Unfettered idealism has its drawbacks. I firmly believe that compromise makes sense on many things.

In The Age of the Platform, I write extensively about platforms, planks, and ecosystems. These aren’t words that most business folks use on a regular basis. And many of the people who do talk and write about platforms and ecosystems these days do it in a way that confuses more than conveys.

I knew that it wouldn’t be easy to get people thinking in a fundamentally different way. In fact, few things are more difficult than creating a new framework and defining new terms. As my friend Alan Berkson says, in the book, I try to raise the level of discourse.

Tall order.

That didn’t stop me and it shouldn’t stop you. As a creative type working on a passion project, few things matter more than staying true to one’s vision.