So what did this guy do to deserve all of this attention? He started one company back when I was wearing diapers and sold it to yahoo. He wrote one book that was a runaway hit. And now people treat him like the Marketing Messsiah for scribbling oft- borrowed common sense marketing lessons down in story form.
This madness has to stop. This guy gets way too much attention for one person. He posts a two word blog post and people actually link to it. He's been blogging for less than a year and Technorati tells me that more than 1700 people have linked to him over 2400 times and he hasn't said anything half as insightful as the Seth Go[ldstein]. He writes a book and it is instantly a best seller before anyone even gets a chance to read it and review it. People jump at a chance to ask him questions on their blog. He doesn't just get one interview, he gets a freaking tour of blog interviews.
Yesterday, a marketing guy who will remain nameless emails me to ask me whether Seth Godin was serious about a post he wrote or if it was a joke. I said, "I don't know. How the hell should I know?" People just assume because I write about marketing that I must read Seth Godin's blog. Come on. That's crazy.
A 30 year old consultant I skype today tells me he applied to be Seth Godin's intern. Come on here! This job pays what? A few thousand dollars for a few months of work.
And I have to put up with this Seth Godin reference reverence every day. Isn't anyone else tired of hearing his name?
Seth Godin does seminars and charges people a few thousand dollars for a few hours of his time. That's not even one on one time. It is with a group of people. The guy makes more in one of those days than most McDonald's workers make in 6 months. If Britney Spears sold her celebrity this way, we'd be ripping her an eighth hole. But Seth Godin does it, and we give him a tour of the blogosphere. Woo hoo... Seth wrote a book. Let's make it "free press for Seth month" in the blogosphere.
So, I am fed up about it. I could take a few paths:
1. Scream and drop kick anyone else that ever mentions his name to me again. OR
2. Start the Anti Seth Godin Society. OR
3. Issue a small challenge to Seth.
I am choosing the more [borderline] sane approach. So, here's my challenge to Seth:
What have you done to prove your marketing prowess lately? Have your insights really helped anyone achieve something great? Yes, we all do permission marketing and try to find those connectors. We know that embracing change is better than fighting for market share alongside the status quo. But, wouldn't we have known to do that because of Malcolm Gladwell, Clayton Christensen and the email marketing software we use that forces us to be permission based?
I for one, have had enough storytelling. I've got enough paperback marketing bibles to rot in the drawer, enough blurbs linked in my aggregator to your blog and enough pre-excitement in my IM client about your upcoming podcast project.
So, here's my challenge: Please put away the intern-rigged podcast equipment. Put your mouth where the money is (or could be), Mr. Godin.
The most remarkable thing that I've seen you do is tap your legions of fans for more book sales. I'd like to see you roll up your sleeves and show a few of us how to do some word of mouth, viral, permission based, purple cow, non-lieing story telling, change embracing, big red ideavirus marketing.
I am heretofore challenging Seth Godin to intern his summertime at the next potential YoYowhatever that is trying to break through the clutter. Wouldn't it be game changing if you applied a little of that marketing genius to ourmedia or Creative Commons? Or maybe hold a contest that lets entrepreneurs win you as their intern, instead of holding a contest where 30 year old consultants take on the role as your intern. There are plenty of entrepreneurs down here on the Long Tail that could use a little love. And I for one, would like to see if you have what it takes to market more than yourself and some dead trees?
(And now I will go prepare my penance for the Marketing Blasphemy I just committed. Please recite two IdeaViruses and one Big Red Fez for your penance. Yes, Father Godin.)
Chuckle.
"So what did this guy do to deserve all of this attention?"
Marketed himself?
Posted by: Carl | May 27, 2005 at 07:18 AM
Remember Google? that was my idea. And blogging? I started that but didn't take any credit for it. And that whole thing with the Macarena... who do you think thought that up?
I have no defense for your charges of megalomania. I'm not doing it on purpose, of course, but sometimes it looks that way.
As for selling books, I often give them away (electronically). Hard as it may be to believe, my goal is to spread my ideas (I plead guilty to working hard to sell my ideas) and if people want it in book form, that's fine but not the point.
Last summer we launched changethis.com. I think that demonstrates the marketing chops of the team that did all the work (which, I have taken great pains to point out, didn't include me). Again, it's about spreading the ideas (the site was free, there was no revenue, etc.)
I'm confident I haven't changed your mind, but I couldn't resist chiming in. The best thing about my blog is that you don't have to read it if you don't want to.
Posted by: seth godin | May 27, 2005 at 08:05 AM
Good response, Mr. Godin. You deserve credit for what you've done. You can't be blamed with everyone's obsession to follow the leader and kiss the ass of the upper long tail.
You just happened to be the best example of it. I wrote most of this in jest and hoped that you would get my "off" sense of humor.
The challenge was for real, though. I challenge you to step back inside of a small company, someone else's company and show them how to market what they've got.
Instead of implementing another one of your ideas, step back into the shoes of an entrepreneur just getting started out. You're marketing ideas are great. But, the average entrepreneur is struggling with so much more...to pay the bills, manage personnel, develop products, selling and marketing.
So, I challenge you to roll up your sleeves inside of a startup and show that you still got it.
You have to believe that your fame and good fortune isn't just because of your ideas. It is because you parlayed your good ideas into fame and the fame now makes your ideas good. And you have to admit that they weren't simply born inside your head. That some of them were a bit borrowed.
A little of the attention you've got blessed on some entrepreneurs that are struggling for one millionth of the attention you get... might go a long way for some of us.
And as far as I am concerned, ideas are a dime a dozen. You just have the pedestal to get them out there. The rest of us have to say it 500 times before it is heard once.
Success breeds success. You can't tell me you aren't riding a few from the past into the sunset?
So, what about that challenge?
See how you so easily ignored my idea?
Posted by: peter caputa | May 27, 2005 at 08:45 AM
"And as far as I am concerned, ideas are a dime a dozen."
Yes. But to date, of course were talking A.D., there have only been 27 GOOD ideas.
I'm sure there has been at least one time in the last 45 years that Mr. Godin struggled for an audience. He ows nothing.
This is the ASCII shark which you just helped blogging jump over. Thanks jerk.
_________ . .
(.. \_ , |\ /|
\ o \ /| \ \/ /
\______ \/ | \ /
vvvv\ \ | / |
\ ^^^^ == \_/ |
`\_ === \. |
/ /\_ \ / |
|/ \_ \| /
\_________/
Posted by: paxton | May 27, 2005 at 03:37 PM
Dude, your stupid blog messed uo my shark.
Whats up with that?
Posted by: paxton | May 27, 2005 at 03:38 PM
Sounds to me like some serious Seth Godin envy at work here LOL
Posted by: TDavid | May 28, 2005 at 08:01 PM
good call.
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