6 questions to ask before building a platform for creativity

Platformed creativity is on the rise, as elaborated by SGE’s assistant editor Terence Lee. Such platforms provide avenues for self-expression and creativity, relying on their creators to offer a value proposition to their consumers.

A platform without creators is a ghost town and there is little incentive for consumers to use it. Replicating the technology of YouTube is a considerably smaller challenge compared to replicating its community of video creators.

The creators are active partners in creating (and delivering) the value proposition of the platform. Hence, any startup building a creativity platform should:

1. Understand the motivations of the creators
2. Create enabling technology that caters to those motivations
3. Have a clear strategy to maximize the number of creators on the platforms.

The following 6 questions can help a platform think through these issues and enable it to successfully create a platform that finds traction.

Are you providing tools or pipes? Or both?

Creativity platforms may provide content creators the tools to enable them to be creative, or they could supply the pipes to arket their creations to an audience. Or both.

Tools: Platforms may provide creative and/or infrastructural tools. Vimeo gives anyone the ability to host an HD video online and deliver a video quality superior to all competitors. Instagram enables users to create beautiful photos without being a PhotoShop expert.

Pipes: In some cases, creativity platforms may provide pipes to a specific desired audience. Dribbble allows users to upload their creations and provides them access to the right professional community.

Tools+Pipes: One way to build a lasting platform is to supply both. That is what enabled Instagram, a late follower, to disrupt Hipstamatic, a far superior product. Hipstamatic allowed users to apply filters to pictures (initially) but Instagram created a thriving community around such photos. Facebook Photos, in a similar way, disrupted Flickr to become the largest storehouse of photos on the internet. Facebook provided access to an audience and their news feed while Flickr only provided hosting.

At the end of the day, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?