Topic 8: Economic Characteristics of Platform
主题 8：平台的经济特征
Businesses
企业
What's important?
什么是重要的？
Must be familiar with the differences between a platform business and traditional business
必须熟悉平台业务与传统业务的区别
Sample question
样题
Identify and explain FOUR (4) differences between the platform business and the traditional business.
确定并解释平台业务与传统业务之间的四 （4） 个差异。
(16 marks)
（16 分）
Number of Types of Customers: A traditional business only has one set of customers who are the end-users/consumers of the goods/services they product as compared to platform businesses who have at least two distinct set of customers who use the platform services differently.
客户类型数量：传统企业只有一组客户，这些客户是他们所生产的商品/服务的最终用户/消费者，而平台企业至少有两组不同的客户，他们以不同的方式使用平台服务。
Value Creation: TBs hold full responsibility in adding value to the goods / services that they sell to their customers. However, PBs share the responsibility of adding value to their service with the users of the platform because the more users there are on the platform, the more valuable the platform's services will be.
价值创造： TB 在为他们向客户销售的商品/服务增加价值方面负有全部责任。但是，PB 与平台用户分担为其服务增加价值的责任，因为平台上的用户越多，平台的服务就越有价值。
Inventory: TBs hold inventory of the goods that they produce until it is sold to the customer. However, PBs do not hold any inventory that is traded on its platform.
库存： TB 会保留其生产的商品的库存，直到将其出售给买家。但是，PB 不持有在其平台上交易的任何库存。
4. Location of Market: TBs usually operate in physical and local markets as compared to PBs that operate in the digital and online marketplaces.
4. 市场位置：与在数字和在线市场运营的 PB 相比，TB 通常在实体和本地市场运营。
More characteristics to compare:
更多要比较的特性：
(PB) Demand Economies of Scale vs (TB) Supply Economies of Scale,
（PB）需求规模经济与 （TB） 供应规模经济，
Value Creation for PB is shared with users but for TB, value creation lies with the firm.
PB 的价值创造是与用户共享的，但对于 TB 来说，价值创造在于公司。
Control over customer experience (TB has more control while PB has less control)
对客户体验的控制（TB 拥有更多控制权，而 PB 拥有较少的控制权）
PB has more potential for hyper growth as compared to TBs
与 TB 相比，PB 具有更大的高速生长潜力
PBs have positive network effects while Bs traditional have negative network effects
PB 具有正的网络效应，而 B 传统具有负的网络效应
PBs face the chicken-and-egg problem but Bs do not
PB 面临先有鸡还是先有蛋的问题，但 B 没有
Question 1
问题 1
a) Identify and describe the five core activities of a multi-sided platform.
a） 确定并描述一个整体平台的五项核心活动。
b) Compare any five differences between a traditional business and a multi-sided platform.
b） 比较传统业务和多边平台之间的任意五个差异。
(10 marks)
（10 分）
Total: 25 marks
总计：25 分
Question 5
问卷调查 5
a) Identify a real-world platform business and its close competitor which is a single-sided traditional business.
一）确定一个真实的平台业务及其紧密的竞争对手，这是一个单边的传统业务。
(2 marks)
（2 分）
b) Identify and explain THREE (3) characteristics of the platform business which the traditional business does not have.
b） 识别并解释平台业务的三 （3） 个传统业务所不具备的特征。
（9 marks）
（9 分）
c) Describe the core and non-core activities of a platform business.
c） 描述平台业务的核心和非核心活动。
(10 marks)
（10 分）
d) Explain a pricing strategy which a platform business can adopt in order to balance demand and supply.
d） 解释平台企业可以采用的定价策略，以平衡需求和供应。
(4 marks)
（4 分）
Topic 9:Attracting Users and Building a Critical Mass
话题 9：吸引用户，构建临界质量
Life stages of the Platform and the strategies used during the Ignition stage and Scaling-Up stage to attract users onto the platform.
平台的生命周期阶段以及在 Ignition 阶段和 Scaling-Up 阶段为吸引用户加入平台而使用的策略。
Strategies to overcome the chicken-and-egg problem
克服先有鸡还是先有蛋问题的策略
Define / Explain with examples the chicken and egg problem and strategies that can be used.
定义/通过示例解释先有鸡还是先有蛋的问题和可以使用的策略。
The chicken and egg problem arises for multi-sided platforms at the ignition when there are no customers / users on the platform. As demand for the platform for either side is interdependent, the demand side users will not want to join the platform if there isn't any supply-side producers, and vice versa.
当平台上没有客户/用户时，多边平台就会出现先有鸡还是先有蛋的问题。由于任何一方对平台的需求都是相互依赖的，因此如果没有任何供应方生产者，需求方用户将不希望加入平台，反之亦然。
Follow-the-Rabbit, Piggyback, Seeding, Single-sided, Marquee, Micromarket
随兔子， 捎带式， 播种， 单面， 跑马灯， 微型市场
Strategies used during the Scaling-Up stage
Scaling-Up 阶段使用的策略
Zig-zag, Two-step and Commitment Strategies
之字形、两步和承诺策略
Question2
问题 2
a) During the rocket model's ignition life stage, multi-sided platforms are faced with the chicken-and-egg problem.
a） 在火箭模型的点火寿命阶段，多边平台面临先有鸡还是先有蛋的问题。
Define the chicken-and-egg problem and with examples, explain two types of strategies which platforms can implement to overcome it.
定义先有鸡还是先有蛋的问题，并通过示例解释平台可以实施的两种策略来克服它。
(13 marks)
（13 分）
b) Explain the term "critical mass" associated with a platform business.
b） 解释与平台业务相关的术语“临界质量”。
Identify and discuss TWO (2) strategies which a platform business can adopt to achieve critical mass on all sides of the platform. (10 marks)
确定并讨论平台企业可以采用的两 （2） 种策略，以在平台的各个方面实现临界质量。（10 分）
Topic 10: Platform Pricing
主题 10：平台定价
Must know definition of money side and subsidy side
必须知道货币方和补贴方的定义
Be familiar with pricing objectives.
熟悉定价目标。
Balancing demand and supply (Dynamic /surge pricing, charge the side who values the platform more)
平衡供需（动态/溢价，向更重视平台的一方收费）
Increasing user growth (Don't charge, charge only for premium services, charge only when transactions take place)
增加用户增长（不收费，仅对高级服务收费，仅在交易发生时收费）
Reducing leakage (Joining or membership fee, sliding fee model)
减少泄漏（加入或会员费、浮动收费模式）
Reducing pricing friction (subscription model)
减少定价摩擦（订阅模式）
Question2
问题 2
a) Explain using a platform business for illustration, the difference between the "subsidy side" and the "money side" of a multi-sided platform business.
a） 以平台业务为例，说明多边平台业务的「补贴方」与「金钱方」的分别。
(10 marks)
（10 分）
b) Explain a pricing strategy which a platform business can adopt in order to balance demand and supply.
b） 解释平台企业可以采用的定价策略，以平衡供需。
(4 marks)
（4 分）
c) Identify three different objectives multi-sided platforms aim to achieve through pricing strategy and provide an example of how it can be achieved.
c） 确定多边平台旨在通过定价策略实现的三个不同目标，并提供如何实现这些目标的示例。
(12 marks)
（12 分）