@ThisIsSethsBlog - if you got a chance to meet any of the people in your book (deceased or alive) who would it be, and what would you do with them or talk to them about?
Hi Seth,
I think I've read most of your books and daily blog posts, from Tribes to the Purple Cow...
If you had to portray the perfect person, who would that person be?
Would that be someone weird, yet living with a tribe, that doesn't need to wait to be picked or approved, while asking for permission? :-)
@marwannas Hi Marwann. Everyone I've ever met is perfect. Perfect at being themselves. My goal, I think, is to help people change into the sort of people who can achieve what they seek, to make the difference they want to make in the world, and yes, leading, connecting, being remarkable, being missed if you're gone... all those things help do that.
@thisissethsblog This answer may resonate for some time in my head! I had always wished to find a model, from John Rawls to Pierre Bourdieu to Seth Godin to Muhammad Yunus, yet I may be better at being Marwann :-) Thank you.
Thank you @thisissethsblog! I have been inspired by your books, talks and the blog to take action and not to be afraid of change. In fact I wrote a couple of books of my own and have created a mini empire with my own tribe, largely inspired by things you say. If I ever meet you in person (I'm in Seattle, Columbia Tower for time being), I owe you a drink or two!
@msurguy Hi Maks. I've written a bit about this: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/set... I've been lucky enough to know, and sometimes publish my heroes, but I think lots of people can make strides from afar..
@thisissethsblog long time fan. Are there any books of yours that you would re-write if given the chance, given the rapid pace of change in business and technology over the years?
@avizuber Hi Avi. My publisher would be delighted to have me rewrite all of them, but I don't, because they are of a place and time, and reading them later is their own experience, one that people tell me is still effective even though if you read them now, they're no longer 'brand new ideas that everyone thinks are ridiculous'.
I have every copy of Wired ever published in my office, and I'm regularly amazed at how little of their foresight I actually took action on, and how useful they are to this day in helping draw lines about what's likely to happen soon.
Hey @thisissethsblog, we've exchanged an email or two before. Your book "The Dip" was hands-down one of the most impactful books I read while I was at a crossroads with my last company. Mostly, it just really hit home how important it is to think about how you use your time, and to make sure you're investing in the right uses of it.
I have a lot of friends that realize they're not making the best use of their time (i.e., took one route or another post-college and realized it wasn't right for them), but aren't sure what they should be doing instead. Do you have any advice for people trying to discover their passion and reinvent themselves when they're not sure where to begin?
@alexschiff I think the very best step is to take a step. Not to seek passion or the answer, but to step forward. And then again. And again. One day, they'll discover that they're flying.
@thisissethsblog Thanks so much for doing this! I've ordered my copy and can't wait for it to arrive. The reviews alone have me feeling inspired!
If you were face to face with your 16 year old self, or 21 year old self, what would be the one thing you would tell yourself?
Hey there @thisissethsblog! What aspects of human nature do you think are the biggest obstacles to change? And looking out into the future, what is one thing you think we should be sure to consider as the world continues to change and evolve?
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Do you believe that marketers and writers must have at least some talent, or everything that they do can be learned with practice?
@mareklachauthor Hi Marek, thanks for starting us off. Semantics matter, especially to writers, and the word 'talent' is a minefield.
Talent is an excuse, a reason we give for why we didn't win, or didn't try, or didn't contribute. Talent, it seems, is for other people.
I'm not buying it.
Maybe for flute or basketball, but for telling stories, seeing other people for who they are, contributing to a community? I hope we all have that, and I'm ready to call it a skill, something we can earn.
@thisissethsblog: thanks for making this possible, Seth.
In this age of rapid change, it seems mastery requires you to hit pause on change to afford yourself some time to dig deep. But once you resurface, the whole landscape has changed. Do you have any advice on how to stay relevant and be a lynchpin in what you do? These seem to be diametrically opposite to each other.
@alirtariq Hi Ali. I'm not sure digging deep involves shutting of the world. Miles Davis dug deep, but his music moved the world forward, not the other way around. We're taught a reactive mindset at an early age, but a key part of being a linchpin is in committing to be proactive.
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