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Q&A: “What's the best platform for my idea?”
We’ve looked at the question of whether you build your idea with a platform in mind, or if you start with an idea and then consider which platform might be best. Both approaches have merit—I tend to lean more towards the second, but we’ve seen plenty of successful case studies that use more of the first.
Today’s caller has a similar-but-different question: what’s the best platform for his idea, and can he just remain “platform agnostic” in the sense of not being loyal to any of them?
Let’s see how we can help him, and perhaps some of our other listeners as well.
Hi Chris, this is Rob and I’ve been following the show for a couple of years. Is there such a thing as being "platform agnostic?" I think a lot of people get their ideas for a business by looking at Instagram or TikTok or some other app, then developing a version of whatever seems to be working. From what I can tell, this is especially true in the beauty and makeup category, which is what I'm interested in. But might it be better to not have a platform in mind at first, and instead start with business fundamentals like customer avatar and my unique offer? What do you think?
You can absolutely be platform agnostic! In fact, I think it’s usually better to have that mindset. Platforms and networks come and go.
The only reason you wouldn’t be platform agnostic is if your idea was specifically developed with a certain network in mind. Otherwise, you need to be aware of the general vibe and style of any network you participate in—it doesn’t usually work well to publish the same content everywhere—but you certainly don’t need to modify everything.
About the beauty and makeup category, well, let’s think about that briefly. It’s a visual category, but also relies a lot on warmth and personal connection. That’s why YouTube and TikTok influencers in that category tend to do particularly well. Of course, there are beauty podcasts and blogs too—some of which are successful. But it’s probably most appropriate to think about who your potential customers are and how you can best communicate with them—then make any decisions about where to publish based off that information.
