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Platform Revolution  By  cover art

Platform Revolution

By: Geoffrey G. Parker,Marshall W. Van Alstyne,Sangeet Paul Choudary
Narrated by: James Foster
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Publisher's summary

An inside look at the revolutionary business power of the platform - from the experts who helped discover how it works.

Facebook, PayPal, Alibaba, Uber - these seemingly disparate companies have upended entire industries by harnessing a single phenomenon: the platform business model. Platform Revolution delivers the first comprehensive analysis of how platforms use technology to match producers and consumers in a multisided marketplace, unlocking hidden resources and creating new forms of value. When a company like Uber connects drivers with passengers, everybody wins - except traditional cab companies, which are scrambling to survive. Assumptions about operations, finance, strategy, and innovation all change. Platform Revolution explores the what, how, and why of this revolution and provides the first "owner's manual" for creating a platform marketplace. Revealing the strategies behind some of today's rising platforms, the authors explain how entrepreneurs - and traditional companies - can thrive in this new world. In cases as diverse as shoes, spices, dating, energy, home appliances, and education, Platform Revolution provides the essential guide to unlocking the potential of an economic landscape transformed.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Geoffrey G. Parker, Marshall W. Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Platform Revolution

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Finally a book that just gives you the info.

This is a text book. It is not exciting, it does have interesting examples of all the principles it's covering but it is not meant to enthrall. As someone who just wanted the information about what drives the platform industry and the differences between it and the traditional model, this book was fantastic. I find most tech books are written as self serving the author just trying to highlight they're own "world changing" theories on business. Almost like most fitness books are mostly written to help build a fitness brand for the author first, and help the reader second. This book is not those. Just info, data, examples, perspective, guidance, history and prediction. It's boring and it's perfect. I'm actually going to go through the whole thing it again.

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21 people found this helpful

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Great book

This was a great book. The only downfall is that it is so jam packed with talking points, it probably needs to be purchased as a physical book, so that one can reference it much easier.

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18 people found this helpful

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Fantastic source of knowledge

With a fairly sound knowledge of platforms already, I was interested to see what the book would teach me. I've been blown away by the detailed encyclopedia of information, from what a platform represents, how they operate, how to attract suppliers and users from both sides, to how they are changing the world. The authors use plenty of examples of companies that we are all familiar with, to demonstrate their practical applications in each chapter. This has been the best book I've read all year. A complete playbook for anyone involved in a platform initiative and a complete platform encyclopedia for everyone.

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10 people found this helpful

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Amazing Book!

I took me nearly 4 months to complete this book - not because it was boring - but because there is alot of truth in it! Definately a must-listen for anyone looking to be part of the future of platforms and to those that want to challenge the old systems by disrupting them for the betterment of human kind.

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9 people found this helpful

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A Little Tech, A Little Business

As an IT nerd at heart, what I enjoyed about this book was how the authors were able to efficiently establish IT-cred and then deluge me with the business considerations in platforms. They carefully handle both the decision side of platform adoption, the management side of an existing platform implementation and the ways existing relationships might change under this new paradigm of business systems. I recommend that you follow (or precede) this read with "Blockchain Revolution".

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Platforms, the disrupters of the network economy

What did you love best about Platform Revolution?

The book does a great job of explaining platforms form an economist's viewpoint

Any additional comments?

It does not provide too much background, however on the technological underpinnings of this revolution, nor on the difference between closed platforms managed by single operators and fully decentralized platforms. It is appreciable that the book does not only mention the well-known examples like Uber, but also future platforms that have yet to materialize as such and disrupt their own markets, like smart grids,

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worth a third listen

Great outlook on the future of technology and the roles platform technologies will play in that future.

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5 people found this helpful

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great audio book

great book, filled with helpful information for anyone thinking about starting an app. Goes into detail about how giants like Google, Uber and airbnb got their start and established tremendous growth rates in their industries. So much information that I will listen to this book 3 to 4 times to absorb all this audio book has to offer for any app start up.

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4 people found this helpful

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Comprehensive. Readable. Credible.

Not everyone is going to launch an earth shaking platform. But we all better understand how they work. The authors know the subject from multiple angles, and they pull this complex and diverse topic into a coherent treatise. Which is from what I've read else where so far is the best on the subject.

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2 people found this helpful

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Fascinating!

Highly recommended for all innovators and entrepreneurs.
A fascinating glimpse into the present and future of technology, society and economy

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2 people found this helpful