Business model library
Business Models Wiki
A founder-focused guide to choosing how a company creates, delivers, and captures value—from services and APIs to platforms, marketplaces, and AI-native models.
Use this hub to compare operating models, understand where margin and defensibility come from, and choose an architecture that fits the product, customer, and cost structure.
A practical sequence
Start here
Follow these concepts in order for the shortest path from first principles to a usable operating decision.
- 01Available now
SaaS
Understand the recurring software model, its operating leverage, and its retention logic.
- 02Available now
Managed Services
When people, process, and expertise are part of the product—and how to protect margin.
- 03Available now
API-as-a-Product
Design a developer-facing product around integration value, usage, reliability, and scale.
- 04Available now
Marketplace Model
Create value by matching supply and demand—and build enough liquidity to make the market work.
The full map
Explore by decision track
Track 01
Choose the delivery model
Decide what the customer receives, who operates it, and where service responsibility sits.
SaaS
Understand the recurring software model, its operating leverage, and its retention logic.
Vertical SaaS
Build deep workflow software for one industry, then expand into payments, data, and services.
Managed Services
When people, process, and expertise are part of the product—and how to protect margin.
Hardware-as-a-Service
Turn equipment into a recurring offer while managing financing, service, and lifecycle risk.
Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS)
Understand the recurring-service pattern behind software, infrastructure, and connected products.
Track 02
Choose the product boundary
Decide whether the offer is a capability, an owned customer experience, a community asset, or an AI-native workflow.
API-as-a-Product
Design a developer-facing product around integration value, usage, reliability, and scale.
Direct-to-Consumer (D2C)
Own the customer relationship while carrying acquisition, fulfillment, and retention risk.
Open-Source Business Models
Translate adoption and community trust into support, cloud, enterprise, or usage revenue.
AI-Native Business Models
Match automation, variable compute cost, and outcome value to a durable commercial model.
Track 03
Choose the revenue architecture
Decide whether value moves through a pipeline, platform, marketplace, or installed base.
Marketplace Model
Create value by matching supply and demand—and build enough liquidity to make the market work.
Platform vs. Pipeline
Compare linear value chains with ecosystems that enable interactions among participants.
Razor-and-Blades
Pair a low-friction installed base with recurring, higher-margin consumables or usage.
Advertising Model
Monetize attention or intent without losing sight of audience quality and advertiser outcomes.
Built as a living reference
Every guide sits inside a decision path.
Published concepts stay linked from their track, while future additions enter the map with the context needed to use them well.
Open license
Reuse with attribution
This content is available for reuse. When referencing or republishing it, please credit Dr. Sarah Zou and link back to the original source.
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. You may share and adapt the material with appropriate credit.