Back to Platform Thinking: designing a Platform
Politecnico di Milano

Platform Thinking: designing a Platform

Platforms changed the way we live and we do business. This module of the “Platform Thinking” series aims to help innovators in designing and building platforms. At first sight, it may seem that platforms "simply" connect different kinds of users, as Airbnb links travelers and hosts or as Uber links drivers and riders. Well, this is true: platforms link different kinds of users. Nevertheless, this is just the enabling factor to have a platform, definitely not enough to describe the wide range of activities they actually do. Therefore, this module aims to assess the starting point of creating the platform, identifying the initial set of customers and the main challenging elements to bring the design forward. Then, it digs in the phases of kicking-off a new platform and then in managing its growth over time, becoming a real ecosystem. In other words, the course aims to present the main strategies and tactics to design, launch, and manage a platform. In the end, it introduces platform thinking steps, helping established companies evolve towards a platform model.

Status: Platform As A Service (PaaS)
Status: Business Modeling
BeginnerCourse6 hours

Featured reviews

UM

5.0Reviewed Mar 27, 2024

Excellent course - breaks down platforms , has good case studies and a great template for action

JD

4.0Reviewed Dec 29, 2022

I enjoyed the examples, interviews, and reading assignments. The course could use more quizzes to reinforce learning.

All reviews

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Elena Tedesco Bardi
5.0
Reviewed Aug 19, 2024
Anindya Roy
5.0
Reviewed May 30, 2022
Marcela Margarita Castellanos de la Llata
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Reviewed Dec 30, 2022
Francesco Ghezzo
5.0
Reviewed Aug 4, 2023
Daniele Frescurato
5.0
Reviewed Apr 27, 2022
Vito Giardinelli
5.0
Reviewed Jul 27, 2023
Una Mcgrath
5.0
Reviewed Mar 28, 2024
James Deloge
4.0
Reviewed Dec 30, 2022
Tracy Johnson
3.0
Reviewed Aug 13, 2025