Although firms increasingly operate with platform-based business models, only a few have been shown to prosper and survive in the long run. While the literature has traditionally focused on platform growth along with facilitating network effects through value creation, our knowledge around platform scaling remained rather limited. Using an inductive theory elaboration approach with a longitudinal case study of a two-sided platform, Takeaway.com, we offer in-depth understanding about how the top management team members used decision rules to navigate emergent opportunities and challenges over time, and to transition from platform growth to platform scaling. We find that the top management team members purposefully and repeatedly use and revise a portfolio of decision rules to cultivate indirect and data network effects, which allows them to initially facilitate the growth of their platform and over time support the transition to scaling the platform. Our findings provide important implications about the distinct nature of platform growth and platform scaling, and the role of decision rules in cultivating a combination of network effects over time in order to arrive at platform scaling and ensure platform survival and prosperity over an extended period.

尽管越来越多的公司采用基于平台的商业模式进行运营，但从长远来看，只有少数公司能够繁荣并生存。虽然文献传统上关注平台增长以及通过价值创造促进网络效应，但我们对平台扩展的了解仍然相当有限。使用归纳理论阐述方法和双边平台 Takeaway.com 的纵向案例研究，我们深入了解高层管理团队成员如何使用决策规则来驾驭随着时间的推移出现的机遇和挑战，并进行转型从平台增长到平台扩展。我们发现高层管理团队成员有目的地反复使用和修改决策规则组合来培养间接和数据网络效应，这使他们能够首先促进平台的发展，并随着时间的推移支持向平台扩展的过渡。我们的研究结果对平台增长和平台扩展的独特性质以及决策规则在随着时间的推移培养网络效应组合以实现平台扩展并确保平台长期生存和繁荣方面的作用提供了重要启示。