A Common Language for the Platform Organization

This speech was delivered by Simone Cicero as the final keynote of Intersection’s 2024 Conference in Rome.

Discover how a shared language can enhance collaboration and innovation within platform organizations. This article explores the role of standardized communication in streamlining processes, driving efficiency, and fostering ecosystem growth. Learn the key principles that enable diverse teams to align and build scalable, resilient platform strategies.

1. A Common
Language for the
Platform
Organization
Simone Cicero

2. 20+ years experience
Open Source Business Models
Platforms & Ecosystems
Organizational Design &
Development

CEO of Boundaryless
Creator of Platform Design Toolkit




RADAR 2020
Simone Cicero - CEO
[email protected]
39 328 8818730

3. 10 years
100k+ users
1000+ trainees
countless customers

4. 10 years
100k+ users
1000+ trainees
countless customers

8. credits @cdixon

9. credits @cdixon
financial incentives
for collaboration
advanced and
transparent
governance
credits La Devochka - A Complete Introduction To On-Chain Governance Pt.1

11. protocol
app 1 app 2

13. But why
do we disagree?

14. “Reaching an agreement
is one of the most
sophisticated and
expensive activities of
human beings.ˮ
alberto brandolini

15. consensus = cost
better to visualize
disagreement

16. “In the time since they
released the first
version of Android,
Google has moved
many important features
to its proprietary Google
Play Services.
Therefore, Googleʼs
version of Android,
which is installed on
most Android phones,
cannot be called
open-source.ˮ

17. easy
cost-effective
ubiquitous
PAYG

20. Intentional ontological
convergence

21. S
N

24. Bezos API Mandate
1. All teams will henceforth expose their data and functionality through service interfaces.
2. Teams must communicate with each other through these interfaces.
3. There will be no other form of interprocess communication allowed: no direct linking, no direct reads of
another teamʼs data store, no shared-memory model, no back-doors whatsoever. The only communication
allowed is via service interface calls over the network.
4. It doesnʼt matter what technology they use. HTTP, Corba, Pubsub, custom protocols — doesnʼt matter.
5. All service interfaces, without exception, must be designed from the ground up to be externalizable. That is
to say, the team must plan and design to be able to expose the interface to developers in the outside world.
No exceptions.
6. Anyone who doesnʼt do this will be fired.
7. Thank you; have a nice day!

25. Cloud
teams

27. blss.io/3EOToolkit

The 3EO Toolkit

28. Node MEs
Industry
PLATFORMs
Shared Services
PLATFORMs
HR
Finance
IT…
Investing
Branding Scope/Focus
$
User MEs
VAM
(investments)

Service Provisioning
Contracts/Agreements

EMC contract
Multi-party)

29. Agreements all
the way down
Specialized
workflows
Platform Organization
Model
(nodes, contracts)
ecosystem
dynamics
network effects
?
economy of
complements
Financial
Transactions
contracts
between nodes
Banking
standards
Blockchain
ledgers
business/service
models
information
oracles
decision making
protocols
programmable
money flows

30. What can the role of
EDGYbe in this
landscape?
How to go beyond
facilitating
conversations?
What does it mean to
build
EDGY/Intersection as a
platform in this
landscape?

31. Thank you

Simone Cicero - CEO
[email protected]
39 328 8818730