The Eight Key Dimensions Of Platform Product Management
The Eight KeyDimensionsof PlatformProductManagement1
Successful tech companies like Amazon,Google, and Alibaba are unleashing profoundglobal macroeconomic changes through theirplatform-based business models. But this isnot just a tech industry phenomenon. Industryleaders across all market segments are buildingplatforms to seize new opportunities for growthand capital rewards. In fact, 81 percent ofexecutives say platform-based businessmodels will be core to their growth strategywithin three years.1However, managing a platform is differentthan managing an application and the methods,techniques and skills of product managementin these two environments are distinct.2
The core responsibility of theplatforms is to not just be futurethinking but to be velocity oriented.The two main objectives of platforms areacceleration and extended value. If anorganization wants to achieve these objectiveson its platform, it is critical to recognize thedifferences and employ the appropriateplatform product management capabilities.Ashley Still, Vice President/GeneralManager, Adobe Document Cloud andAdobe Creative Cloud Enterprise, AdobeSuccessful platforms have product managerswho constantly strive to shift the organization’sDNA from product to “platform first.”Accenture interviewed platform productmanagers from successful platform companiessuch as Adobe, Dropbox, Salesforce and PayPal,along with our own internal platform productteams, to understand the subtle but criticalnuances between platform and applicationproduct management. Our research revealedeight key dimensions where a platform productmanager needs to operate differently from atraditional product manager in order to shift toa “Platform First” approach.1Empower the differenttypes of personas in theecosystemApplication product managers are highlyfocused on crafting the product specifically forend-user personas. Whether they are consumers,enterprise users or enterprise administratorswith different usage preferences, the goal of theapplication product manager is to maximize thevalue delivered to these end users.A platform, however, serves an ecosystem ofdifferent types of personas from end-usersto developers, producers and partners andgenerally, the platform’s end-user personais not well known. The goal of the platformproduct manager is to focus on the mid-tier—the developers, producers and partner personasin the platform ecosystem—so that they can, inturn, deliver optimal value and rich experiencesto their end-users. The multiplier effect issuccessful when the platform ecosystem is largerand more powerful than the company itself.3In a complex business with multiplepoint products and cloud-basedsolutions at various stages of maturity,the key issue for us, as platformproduct managers, is to ensure wehave “a platform first” or “API first”DNA throughout the company.Vijay Vachani, Director, Partner Platform &Ecosystem, Adobe Creative Cloud, AdobeCustomers focus and empathy is justas important as relevant in Platformproduct management. Rather thanbuilding platforms because it’s thenext cool thing to do, Platform productmanagers should develop a laser focuson what problems they are looking tosolve for their developers and partners.Priya Lakshminarayanan Sr. Dir, Head ofProduct, PayPal Platform ServicesWe strive to empower the middle tierof the ecosystem (e.g. developers,partners, admins). The goal of aplatform product manager is to makethem as powerful as can be.Heather Conklin, VP Product Management–AppExchange, Salesforce
2Protect the core interactions and enable the restThe platform ecosystem necessitates a key question: What are the platform features that thepersonas derive value from on a regular basis? These features form the core platform interaction,which is the company’s key differentiation and should therefore be protected.As an example, Dropbox’s core interaction and differentiation is high performance ubiquitouscollaboration. Dropbox continues to grow its users and customers while empowering its ecosystemthrough a suite of APIs and integrations with popular tools like Microsoft Outlook, Autodesk,Google, Salesforce, and Atlassian’s JIRA Software.2 There are now more than 300,000 payingDropbox business teams3 and more than 75% have linked to one or more third-party applications.4Our main goal is to keep your contentsafe in Dropbox, while making itextremely accessible.Only when the core is fully developed, andbusiness model finalized, should the middletier of the ecosystem—developers and partners—be empowered to develop complementaryexperiences on top of the core interaction. Theplatform approach is really an embodimentof a desire to scale and scaling can only beachieved through a clear distinction betweenthe platform’s core interaction and its enablers.Doug Summe, Platform Technologist,DropboxIf a platform product strategy does notincorporate a “Platform First approach”with core interaction APIs and enablers,it will be very difficult to scale acrossmultiple customer segments.That means that platform product managershave to think about what is core and whatcan be shared. Making mistakes in this areacan have consequences. Exposing the corecreates competitors. Doing it right createscomplementary experiences.Ramadurai Ramalingam, Managing Director,Platform Engineering, AccentureExposing the corecreates competitors.Doing it right createscomplementaryexperiences.4
