Success Conditions for Digital Platform Development in Established Firms

Digital platforms have emerged as a dominant organizing logic for value creation in the digital economy. However, documented success stories of platforms developed by established firms with product-and service-centric business models and linear value chains remain scarce. This study identifies 17 conditions that shape the potential for successful digital platform development in established firms, categorized into environmental, organizational, and core-offering conditions. Combining a structured literature review with 16 semi-structured expert interviews, we synthesize prior research and refine these conditions through practitioner perspectives. The resulting framework contributes to the literature on digital platforms in established firms and to the make-or-join discussion while providing practitioners with a structured basis for evaluating platform initiatives before committing significant resources.