Dipping at the Improv with Seth Godin May 25th, 2007
About half the Integrum team and I made an early morning pilgrimage to the Tempe Improv yesterday morning to hear Seth Godin speak about his new book The Dip. The elevator pitch version of the book is that success is found only by those who have the drive to know when to quit (dead ends) and when to power on through a "Dip" in their success.
While ostensibly about "Quitting" the book is really more about being the "Best in the World" (tm). Seth started off with a few stories, one of which is about how you can't go to the Louvre and not see the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa isn't the best painting, or by the best artist, but its the "Best in the World" because the market says so. The Mona Lisa is the painting Superstar.
With a few more examples ranging from Netflix (ie how the Post Office has Netflix only mailboxes... and how bad an idea it would be to try to compete there if you're only 4% better) to Enzo Ferrari, Seth moved quickly through the long tail and how to be the Best in YOUR World.
Not to rewrite his book, but the thing that stuck out for me about Seth's talk was the simple test he put out to the audience. He said "Everyone raise your hand as high as you can" which we all did, followed by "OK now raise it one inch higher". Unsurprisingly, the audience's raised hands all stretched a bit higher. So much for doing the best you can eh?
Being Average is Overrated, don't try to be everything to everyone, and stop looking for buyers for what you're selling, start selling what your buyers are buying. Those are the signs of surviving the Dip.
Overall, a great talk, although it was weird being in a comedy club at 8am. If anyone reading this wants a copy of the Dip, email me, and its yours.
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