https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/23/texture-seed-round/

Platform is a word that gets tossed around a lot in technology circles, so much so that it’s often misused. But here’s the basic business school definition: a platform is a company or business model that creates more value for participants than it captures for itself.

Consider that some of the most successful companies in tech have helped other businesses make more money in aggregate than they make for themselves. A couple decades ago, Microsoft made lots of money facilitating the PC revolution. More recently, Apple said that developers which used its App Store generated $1.1 trillion in sales in 2022, nearly triple what the company made itself that year.