Difference Between a Product and a Platform: A Guide for Product Managers

Massimiliano Sermi
The Azubi
Published in
8 min readFeb 17, 2023

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Imagine you’re a product manager, and you’re tasked with developing a solution to meet the needs of a specific market. You have two choices: build a product, or build a platform. Which approach do you choose? On one hand, a product is a complete solution that’s designed to meet a specific set of needs for a specific set of customers. On the other hand, a platform provides a set of tools and infrastructure that enable others to build their own solutions. Both have their benefits and drawbacks, and the decision you make could have a significant impact on the success of your business. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the differences between products and platforms, and provide some guidance on how to choose the right approach for your business. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to explore the fascinating world of product management in this, hopefully, interesting article

But let’s start from the beginning…

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a cat playing checkers

As a product manager, one of the key concepts to understand is the difference between a product and a platform. While these terms may seem interchangeable, they represent fundamentally different approaches to building and delivering…

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Massimiliano Sermi
The Azubi

I write about Product Mgmt, Agile, Coaching, Mentorship, Leadership, Self-improvement, Wealth Mgmt & Investment on real-life experiences&a touch of imagination