Episode 2230: Seth Godin on why we are all hard-wired for hope
In February 2011, I had the maven of mavens, Seth Godin, on the show to discuss the end of the industrial age. “So why are you so popular?” I asked the best-selling author, entrepreneur and teacher. “I notice things,” he explained. Luckily for all of us, nearly fourteen years later, Godin is still noticing things, especially the obvious stuff that most of us miss. The problem, as he notes in his new book, This is Strategy, is that we mostly think tactically and thus overlook the strategic insights that enable us to plan a good life for ourselves and our community. And so we struggle to establish agency over our own lives, which is a particular problem in what Godin calls our era of carbon & AI. That said, Godin remains cautiously optimistic about all of our futures because, as he asserts, “we are hardwired for hope”. I hope he’s right - thereby probably proving his theory.
Seth Godin is an author, entrepreneur and most of all, A teacher. Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 21 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. The new book, out in 2024 is THIS IS STRATEGY. His previous books include The Song of Significance and The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller. Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!). He's credited as the inventor of email marketing (the good kind). Seth has given five TED talks, including two that rank as the most popular of all time. By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world. You can see his podcast appearances here. In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
A Black Moses: The Quest for a Promised African-American Land in Oklahoma
America Never Was a Democracy—And That's Why It's Dying Now
That Frog in the Boiling Water is Us: Why Progress Won't Save Us From Climate Catastrophe
The Week AI Began to Act: The Dawn of an AI Stone Age in Which Machines Have Their Own Tools
Trump's Hot Summer of Disorder: How Short-Term Chaos is America's Long-Term Global Strategy
Why Julius Caesar was anything but Trumpian: How Rome's 'Dictator' Actually Saved Roman Democracy
The Resurrection of God: Why Europe's Bestselling Science Book Proves Materialism is Dead
Why Reports on the Death of the American Dream are Greatly Exaggerated
Why Podcasts Are Ruining Our Lives: On the Insidious Charm of Chat
The Chinese Communist School of Hard Knocks: How Xi Jinping's Father Shaped China's Current Tough Guy Leader
Going Soft on China: Is Xi Jinping really a Competitor, not an Enemy, of the United States?
Tech Insider Claims OpenAI Will Be Worth $10 Trillion: Has Silicon Valley Finally Gone Totally Bonkers?
Can Democrats Really Pull a Reagan? How the GOP's 1980 Playbook Could Work for Progressives in 2028