Seth Godin is like good wine…

…he keeps getting better with age.  Even though he’s been driving the same fundamental message (at the highest level) for years, it stays fresh, innovative, and increasingly relevant.  That in and of itself is truly “remarkable.” 

I keep his various books lying all around my office.  Often, when I come in each morning, I’ll pick one up…open it to a random page…and just read a few lines or paragraphs.   The message is always spot-on.  This morning, I picked up Purple Cow and read the following:

Nobody says, “Yeah, I’d like to set myself up for some serious criticism!  And, yet…the only way to be truly remarkable is to do just that.” 

Maybe I just find it relevant because I’m truly a dork and set myself up well for criticism.  But, when I look around at the various companies I’ve been part of (or part of starting)…Seth’s notion of being raised with a false belief that criticism leads to failure certainly seems “spot on.” 

Criticism leads to being remarkable…so, I’m going to go out in search of some good criticism today (and hopefully everyday).   Apparently, I’m not the only one thinking this way (or perhaps there are just a lot of other dorks, like me).  I noticed that in an end-of-year wrap up, Advertising Age cited an Anderson Survey which showed Godin (more so than  folks like Steve Jobs, Peter Drucker, & Tom Peters) is en vogue for 2008.    

~ by matflec on January 10, 2008.