Book Review: Platform

Book: Platform: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt
Size: 288 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Edition edition (May 21, 2012)
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Category:  Business Technology, Social Media, Marketing

Summary: Times are changing. A platform is no longer a wood stage set above the crowd.  Today a platform is people – people in the social media, blogs and other online presence. The good news is that you no longer have to cross your fingers and hope to be noticed. There are clear, actionable steps that Michael Hyatt gives to help you become successful both by producing a quality product and a gaining a platform.

My Review: I first heard Michael Hyatt speak at the Self-Publishing Summit I attended.  I
was immediately drawn to his down-to-earth practical help and his likable, humble personality. As I poked around his website I was impressed with the wealth of information he is giving away for free. His character aligns with who I am and so I feel comfortable looking to him as a business role-model.

What I liked:  

• Michael Hyatt gives lots of practical ways to put his suggestions into practice.  Using the tips he gave in the blog post Recovering the Lost Art of Note Taking I made actionable steps in the margins of the book. I then transferred those actions to a to-do list. I like interacting with the book and not just reading it and then shelving it hoping to implement the ideas someday.
• The chapters are short and the book reads smoothly and easily.
• In most chapters I found myself referencing his notes section in the back of the book for ideas on books or websites he recommends.
• He is the former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers – the dude knows how to write – well.

What I didn’t like: 

• Having spent quite a bit of time on his blog, I recognized many of the chapters as blog posts. Sometimes so much so that he would share the same bit of information in a couple of different chapters. I still picked up enough nuggets to make the book worth my time and money.
• I would love a new edition with an online link to all the resources in the book.  The One Thing and The Miracle Morning both did this and it is much easy to just click the link for illustrations or URL’s, rather than typing each one he mentions by hand.
• I did feel a bit overwhelmed at all the things I could do.  But that’s no fault of the book – it’s just where I am in my journey. I also wonder if part of Michael’s success is due to a wide circle of influence he has.

Quotes:

“Perfectionism is the mother of procrastination.”

“You will never see the full path. The important thing is to do the next right thing. What can you do today to move you toward your dream?”

“You can’t just hang a website in cyberspace and expect its mere presence to create a following.  If you build it, they may not come. It’s like putting up a billboard in the desert ten miles from the nearest road.”

I would recommend this book to: Someone wanting to write a book or gain an online presence.

Sum it up: You need a platform to be noticed in today’s busy world.