Small Platforms Trust Developers

Shaan Puri discusses how platform dynamics work between large and small tech companies, specifically focusing on Snapchat's strategy to compete with Facebook/Instagram by becoming a more developer-friendly platform.

• Platform Competition Reality:

  • Facebook/Instagram openly copy features from competitors
  • They've declared they will replicate any successful features from Snapchat
  • This forces smaller platforms to find alternative strategies

• Snapchat's Strategic Response:

  • Two core strategies:
    • 1. AR glasses development to exit traditional mobile space
    • 2. Becoming a developer-friendly platform

• Platform Trust Advantage:

  • Developers distrust larger platforms like Facebook
    • History of developers getting "screwed" when building on their platforms
    • Poor ecosystem for third-party developers
  • Snapchat positioned to be more trustworthy
    • Must honor developer relationships to compete
    • Has no history of betraying developers
    • Platform support is core to their strategy

• Early Platform Opportunity:

  • Being early to new platforms can yield outsized returns
    • Several Snap Kit apps reached #1-2 in App Store
    • Example of Sooey: Built viral Facebook app when platform launched
    • Early developers can catch "platform waves" with huge upside
  • Low risk, high reward dynamic:
    • Worst case: Waste a month of development
    • Best case: Catch early wave and reach massive scale

• Developer Strategy:

  • Focus on experiences that stay within Snapchat
  • Avoid competing with core Snapchat features
  • Leverage platform tools like Bitmoji integration