STRATEGY SESSION
Icarus Deception:
5 Questions for Seth Godin
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Interviewed by Frank Smith
Managing Editor, eBulletins
Frost & Sullivan
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To many, Seth Godin needs little introduction. The author of over a dozen best-selling books, Godin also writes a
well-loved blog and runs
Squidoo, a social site that attracts over 50 million users each month. Yet, for all that exposure, much of Godin’s success comes from what he’s defined as “permission marketing” — allowing his existing audience to help create a new one.
For years he’s challenged business leaders, innovators, and artists to ignore their lizard brains, stay organized in a hyper-connected world, and establish what makes you unique amongst the others in your “tribe.”
Godin is also pushing the boundaries of a publishing industry that is struggling to stay relevant during the current digital revolution: First with
The Domino Project, a partnership with Amazon to publish short books packed with useful ideas and now with
The Icarus Deception, published by Penguin Group’s Portfolio.
With his new book The Icarus Deception, Godin has taken on the Greek myth of Icarus (don’t fly too high or your wax wings will melt in the sun), but with the addition of an oft-overlooked facet of the myth — fly too low and you run the risk of water and wind weighing down your wings.
The Icarus Deception was funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised $287,342 from 4,242 people in 30 days. In this discussion, Godin expands on some of the theories put forth in his new book.
FRANK SMITH: I felt a sense of urgency in
The Icarus Deception — don't be afraid to fly too high, be afraid to fly too low — what led you to this realization?
SETH GODIN: We're living in revolutionary times. The revolution won't last forever, just as the industrial revolution evolved into something more stable. We have all this connection, all this leverage, all of these opportunities, and yet we're wasting them, huddled in fear instead of breathless with opportunity.
FS: How does trust factor into allowing one to pursue a bolder idea? Can you be bold without first developing trust?
SG: Trust is about keeping promises, but one of the most important promises is the promise to delight, to open doors, to raise the bar. When someone elevates the discussion and contributes the human activity of art, we look forward to having them do it again. It's OK to say, "This might not work," but it's not worth much to do not much.
FS: You stress the importance of humility, especially in the face of trust and picking oneself up after a failure and trying again. How can a business leader — with budgets and boards, etc. — pull off a failure, especially if it's a project they believe in, without getting the boot?
SG: The temptation is to push for the big, audacious, perfect project, with deniability built in (the board approved!). The hard work is to do the small project, the tiny failures that don't wipe you out but that you own. Exploration, not perfection.
FS: Do you have any advice for those still hampered by industrialization or legacy tech systems that want to be more a part of what you call the "connection revolution"?
SG: Start! Write a blog every day. Call a customer on the telephone. Ask questions. Speak up. Don't go to a meeting unless you have something to add and something you can own.
FS: Can you share any advice or action steps for those who want to "fly higher" but are afraid to make the leap?
SG: The fear is the whole point. The fear is what creates scarcity. The fear is your compass.
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