Gentlepersons,
In any industry influenced by strong network effects, only one platform can become the de facto industry standard (by definition). The winning platform will thrive, while all others will be marginalized. This is as inevitable as supply and demand -- it is not a "policy" of firms or of individuals.
As an evangelist, your job is to establish your platforms as de facto industry standards by managing and exploiting network effects.
Generally speaking, the most efficient evangelism strategy is to focus your limited evangelism resources on those firms or individuals who (a) have the most to gain by being among the first to back the eventual winner of the platform battle, (b) can adopt your platform at the least cost, and (c) have the most influence over the platform choices made by others.
You encourage these "key industry influencers" to take actions that publicly demonstrate their belief that your platform will eventually become the new standard. These public actions provide later adopters with the "social proof" and "expert opinion" they need to justify take similar action -- that is, to "jump on your bandwagon." Every person who jumps on your bandwagon increases its momentum, causing it to move even farther ahead of your competition. This attracts even more people to jump on your bandwagon, even if they have to jump off of a competitor's bandwagon to do so. Once the majority recognize your platform as the industry's de facto standard, everyone on your bandwagon wins.
Clearly, the early decisions of these key industry influencers are critical to your success.
Therefore, describing key industry influencers as "pawns" is both offensive and inaccurate. It mis-characterizes the mutually-supportive relationship that must exist between a platform vendor and its platforms' early adopters, such as that which Microsoft and independent software developers created in the 1990's. I regret having used the "pawns" metaphor; I apologise for any misplaced ill-will it may have caused towards Microsoft; and I won't use it in future.
Adam Smith's Invisible Hand is at work in Microsoft's relationships with independent developers, just as it is throughout capitalism. As he wrote in The Wealth of Nations, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest."
Respectfully,
James Plamondon
P.S.: And anyone who wants to date my 17-year-old daughter better not have the mistaken attitude towards dating that I expressed ten years ago.;-)
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Gentlepersons, In any industry influenced by strong network effects, only one platform can become the de facto industry standard (by definition). The winning platform will thrive, while all others will be marginalized. This is as inevitable as supply and demand -- it is not a "policy" of firms or of individuals. As an evangelist, your job is to establish your platforms as de facto industry standards by managing and exploiting network effects. Generally speaking, the most efficient evangelism strategy is to focus your limited evangelism resources on those firms or individuals who (a) have the most to gain by being among the first to back the eventual winner of the platform battle, (b) can adopt your platform at the least cost, and (c) have the most influence over the platform choices made by others. You encourage these "key industry influencers" to take actions that publicly demonstrate their belief that your platform will eventually become the new standard. These public actions provide later adopters with the "social proof" and "expert opinion" they need to justify take similar action -- that is, to "jump on your bandwagon." Every person who jumps on your bandwagon increases its momentum, causing it to move even farther ahead of your competition. This attracts even more people to jump on your bandwagon, even if they have to jump off of a competitor's bandwagon to do so. Once the majority recognize your platform as the industry's de facto standard, everyone on your bandwagon wins. Clearly, the early decisions of these key industry influencers are critical to your success. Therefore, describing key industry influencers as "pawns" is both offensive and inaccurate. It mis-characterizes the mutually-supportive relationship that must exist between a platform vendor and its platforms' early adopters, such as that which Microsoft and independent software developers created in the 1990's. I regret having used the "pawns" metaphor; I apologise for any misplaced ill-will it may have caused towards Microsoft; and I won't use it in future. Adam Smith's Invisible Hand is at work in Microsoft's relationships with independent developers, just as it is throughout capitalism. As he wrote in The Wealth of Nations, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest." Respectfully, James Plamondon P.S.: And anyone who wants to date my 17-year-old daughter better not have the mistaken attitude towards dating that I expressed ten years ago. ;-)