The Power of Platforms: How Coral Reefs, Cities, and the Web Fuel Innovation

Why the Most Successful Ideas Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

What do coral reefs, cities, and the World Wide Web have in common? They are all platforms—foundations that turn barren landscapes into cradles of creativity and invention. In 'Where Good Ideas Come From,' Steven Johnson draws a vivid analogy between the natural world and the human-made, showing how platforms accelerate progress by supporting waves of innovation.

Coral reefs are nature’s ultimate platform. Built on lifeless rock, they create complex structures that support thousands of species. Each new inhabitant adds to the diversity, making the reef more resilient and inventive. Cities work the same way: as they grow, they attract more people, ideas, and resources, making them hotbeds of invention. The web, originally designed for sharing scientific data, evolved into a platform for everything from social media to online banking, thanks to its open architecture.

Platforms are powerful because they are generative—they don’t just solve one problem, they create the conditions for countless new solutions. Open platforms, in particular, invite others to contribute, remix, and innovate. This is why the most successful companies and technologies build platforms, not just products.

If you want to be part of the next big thing, look for platforms. Join them, build on them, or create your own. The future belongs to those who think in layers, not silos.