Instead of viewing platform constraints as a weakness, Rippling's PMs leverage shared components, like its powerful 'groups' feature, to create superior product experiences. This turns the platform into a competitive advantage for individual product lines, not a compromise on quality, by offering capabilities standalone products lack.
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Platform value isn't developer efficiency. It's enabling developers to build features that solve end-customer problems and drive business outcomes like retention. The platform PM must connect their work across this two-step chain to secure investment.
A platform's immediate user is the developer. However, to demonstrate true value, you must also understand and solve for the developer's end customer. This "two-hop" thinking is essential for connecting platform work to tangible business outcomes, not just internal technical improvements.
A successful platform strategy focuses on leverage. It provides building blocks that reduce internal effort to launch new products, while delivering a seamless, integrated experience that creates lock-in for customers. This leverage is the platform's core value proposition.
The 'compound startup' model of building multiple products at once is only viable when integration is more valuable than best-of-breed features. It also requires a shared platform architecture that genuinely accelerates the development of each subsequent product.
Large enterprises don't buy point solutions; they invest in a long-term platform vision. To succeed, build an extensible platform from day one, but lead with a specific, high-value use case as the entry point. This foundational architecture cannot be retrofitted later.
Building a true platform requires designing components to be general-purpose, not use-case specific. For instance, creating one Kanban board for sales, support, and engineering. This thoughtful approach imposes a ~20% development 'tax' upfront but creates massive speed and leverage in the future.
Point-solution SaaS products are at a massive disadvantage in the age of AI because they lack the broad, integrated dataset needed to power effective features. Bundled platforms that 'own the mine' of data are best positioned to win, as AI can perform magic when it has access to a rich, semantic data layer.
Instead of waiting for experience teams to request an API, platform teams should analyze top-level business goals and proactively propose services that unlock new use cases. This shifts the dynamic from a reactive service desk to a strategic partner.
Public company constraints don't kill innovation; they change its nature. Instead of building solutions from scratch, PMs must prioritize reusing existing internal capabilities and tech stacks from other products within the company. This "plugin" approach maintains velocity while managing resources under public scrutiny.
Contrary to typical platform strategy, Harness sells its modules separately. This prevents weak products from hiding inside a bundle and creates intense internal accountability. It forces each team to compete and win on its own merits, ensuring customers only buy what delivers real value.
