there’s a shift going on in the world; it’s the democratization of technology.

just a few years ago if you wanted a quality website, you had to grab a book or take a class and learn how to build the code yourself. you had to pay a lot of money for web hosting and had to learn how to use an ftp client, set up a database, configure domain forwarding, and more. today you can pay squarespace $8 a month for hosting and get remarkable and responsive templates which look and function amazingly on any device and have a website up and running in mere minutes.

cell phones used to be extremely expensive. if you wanted a cell phone, you had to find a store local to you (if you were lucky to have one around) that carried or resold the service. the phones available didn’t have cameras or LED screens let alone the ability to check your email or play flappy bird. today your top of the line smartphones are still expensive, but even an iphone from just three years ago, with all its bells and whistles, you can order online for free–subsidized of course–with a brand new plan and have it delivered to your doorstep.

this blog post itself is being typed up on a free piece of software that years ago came as part of a desktop office suite of tools which would have cost a couple hundred dollars. today it’s available in my pocket, for free, whenever i want it.

you no longer have to be a technological genius or be well-off financially to have and enjoy technology. it’s no longer controlled by an oligarchy but instead by the general population. that means we all have the ability to be our own media company. we can all have our own website. publish our own books. make our own music. that means there’s a lot of competition out there, but also a lot of opportunity.

but no matter what you decide to create, if you have any hopes of cutting through the noise, treat it with the respect that a new blog or book or album deserves. create the highest quality content you can. and then maybe–if you do well enough, and persist long enough, and impress enough people–you’ll find the success you’re looking for.