VCs usually don't like the idea of a "platform". They want to see a killer app first. But, it is quickly becoming obvious that having a platform IS the killer app. Or at least the killer differentiator. By platform, I mean something beyond a simple API. It is a mechanism for letting 3rd parties add value to your application through extensions and plug-ins.

WordPress, with all the 3rd party themes and application plugins is a great example of something that gets better as more people use it.

According to TechCrunch, Salesforce.com is now following this path with the introduction of their force.com platform service.

Here's how I see it fitting into the IT Flower framework I introduced last week.

The hook at the bottom of the "force.com" is a bit of commentary on Salesforce.com's intentions. Once a company builds a service on that platform, it does not seem likely that they are going to be able to use it to successfully sell into other markets. For large companies wanting to build customized apps, or ISVs trying to do the same thing, this isn't much of an issue. For other companies who are trying to build the next twitter for business or whatever, force.com is less appealing.

One piece that I did find interesting in a piece posted by Larry Dignan on ZDNet entitled Salesforce.com: It's all about the UI is the introduction of crude mash-up capabilities. It will be really interesting to see what this means in the long run, and how Force.com is going to handle the billing implications. If I build an app that mashups up something from you service and I then charge $50 a month, is force.com going to provide me with a way to set up a successful revenue sharing system with you?