Platform Business Model – MOOC Released on June 18th on edX

Ordering takeout, booking a salon appointment, finding a life partner – platforms touch many aspects of our life. Platform firms can create exponential value through the power of network effects and today, some of the most valuable companies are based on platform business models. As more entrepreneurs, professionals and business students navigate these ecosystems, it has become essential to understand the foundational concepts of platform business models and gain a strategic perspective to building and setting up platforms.

This MOOC is a primer for those who want to understand the basics of platform models – such as network effects, pricing, platform architecture and competition. The course is a unique blend of theory and strategy. Professor Srinivasan provides several strategies for the learner to consider in building a platform firm and illustrates these with relevant case studies and examples. He discusses the various challenges and risks involved in a platform ecosystem and how one might solve them based on the nature of a given firm. Therefore, the main objective of the course is to equip learners with a framework and guidelines to apply in various scenarios.

Platform business models use several different pedagogies, including video content, supplementary reading, short quizzes and games and an interactive discussion forum.

It can be accessed on the edX platform at: https://www.edx.org/course/platform-business-models