Quotes from Seth Godin

admit it. When I get a bad review, my feelings are hurt. After all, it would be nice if every critic said a title of mine was a breakthrough, an inspirational, thoughtful book that explains how everything works. But sometimes they don't. Which is about enough to ruin my day.

Marketing is about spreading ideas, and spreading ideas is the single most important output of our civilization.

I'd like to paraphrase the Peter Principle. I think what actually happens is that "in every organization everyone rises to the level at which they become paralyzed with fear." The

Discomfort brings engagement and change. Discomfort means you're doing something that others were unlikely to do, because they're busy hiding out in the comfortable zone. When your uncomfortable actions lead to success, the organization rewards you and brings you back for more.

The linchpins leverage something internal, not external, to create a position of power and value.

Organizing around the average, then, is too expensive. Organizing around average means that the organization has exchanged the high productivity of exceptional performance for the ease and security of an endless parade of average performers.

monumentally

If we condition ourselves to work without flow, it's more likely to arrive.

There's no such thing as mandatory education. It's almost impossible to teach people against their will.

We have to trust ourselves and then we have to trust the people we serve.

Lab assistants do what they're told. Scientists figure out what to do next.

A Nine-Year-Old Kid Can Do Edgecraft While the edges always change, the process never does. Here's how you do it: Find a product or service that's completely unrelated to your industry. Figure out who's winning by being remarkable. Discover which edge they went to. Do that in your own industry.

Marketers don't use consumers to solve their company's problem; they use marketing to solve other people's problems.

We can't change the culture, but each of us has the opportunity to change a culture—our little pocket of the world.

workers into machines. If we can measure it, we can do it faster. If we can put it in a manual, we can outsource it. If we can outsource it, we can get it cheaper.

But is David doing it for the glory, or is he doing it for the tribe? I think you know the answer—great leaders focus on the tribe and only the tribe.

I'm not in charge of you, and I'm not manipulating you. I'm simply establishing the conditions for you to get to where you said you wanted to go. You tell me where you're going and what you need. You make promises about your commitment and skills development. I'll show up to illuminate, question, answer, spar with, and challenge you. I'll work tirelessly to make sure you're part of a team of people who are ready to care as much as you do.

Most entrepreneurs don't think about money too much when they decide to start a business. When's the last time you asked someone at a cocktail party what he does, and he responded, "Every month, I generate more cash than I spend"?

It's easy to hesitate when confronted with the feeling that maybe you're getting too much attention. Great leaders are able to reflect the light onto their teams, their tribes. Great leaders don't want the attention, but they use it. They use it to unite the tribe and to reinforce its sense of purpose.

Here's the thing: The book that will most change your life is the book you write.

Anything worth achieving in life has a dip

I made a decision to write for my readers, not to try to find more readers for my writing.

Believe in what you do, because you may have to do it for a long time before it catches on.

The challenge of our time is to find a journey worthy of your heart and your soul.