Seth Godin’s book “The Dip” according to Seth is a book on quitting. According to me, this is more a book on being the best at something rather than on quitting. It is an amazing book, very short and something every person motivated at being the best should read. This book is a such a short read, most people can read the entire book in a weekend, even if you are a slow reader.
I found the book very fascinating because Seth Godin is so unconventional, he debunks and challenges everything many of us have learned through several years of formal schooling. He believes you should not follow a proven system. All throughout business school and even outside of business school, many of us are obsessed with proven systems. As a CEO and a business consultant, I always believed in proven systems. I would search and identify proven systems rather than try something unconventional, innovative and something nobody else has done. Seth Godin changed all that for me. I, now don’t care as much about proven systems.
In the book, Seth Godin debunks the popular myth that all quitters are losers. Instead, he says,
“Quit the wrong stuff.
Stick with the right stuff.
Have the guts to do one or the other.”
Seth’s book discusses how every individual reaches a point in his career where he feels like quitting and the truly extraordinary people sometime in their career make a decision to be great. I believe this is what differentiates the best from the rest. Making a decision to be the best and not quitting when things get really tough. This is what Seth calls the Dip. The Dip is when things get really tough and you feel like quitting. Seth says, the Dip is the point where individuals choose to become great, become mediocre or quit.
The Dip is such a wonderful concept that it forces you to stick to things that you choose to be the best at even when things get really tough and quitting things that you don’t plan on being the best at. The time to make a decision to quit is even before you start a career, a project or a business. Reminds me of a former mentor who said “the worst time to quit is when things are at their worst.” There is so much truth to that, imagine selling your business when you are raking in huge losses. Good luck with that!
My understanding of key concepts in the book?
Focus on a niche and be the best at it.
Every thing under one roof is a lousy concept. I said that way back in 2005 when I was in the retail business when everything under one roof was a popular concept. I believed in finding a niche then, I still believe in finding a niche now.
Let go of the products and services that you don’t plan on being the best at. And, focus on the products and services that you plan on being the best at. When things get tough, don’t quit, go through the Dip and become the best at your chosen trade.
Screw the proven system. Try something different, something you believe in. Something that has never been tried before. That’s how great inventions and great business models have come about. The days of proven systems are over. It’s now time for innovation.
If you’ve read the book, feel free to discuss you interpretation of the book in the comments section below.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon.com, click here to buy the book.