Publications

Awards

Best Conference Paper, Conference on Information Systems and Technology (CIST)

By: Marco Iansiti

Winner of the 2019 Best Conference Paper at the 24th Conference on Information Systems and Technology (CIST) for “Network Interconnectivity and Entry into Platform Markets” with Feng Zhu, Xinxin Li, and Ehsan Valavi. View Details

01 Oct 2009
Working Paper Summaries

Systemic Risk and the Refinancing Ratchet Effect

Keywords: by Amir E. Khandani, Andrew W. Lo & Robert C. Merton; Construction; Real Estate

June 2023
Supplement

Clash of Two Giants Simulation Exercise

By: Feng Zhu and Marco Iansiti

Many markets are organized around platforms that connect consumers with complementary applications and services. These platforms are two-sided because both sides - consumers and those providing applications or services - need access to the same platform to interact. A... View Details

Keywords: Customer Acquisition; Platform Strategy; Technology Platform; Digital Platforms; Competitive Strategy; Network Effects

April 2024 (Revised November 2024)
Case

Moderna: Pioneering a People Platform to Accelerate Science Innovation

By: Tatiana Sandino, Emil Dy and Samuel Grad

Moderna was founded in 2010 to explore how messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) could be used to create breakthrough medicines by encoding instructions for the body to create antibodies. When Stéphane Bancel (HBS 2000) took over in 2011, he bet on the potential of this... View Details

Keywords: Disruptive Innovation; Talent and Talent Management; Selection and Staffing; AI and Machine Learning; Digital Strategy; Innovation and Management; Leadership Development; Management Practices and Processes; Management Systems; Organizational Culture; Performance Evaluation; Alignment; Employee Relationship Management; Science-Based Business; Expansion; Pharmaceutical Industry; Biotechnology Industry; United States

24 Oct 2023
Research & Ideas

When Tech Platforms Identify Black-Owned Businesses, White Customers Buy

support Black-owned businesses. For instance, Yelp introduced a system in which users could click a button to search for and identify local Black-owned restaurants. “We wanted to know whether the programs were effective—or if they could... View Details

Keywords: by Jay Fitzgerald; Food & Beverage

June 2023 (Revised October 2024)
Teaching Note

Clash of Two Giants Simulation Exercise Teaching Note

By: Feng Zhu

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 623-092. Many markets are organized around platforms that connect consumers with complimentary applications and services. These platforms are two-sided because both sides—consumers and those providing applications or services—need access... View Details

Keywords: Platform Strategy; Customer Acquisition; Technology Platform; Competitive Strategy; Network Effects; Digital Platforms; Management Skills

22 May 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Hidden Structure: Using Network Methods to Map System Architecture

Keywords: by Carliss Y. Baldwin, Alan MacCormack & John Rusnak

30 Apr 2018
Blog Post

HBS Grad Drives Lori Systems to Success

launching its platform in May 2017, Lori Systems now has 52 employees and $10M in system-wide revenue, with plans in place for additional funding and growth. Lori's success has not gone unrecognized: in... View Details

24 Apr 2014
News

Using an online platform to reinvent education

Students can take advantage of the extensive library of more than 6,000 educational videos, 100,000 interactive challenges, and assessments from any computer with web access. Every interaction with the system is logged so that parents and... View Details

28 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Racism and Digital Design: How Online Platforms Can Thwart Discrimination

profound impact on the inclusivity of the systems you are creating," says Luca, who has also coauthored a new case study, Racial Discrimination on Airbnb: The Role of Platform Design. "Platform... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Travel; Entertainment & Recreation; Service

February 4, 2013
Guest Column

How Facebook Can Totally Undermine Apple and Google in the Platform Games

By: Andrei Hagiu

Today, Facebook seems like the juggernaut crushing everything in its path, most recently Twitter's Vine app and Yandex's social app. And in its last quarter, Facebook's mobile usage surpassed its web usage—for the first time ever. This is important because Facebook has... View Details

Keywords: Technology Industry

Read Now

February 2020 (Revised August 2020)
Case

Catalant's Operating System for the Future of Work

By: Christopher Stanton, William R. Kerr, James Palano and Kendall Smith

This case touches on the topics of project-based work, agile methodology, and skill and talent management through Catalant's evolution as a company. Catalant’s journey to becoming a software platform and talent marketplace provides context for students to explore new... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Information Technology; Talent and Talent Management; Business Model; Transformation

June 2023
Exercise

Clash of Two Giants Simulation Exercise Instructions

By: Feng Zhu and Marco Iansiti

Many markets are organized around platforms that connect consumers with complimentary applications and services. These platforms are two-sided because both sides - consumers and those providing applications or services - need access to the same platform to interact. A... View Details

Keywords: Platform Strategies; Technology Platform; Customer Acquisition; Network Effects; Digital Platforms; Marketplace Matching; Strategy

27 Sep 2021
Blog Post

Working to Change the Food System

Using microbes to produce foods is nothing new. However, using microbes to replace commodity crops and serve as a pillar in our food production system is fairly uncharted waters. My partner Max is a Technology Development Fellow and... View Details

June 2020
Teaching Note

Catalant's Operating System for the Future of Work

By: Christopher Stanton, William R. Kerr, James Palano and Kendall Smith

This case touches on the topics of project-based work, agile methodology, and skill and talent management through Catalant's evolution as a company. Catalant’s journey to becoming a software platform and talent marketplace provides context for students to explore new... View Details

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Transformation; Business Startups

Web

Winning with Digital Platforms Online Course | HBS Online

Concepts What Is a Platform? Value Creation and Capture Growth Factors Featured Exercise Articulate dynamic pricing’s benefits and drawbacks Define the most important characteristics of economies of scale Determine how platforms build... View Details

August 2008 (Revised July 2011)
Case

Consumer Payment Systems — United States

By: Benjamin Edelman and Andrei Hagiu

In 2008, the U.S. consumer payments landscape was characterized by the ongoing prevalence of credit and debit card networks, the decline of checks, the rise of stored value cards, and the growth of new payment methods such as PayPal, Bill Me Later, and decoupled debit.... View Details

Keywords: Borrowing and Debt; Financial Management; Personal Finance; Digital Platforms; Motivation and Incentives; Competitive Strategy; Internet and the Web; United States