TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
The Difference Between Tim Denning and Me
Only one, you say?
Well, more than one, but one stands out…
I’ve been on Medium for a little over 2 years now. I am not a star — unless 1 star counts. I’ve learned a lot about the modern reader, and I have adjusted my style to accommodate evolving popular tastes.
I’ve learned that the work needs to be “plated” for an easy read and viewable on cell phones. The piece needs to be short (no more than 4 minutes for us plebian writers) with clear, easy takeaways. “Listy” formats are preferred, and great visuals are essential.
Since God passed over me when giving the artistic gene, I rely on photos which I pay for. And yes, it is true that what I make on a given piece is often less than what I’ve paid for the photo, but weirdly, I’m okay with that. Photographers need to make money too, and writing is my passion-hobby, not my meal ticket.
I’ve been following a group of Medium rockstars (this includes Tim Denning, Sean Kernan, Zulie Rane, and others) for two years now. I enjoy them, and mostly I want to see the difference between them and me. While I am pretty happy being me, what would it take to up my game, I wonder, and achieve rockstar status. I’ve competed in business for the last 4 decades, so these impulses of mine are instinctive.
Then I read this thoughtful piece by Tim Denning, which I will post here in case you missed it:
Denning makes many excellent observations — largely technology-driven. While reading this, I discovered the biggest difference between Tim and me. I say “Tim” because even though he doesn’t know me, I feel like I know him and should be on a first-name basis with him.
The biggest difference is that “technology” for me is mostly an afterthought. I spend 80% of my energy on content creation, another 10% on photo and title, and the remainder goes to “where should I place this piece?” Maybe our age difference explains this in part, even though I probably just violated some social norm by pointing out that a 64-year-old thinks differently than someone 2 or 3 decades younger. For me, technology is a “must-do,” but I don’t optimize my approach as it is not natural, intuitive, or fun. In marketing terms, I am a technology laggard.
After reading Tim’s piece, this means that:
- I probably won’t do substack though Tim has given me great reasons to reconsider that decision.
- I won’t be tracking Web 3.0 and Mirror xyz though they sound like they both will have a significant impact on a writer’s platform going forward.
- I will only engage with NFTs to the degree that my 27-year-old son sets me up to do so, and that will be after I’ve asked many, many questions. It is simply not my thing, even as it becomes the world’s thing. And that’s why one has children.
I am okay with my overall stance and my mere 1.6K followers. I am fortunate that I don’t financially depend on writing. Every day, I am thankful that business consulting pays my keep and writing pays my soul. It means that the excellent advice given by rockstars on Medium remains excellent but is sometimes less relevant to me. I might not amass a huge group of followers, but it’s one of the few times in my life that I am okay not leading the pack.
My writing goal is simpler than followers and Medium earnings. In 2022, I will release a book targeted at young adults and adults who mentor, care, or love a young adult. It is an odd kind of story that I hope will be helpful and entertaining for its readers.
I haven’t figured out the details on its release, but I will. What the platform will be, how technology will help, will I have a partner/publisher, and can I use my business background will all factor into some grand plan.
It might be that in 2022 I double my followers, or not. I will still be on Medium. I will still enjoy reading Tim Denning and other excellent writers, only a few of whom I’ve listed). I might still ponder the ways that we are different. On many days, I will celebrate our differences. We all bring something.
I will close this piece out with my short prologue to my book because I do believe in teasers :)
Thank you, Tim Denning, Sean Kernan, Zulie Rane, and the many others I’ve not cited but routinely appreciate. Here is to wishing you and the community of Medium readers a bountiful 2022. May we all happily surprise ourselves in some unexpected way.