3Scale with public APIs while providing premium orsecure access through private APIsThe middle tier of the ecosystem generally consists of developers and these developers areenabled to create complementary experiences through APIs. This introduces a key dilemmafor the platform product manager. Should the APIs be made public (shared with all 3rd partydevelopers)? Should they be kept private (shared internally or with select partners)? Or, shouldthe code be opensource?Opening up an API externally to the public is a large commitment, and the APIs have to be treatedlike a product.The platform product manager should follow a decision framework to help guide this decision,similar to the simplified decision tree in Figure 1. It is critical to consider what data should remainprivate, what can be exposed to partners and, if appropriate, what data can be exposed to publicdevelopers. As recent newsworthy events have demonstrated, the decision to make an API publicis a significant decision that needs to comply with privacy policies and endure rigorous testing.Figure 1: Framework for determining API strategyPrivate APIThe accounting platformcompany Xero’s partner APIsrestrict access to the user ordeveloper’s organization only5YESDoes the APIexpose sensitiveor private data?NOYESShould the experienceexternalized by theYESAPI be controlled?Is the service orNOdata a uniquedifferentiator?NOPublic APIThe ability to filter and deriveinsights from tweets offeredthrough Twitter’s public APIsare a unique differentiatorfor Twitter6OpensourceUber has open sourcedprojects such as Ohana &Horovod to attract contributionto their development tools75
Most public APIs are initially introduced as private APIs to ensure they are tested thoroughlybefore their broader release. They are initially released as “private internal” for internal teams touse to create connectors with third party apps. This helps test functionality, performance andsecurity. If the APIs pass the internal scrutiny, they are published as “private APIs” or “beta APIs”and released to select ecosystem partners. Once the APIs perform with no issues at externalpartner sites, the APIs are released as “public APIs.”Some companies choose to open source internal platforms to showcase the interesting work they aredoing internally which can serve as a recruiting tool.4Influence the microservices architectureWhether monolithic or microservices, the architecture of an application is designed and managedentirely by engineering teams. In contrast, platforms are predominantly built using microservicesarchitecture so that business capabilities can be exposed through APIs and apps can be built ontop of the platform. This distributed microservices architecture can quickly become tangled andimpede scaling if the platform product manager does not get involved.The platform product manager will need to haveenough technical skills to ensure the architecture istruly a microservices architecture. He or she will alsoneed to understand the data and interdependenciesand delineate the micro services based on businesscapabilities. Additionally, each user story can spanmultiple services, which requires careful dependencymapping between the different microservices.A platform product manager has tocheck the microservices supportstructure. There is a need to get downto the weeds of system architecturein order to understand the DB table(s)and what is exposed to the service.Doug Summe, Platform Technologist,DropboxE-commerce platform examplePresentation LayerAPI InterfaceAPI InterfaceAPI taRepositoryDataRepositoryDataRepositoryData StorageData StorageData pendencies between Order,Shipping & Payment Service willhave to be considered for any newuse caseEach microservice can build on their owntech stack and there is no need to getlocked into a database. However, in realitymaintaining multiple versions of the techstack or database will be cumbersome andexpensive. As a result, the Platform ProductManager will be required to influence astandard - e.g. all microservices need toadopt ASP.NET & OracleDB back-end6
Additionally, the key platform success metrics are similarmetrics used to monitor microservices. Common platformmetrics are: Platform availability SLAs measured as 99.95% /99.99% / 99.999% Usage metrics measured as #API calls/day Performance metrics measured through Read/Write/Query latencies in mico/milli seconds Scale metrics measured as #Events ingested per day,#of queries per second, #of notifications sent per day etc.Application product managersmeasure success of theirproduct using engagement andretention metrics such as DAU/MAU. Success of a platformshould also be deliberate aboutthe metrics they choose todefine success. Eg: API calls/day,#Events ingested per day etc.Priya LakshminarayananSr. Dir, Head of Product, PayPalPlatform ServicesA platform product