1.7 330 G.school #72 One of those days
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made
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SETH GODIN Modern apologies
The AI driven voice mail system said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand you.” Of course, there is no “I” and by most definitions of sorry, it’s not.
But it made me feel better.
The overworked and slightly bitter front desk person who was the frontline flotsam in a poorly designed system couldn’t be bothered. Even though the person they worked for was cancelling the appointment, and I had just spent ten minutes returning their call through a maze of badly designed prompts and it was a hassle to reschedule, they couldn’t/didn’t/wouldn’t say, “I’m sorry.”
After all, they didn’t cancel the appointment or design the system.
“Sorry” doesn’t have to be an admission of guilt or acceptance of fault. It could simply be the kind way one human acknowledges to another human that things aren’t ideal right now.
The magic of this simple word is that it can make both people feel better.
September 15, 2024
1.6 335 G.school #71 Perfect love casts out deer (wait, what?)
Luke 18:25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God
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SETH GODIN The hierarchy of insight
It looks like this:
data
information
knowledge
understanding
wisdom
Which do we measure the most, spend the most obtaining and argue about most often? We might have it backwards. HT Russ Ackoff.
September 14, 2024
1.5 332 what is the meaning of your life (?)
Luke 17:21 … behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
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Let’s pray…
Jesus said, "Repent, and believe in the good news! The kingdom of God is in your midst; it is within you."
Let's use that presence; seeking the power and audacity to imagine better versions of ourselves and our communities:
-- To love God with all our Heart, and mind, and soul;
-- To love one another as Jesus loved us; and
-- To love ourselves with no conditions.
Let's nurture and share that presence, seeking the courage to go from here to the margins:
-- To help the hungry, the thirsty, the unhoused, the unwashed, the incarcerated, and the sick because we belong to one another;
-- To join those whose burdens are more than they can bear because, it's the only way that we'll stop throwing people away;
-- To pray for our orphans and widows, living at the margins of society, especially in inhumane conditions, overlooked by institutions and considered of lesser importance.
In the name of the father, son and holy Spirit,
Amen.
1.4 334 "People like us, do things like this"
Luke 12:48 For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
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SETH GODIN Getting AI to do your work
That’s the first step, certainly. If you don’t, your boss will.
The second step is to take the time you’ve freed up and do work that the AI can’t do.
September 12, 2024
1.3 330 The day after (?)
Luke 5:32 I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
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SETH GODIN Better pockets
Every coat needs better pockets.
There are categories of products or services where there’s a universal area for improvement. When in doubt, make the pockets better.
The interesting work is in realizing that you might offer a product or service where there are non-universal preferences. Areas where improvement isn’t valued.
The Birkin bag is not a good value or particularly functional. That’s okay, that’s part of the appeal.
We might not benefit by always focusing on the pockets.
September 11, 2024
1.2 333 wake-up (!)
Mark 10:43-45 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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SETH GODIN When did we lose consciousness?
In medical TV dramas, losing consciousness is something that happens suddenly and dramatically. We can all tell… the body is still there, but the mind is gone, at least for now.
Unfortunately, this happens in real life. At work. In our personal lives. For a few minutes or even a decade or more.
We stop noticing. We fail to appreciate. Most of all, we stop making decisions.
Sheepwalking.
You probably don’t need a medical intervention. Instead, we simply have to find the guts to wake up.
Choice brings responsibility, and responsibility is often accompanied by fear.
That’s okay. You can’t run a marathon without getting tired, and you can’t do important work when you’re asleep.
PS thanks to everyone who responded to yesterday’s post. We sold way more than half of the limited-edition boxes in less than a day. I apologize that international ordering didn’t work in the morning, but the problem is now fixed. Thanks for your patience.
September 10, 2024
1.1 331 good ideas spread Horizontally1.1
Mark 5:36
…“Do not fear, only believe.”
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SETH GODIN Celebrating the thousand with a special package
[Lots of links in this post… US offer is here, international is here.]
UPDATE: currently a bug on the international orders, I hope to have it fixed by 10 am NY time. Sorry.
Ideas travel horizontally.
Not from the creator to the audience as much as from one person to another.
