Idle Asset Hunters—The Secret of Multi-sided Platforms

Overview: Since the dot-com revolution in early 2000s, traditional, vertically integrated firms have attempted to innovate using multi-sided digital platforms, matching customer and supplier groups resolve needs of both. These firms’ underlying logic has disrupted traditional business models, enabling them introduce new counterintuitive value creation, delivery, capture configurations. Using Uber Airbnb, two prominent cases we present an overview dynamics governing mechanisms within a platform through theoretical lens model. Multi-sided models undergo three evolutionary phases: they solve market friction; exploit critical mass develop; unveil derived from cocreation based on data. Our study reveals how successful providers act as idle asset hunters that can identify leverage untapped assets. We propose framework helps companies move two-sided platform.