manager should be deliberate about the metrics they choose to define thesuccess of their platform and understand the impact that the microservices architcture can haveon their success metrics.5Strive for long-term sustainability versusshort-term trade-offsIn traditional application product management, the features prioritized for development aredetermined using a matrix of business value versus effort. Generally, the highest priority isaccording to features that provide quick wins. However, a platform serves as a foundation onwhich many businesses develop their applications and sustain their business model. Hence,the prioritization of features for a platform requires long-term planning to ensure sustainability,performance and scalability over time.The platform product manager needs to understand the long-term strategic vision well enoughto decide on short- and long-term trade-offs. Focusing only on the short-term quick wins maynot encompass requirements specifically for performance at scale and extension of the APIsfor different market segments, which could be disastrous for partners and for platformgrowth. There is always a need to appropriately balance quick wins versus long-term platforminvestments. Many times, unpopular decisions that hurt the short-term wins are made to makethe platform better over time.Consider Adobe, where the average platform strategy spansat least 10 years. Adobe’s transition from packaged softwareto subscription-based cloud services began in 2013.Eighteen months ago, Adobe began investment in buildingsupport for artificial intelligence (AI) and the company iscurrently thinking long-term about the next generationplatform that includes AI, voice, augmented and virtualreality technologies. This approach does not come easily.As Adobe CTO Abhay Parasnis commented, “When we firststarted thinking about the next generation platform, we hadto think about what do we want to build for. It’s a massive liftand we have to architect to last a decade.”87A platform product manageris different. There is no instantgratification for the platformproduct manager. They needto be patient. Long-termrequirements are a tough sell andcan be influenced by discussingpotential total addressable market(TAM) expansion and growth inproduct lines.Doug Summe, Platform Technologist,Dropbox
6Emphasize future-proofingduring platform updatesTraditional packaged software has a very clear upgradepath and is managed by the engineering or supportteams. The new releases only impact the end-user interms of usage. However, a platform product managerhas to be involved in the upgrade strategy in order todrive long-term performance of the platform.The platform product manager has to have enoughtechnical knowledge to develop a meticulous upgradestrategy since there will be developers and partnersthat base their businesses on the different versionsof the platform. When the version is changed, theplatform product manager has to think through thesupport of all the applications based on previousversions and how to ensure older APIs remain intactso that ecosystem developers are not impactedby changes to the platform’s underlying code orarchitecture. For example, Salesforce ensures futureproofing by making sure that no application writtenon the Salesforce platform is rendered obsolete by anupgrade. When Salesforce upgraded from Salesforce(classic) to Salesforce1 (lightning), the companysupported Salesforce classic console API methodsin the lightning console API to enable customers totransition.9 Also consider the simple email protocol –POP3, IMAP, SMTP. These haven’t changed in decadesand, because of that, there is now a rich ecosystem ofemail access methods, apps, tools and services.7Optimize by exploringthe distinct platformmonetization modelsIn packaged software products the monetization flowis generally one-way. End users pay for the productdirectly or through advertisements. This is not thecase with platforms where the monetization flow iscomplex across the ecosystem of developers, partnersand end-users.8Platform product managersneed to be able to drive longterm sustainability, scalability& performance for “future“proofing the platform.Heather Conklin, VP ProductManagement – AppExchange, SalesforceOlder technology still has towork – the developer eco-systemwill get disengaged if backwardcompatibility is not thoughtthrough when defining theplatform.Robert Hiss, Managing Director Products& Platform, AccentureCompanies like Adobe & Netflixcurrently do not directly monetizethe platforms. Platforms supportexperiences – features aredeveloped to enable experiences.So, monetization is still throughthe application.Ashley Still, Vice President/GeneralManager, Adobe Document Cloudand Adobe Creative Cloud Enterprise,Adobe
