Hi everyone, good evening.
It’s Day 7.
I actually wanted to wait a bit before doing this one, but then I was like, oh, forget it — let’s just go now.
We’ve been talking about distribution all week — how products can grow by distributing through other platforms.
But today, I want to flip that idea:
What happens when you become the distribution platform?
The Other Side of Distribution
Most times, when we think about distribution, we think about getting our product in front of other people’s audiences — posting on social, listing on marketplaces, integrating into tools people already use.
But there’s the other side — when your product becomes the channel others use to distribute theirs.
Think of social media platforms.
They’re not just products; they’re distribution infrastructure.
Brands, creators, advertisers — we all go there because that’s where attention lives.
They’ve positioned themselves as spaces people must use to reach an audience.
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem, though.
Which comes first — the audience or the creators?
Some platforms have to choose: do we focus on one side of the market first, or try to grow both at the same time?
For example, social platforms usually focus on users first — build engagement, attract creators, then open up monetization later.
Marketplace companies, on the other hand, can’t survive without both sides active — buyers and sellers need each other from day one.
The Hack That Platforms Use
Platforms like Instagram or TikTok hacked this beautifully.
They focused on users first — make it fun, addictive, engaging. Then slowly, they let creators and advertisers in.
Now those creators pay to reach the users that the platforms originally attracted for free.
Same thing with Google. People came for search. Over time, it became the biggest SEO and ad distribution channel in the world.
There’s a piece by Brian Balfour called “The Next Great Distribution Shift”, which I love.
He talks about how AI is reshaping distribution — changing who controls attention and where discovery happens.
Some tools are already turning themselves into micro-distribution channels. Think openAi/chatgpt.
That’s the idea:
you can distribute within platforms, but you can also design your product so others distribute through you.
So yeah, that’s today’s thought, thinking about being a distribution platform is also an option
See you tomorrow.