526: In Retrospect - Seth Godin on Why You Shouldn't do What You're Told

The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Nathan Chan

Marketing, Business, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 662 Ratings

🗓️ 23 August 2024

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, we're diving into another episode from the Foundr Archives to revisit our interview with marketing guru and multiple New York Times bestselling author Seth Godin, who explains why you should focus less on doing what you're told and more on doing work that's worth doing. In order to take advantage of the unique opportunities afforded by our times, some rules just have to be broken. Some people just get it. They grasp the spirit of the times in ways that ordinary people don't. They understand the patterns and progression of history, and can interpret current events and trends with rare wisdom and insight. Seth Godin is one such person. You might say his knowledge about the world of business borders on the prophetic. You could also safely say Seth Goden is a man who sees the world not for what it is, but for what it could be. He's in the business of change: predicting it, implementing it, and watching it unfold. You've probably seen his TED talks, his books, his blog, his podcast; he's the one of those characters who are grounded, yet somehow still larger than life. For those late to the Godin party, he's a marketing guru, founder of Squidoo.com and world-renowned author of 17 business bestsellers including Linchpin, Unleashing the Ideavirus, Tribes, and Purple Cow. For a man who understands tribes, he has proved time and again that he can walk the talk, building, in the process, a legion of raving fans-people who thrive on his entertaining blend of business and sociology. In this interview you will learn: - How to know when to ship a project and when its ready to be released into the world - Why perfect doesn't exist - The best analogy we have ever heard for good marketing - Seth's failures - Why it's YOUR turn! - The importance of blogging every day - & So MUCH MORE! Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode. Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook X LinkedIn Magazine

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey Founder Fam. Today we're excited to revisit our episode with Marketing Guru and bestselling author, Seth Godin.
0:07.8	This guy is one of my heroes and I never forget this episode where he shares why it's crucial to focus less on following orders and really focusing more on doing work that truly matters.
0:19.1	He's known for his insightful tech talks. He's got tons of
0:22.2	best-selling books like Lynchpin, Purple Cow. So many have been game changes for me. He's got an
0:27.4	influential daily blog and he really offers wisdom on shipping projects, the illusion of perfection,
0:33.9	powerful marketing analogies and really importance of daily blogging, daily content
0:39.3	creation. I never forget this one. You guys are going to love it, so let's jump in.
0:43.5	Hear the stories. Learn the proven methods and accelerate your growth and future through
0:49.1	entrepreneurship. Welcome to the founder podcast with Nathan Chan.
0:57.0	Can you tell us about just quickly how you got your job?
1:00.0	Well, I've worked extraordinarily hard not to have a job.
1:04.0	And I haven't had a job since 1999.
1:08.0	And before that, I hadn't had one since 86 86 and I think that focusing on doing the work
1:15.3	instead of having a job is a key part of being an entrepreneur and what triggered that change
1:22.7	in 1996 oh it's 86 when when I was 14, I started my first little company.
1:31.6	And when I was 16, I had my first real company.
1:34.8	And when I was in college, I co-founded the largest student-run business in the U.S.
1:40.5	And each of those things was never about how do I make money doing something.
1:47.2	It was how do I find enough resources to do a project that I'm interested in?
1:53.2	How do I be able to put on a show that I care about?
1:57.0	And if there's a business component to it, that's fine.
2:00.5	But for me, the work has always been to do a project. And sometimes those projects can be amplified by working for someone. But even if you are working for someone, you don't have to act as if it's a job. A job is where you try to please someone who tells you what to do.
	...

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