It’s easy to misunderstand the insight of Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans. Decades ago he argued that the long tail is fueled by circles of people who lean in and support a creator’s work. 1,000 people who show up when there’s something important going on. 1,000 fans who care enough to enable an individual to create something worthwhile.
That matters. But that’s not what makes it so powerful.
Ideas that spread win.
The 1,000 fans go first, yes, but they also spread the word. Part of the creator’s job is to give the true fans something worth talking about, something that advances their mission.
When we make spreading the word worthwhile, the word gets spread.
Today, I’m launching my new book in a special package to 1,000 people.
Click here for more pictures and to order…
Here’s a short video intro
It’s seven copies of the book (which comes out in about six weeks), a collectible chocolate bar from Askinosie with a trading card inside, a deck of 54 strategy cards and three month’s access to purple.space, including full access to the Marketing Seminar and Strategy Course as well. The retail value is over $700. I’m working with my publisher and Porchlight to sell the whole box of joy for below cost, less than $125 in the US.
Why overdo it?
Because ideas spread horizontally. Because someone with seven books is likely to give six away. Because I believe that when people have a better understanding of how to use strategy to make things better, they’re going to want to have their colleagues join them on the journey.
And because it’s fun.
It’s fun to interact with the true fans. Your questions and stories and heroics make me think more clearly and find new ways to extend the work. And what an opportunity design and create packaging for chocolate bars, trading cards and a strategy deck as part of my day job.
It all ships in a few weeks. If it’s something you’re interested in, I hope we made enough.
Click here to see all the details. International orders (no chocolate, sorry), please click here instead.
Thank you.
4.7 328 G.school #70 In the dark, baby (!)
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
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SETH GODIN A labor of love
That’s magical. To have the resources to expend labor on something that fills us with joy.
If you’re lucky enough to encounter this, perhaps it makes sense not to confuse the issue by also trying to turn it into labor for maximum profit.
When we focus on one, we often decrease the other.
September 8, 2024
4.6 322 G.school #69 the Categorical Imperative
Matthew 28:19-20: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
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SETH GODIN The bitterness loop
Spoiled leads to bitter.
A sense of entitlement is a trap, because bitterness demands more evidence and seeks to maintain dominance over the other emotions.
When we’re busy looking for more reasons to be bitter, we’re not taking the time to do generative work, to connect and to find opportunities to make things better. These are the enemies of bitterness… it’s easy to make bitterness worse by seeking more reasons to be bitter.
September 7, 2024
4.5 314 the scenic route
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Today’s podcast
worksheet
Let’s pray…
Jesus said, "Repent, and believe in the good news! The kingdom of God is in your midst; it is within you."
Let's use that presence; seeking the power and audacity to imagine better versions of ourselves and our communities:
-- To love God with all our Heart, and mind, and soul;
-- To love one another as Jesus loved us; and
-- To love ourselves with no conditions.
Let's nurture and share that presence, seeking the courage to go from here to the margins:
-- To help the hungry, the thirsty, the unhoused, the unwashed, the incarcerated, and the sick because we belong to one another;
-- To join those whose burdens are more than they can bear because, it's the only way that we'll stop throwing people away;
-- To pray for our orphans and widows, living on the margins of society, especially in inhumane conditions, overlooked by institutions and considered of lesser importance.
In the name of the father, son and holy Spirit,
Amen.
4.4 314 AOMA (yeah, right) (!)
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
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SETH GODIN Empathy at a distance
… is almost as difficult as empathy up close.
That person that’s not like you, from way over there, the one that’s on the other team–it’s hard to imagine what they’re dealing with. They don’t believe what you believe, they haven’t experienced what you’ve experienced.
And the person right next to you, the one you’re sure you know so well–they are also dealing with a story and a situation that you can only guess at.
Empathy is really difficult. It’s generally worth it. Because empathy is the key to connection, trust and community.
September 5, 2024
4.3 309 Relax, go faster
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
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SETH GODIN Compared to perfect
Perfect is useful. It’s an absolute measure, a north star, a chance to improve our work.
But it’s also a shortcut to persistent dissatisfaction.
Compared to perfect is helpful when we’re creating something.
But it’s also worth noting that perfect is unattainable. What’s on offer is never perfect, but what’s on offer might be exactly what we need right now.
