Platform Thinking. The new way to standardize, design and build

Press and industry publications describe platforms as the new panaceas for success in the digital age. Platforms promise network effects and enable companies to scale faster without owning physical assets. They help make resources more accessible to participants by facilitating sharing. Besides, they build an ecosystem that brings users and developers together to foster the development of innovative products. Entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders have recognized the powers of platforms and wanted to be the next Uber, Airbnb and Facebook in their respective industries. As we are at an Architecture and Construction Congress, let’s try to coin this word in this sector. What exactly is a platform? “”Itis a concept that sounds simple but has the transformative point that is changing business, the economy and society at large.”” Gary Parker, Marshall Van Alstyne, Sangeet Paul Choudary. Is the platform a product, an infrastructure, a business model, a module, a technology, a network effect, software, an API marketplace, or an ecosystem?