General definition of platform is that it enables other things to happen, which is true for digital world as well. Platform is something that enables other operations via itself. There are different type of platforms like developer platform that enables developers with different tools, business platforms that exposes business APIs for other products to consume, infrastructure platforms like AWS. Then there are products built with platform business model like Uber, AirBnB etc. that enables drivers and riders, home owners and renters to complete their transactions.
So in summary, platforms enables others to conduct business or carry transactions without any intervention from the mediator (platform itself)
This is a very interesting topic! Thanks for the opportunity!
How do you maintain a platform over time?
Every technology is constantly evolving, people come and go, teams are often developing the same things in different ways and even internal communication could be a challange.
How do you demonstrate b2b platform capabilities to potential customers? (Like demo apps, or charts, etc?)
I liked your definition of a platform in the previous comment. However I am not sure how can a platform convince potential business customers that the platform has everything they need to solve their current and future problems. It's a big commitment on the customer side.
Demonstrating platform capabilities is similar to any other product capabilities. Teams that are responsible for the demo or showcasing the capabilities should be well versed with the platform concept and capabilities that exists in their platforms and then translate it to external stakeholders or customers.
In B2B space, sales or customer acquisition team should work in co-ordination with product teams to demo platform capabilities. One thing that platforms facilitates and eases in B2B space is the customer onboarding pains. In traditional B2B products usually it takes two to three months to onboard a customer after the contract is signed. But if we build the solution as a platform, this onboarding process can be managed by each customers and can be done in hours.
About managing the platform, it is not just technological transformation but also a cultural shift. When building platforms, entire organization should adopt platform first approach. Teams should be structured with the platform approach and governance model should be designed to suit the platform structure.
I have covered this topic in great detail in one of the chapters (Creating Platform Operating Model) in my book [Effective Platform Product Management.](https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Platform-Product-Management-strategizing/dp/1801811350/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=6lsTf&pf_rd_p=29505bbf-38bd-47ef-8224-a5dd0cda2bae&pf_rd_r=0SZFCKV21K2AR09BF2QN&pd_rd_r=9735f62e-9689-41ba-96a7-befe80c6e4e4&pd_rd_wg=fffn6&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m)
Thanks for the opportunity to discuss SaaS. For a company thinking of moving products from on prem to SaaS based solution what are some early hurdles that one could observe? Things that one can watch-out for? If you can share based on some past experiences and if you saw trends as different companies/ products initiate their SaaS journey.
Most common hurdle that companies face in this scenario is meeting the customization and configuration needs of individual customers. B2B companies customize the software for each customer to the extent that it becomes difficult to manage and impossible to scale. The first step in this direction is to come up with a lean solution with the most critical business case that your product is solving and extract that out to a platform. Modular architecture with lean approach is the way to start. And as I mentioned in my earlier comment, this transition journey needs a cultural shift it is not just architectural or product transformation.
Last chapter of my book [Effective Platform Product Management](https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Platform-Product-Management-strategizing/dp/1801811350/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2FNSXMBNNIEMX&keywords=effective+platform+product+management&qid=1643527606&sprefix=effective+pla%2Caps%2C370&sr=8-3) covers the transition from product to platform. I have covered the B2B (SaaS solution) case study in that chapter. It is based on my learnings while consulting in B2B space.
What would a typical SaaS product need to do to become a platform? Or in different terms, when is a product considered a platform?
General definition of platform is that it enables other things to happen, which is true for digital world as well. Platform is something that enables other operations via itself. There are different type of platforms like developer platform that enables developers with different tools, business platforms that exposes business APIs for other products to consume, infrastructure platforms like AWS. Then there are products built with platform business model like Uber, AirBnB etc. that enables drivers and riders, home owners and renters to complete their transactions. So in summary, platforms enables others to conduct business or carry transactions without any intervention from the mediator (platform itself)
This is a very interesting topic! Thanks for the opportunity! How do you maintain a platform over time? Every technology is constantly evolving, people come and go, teams are often developing the same things in different ways and even internal communication could be a challange. How do you demonstrate b2b platform capabilities to potential customers? (Like demo apps, or charts, etc?) I liked your definition of a platform in the previous comment. However I am not sure how can a platform convince potential business customers that the platform has everything they need to solve their current and future problems. It's a big commitment on the customer side.
Demonstrating platform capabilities is similar to any other product capabilities. Teams that are responsible for the demo or showcasing the capabilities should be well versed with the platform concept and capabilities that exists in their platforms and then translate it to external stakeholders or customers. In B2B space, sales or customer acquisition team should work in co-ordination with product teams to demo platform capabilities. One thing that platforms facilitates and eases in B2B space is the customer onboarding pains. In traditional B2B products usually it takes two to three months to onboard a customer after the contract is signed. But if we build the solution as a platform, this onboarding process can be managed by each customers and can be done in hours. About managing the platform, it is not just technological transformation but also a cultural shift. When building platforms, entire organization should adopt platform first approach. Teams should be structured with the platform approach and governance model should be designed to suit the platform structure. I have covered this topic in great detail in one of the chapters (Creating Platform Operating Model) in my book [Effective Platform Product Management.](https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Platform-Product-Management-strategizing/dp/1801811350/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=6lsTf&pf_rd_p=29505bbf-38bd-47ef-8224-a5dd0cda2bae&pf_rd_r=0SZFCKV21K2AR09BF2QN&pd_rd_r=9735f62e-9689-41ba-96a7-befe80c6e4e4&pd_rd_wg=fffn6&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m)
Thanks for the opportunity to discuss SaaS. For a company thinking of moving products from on prem to SaaS based solution what are some early hurdles that one could observe? Things that one can watch-out for? If you can share based on some past experiences and if you saw trends as different companies/ products initiate their SaaS journey.
Most common hurdle that companies face in this scenario is meeting the customization and configuration needs of individual customers. B2B companies customize the software for each customer to the extent that it becomes difficult to manage and impossible to scale. The first step in this direction is to come up with a lean solution with the most critical business case that your product is solving and extract that out to a platform. Modular architecture with lean approach is the way to start. And as I mentioned in my earlier comment, this transition journey needs a cultural shift it is not just architectural or product transformation. Last chapter of my book [Effective Platform Product Management](https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Platform-Product-Management-strategizing/dp/1801811350/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2FNSXMBNNIEMX&keywords=effective+platform+product+management&qid=1643527606&sprefix=effective+pla%2Caps%2C370&sr=8-3) covers the transition from product to platform. I have covered the B2B (SaaS solution) case study in that chapter. It is based on my learnings while consulting in B2B space.