The Pluralistic Model
Inspired by Cory Doctorow's "POSSE" (Publish on Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere), successful platform building relies on ownership:
- Own Your Domain: Yourname.com is the only durable address on the web.
- Rent Your Reach: Use Twitter/LinkedIn to find people, but always drive them back to your site.
- Build Lists, Not Followers: An email list is portable; a follower count is rented.
Why It Is Necessary
If you build your reputation entirely on Medium or Twitter, you are vulnerable to the very Platform Murder you study. Owning your platform is proof of concept.
Field Notes
The 5-Year Plan: Platform building takes time. Year 1 is shouting into the void. Year 2 is finding a small echo. By Year 5, you have an audience that journalists read to find stories. Patience is the primary asset.