Seth Godin’s blog is one of the few that I follow because I only want to listen to the best and brightest on topics that relate to my field.
Today, in his post, Godin talked about Apple’s platform dynamic. I’m pretty sure that even Godin, whom I admire madly, was not aware that what he was describing is something I call platform dynamic.
Platform dynamic isn’t what you say you are going to do, it’s what you actually do. Platform dynamic is what you consistently offer. Platform dynamic is what you are known for.
One-hit-wonders have trouble figuring out a platform dynamic because it’s hard to glean it from just one successful piece of work. It may even be difficult to discern it after two. But when a body of work begins to accumulate, the platform dynamic is usually right there driving the evolution of the career like the acorn drives the oak.
We may not be able to predict what you will do next but we should be able to predict how you will do it. How you do anything is your platform dynamic.
Godin described Apple’s platform dynamic as, “…they are idiosyncratic artisans producing beautiful products for smart people.”
Godin defines what Apple does as Apple’s “story.” But I call what he’s talking about a platform dynamic.
The most interesting story, the one that folks are tuned into and watching unfold with rapt attention, is always what’s going to happen next.
My agent, Rita Rosenkranz, calls this forecasting. And I think that’s a good way to think of it. Always be forecasting what you are going to do next. But the way we know what to expect from what’s coming next is thanks to your platform dynamic.
If you want to succeed in the long run, you need to discover your platform dynamic. And the only way to discover it is through the development of your distinct body of work.
Platform dynamic does not mean that you will be fenced in. Just look at Apple. Apple’s platform dynamic does not seem to be impinging on their creativity or ability to innovate and lead.
But writers are not corporations. Godin said this the other day. I agree with him completely on this one.
You probably won’t discover and hone your platform dynamic in as public of a way as Apple has. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s probably a good thing.
And if you would like to learn more about platform dynamic, more specifically about your platform dynamic, please check out my workbook, Discover Your Platform Potential, or sign up for my forthcoming Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform class. You can also find platform dynamic as one of the many writing career lessons covered in The Writer’s Workout.