The Age of the

Snow Jingxue WangBook Review

3/26/2015

PLATFORMPhil Simon

• First print in 2011. Written by Phil Simon, a sought-after keynote speaker and author of 7 books.

• How gang of 4 redefined business in web 2.0 era.

• Features of platform, it is a new business model but has limitations.

• How can you build a platform? Few prediction for future.

• More about management but technology.

About the Book

Background: Where are we?

• Web 1.0 is web use as “information portal”.• Web 2.0 is all about customers, is about platforms.• Web 3.0 is about Web of Data.

1993-Early 2005 Mid 2005 - Present

What’s the PLATFORM?

• It is simply a set of integrated planks.

• It allows people to reach and connect with each other and obtain information.

• Today, the most powerful platforms

1) Root in equally powerful technologies, and intelligent usage2) Benefit tremendously from vibrant ecosystems

Platform as Business Model

Limitations of Platforms• Cannot guarantee success. • Cannot save dying

businesses and technologies.• Might be too large to

control. It abuse, scams, and misconduct.

• Privacy is always a concern. (Permission Marketing needed)

Do you know, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Facebook…are

being spied by NSA, CIA?

Platform vs Monopolize• Traditional monopolizes are robber barons:

conglomerate have achieved monopolies through horizontal and vertical integration.

• If not collaboration kill or be killed.

Gang of

Four

Amazon: book publisher, hardware manufacturer, reseller of excess compute power.

Apple: world’s largest content company.

Google: world’s most valuable advertising company – with its sights set on conquering just about every other market.

Do you know?

Gang of Four

• Amazon simplified online shopping process, accurate recommendations to keep customers. (e.g. 1-click, also buy...).

• Successful permission marketing. • First mover advantage.• Jeff: Kindle: “we want make money when people use our

devices, not when they buy our devices.”

• In recent years, shift itself from a product to a platform strategy.• App explosion partnership getting more social platform• Ask for permission.• Apple has a high/ restrictive standard for its product design as

well as app design. They filter apps before let apps released on apple store.

2013

• In his early 20’s, Zuckerberg wasn’t interested in building a social networking site, he wanted to build a great platform.

• The speed of its ascent has been unprecedented. It lacked the early learning curves.

• Platform was building on: attracting advertisers, authenticity of users, provide online games, virtual currency, like button, fan page and f-commerce, news feed, tags, etc.

• Censorship and privacy issues are rising.

• Facebook starts facing more problems today, it was try discover new business opportunities, every one were watching on it in the past 3 years.

However……

Next Step for Facebook?

When information clutter is too overwhelming…

• From search to ubiquity• Founders realized that they need to build plat

form by offering complementary products and services.

• Google made money by AdWords and AdSense

Google has problems:• Privacy issues: the ads on the top

of message are too relevant. Google needs to do more permission marketing.

• Lack of diversification: 67% of its revenue came from ads on Google websites; 30% came from Google’s ad network. (2010)only 3% came from non-ad sources.

• Balance t/w expansion and focus.

• Google also tried hardware field, such as Chrome book, Google glass, also try to crush Apple via Android, cooperate with Samsung…

Icons of Google products

Microsoft has nothing to lose and Google has everything to lose.

Microsoft’s current the most interesting moonshot project: Windows Holographic.

Other Platforms-Behance

• online portfolio site creative hub

• bring creative cloud to community features

Yes, I recommend it!

Even this book does not cover every aspect of the gong of four, it still worth to read.- You can know the trends of

business development in this era.- You can distinguish platform from

monopolize.- You can know more about B2B

business instead of only B2C when create a platform for business.

Further Reading• The third screen: Marketing to your customers in a

world gone mobile.

?(^ _ ^)

Reference Page

• Silicon Valley Mega Deal: Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 Billion• http://thetechpanda.com/2014/02/20/silicon-valley-mega-deal-facebook-buys-whatsapp-19-billion-rs-114

000-crore/#.VRPBmxDF-nQ

• Adobe Acquired Portfolio Service Behance For More Than $150 Million In Cash And Stock• http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/201212/122012AdobeAcquiresBehance.ht

ml

• http://www.philsimon.com/

• What is driving Google new highs?• http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/03/13/whats-driving-google-to-new-highs.aspx

• Stop comparing WeChat to Whatspp• http://thenextweb.com/asia/2014/01/24/messaging-stop-comparing-wechat-whatsapp/