Seth Godin- Ideas

book-notes , strategy

Seth godin has many ideas that are critical in the new world. Ideas include: Choosing yourself, Tribes, The limited value of cogs, connection, and the dip.

Sources: Live at Carnagie Hall

Choose yourself:

  • Old world: _ huge barriers to distribution (shelf space, book publishers) _ Perfect was hard to find/expensive.
  • New world
    Free distribution (amazon/kindle/youtube)
    Perfection is free (high fidelity recording)
  • If you can be chosen by legacy distribution channel - GREAT.
  • Alternate, do your thing, and your tribe will find you.

Your Value: Execution (Cog) vs Tribe Building:

  • Industry/Corporations designed to survive loss of a cog. Choose folks who are best cogs.
  • Cogs by definition are replacable.
  • Two types of work: Exceptional execution vs Tribe Builders
    • Execution - best cog there is. Support a connection build.
    • Tribe builders - focus on trust and attention.
  • Cog vs Leader
  • Cog is cheap, pumped out more effectively, Access to 10 billion people, working for free. 10 billion people a problem.
  • Tribe Leader - Find and build a tribe, of people who choose you. You get access to 10 Billion.
  • Tribe Leader - Strategy: Do what only you can do, really reduces competition for possible tribe leader.

Your tribe:

  • Who is your tribe?
  • Chooses you because you earn thier trust, and are worthy of thier attention.
  • Provide attention because there is tension
  • Doesn’t care about perfection,
  • When you find your thing, and your tribe finds you, you tune to appeal, so long as it still appeals to your thing.
  • Your tribe does X, because X is what people like them do.
  • Tribe(Fans) vs Friends:
    • Friend - Wants to know you, and see your art to make YOU happy. If you change your art, they’re there for you.
    • Tribe - Wants your art, doesn’t care about you, unless grows appreciate of your art.
    • Change yourt art: lose your tribe, keep your friends.
  • Once you’ve found your tribe, give them art they’ll tell thier friends/family about.
  • Wants personal attention - wants to feel special.

Connection:

  • People prefer selfies to signed books
  • Make experiances people want to tell thier friends/families about.
  • Give people a story they can tell others [TBD:Link - why is noone referring my project]
  • Story/Context is how people connect.
  • Perfection blocks connection, as not accessible. Rough feels good, and accessible.
  • Enjoyment of amateur vs pro - there is tension that can be failure.

Tourists vs Tribe:

  • Funnel - Tourists at top, tribe at bottom.
  • Reduce enrollment cost for tourists - low cost, bite size nuggets.
  • Increase value for tribe - longer/more expensive.
  • Enrollment: Need to invest into enrollment - funnel optimization Tourist -> Tribe Member

Anchoring/Postioning:

  • Careful how you ask for feedback/position yoruself.
  • Give me feedback on my ppt -> feedback on ppt.
  • I want to get this point accross => Don’t make a ppt, do a memo!
  • DON’T BREAK INTO JAIL.
  • DON’T START WITH SOLUTION, START WITH PROBLEM.
  • PROVIDE CONTEXT, problem statement.

Expectations:

  • Questions:
    • What industry expections are blocking your art?
    • What expectations does your tribe have of you?
  • What makes your tribe your tribe vs What protects the industry.
    • Your tribe: expect you to swear
    • Industry: Taxi’s should be regulated, full time, and a monopoly.
    • If industry expectation is a problem shatter it.

The DIP:

  • See the dip
  • Questions:
    • Should I quit, or lean in?
    • Am I in a Dip vs Cul DeSac?
    • What do I need to get through the DIP?
  • Dips vs cull desac.
    • DIP prevents others from doing your thing.
    • Cul de’sac is a dead end.
    • Single people/small group is often a cul desac.
    • Need to find 1000 people of the whole word - DIP
    • Need to change mind of 5 specific people, probably cul de sac.
  • Quitting:
    • You only get 1000 units of energy in your life.
    • You’ll need 600 units to break through a dip, quit things that aren’t moving you forward.
  • Quit before the DIP, but not in the DIP, too expensive
  • Need to quit lots of things,
  • To get through the DIP, need to lean in.