Quotes from Seth Godin

You do not equal the project. Criticism of the project is not criticism of you.

Whatever the status quo is, changing it gives you the opportunity to be remarkable.

A slogan that accurately conveys the essence of your Purple Cow is a script. A script for the sneezer to use when she talks with her friends. The slogan reminds the user, "Here's why it's worth recommending us; here's why your friends and colleagues will be glad you told them about us." And best of all, the script guarantees that the word of mouth is passed on properly – that the prospect is coming to you for the right reason.

You and your organization have the power to change everything. To create remarkable products and services. To over deliver. To be the best in the world. How dare you squander that resource by spreading it too thin. How dare you settle for mediocre just because you're busy coping with too many things on your agenda, racing against the clock to get it all done.

Generosity generates income. This works whether you are selling paintings or innovation or a service. Linus

Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress.

Becoming a linchpin is not an act of selfishness. I see it as an act of generosity

Artists think along the edges of the box, because that's where things get done. That's where the audience is, that's where the means of production are available, and that's where you can make an impact.

With limited time or opportunity to experiment, we intentionally narrow our choices to those at the top.

To be willing to do new things you don't think you'll like requires you to prefer the unknown. Not just tolerate it, but to prefer it.

The first thing a leader can focus on is the act of tightening the tribe. It's tempting to make the tribe bigger, to get more members, to spread the word. This pales, however, when juxtaposed with the effects of a tighter tribe. A tribe that communicates more quickly, with alacrity and emotion, is a tribe that thrives.

begin to realize that the safest thing you can do feels risky and the riskiest thing you can do is play it safe.

Do not internalize the industrial model. You are not one of the myriad of interchangeable pieces, but a unique human being, and if you've got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you're learning to say it better.   —David Mamet

No one has a transparent view of the world. In fact, we all carry around a personal worldview—the biases and experiences and expectations that color the way we perceive the world.

If your agenda is set by someone else and it doesn't lead you where you want to go, why is it your agenda?

When your organization becomes more human, more remarkable, faster on its feet, and more likely to connect directly with customers, it becomes indispensable. The very thing that made your employee a linchpin makes YOU a linchpin.

Success comes from doing the hard part. When the hard part is all you've got, you're more likely to do it. And this is precisely why it's difficult to focus. Because focusing means acknowledging that you just signed up for the hard part.

Emotional labor is what you get paid to do, and one of the most difficult types of emotional labor is staring into the abyss of choice and picking a path. Your

Marketing used to be about advertising, and advertising is expensive. Today, marketing is about engaging with the tribe and delivering products and services with stories that spread.

Our economy now rewards artists far more than any other economy in history ever has.

It's war that makes generals

The object of the new school is to teach reasonable doubt. Not the unreasonable doubt of the wild-eyed heckler, but the evidence-based doubt of the questioning scientist and the reason-based doubt of the skilled debater.

1. Your business needs more linchpins. It's scary to rely on a particular employee, but in a postindustrial economy, you have no choice. 2. You are capable of becoming a linchpin. And if you do, you'll discover that it's worth the effort.

If you had a chance to do a TED talk, what would it be about? What have you discovered, what do you know, what can you teach? You should do one. Even if you don't do one, you should be prepared to do one.