Strategy & Games
Platform Redefinition of Category Boundaries
When new technology enters a mature category, the leader doesn't just defeat competitors within that category—it seizes definitional power over the entire category through platform capabilities. This transforms the category from 'functional product' to 'ecosystem node,' forcing incumbent firms into three choices: be integrated into the platform, be marginalized, or pivot to become upstream suppliers.
Read the daily articles behind this idea on the Chinese edition.