City transformation as a platform

Maybe you’ve heard the term “platform” thrown around lately. You politely nod your head and mutter, “yea…platform….that’s where it’s at.” But what exactly is a platform? Michael Hyatt says that a platform, at its simplest definition is “a place to stand to be seen or heard.” He goes on to say that the purpose of a platform is to connect two or more groups in a better way that benefits both sides.” In technology “a platform is any base of technologies on which other technologies or process are built.”[1]

David S. Evans in The Catalyst Code says that a platform “has (a) two or more groups of customers; (b) who need each other in some way; but (c) can’t capture the value from their mutual attraction on their own; and (d) rely on the catalyst to facilitate value-creating reactions between them. [2]

Currently I am working with a company here in Boulder that is building a mobile-technology platform designed to bring about transformational life change in three areas: relationship with God, self, and others. It’s not a simple task but 60 or so in-house people are working hard to make it happen.

Big definition of the power of a platform

Company founder, Scott Beck continually reminds us of the difference between building a one-off app versus building a platform. He says,  “A well-architected platform, adopted for self interest, leads to collaboration and releases the power of the collective.” Wow!! Let’s take this apart.

 A well-architected platform…. Well-architected means it will take several thoughtful iterations to get this right. Because a platform is only as valuable as the value it creates, our challenge is to architect a platform that facilitates the most value-creating interactions between all participants on the platform. Solid architecture will include design principles like governance and incentives along with, rules, and tools for engaging the platform. A well-architected platform takes much intentionality and reflective thoughtfulness. Here are a few characteristics of platforms that work (Think Google, Apple, Facebook, & Amazon):

• Platforms are designed to better enable that which wants to happen
• Platforms don’t make people do things; they let people do things
• Platforms allow anyone to be a contributor and anyone to be a beneficiary if they play within the rules so idea generation and problem-solving are not confined to the “staff”
• Platforms allow people and give people the tools to co-create
• Platforms help that which wants to happen to happen with greater ease, effectiveness and efficiency
• Though neutral, they are architected to keep out exploiters and parasites. Neutral does not mean passive
• People don’t have to change / compromise their beliefs to contribute to or benefit from the platform. Christian authors sell their books on the platform Amazon (rather than / in addition to Christianbooks.com). Their books are one-click away from Fifty Shades of Gray. But few think of them as compromisers or being “soft on the gospel because they are in the same space as Fifty Shades (or a whole lot worse). People understand that platforms are neutral and are happy to find these authors on Amazon
• Platforms create a space for people with different beliefs and values to mutually benefit from each other and benefit a third party (school children, under-resourced neighborhoods, etc) without having to “partner with” one another. So both passionate believers and passionate business owners can serve children at the same school (think of Nike and Westlake Church atRoosevelt High School) without every having to agree on a common belief system. People rally around the mission…not the doctrinal statement

…adopted for self-interest…. Yes, you read that correctly. To be sustainable every participant…from content creators to end users to investors and advertisers are there because of their own interests. It is the only way that an enterprise is sustainable. Scott dismisses the (seemingly) humble admonition to “Check your egos and your logos at the door.” A well-architected platform allows everyone to bring the full expression of themselves and their interests to the platform and you bringing your best and full self, is what makes a platform thrive. Think of Facebook or LinkedIn. You post to face book and read posts because of YOU! Advertisers are there because of them! Other people post pictures, likes and comments because it is what they WANT to do. Self-interest, not as selfishness but because that’s the way we act over time. For a transformational platform to be viable and inclusive we must be able to define why every stakeholder in transformation wants to be involved. Remember self-interest is different than selfish interest. We are building a symbiotic ecosystem not a parasitic ecosystem—where one member benefits while the rest are harmed. People who come only for their selfish reasons need to politely shown the door. It is the generative power of self-interest, individually and collectively (“that which wants to happen”) that powers the platform.

…leads to collaboration… The more people who through self-interest are connected to the platform, the more we unwittingly cooperate. Platforms allow people to collaborate together without ever having to partner with each other to do so. The roadblock to progress is the idea that we have to partner together (or like each other or have the same bounded-set doctrinal) to accomplish something together. Participants don’t have to be on the “same page” to be on the same platform.

…and releases the power of the collective…This is probably a corollary of Metcalfe’s Law which states that “the value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users of the system.”[3] In other words the first FAX machine had no value until the second FAX machine was installed. The more connected FAX machines, the more value of the network. It is ubiquity, not scarcity which creates value. The more people who are on Facebook or Linked in, the more power the collective has. The more people who are on a city transformational platform, the more valuable that platform becomes.

Platform thinking and the church

Enough about technology. How about people? Every complex human system (states, markets, families, cities, etc.) can be understood as a platform. What if we could bring platform thinking into the church? To be sustainable over time everyone who is engaged in a vibrant church is NOT there out of duty, obligation, self-negation, or appearance. They are there because of themselves. The sustainable equation over time is that everyone, be it the lead pastor, the elder board, small group leaders, volunteer coordinators, youth pastors, children’s workers are part of the church platform because of their self-interests…that they get more out of this church than anything they are contributing…no matter how much they are contributing. When attendance and engagement is flagging it is because people feel like they are no longer getting more than they are giving. Sure, there are some faithful that will soldier on, but exceptions and wishful thinking can never be part of your core strategy.

Platform thinking and cities

What if we could bring platform thinking into the city? Currently most every entity in the city is working in and from a silo. Others that are engaged in their same work are seen as competitors (for funding and attention) rather than allies. For a cross-domain city transformation movement to be sustainable all the players, be they pastors, school principals, mayors, educators, job creators, artists, or funders, all need to be there because of their self interests. Again, this doesn’t mean selfish interest (“Hmmmmm….this would be a great network to expand my Amway business”) but self-interest related to the purpose of the group. To be sustainable you should be able to define the self-interest of everyone at the table…even if you have to ask them. This is the core work and core interactions they are trying to get done, upon which the platform is built

• Pastor—community impact
• School principals—increased graduation rate
• Mayors—“I need some stories of cross-sector collaboration”
• Educators—increased 3rd grade reading levels
• Job creators—“I’m committed to changing my community by hiring the hardest to employ as 5% of my work force
• Artists—“I’d love to have a public forum where I could paint about social issues”
• Donors—“I want my dollars to move the needle in my city”
• Techies—“I want to build something that will make life better and safer for people in my city”
• Foundations and philanthropists—“We want to give where are dollars are multiplied”

The road ahead

So, we have hum-drum city meetings with hum-drum attendance of people who have checked their egos and logos at the door. As a favor to you they may come for a while but have a foot out the door. To be sustainable you must be able to define the motives of all would-be participants and architect your city transformation around those motives and invite them to be part of the platform not just for the common good but for their part in building that common good. Don’t bemoan the fact that you can’t get city leaders, let alone, city pastors to engage in your transformational movement, build a platform where everyone can play.

To understand more about the power of platforms check out Sangeet Paul Chaudary’s downloadable booklet, Platform Power. It is excellent for understanding the nature of platforms. Or check out his 8-minute video presentation.

[1] *http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/definition/platform

[2] Evans, David S. Catalyst Code: The Strategies Behind the World’s Most Dynamic Companies (HBR Press) p.4

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metcalfe’s_law