Ship. Ship it out the door. Do things that frighten you and put them out there. Fail often. That’s what I do.
Seth Godin is an author, blogger and entrepreneur. He’s best known for his blog, the most popular in the world by a single author. His books have been translated into more than 35 languages, and his ebooks are among the most popular ever published. He is responsible for many words in the marketer’s vocabulary, including permission marketing, ideaviruses, purple cows, the dip and sneezers. His latest book is a bestseller called Linchpin, and he’s written about a dozen… about ideas that spread, permission marketing and other topics. His most recent online venture is Squidoo.com, ranked 112 in the US by Quantcast. He holds an MBA from Stanford, and was called “the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age” by Business Week. Mostly, though, Seth likes to notice things and cause change to happen.
What are you working on right now?
Linchpin took a really long time to write, so I’m spending a few months spreading the word and recuperating, two things difficult to do at the same time. I’m thinking hard about what’s next in this revolution we’re living through.
3 Trends that excite you?
The first is the demise of the industrial age. Factories and systems and policies that worked so well for a hundred years are disappearing, almost overnight. What will that mean for you?
The second is the incredible power of the always on internet. This coordination and communication is going to change everything in ways that seem magical.
And the third is the demise of the gatekeeper. No one can tell you you can’t do it. No one can say you can’t publish or spread an idea. This is a huge huge shift in the power of editing and ideas.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Ship. Ship it out the door. Do things that frighten you and put them out there. Fail often. That’s what I do.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by people solving important problems, problems others thought weren’t even worth considering. Acumen Fund comes to mind. So do bootstrappers who overturn all expectations.
How did you recognize that marketing was your passion?
Marketing isn’t my passion. Ideas are. Games and systems and fixing things that don’t work. Marketing is the new fabric of change, and so marketing is what I study.
If you could have dinner with one leader, marketer or innovator, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
How about Walt Disney? Or my mom. Click here for more on that thought.
What’s a linchpin?
A linchpin is someone who does work that matters, work we can’t live without, work that stands out, work that makes a difference. The world is only going to reward people able to be linchpins.
What’s your favorite outdoor pursuit?
I’m currently entranced by nordic skiing, particularly classic cross country skiing. I even do it on wheels when there’s no snow.
Connect:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.