If You Want To Grow, You Need To Stop Worrying About Platform Dependency

Everyone with an online business talks about ‘Platform Dependency’, and its potential risks.

 

• “Google can blacklist your site overnight.”

• “Facebook can block your ad account without notice.”

• “Amazon’s algorithm can revoke your selling privileges.”

 

While all of these fears are legitimate, they are forgetting the bigger picture: Platform dependency is inevitable. This was true before the Internet even existed.

 

Imagine the ancient Silk Road, with markets and countries all along the way. Every landlord of every Bazaar could dis-allow your selling privileges. Every king could deem your product ‘Illegal’ or request unreasonable import duties.

 

America in the 1900’s was a ‘Platform’ for opportunity where anyone from any background could make a fortune. People from around the world flocked to this platform, even though, like anywhere, they would still go to jail if you break the rules.

 

When a farmer plants a seed in a wide open dirt platform, he becomes totally dependent on the weather that year, and the locusts who may or may not arrive.

 

We are all dependent on the largest platform of all, the Earth itself, which does kill quite a few people due to cold, drowning, and starvation every year.

 

Internet ‘platforms’ aren’t your problem. Dependency is your problem, but dependency is as inevitable as the weather, so you’d better stop worrying.

 

What Should You Do Instead?

 

Amazon, or Facebook, or Google didn’t force you to work with them to sell products, run ads, or to write SEO content. You joined them for the opportunity!

 

But… as soon as the opportunity began to fulfill itself, you see this success as a risk, a liability, as platform dependency!

 

If you grow further and faster and are more successful, you fear platform dependency even more!

 

Then, you start splitting your efforts, perhaps on another Internet platform, hoping to re-write the inevitable 80%-20% law of the universe. (80% of your results will come from 1 source.)

 

Imagine if Bill Gates had tried to diversify into Russia before he’d seen success in America. Even though the US government did bring him to court on Monopoly charges, would he have been better splitting his efforts?

 

What if Warren Buffet had tried to diversify into commodities trading, instead of focusing on reading Annual Reports from Fortune 500 companies? Would he be the Oracle of Omaha? (The US government brought him to trial for possible Tax Fraud as well!)

 

Consider Jeff Bezos. He made some rather large bets on ‘The Internet’ and on selling books. Today, even though he owns many assets, he is arguably more platform dependent (on Amazon) than you are!

 

They didn’t retreat and spread thin and fear their inevitable dependencies. Instead, they leaned in, growing with clear dependencies. Only after they were clearly successful did they (sometimes) diversify further.

 

Platform Dependencies Are Inevitable And Therefore Better Ignored.

 

Especially in the early stages of your business, expansion is more important than protecting existing assets. Diversify after you have something worth protecting!

 

You started working with Google, Facebook, or Amazon because you saw an opportunity, not because you were afraid they’d shut you down.

 

They could shut you down, but so could your Government!

 

Worrying about this will stifle the flame as soon as your opportunity begins to catch fire.