September 4, 2024
4.2 322 What are you worth (?)
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
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SETH GODIN Practical approaches for more effective teamwork
Give credit, take responsibility
Get aligned on timeframes
Insist on a spec, write one, improve it
Agree on a budget
Keep a calendar
Don’t hold a grudge
Speak up clearly and generously
Show your work
Share your fears
Make promises and keep them
Do the reading
Talk about people only when they’re in the room
Eagerly find someone more skilled than you to do a given piece of work
Don’t hoard information
Wash your own coffee mugs, and someone else’s too
Celebrate in public, criticize in private
Don’t hide in meetings (especially the ones you call)
When you’re not sure, ask
Say back what you heard to be clear you understand
Don’t be late
Say please and thank you
Find and offer dignity
Ask what if
Ask why
Don’t tolerate bullies
When solo work is better, insist. Otherwise, pitch in or ask for help…
Support the people you believe in with honest enthusiasm
Pick your team with care, invest once you do
Relentlessly seek better
September 3, 2024
4.1 328 Who owes you what (?)
Let’s pray…
Jesus said, "Repent, and believe in the good news! The kingdom of God is in your midst; it is within you."
Let's use that presence; seeking the power and audacity to imagine better versions of ourselves and our communities:
-- To love God with all our Heart, and mind, and soul;
-- To love one another as Jesus loved us; and
-- To love ourselves with no conditions.
Let's nurture and share that presence, seeking the courage to go from here to the margins:
-- To help the hungry, the thirsty, the unhoused, the unwashed, the incarcerated, and the sick because we belong to one another;
-- To join those whose burdens are more than they can bear because, it's the only way that we'll stop throwing people away;
-- To pray for our orphans and widows, living on the margins of society, especially in inhumane conditions, overlooked by institutions and considered of lesser importance.
In the name of the father, son and holy Spirit,
Amen.
Today’s podcast
Worksheet
SETH GODIN The conspiracy of mediocrity
Solo mediocrity is rampant, of course. We know that toasting the bread before making the sandwich makes it more delicious, but in service of convenience and speed, we skip a step.
It becomes a conspiracy when more than one of us is involved.
The freelancer who offers cheap and ordinary work finds customers who willingly engage with them.
The small company that gets worn down by the constant pressure to simply do a bit less and care a bit less, and decides to follow the mass market where it seems to want to go.
The thing about these conspiracies, though, is that many people have to go along for them to work.
In a big car company, it might take the agreement of 30 or 50 people before the new line gets to be a bit less magical. If just one or two folks stood up and said, “not on my watch,” the conspiracy wouldn’t work.
Like most conspiracies, this one isn’t a secret, nor is it well organized. It’s simply the result of short-term market pressures pushing individuals who used to care a lot to care a bit less.
September 2, 2024
3.7 318 G.school #68 B'fast in the park #5
John 10:30 "I and the Father are one”
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SETH GODIN Your audiobook
Here’s a useful habit that’s more than a hack…
The next time things are going well, when a project is about to launch, when a meeting has been successful, when the sun is shining… take your phone and go for a walk.
Hit record on an audio app and make a twenty-minute audiobook. Talk about what you know, what you see, what you hope for. Talk about the change you seek to make and how you’re going to get there.
And then save it.
Save it for when you need to hear from that person who recorded it.
It might become the best audiobook you own.
September 1, 2024
3.6 313 G.school #67 What's next (?)
4-part Transformation program
(Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual) to help people with their unique journey from "Someday Isle" to "Successlandia" (It’s over the horizon, separated by the predictably unpredictable sea), people who are ready, willing and able to work (and want to navigate to their best future). All essential services provided (housing, clothing, food, hygiene, smart phone, transportation), foundational employment, education, career coaching and counseling.
Today’s podcast
worksheet
4-part Transformation program
(Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual) to help people with their unique journey from "Someday Isle" to "Successlandia" (It’s over the horizon, separated by the predictably unpredictable sea), people who are ready, willing and able to work (and want to navigate to their best future). All essential services provided (housing, clothing, food, hygiene, smart phone, transportation), foundational employment, education, career coaching and counseling.