Researched
Platform Economy
eBay (1995), Amazon, Airbnb (2008), Uber (2009): digital marketplaces connect supply and demand at almost zero marginal cost.
Open in the interactive tree →Network effects let a few platforms dominate. App stores (2008) created markets for software, and Rochet and Tirole described two-sided market theory in 2003. Results: gains from choice and price comparison, but also concentrated power, gig work and data questions, which prompted regulation such as the DMA and DSA.
Prerequisites
- Trade & Division of Labor~7000 BC
- The Internet1969
- Web search and PageRank1998Search advertising built the first giant internet platform
- Smartphone2007
Unlocks
- Social Media & Algorithmic Feeds2004-2012
- Platform Regulation (DMA/DSA)2023-2026
- Disinformation & Trustopen