How can legacy companies lead the platform revolution—without burning everything down? In a world dominated by tech-native giants, The Digital Phoenix Effect offers a bold, practical path for traditional firms to drive innovation through platform thinking—without losing what made them great. Whether you’re a corporate leader, innovation manager, consultant, or academic, this book gives you the tools, cases, and frameworks to rethink your business model without starting from scratch. What this book delivers: Clear definitions of platform business models—without Silicon Valley jargon - Real-world stories and cases from Siemens , AXA , and Eni showing how platforms can emerge from legacy assets - A unique framework based on 140 platform initiatives from S&P 500 firms including examples from Caterpillar , Intuit , Kroger , Target , Royal Caribbean , Merck , PACCAR , Chipotle , and more - Five strategic challenges legacy companies can solve through Platform Thinking - The Platform Transformative Framework : a powerful matrix to guide innovation in core services, primary activities, or support functions - A 7-step methodology to build your own platform, tested with over 20 organizations - Bonus : How to leverage Generative AI (GenAI) as a co-thinker to support platform design Why it matters: Most platform strategy books focus on startups. This one doesn’t. This book is about how established organizations can ignite change from within —by turning their customers, suppliers, data, and know-how into scalable, networked value. Written by two international experts in platform strategy and innovation—featured in the Thinkers50 Radar list of the most influential management thinkers— The Digital Phoenix Effect blends academic depth and field-tested practice to help you lead meaningful, sustainable transformation. "Platform thinking made practical—this is a great playbook for turning legacy complexity into innovation ecosystems that scale." — Marshall W. Van Alstyne , Professor at Boston University and co-author of Platform Revolution "The Digital Phoenix Effect provides practical examples to help firms understand how they can make progress on their platform journey." — Geoffrey G. Parker , Professor at Dartmouth College and co-author of Platform Revolution "Trabucchi and Buganza's engaging book offers highly applicable business insights with a sharp focus on how legacy firms can build platforms." — Annabelle Gawer , Professor at University of Surrey and co-author of The Business of Platforms "Platform Thinking is a state of mind as much as a state of technology." — Des Dearlove , Co-founder, Thinkers50 "The authors provide valuable insights on how to leverage legacy assets as a foundation for innovation." — Pierre du Rostu , CEO at AXA Digital Commercial Platform "This book is an inspiration for all who need to prepare their companies to transform!" — Bettina Rotermund , Head of Strategy & Analyst Relations Siemens Xcelerator at Siemens "The book explores how Platform Thinking can transform businesses by addressing complex challenges and fostering innovation." — Stefano Fasani , Open-es Program Manager & Head of Supplier Sustainability at Eni "Success hinges no longer on solitary effort but on working through collaborative ecosystems." — Kaihan Krippendorff , Founder of Outthinker Networks "A timely reminder that value often hides in plain sight, waiting to be activated with the right lens." — Christian Busch , Professor, USC Marshall School of Business "Platform transformation isn't just about technology—it's about reimagining how people come together in new organizational forms." — Elizabeth J. Altman , Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell; MIT Research Affiliate "Trabucchi and Buganza make platform transformation not only accessible, but actionable for any organization." — Alan MacCormack , Professor, Harvard Business School "It is about reinvention through creative thinking and vision at a time of accelerating innovation." — Francesco Caio , Former Chairman and CEO of multinational companies "Even within the most structured organizations lie untapped resources that can drive transformation." — Camilla Folladori , Chief Strategy Officer at Sisal "It charts a flight path for legacy organizations to emerge stronger and more agile." — Faisal Hoque , Founder of Shadoka and bestselling author of Transcend "Actionable strategies to leverage existing assets and evolve into platform-based ecosystems." — Giuseppe Stigliano , Executive Advisor and author of Redefining Retail "The GenAI co-thinker helps practitioners design a winning platform." — Elisa Farri & Gabriele Rosani , Capgemini Invent & authors of HBR Guide to Generative AI "They reveal how companies can innovate while staying authentic to their values." — Kate O'Neill , Tech Humanist and author of What Matters Next "A necessary playbook to unlock your organization's hidden strengths through Platform T