Metaphors to describe and explore platform company strategies

Platform companies are challenging the current operational environment of industries with new value-creation logics and business models, which may ultimately lead to a shift from the industrial service economy to a networked platform economy. Since organised discussion and analysis of platforms is recent and the impacts of the platform economy are uncertain, there are only rather scattered views of what platforms are and what kinds of business opportunities and challenges the platform economy will bring about. In this report we use nine metaphors to explore different perceptions of platform companies as organisations. Each metaphor captures a unique viewpoint, helping to make sense of the characteristics of the platform and its strategies to grasp the opportunities and avoid the threats of the platform economy. Our subject matter knowledge base and understanding of platforms and the platform economy is based on continuous horizon scanning over the past three years.