Reviving platform strategy to compete against Big AI
By
Anil Dash
Summary
Anil Dash argues that while Big Tech has become so dominant that platform competition seems impossible, the AI market is still early enough that Big AI companies can be defeated. He calls for a revival of classic platform strategy tactics—once used in desktop office, web browsers, and mobile ecosystems—to compete against AI giants. The piece outlines historical examples of platform wars and lays out strategic approaches for startups, developers, and open source communities to challenge incumbent AI platforms by leveraging interoperability, user trust, and ecosystem thinking.
Source
bskyReviving platform strategy to compete against Big AIanildash.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledOne aspect of strategy that's been largely lost in the tech industry in recent years is how to compete against platforms, since the major tech companies have gotten so big that markets are no longer competitive.
However, the AI market is still early enough, and users and society are still angry enough, that the Big AI companies can lose.
But for them to lose, everybody else in the ecosystem has to carry out the nearly-lost art of platform strategy.
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