Companies like Adobe & Netflixdo not directly monetize theirplatforms. They use the platformsto enhance experiences ontheir applications that improvescustomer loyalty and enablesnew customer acquisitions.Sometimes partners or developers can also be paid to use the platform to amplify the networkeffect – growing the developer ecosystem to grow the platform. For instance, Slack has set up an 80 million fund to seed development of the Slack platform.10 There are also instances where thesuccess of the platform is based on growing user adoption of the core product. (See Figure 2.)Platform product managers and their organizations must give careful consideration to adoptingthe right monetization model to achieve the best return on investment.Figure 2: Sample platform monetization modelsAPI revenue shareProducts built on Salesforce platform pay out around15 - 25% of revenues as royalty.11 Currently 50% ofSalesforce revenues are through APIs.12API subscriptionDocusign the #1 e-signature platform prices its APIs based ona monthly subscription plan with tiering based on documentvolume. Docusign‘s revenue was 518M this year at IPO andnearly 60% of the transactions are through APIs.13API call volumeTwilio, a real time communication platform charges per APIcall or per user.14 Twilio’s revenues are in the range of 400M with an average YoY growth rate of 50%.15Premium API accessTwitter offers APIs for premium access for elevated access.16Strategic API partnershipsSalesforce has an AppExchange Partner Program that ISVpartners can take advantage of: ISVforce allowing developersto build, market, and sell apps only to salesforce.comcustomers at 15% reduction.17Data monetizationTwitter has started allowing enterprises to accessAPIs that directly provide data insights.18 Datalicensing now accounts for 15% of Twitter revenues.199
8Inspire the shift to a “platformfirst” cultureCompanies undergoing a transformation to a platformhave to be very purposeful in the architecturaldecisions that are made and the order in which theplatform is built. Every single decision needs toencompass a mindset of building for flexibility – this isthe core of the platform DNA or platform culture.Traditionally product managers provide supervisoryleadership with tight control over features deliveredby each scrum team. This approach is sustainable witha monolithic architecture and internal developers.However, a platform product is comprised of multiplemicroservices with each microservice engineeringteam operating independently. The approach ofdecoupling releases introduced by the platformmicroservices architecture is only successful withhighly aligned and empowered autonomous teams.A platform product manager needs to work withinternal developers as well as external developers inthe platform ecosystem. While in application productmanagement the product manager controls backlog,product approval and releases, in platforms, thereare multiple dependencies and decisions controlledby autonomous teams. Platform product managersmust collaborate, justify objectives through a strongbusiness case and lead through influence. He orshe is a key influencer in setting the order andspeed of releases so that the platform foundationremains strong.Some organizations allow time for “spiking,” ortime to research and think through architecturein advance of sprints. This is more commonin platform product development.10Having good workingrelationships with developers& a deep understanding ofthe breadth of business andwhat the customers do isvery important for platformproduct managers.Ashley Still, Vice President/GeneralManager, Adobe Document Cloud andAdobe Creative Cloud Enterprise, AdobeIn platform engineering,we allow time for spiking- researching andinvestigating architectureoptions before beginningdevelopment sprints.Heather Conklin, VP ProductManagement – AppExchange,Salesforce
In addition, general product management principles of continuous improvement and agiledevelopment apply (Figure 3).Figure 3: The culture of a successful platform engineering teamSpikingServant leadershipContinuous improvementAutonomous, self-organized teamsIterative/Agile developmentEmpowerment & trustCollaboration focusedHigh alignmentA platform first DNAThe movement from a product approach to a platformapproach is a complete organizational transformation,inclusive of product management. An organizationthat does not embed the necessary platform productmanagement capabilities into its DNA can make poorstrategic decisions about the platform’s evolution thathave unintentional and potentially devastating effects.By following the above eightguiding principles, organizationscan ensure they have the bestplatform product managementcapabilities in place to guide theirfuture, monetize their investmentand capitalize on the multipli
Consider Adobe, where the average platform strategy spans at least 10 years. Adobe’s transition from packaged software to subscription-based cloud services began in 2013. Eighteen months ago, Adobe began investment in building support for artificial intelligence (AI) and the company is currently thinking long-term about the next generation
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Le genou de Lucy. Odile Jacob. 1999. Coppens Y. Pré-textes. L’homme préhistorique en morceaux. Eds Odile Jacob. 2011. Costentin J., Delaveau P. Café, thé, chocolat, les bons effets sur le cerveau et pour le corps. Editions Odile Jacob. 2010. 3 Crawford M., Marsh D. The driving force : food in human evolution and the future.
