The Platform & Ecosystem Strategy Designer

Help me think through whether and how to build a platform or ecosystem
rather than just a product.

My business or product: [DESCRIBE]
The players who could participate: [CUSTOMERS, COMPLEMENTORS, DEVELOPERS,
PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS]
The value I create today: [DESCRIBE]

Provide:
1. Whether a platform/ecosystem model genuinely fits, or a
   pipeline/product model is right for me
2. The sides of the platform and the value each side gets — and the
   chicken-and-egg problem to solve first
3. Where network effects, data advantages, or complementor lock-in could
   build a real moat
4. The governance choices (openness, rules, revenue share, curation) and
   their trade-offs
5. The risks (multi-homing, disintermediation, dependence, regulatory
   scrutiny)

Be rigorous — most products are not platforms, and forcing it destroys
value. See Section 4 on network effects.