Nat Brown has experience working on several platforms including Microsoft Windows, Facebook, iOS, and Android. Brown summarizes that great platforms create sustainable ecosystems by establishing stable workflows for users, business models, distribution systems, and addressing issues like discovery, payments, and preventing predatory monetization tactics. While early platforms like Windows, Facebook, and web browsers grew new markets, they struggled with stability, security, payments and discovery. Mobile platforms helped address some of these issues but still face challenges around discovery and developing sustainable business models.

1. great platforms are great ecosystems
ideas from facebook and mobile
(and a few other anecdotes)
nat brown
natbro@gmail.com
@natbro

2. hi. i’ve worked on all of these
• microsoft windows (Win16/Win32) ‘90-’00
• microsoft COM/OLE, IE/ActiveX ‘92-’97
• web ‘96-present, early mobile ‘99-’03
• xbox ’98-’99
an intermission
• facebook platform ’06-’10 (iLike.com)
• iOS and Android ’08-present (misc)

3. to me platforms start with…
• a workflow – a place users spend time
creating and/or consuming content
• a business model – a way for people to
make a living

4. facebook platform ‘07
• prior to june ‘07, only proprietary features
• bi-direction RESTful “platform” protocol
supported native-looking “apps”
– user-acquisition, notifications baked into feed
– controlled direct user communication (email)
– a display language, FBML/FBJS => HTML
– navigation: apps existed within the facebook
URL hierarchy

5. iLike on facebook

6. facebook platform
• facebook is a social “workflow” akin to email
• what did facebook platform fix for “apps”?
– huge addressable market with strong engagement
– discovery, distribution/installation, versioning/updates
– communication, navigation
• what didn’t it fix?
– stability, business-model
• out-of-balance / unsustainable ecosystem
– facebook was only interested in users & engagement
– apps looking to make money had misaligned priorities, didn’t
control enough of their own destiny or user communication
– huge user numbers and engagement at any cost were the only
plausible monetization paths (ads, venture, buyout)
– app behaviors led to bad user experience, shutdown

7. mobile platforms (iOS and Android)
• prior to july ‘08, mostly proprietary apps
• app stores dropped carrier distribution barrier
for native apps
– added direct developer payment infrastructure,
stable APIs
– UI/design language: reusable controls, including
Web/HTML
– simple, consistent navigation model and
guidelines for app-internal, app-app navigation
– iOS opted for app-reviews & tight-control, Android
for “open”

8. mobile platforms
• phones/tablets with web connectivity are a “workflow” around
social/communication/expression (UGC), casual/snacking entertainment,
and increasingly productivity
• what did mobile platforms fix for apps?
– vast addressable market
– partial connectivity vs. web on mobile (“rich client UI & logic”)
– distribution/installation, versioning/updates, communication, navigation
– stability, payments (to some degree)
• what didn’t it fix?
– discovery
• a sustainable ecosystem, but with rough business-model issues
– in-app purchasing and addiction-/gambling-ware “whale” pursuit
– malware on Android
– poor ads throughout
– extreme price pressure

9. mobile monetization
• i’ve sold about 1.5M apps since ’08
• discovery: from difficult to impossible
• volumes: declining over time:
– paid to free-to-try: 50% increase leading to a decline
to 25%
– to free-with-in-app-purchases: 50% increase again
leading to decline to 25%
• users and regulators are not amused by
gambling/addiction “whale” tactics - the payment
pendulum swings back
• in hindsight, ideally never let prices drop to zero
and set consumer expectations at zero

10. some contrast
• Windows grew addressable market for graphical applications
stabilized APIs: graphics, sound, file-system, input-system; created
great toolchains. failed to innovate in overall stability (apps crash
each other), security (malware), and in digital discovery, distribution
& payment.
• Consoles xBox attempted to bring PC developers + Windows
platform to consoles, grow market, break cycle of custom hardware,
difficult custom tools, no backwards compatibility. failed some PC
tenets in the 360 generation. consoles are doing poorly at usability
and monolithic app installation, mixed on curation vs. open.
• Web HTML/HTTP and the browser defined a non-centralized and
cheap information & “app” / site distribution mechanism and a
consistent navigation metaphor that brings only parts of the “app” as
needed. weak security and the “ad-supported-assumption” and lack
of micro-payments prevent a great deal of innovation.

11. some parting thoughts
• huge addressable markets often involve a segue market
• user-interaction/navigation models between content/apps
which maintain workflow are more important than most think
• bake in sustainable payments around access, specific
content, or time, in a way which doesn’t race to $0 or hinge
entirely on ads
• look for content providers (“apps”) of all sizes (not just big
publishers) who have stable businesses
• ideally apps make >> more $ aggregate than the platform
• greatest platforms have UGC (kid-/novice-created content –
Visual Basic, HTML, YouTube) and sub-ecosystems that are
also virtuous
• great tools, stability, security, privacy, distribution
• ideally, non-game-able discovery

12. thanks!
nat brown
natbro@gmail.com
@natbro