LAUNCHING DIGITAL PLATFORMS VALUE-SENSITIVE

Launching a new digital platform (DP) comes with a range of complex problems: How to overcome the chicken-and-egg dilemma of simultaneously attracting value providers and consumers? How to create a unique customer experience, orchestrate value creation, achieve critical mass, and foster positive network effects? While various strategies address these business challenges, growing concerns about the ethical implications of DP power dynamics have highlighted the need for value-based and responsible DP launches. This paper introduces a value-sensitive design perspective on DP launch challenges and proposes a decision-making framework to guide value-sensitive business development activities from the earliest stages of the DP lifecycle. Its practical relevance is demonstrated through the case analysis of a digital honey marketplace platform launch.