Twitter's Evolution

Recently in class we've spent a substantial amount of time discussing what business platforms and business capabilities are. Earlier today I came across this profile of Evan Williams from Twitter in the New York Times. The article is largely about his decision to transition out of the CEO role at Twitter; however, there were two particularly telling paragraphs talking about Twitter's business transformation as it has honed in on its core capability.

Then - From the article: "The founders likened Twitter to ice cream: not that useful, but “a fun thing for family and friends when they are not in the same place,” Mr. Williams says."

Now - From the article: "Mr. Williams and his colleagues no longer liken Twitter to ice cream. They now describe it as an information network, not a social tool, and see it as an essential way for people to communicate and get information in real time."

Now that Twitter has a more defined sense of purpose, it will be interesting to see how this impacts their launch plans in new geographies.