explain the difference between a linear product and a platform. This chapter covers the breadth of the product life cycle, while each of the following chapters explores the depth of each step of that life cycle.
Chapter 3, Research and Validation, covers how to gather user insights and validate the platform use case. Doing research and gathering data for the concept validation of a platform is different from the process for a traditional product. Hence, this chapter will explain to you how to do the initial research and collect the right data. This chapter will include a case study on validating the concept of a platform.
Chapter 4, Building a Platform Strategy, explains how the business vision defines the business strategy and the business strategy defines the platform strategy. You will learn how important it is to have the right platform strategy to meet your business vision. This chapter will cover different types of platform strategies and the components of a good platform strategy. This chapter will continue the case study to build the platform strategy after the concept is validated.
Chapter 5, Defining the MVP and Creating a Platform Roadmap, explains how to translate a platform strategy to a long-term platform roadmap. In this chapter, you will learn how to create an end-to-end user journey for the platform and define the platform capabilities. You will learn how to carve out the MVP by prioritizing and ranking those capabilities. The case study will continue with creating the platform roadmap and defining the platform MVP.
Chapter 6, Launching the Platform, explains how to launch a platform, the factors that need to be considered before launching a platform, the elements of a successful launch, and what strategies must be implemented for the successful launch of a platform. By the end of this chapter, you will know how to create an effective marketing plan before the launch of a platform and how to execute the launch strategy successfully and enable its growth. The case study will continue with the launch of the platform.
Chapter 7, Creating a Platform Operating Model, covers how to create an operating model for the platform that can translate a platform strategy to successful execution. This chapter will explain what the most efficient team structure is, where the accountability and responsibilities lie, the ways of working, and how to govern the platform execution. The case study will cover efficient team structure and a successful governance model for platforms.
Chapter 8, Metrics to Measure the Platform Outcome, teaches you how to measure the outcome of a platform after it is launched and the governance structure is in place. This chapter will cover different metrics that should be collected to measure the success or failure of a platform. This chapter will also cover how to analyze the results after metrics data collection.
Chapter 9, Ongoing Backlog Prioritization, looks at how to keep backlog prioritization going. This chapter will cover how platform backlog prioritization is different from traditional product backlog prioritization, along with the challenges to face and mistakes to avoid during prioritization. The case study will further expand to cover ongoing platform backlog prioritization.
Chapter 10, Moving from Linear Products to Platforms, explains the transition from products to platforms. You will learn how to validate the viability of the platform business model for existing linear businesses. You will see what factors are to be considered before transitioning and how to start the transition. In this chapter, you will see the different phases of the transition of a linear enterprise product to a platform in the form of a case study.