Don't use 'platform' to describe your product.
If the description of your startup has the word "platform" in it, there's a better description that doesn't | Paul Graham
I saw this tweet by PG yesterday and thought it well worth sharing on IH, given how often I see the platform word crop up here :)
Good advice! I also hate the word "solution". Just tell me what it solves!
Hmm... strange claim to me. If you really create a platform, why don't use this word? If you really create a solution why wouldn't use it?
Because it forces you to focus on the
whatnot thewhy.And in a short description (for potential customers, investors etc) it's important to focus on
the value you create for the customernothow you create that value.I don't think anyone is suggesting you can never use the word platform :)
But you can't avoid at least some definition. You can't say "I created something that will give you a profit" - you still need to find some word describing your product and I don't see anything wrong with "platform" word. Do you? If so, what is that?
Maybe you could give us a description of some (possibly hypothetical) product including the word
platformwhich couldn't be improved by removing theplatformpart :)I absolutely agree! For the longest time I would refer to www.StripTogether.co as, "The platform where artists can join in on comic strips one panel at a time"...blegh! ( I also called it an "ongoing collaborative art project"...but that wasn't right either.)
Over time, as the community grew I realized that what I'm offering is not a platform, but a living, growing, connected and collaborative community. StripTogether now holds the more succinct, and more true description, "The collaborative webcomic community".
Makes me think, how would you describe my product (https://www.datagekko.com). As I really am trying to expand to be a platform in the very general sense. Ie a PaaS where you will have pretty much the majority of the functionality exposed and you can just wire your own stuff on top of it.
Well I'm neither PG nor do i know your customers/product well, so I won't attempt a direct answer :)
I think the point he's trying to make (going back to some lectures from Startup School) is that
platformisn't the simplest way to describe succinctly what you do for your customers.For example AirBnB could be "we're a platform where you can rent out your spare room"
But something like "we help you make money by renting out your spare room" is (for argument's sake) a much more effective description in terms of convincing customers of the value.
Thanks for the feedback. I deffinitely agree that now I know about it, the work platform really does sound vague/worn out. Even though I really am aiming at making a platform it might make sense to pitch it a bit differently. Will have to re-think this a bit :/
I think this comes back to -
don't describe the market or the solution, describe the problem you're fixing and how much it will help people with that problem.
hahah love it!
There's a more specific definition in The Bill Gates Line:
I wonder if that definition is understood or even assumed in some circles and it might be informative (or at least as informative as "marketplace")?
But I agree that it's commonly used in a way that's almost as redundant as including "website" in your product description.