Modern Monopolies: What It Takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy

Modern Monopolies examines platform businesses—companies like Google, Snapchat, Tinder, Amazon, and Uber that create value by facilitating exchanges between interdependent groups rather than producing goods themselves. Alex Moazed and Nicholas L. Johnson explain how these platforms work, what has changed in the economy, and how businesses can adapt to succeed in this new era. Platforms now dominate the internet landscape. Facebook accounts for nearly twenty-five percent of total web visits, while the Google platform crash in 2013 disrupted about forty percent of internet traffic. The ten most trafficked U.S. websites are platforms, and globally they hold the top eight positions in China's web traffic rankings. Mobile computing and constant connectivity have merged digital and physical worlds, allowing these platform giants to expand their influence beyond the digital sphere into the broader economy. The book provides a guide to understanding platform business models, replicating their success, and navigating disruption in the platform economy.