US Platforms, Markets, and Opportunities

Startonomics / Tokyo - June 9, 2009

Dave McClure, Founders FundBradley Horowitz, GoogleDan Gould, Fox Interactive

Evolution of Platforms +Successful Platform Monopolists

• IBM = Big Iron (1970s-1990s)• Intel = Integrated Circuit (1980's-curr.)• Microsoft = Desktop (1990's - mid 2000’s)• Cisco = Network (1990's-curr.)

• Google = Search Act II (2000-curr.)• PayPal = Online Payments (2000-curr.)• Apple = iTunes + iPod (2003-curr.)• YouTube = Online Video (2006-curr.)

• AOL = Email + Gated Internet (1992-2001)• Yahoo = Search Act I (1994-2000)• Amazon = Books/New Goods (1995-curr.)• eBay = Used Goods (1995-2004)• Craigslist = Classifieds (1998-curr.)

• Friendster = Social Networks vI (2002-2004)• LinkedIn = Prof. Social Networks (2003-

curr.)• MySpace = Social Networks v2 (2005-2007)• Facebook = Social Networks v3 (2007-curr.)• Twitter = Social Networks v3.5 (2008-?)

Social Platform Wars (circa late 2007 / early 2008)

Missing:• Twitter• Apple/iPhone• Zynga/SGN/+• Microsoft• Ning• MMORPGs• FriendFeed• (many others)• (intl players)

Platform Viability

Users . . Money

Features

Growth Profit

ProfitableGrowth

Nirvana

Successful Platforms have 3 Things:1) Features2) Users3) Money

Platform Discussion Topics• “HOT” platforms: iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, Wave (?)• Email & IM: Yahoo, MSFT, Google, AOL, Skype• Social Networks: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, Orkut, hi5,

Friendster, etc• Payment & E-Commerce: Amazon (1-Click), eBay (PayPal), Apple (iTunes)• Mobile: iPhone, Palm, Android, Blackberry, etc• Gaming: Zynga, RockYou, Slide, Playfish, SGN• Development: Amazon (AWS), Google AppEngine, Mozilla, Ruby/Rails,

Python/Django, etc• Other: SalesForce, Craigslist, Wikipedia, YouTube

Vertical Market Platforms?

• Family & Parenting• Geographic / Cultural• Sports / Entertainment• Academic• Other?