Platform Thinking: designing a Platform
Platform Thinking: designing a Platform
Learn how to think through platforms and how to design effective multi-sided platforms for innovative businesses
Platform Thinking series
This a four-MOOCs series on Platform Thinking, the first “Platform Thinking: What’s beyond Uber” aims to set the baselines of what platforms are and how they work, the second – “Platform Thinking: designing a platform” - deals with the creation and launch of platform, the third - “Platform Thinking: exploiting data through platforms” – explores the role of big data in the platform world and the fourth - “Platform Thinking for the Metaverse” - provides some insight for managing future disruptive technologies through platform models . These four courses are four independent modules, but this is the order we suggest if you plan to follow all of them.
See the full seriesCourse description
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.
The course is structured into 3 Modules:
- Module 1 – Setting the baseline,
- Module 2 - Kicking it off,
- Module 3 - Managing it through the growth.
The modules have different lessons within them, consisting of texts, videos, quizzes and individual self-reflection exercises. We advise you to follow the pathway linearly: even if all the lectures should be self-contained, they often build on concepts introduced in depth in previous videos. It is important that you keep your own pace: the length indications are a rough estimate, but your pace should guide you at best for the enjoyment and the individual reflection on the topics covered.
Total workload of the course: 9 h
This MOOC is provided by Politecnico di Milano.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By actively participating in this MOOC, you will achieve different intended learning outcomes (ILOs).
- To understand the main design variables to design a successful and meaningful platform,
ESCO: interpret current data - To assess the main strategies to kick-off a platform,
ESCO: think creatively - The assess the main variables to manage the platform growth,
ESCO: identify opportunities - To apply the main “platform thinking” logics to established businesses to foster innovation.
ESCO: innovation process
Prerequisites
No prerequisite knowledge is required for this course.
Activities
Over and above consulting the content, in the form of videos and other web-based resources, you will have the opportunity to discuss course topics and to share ideas with your peers in the Forum of this MOOC.
Assessment
Your final grade for the course will be based on the results of your answers to the graded quizzes. You have unlimited attempts at each quiz, but you must wait 5 minutes before you can try again. You will have successfully completed the course if you achieve 60% (or more) of the total course score. The maximum score possible for each quiz is given at the top of the quiz. You can see your score in the quiz on your last attempt or on the 'Grades' page.
Certificate of accomplishment
You must be registered in POK through Politecnico di Milano personal account to obtain the Certificate of Accomplishment. It will be released to anyone who successfully completed the course by achieving at least 60% of the total score in the graded quizzes and filling the final survey.
You will be able to download the Certificate of Accomplishment directly from Politecnico di Milano web services.
The Certificate of Accomplishment does not confer any academic credit, grade or degree.
Information about fees and access to materials
You can access the course completely online and absolutely free of charge.
Course faculty
Daniel Trabucchi
Teacher
Daniel Trabucchi is Assistant Professor at the School of Management, Politecnico di Milano, where he also serves as a senior researcher in the LEADIN’Lab, the Laboratory for LEAdership, Design and INnovation. He works on Innovation Management, he teaches and studies the fields of Platform Thinking, Agile Project Management and the Human side of Innovation (with a strong focus on engagement within the research platform IDeaLs). He co-founded Symplatform, the symposium on digital platforms that aims to foster a constructive discussions among scholars and practitioners.
Tommaso Buganza
Teacher
Tommaso Buganza is Associate Professor of Leadership and Innovation at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano where he also is co-founder of LEADIN'Lab, the Laboratory for Leadership, Design and Innovation. He is a lecturer in Innovation Management and Project Management, responsible for the Project Management Academy and coordinator of the innovation and training area at MIP (Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business). He is scientific director of IDeaLs the global research platform of Politecnico di Milano that pioneers new ways to engage people to make innovation happen with companies. He co-founded Symplatform, the symposium on digital platforms that aims to foster a constructive discussions among scholars and practitioners.Contact details
If you have any enquiries about the course or if you need technical assistance please contact pok@polimi.it. For further information, see FAQ page.