Course Highlights

• Gain robust insights into how you can refresh your company’s digital platform strategy and participate profitably in the multi-sided marketplaces of the future
• Recognize the concrete implications of trade-offs in platform design, governance, and staging
• Earn a certificate of course completion from the MIT Sloan School of Management

Course snapshot

Why attend Platform Strategy?

Over the past two decades, some of the most profitable and successful firms are those that have adopted a digital platform model—a platform strategy whereby the company allows two or more disparate groups to interact over a platform to co-create value. For example, website developers and users on Akamai, recruiters and employees on LinkedIn, and drivers and customers on Uber. Participants eager to develop or launch a digital platform approach will learn why and how their business strategies may need to be revised to be successful.

In 2018, eight of the top ten global brands (according to Brandz) were digital platform-orientated companies —companies that created and now dominate arenas in which buyers, sellers, and a variety of third parties are connected in real time. In today’s networked age, the cloud, social media, and mobile devices are fueling this platform competition, and more and more companies want in. However, many companies fail in becoming platform leaders because their technology and/or business strategies fall short.

While many digital platform strategies are well known (e.g., Apple’s iTunes), there are other less-heralded platforms that are exploring new ways to create and capture value. These include dynamic pricing, usage fees, highly targeted product and service offerings, inbound marketing, and network effects.

Key questions the faculty explore in this course include

• Is a customer segment with the highest “willingness to pay” the most valuable segment?
• When is tying a customer to a platform (sometimes called “lock in”) counter-productive?
• Which pricing formats seem to boost revenues but slow platform adoption?
• How can companies get in front of the common evolution patterns of platforms?
• When should leaders be wary of “platform envy?”

Course experience

Learn more about the live online experience.  

Learn more about the in-person experience. 
 

Applying to the course

We accept enrollments until the offering reaches capacity, at which point we will maintain a waitlist. Many of the courses fill up several weeks in advance, so we advise that you enroll as early as possible to secure your seat.

You can begin the application process by using the red 'Enroll Now' bar at the bottom of the screen.

Have questions?

Contact us if you would like to speak with a program director or visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to common questions about our courses.