Here is a decision tree to help you navigate when you should make the transition from a point solution to a platform solution.

1. Do you have multiple products in market?

• If the answer is no, by definition you're not a platform. Easy enough.

2. Have you found product market fit with one of your products?

• If the answer is no, you'll separate focus by trying to trying to sell a platform. Point solutions are exponentially easier to sell / validate than platforms.

3. If you have multiple products w/ product market fit... are these easily combined into a known product category?

• If the answer is no, then by going platform, you will also be creating a new product category... which is not for the faint of heart (and usually fails even with absurd amounts of capital).

4. If it IS a known category, does your buyer champion shop for it?

• If the answer is no, you'll likely be pushing a boulder up hill trying to reach C-level executives when you could have focused on selling the point solution to the champions and then upselling/cross-selling the other products in the platform. The platform then becomes a retention & expansion play rather than upfront company-level positioning.

5. If your buyer champion does shop for this type of platform in a known category...

• Go for it!