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shortthoughts's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book. Most everyone would benefit from reading this book. Godin is uncommon and much of what he writes has application beyond business and marketing. Ideas that are not acted on are worthless and so are projects that don't ship. I imagine the "lizard brain" speak will jar some, but don't get hung up on it. I need to be pushed. You need to be pushed and this book will push you. I recommend it.
reficulgr's review against another edition
2.0
This was my first attempt on reading Seth Godin, but BOY, was this book bad. His reputation has earned him a second chance, though.
yuliia_trevi's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely inspiring! Loved it! Working on my own project now. I am very happy I read it. I should read it again.
amcloughlin's review against another edition
3.0
Good observations in a maddeningly disorganized, chopped-up, 500-word-chunk format.
sbnich's review against another edition
5.0
This book will change the way you look at work, school and life and yourself. It's a powerful motivator to be just a bit better. And if you've never heard Seth speak - seek out the chance.
drewflynn's review against another edition
4.0
Easy read, loved his idea of "ship it". A book that I would have loved to have read right out of high school, but scattered throughout are tidbits useful and empowering information that are applicable even to me now.
jaclynday's review against another edition
4.0
Although prone to repetition, Godin’s book about becoming an indispensable, creative thinker is motivating and inspiring.
While reading, I underlined passages that stuck out—there are a lot of one-liners—and realized that even if Godin’s advice is watered down to appeal to a wide range of industries, it’s particularly applicable to marketing and communications. (I work in marketing.)
At heart, Linchpin is about turning your work (whatever it is) into art. It’s a confusing message at first, since “art” brings up images of paintings or music or whatever. Godin’s premise, though, is that art is just an easy way of saying that work should be more relationship-driven and enriching. Instead of a purely transactional moment, “art” elevates a business-prospect relationship to one that’s more trusting and mutually beneficial.
I enjoyed Godin’s razor-sharp focus on the perceived connection between prospects and organizations, and how content marketing is an essential building block to changing that culture for the better. His points on shipping—getting the product out the door on time no matter what—were clear and actionable and important to any company, no matter what they’re selling.
“Outsourcing and automation and the new marketing punish anyone who is merely good, merely obedient, and merely reliable.”
While reading, I underlined passages that stuck out—there are a lot of one-liners—and realized that even if Godin’s advice is watered down to appeal to a wide range of industries, it’s particularly applicable to marketing and communications. (I work in marketing.)
“As customers, we care about ourselves, about how we feel, about whether a product or service or play or interaction changed us for the better.”
At heart, Linchpin is about turning your work (whatever it is) into art. It’s a confusing message at first, since “art” brings up images of paintings or music or whatever. Godin’s premise, though, is that art is just an easy way of saying that work should be more relationship-driven and enriching. Instead of a purely transactional moment, “art” elevates a business-prospect relationship to one that’s more trusting and mutually beneficial.
“Consumers are not loyal to cheap commodities. They crave the unique, the remarkable, and the human.”
I enjoyed Godin’s razor-sharp focus on the perceived connection between prospects and organizations, and how content marketing is an essential building block to changing that culture for the better. His points on shipping—getting the product out the door on time no matter what—were clear and actionable and important to any company, no matter what they’re selling.
drasticjo's review against another edition
3.0
There were some really inspiring nuggets in this book, and I finished it feeling energized overall. However there were a few moments that soured me a bit. Godin seems not to really have any experiential awareness of being poor, and occasionally tosses off derisive statements suggesting it's a result of poor choices. At one point he suggests that anyone whose excuse is not having enough money to take a risk should simply live below their means, because the difference is all profit (as if poor people just haven't thought of this method). He also briefly refers to introversion as a flaw and suggests looking to more extraverted friends to see how to overcome it, which indicates he has made the common error of mistaking introversion for shyness/standoffishness and extraversion for having people skills. On the whole, though, if you have a good filter for privilege, there are definitely things worth learning in this book.
shel_lov's review against another edition
4.0
Really good book that will get you thinking about how you do your work.