Platforms aren’t just about building apps or marketplaces—they’re about orchestrating ecosystems, creating network effects, and fundamentally reimagining how value is created and captured.

After years of consulting on platform and product strategy, I’ve curated this reading list that will take you from platform fundamentals to advanced strategic thinking. Whether you’re building a new platform, competing with one, or advising others, these books will sharpen your strategic toolkit.

The Foundation: Understanding Platform Economics

Platform Revolution by Geoffrey Parker, Marshall Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary
This is your starting point. Period. The authors break down the core principles of platform business models with crystal clarity—network effects, governance, pricing, and the shift from pipeline to platform thinking. The book is packed with case studies from Airbnb, Uber, and others that illustrate how platforms create value differently than traditional businesses.

Why read it: It establishes the vocabulary and mental models you’ll use throughout your platform journey.

The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen
Andrew Chen, a GP at Andreessen Horowitz, tackles the hardest challenge every platform faces: how do you get your first users when your value depends on having users? This book is essential for understanding the chicken-and-egg problem and the tactical strategies successful platforms used to overcome it.

Why read it: Theory is useless without execution. Chen bridges that gap beautifully.

Going Deeper: Strategy and Competitive Dynamics

Modern Monopolies by Alex Moazed and Nicholas L. Johnson
This book reframes how we think about platform competition and defensibility. Moazed and Johnson argue that platforms create a new type of monopoly—one based on network effects rather than traditional barriers to entry. They explore why regulators struggle to understand platforms and how platform strategies differ fundamentally from traditional business strategies.

Why read it: It challenges conventional wisdom about competition and helps you think about long-term defensibility.

Platform Strategy by Laure Claire Reillier and Benoit Reillier
For those who want a more academic and structured approach, this book provides frameworks for platform design, launch, and scaling. It’s particularly strong on multi-sided platform dynamics and the challenges of balancing different user groups.
Why read it: When you need rigorous frameworks to present to stakeholders or guide strategic decisions.

The Contrarian View: When Platforms Aren’t the Answer
Winner Takes All by Anand Giridharadas

Not every book on this list is a love letter to platforms. Giridharadas offers a critical examination of how platform-era thinking and “win-win” narratives can mask winner-take-all dynamics that exacerbate inequality. This is essential reading for understanding the societal implications of platform business models.

Why read it: Strategy without ethics is incomplete. This book forces you to think beyond growth metrics.

The Platform Delusion by Jonathan Knee
Knee, a Columbia Business School professor, argues that many companies claiming to be platforms are really just traditional businesses with apps. He brings a healthy skepticism to platform hype and examines why some “platforms” fail while others succeed.

Why read it: It will save you from drinking too much of your own Kool-Aid and help you assess whether a platform model truly fits your business.

Advanced Reading: Network Effects and Ecosystem Thinking

The Network Imperative by Barry Libert, Megan Beck, and Jerry Wind
This book explores how network-based business models are creating value across industries. The authors provide data-driven insights into why networked companies outperform traditional firms and how to transform your organization to capture network effects.

Why read it: For understanding network effects beyond consumer tech—in B2B, industrial, and service contexts.

Matchmakers by David S. Evans and Richard Schmalensee

Two economists dive deep into the economics of multi-sided platforms, from ancient marketplaces to modern digital platforms. It’s more academic than others on this list but provides invaluable insights into pricing strategies, design choices, and competitive dynamics.

Why read it: When you need to understand the economic foundations underlying platform decisions.
Practical Implementation: Design and Product

Platform Ecosystems by Amrit Tiwana
This is the most technical book on the list, focused on the architecture and governance of platform ecosystems. Tiwana explores how platform owners balance control and openness, how to design APIs and developer programs, and how to manage ecosystem evolution.

Why read it: Essential for anyone actually building or managing platform technology and developer ecosystems.

Platform Scale by Sangeet Paul Choudary
Choudary (one of the Platform Revolution co-authors) focuses specifically on the design patterns that enable platforms to scale. He breaks down the architecture of successful platforms into repeatable frameworks you can apply.

Why read it: When you’re moving from strategy to implementation and need design principles.