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Seth Godin is a legend. He’s a marketer, teacher, entrepreneur, and author of more than 20 books, including Purple Cow, Permission Marketing, and Linchpin. He also writes one of the most popular and longest-running blogs in the world (approaching publishing 10,000 in a row!) and continues to shape how we think about marketing, brand, product, and creating lasting change in the world. In our conversation, we discuss:

• How to build remarkable products that spread

• The four critical strategic choices that determine your future

• How to develop good taste and high standards

• The role of tension in great strategy

• How Seth used Claude to write his newest book

• Much more

Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/seth-godins-tactics-for-building-remarkable-products

Some takeaways:

1. Good taste is knowing what other people want just before they do. Build your taste by staying curious and always watching the world for those moments where your instincts say, “That’s what people will love.”

2. A brand is more than a logo—it’s what people expect from you, and how well you keep that promise. Don’t overpromise and underdeliver, especially with new tech like AI. Build trust by being clear about what your product does and what it doesn’t. If you can’t keep the promise, don’t make it.

3. If your product isn’t viral by design, you’re missing the point. Users should want to tell their friends about your product because it makes their lives better, not because you’re begging them. Ask yourself: Will this be more valuable if shared? If not, then you’ve got some rethinking to do.

4. Great strategies are centered around tension, not stress. Stress is an unsustainable push and pull, while tension creates curiosity and excitement. When launching a product, make sure it promises something people want, but don’t fully deliver until they’ve committed. Create that moment where people are unsure if the promise will be kept—that is where engagement happens.

5. No job is perfect, but you can always excel at whatever you’re doing. Whether you’re doing high-level work or something seemingly menial, find ways to bring excellence and passion into it. Become the best at whatever you do, even if it’s not your dream job.

6. There are four critical strategic choices that determine your future:

   1. Choose your customers: Be specific about who you’re serving and what problems you’re solving for them.

   2. Choose your competition: The space you operate in creates boundaries around what you do.

   3. Choose your source of validation: Be clear about whose feedback matters.

   4. Choose your distribution: Your distribution strategy shapes everything about your product.

7. Don’t rush to take any opportunity that comes your way. Just like a surfer picks the right wave, ensure that you’re waiting for the right moment in your business, with the right people. Mediocre work happens when you compromise on the wave, but getting the right wave means you’ll be able to excel effortlessly.

Where to find Seth Godin:

• X: https://x.com/thisissethsblog

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethgodin

• Website: https://www.sethgodin.com

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Seth’s background

(05:17) Understanding good taste and upholding high standards

(08:09) Become the best at whatever you do

(09:48) Seth’s journey as a product manager

(14:09) What people often get wrong when building products

(16:00) Building a brand in the age of AI

(19:04) Using AI to enhance writing

(22:40) Four critical elements for an effective strategy

(27:38) The role of tension in strategy

(29:15) The concept of the purple cow

(33:11) "Safe is risky"

(34:56) The power of systems

(37:07) Better waves make better surfers

(38:10) Rebranding vs. re-logoing

(43:07) Empathetic leadership

(44:14) Conclusion and farewell

Referenced:

• Seth Godin on the Tim Ferriss Show: https://tim.blog/2024/03/20/seth-godin-3/

• Persuasive communication and managing up | Wes Kao (Maven, Seth Godin, Section4): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/persuasive-communication-wes-kao

• Spinnaker: https://spinnaker.io

• Ray Bradbury: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury

• Arthur C. Clarke: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke

• Isaac Asimov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov

• Roger Zelazny: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Zelazny

• Herbie Hancock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbie_Hancock

• Fahrenheit 451 (game): https://www.filfre.net/2013/09/fahrenheit-451-the-game/

• RTFM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTFM#

• Intercom: https://www.intercom.com

• Claude: https://claude.ai

• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com

• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com

• Steam: https://store.steampowered.com

• P.F. Flyers: https://pfflyers.com

• Steve Blank’s website: https://steveblank.com

• Marissa Mayer on X: https://x.com/marissamayer

• Jaguar unveils new logo ahead of electric relaunch: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr0pw00n7qo

• IHOP Becomes IHOb, the International House of ... Burgers: https://www.npr.org/2018/06/11/618844977/ihop-becomes-ihob-the-international-house-of-burgers

• Oreo’s Super Bowl Power-Outage Tweet Was 18 Months in the Making: https://www.businessinsider.com/oreos-super-bowl-power-outage-tweet-was-18-months-in-the-making-2013-3

• Tesla’s New ‘Ludicrous Mode’ Makes the Model S a Supercar: https://www.wired.com/2015/07/teslas-new-ludicrous-mode-makes-model-s-supercar

Recommended books:

• This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans (Create a Strategy to Elevate Your Career, Community & Life): https://www.amazon.com/This-Strategy-Better-Elevate-Community/dp/B0D47T8S7N
• Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable: https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Cow-New-Transform-Remarkable/dp/1591843170

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.