David Evans has helped numerous companies design and implement a successful ignition strategy that turned their platform businesses into money-making enterprises. Now, all five parts of the Catalyst Course lecture series – from getting off the ground, to generating profit, to fending off competitors – are available below.
Download the full Catalyst Course Powerpoint presentation here.
• Session One: Ready! Aim! Ignite!
• Session Two: Platform Businesses Can Turn Junk — Like Pez Dispensers — Into Massive Profits
• Session Three: The Secret to a Profitable Platform: Figuring Out Who Pays and Who Doesn’t
• Session Four: Blast Off or Bust!
• Session Five: How Facebook Can Avoid Becoming The Next MySpace
Related material:
• PYMNTS.com Invisible Engines Series
This blog series will explain how software platforms are going to transform the payments industry and why you will be touched by this new revolution and perhaps even want to be one of the entrepreneurs or investors who pioneer this new area.
This series describes what an ignition plan is, why every entrepreneur inside and outside of major corporations should have one, and why investors and directors should insist on seeing one.
• From Amazon: Catalyst Code, Platform Economics
• From SSRN: Governing Bad Behavior, Catalyst Ignition, Failure to Launch
David S. Evans is an economist, business advisor and Founder of Market Platform Dynamics. He is a recognized global authority on the design and implementation of platform business strategies, a body of work that he pioneered and that was captured in Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries, a 2006 American Publishers Association best business book award winner. David has consulted with many of the leading companies in the world and has served as an advisor to their CEOs and Boards of Directors.
A frequent keynote speaker, David is often called upon to lead thought provoking industry discussions and to share his insights on the success and failure of platform businesses worldwide. David is also an advisor to and investor in many emerging ventures.
David’s recent work has focused on help new platform businesses solve the “ignition problem” which involves securing a critical mass of customers to generate sustainable growth through positive-feedback effects.
David has advised and has led major consulting projects for many of the leading companies in the world over the last 25 years. While his work has spanned a number of industries he has particularly deep experience in financial services, internet-based, online advertising, online and traditional media, payment cards, software platforms, and telecommunications industries. Many of the projects he has led have involved advanced quantitative, financial modeling, and survey work.
He has served as a C-Suite advisor to a number of the world’s largest corporations. He has also frequently been asked to address Boards of Directors and senior management teams at large corporations.
In addition to his work for large incumbents David has served as an advisor to more than 20 startups and is a member of the Board of Directors of several, including PYMNTS.com which is a joint venture between Market Platform Dynamics and Berkshire Hathaway’s Business Wire.
In the last several years, David’s consulting work has focused on advising companies on innovation and ignition strategies for new products and services. Much of his work has focused on advising companies that are part of a platform-based ecosystem.
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