A different kind of matchmaker.Many of the most dynamic public companies from Alibaba to
Facebook to Visa and the most valuable start-ups such as Airbnb and Uber are matchmakers
that connect one group of customers with another group of customers. Economists call
matchmakers multisided platforms because they provide physical or virtual platforms for
multiple groups to get together. Dating sites connect people with potential matches for
example and ride-sharing apps do the same for drivers and riders. Although matchmakers have
been around for millennia they're becoming more and more popularand profitabledue to dramatic
advances in technology and a lot of companies that have managed to crack the code of this
business model have become today's power brokers. Don't let the flashy successes fool you
though. Starting a matchmaker is one of the toughest business challenges and almost everyone
who tries to build one fails. In Matchmakers David Evans and Richard Schmalensee two
economists who were among the first to analyze multisided platforms and discover their
principles and who've consulted for some of the most successful platform businesses in the
world explain how matchmakers work best in practice why they do what they do and how
entrepreneurs can improve their chances for success. Whether you're an entrepreneur an
investor a consumer or an executive your future will involve more and more multisided
platforms and Matchmakersrich with stories from platform winners and losersis the one book
you'll need in order to navigate this appealing but confusing world.
