Digital entrepreneur’s platformication and rapid internationalization through brokering, making and giving sense

Abstract

In the realm of entrepreneurship and rapid international growth, the influence of digital technologies is profound. The sustained growth of Born Digital firms hinges on intricate relational and network dynamics, particularly within the context of digital platforms. This longitudinal empirical research focuses on case firms immersed in project-based activities centered around health apps. Navigating the complex landscape of digital innovation, these firms must strategically engage with established and emerging digital platform networks. To ensure the continual expansion of their digital platforms, digital entrepreneurs are compelled to exhibit a vision advantage and employ effective sensegiving within their network. The empirical findings underscore the necessity for these firms to adopt multiple dynamic strategies, characterized by rhetorical brokerage, to augment their networks for innovation and internationalization. This necessitates an entrepreneurial approach termed ‘platformication,’ which encapsulates the actions undertaken in the digital platform space. This study contributes with research and implications of platformication.