How to Overcome Resistance — Seth Godin

Summary

In this episode, Tim Ferriss engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Seth Godin, exploring topics such as the art of blogging, the importance of creating a 'vacuum' for new projects, and the impact of technology on various forms of media. Seth shares insights on his writing process, the value of consistency, and the power of simplicity in communication. The discussion also touches on the influence of notable figures like Isaac Asimov and the evolution of projects like VCR games and social networks. Tim and Seth delve into the nuances of creating content that resonates with an audience and the strategic decisions behind choosing new endeavors.

Takeaways

• 🔐 The importance of using a reliable password manager like 1Password to protect against data breaches and enhance online security.
• 💤 The impact of temperature on sleep quality and how 8 Sleep's Pod cover helps regulate sleeping environment temperatures for better rest.
• 🏆 1Password's recognition as Wirecutter's top pick for password managers due to its combination of security and user-friendly design.
• 📝 The significance of writing concise and impactful blog posts that provoke thought and discussion, as demonstrated by Seth Godin's approach.
• 🤖 The influence of Isaac Asimov's work and his hands-off approach to collaboration, which fostered trust and creative freedom.
• 🎲 The creative process behind developing interactive games, as exemplified by the VCR game collaboration with Isaac Asimov.
• 🚀 The value of creating a 'vacuum' in one's career to make space for new projects and opportunities.
• 🧩 The concept of 'cure' as a safe haven or niche for creatives to consistently produce and share their work.
• 📈 The power of establishing a consistent genre or platform, such as a blog, where readers know what to expect and can rely on the content.
• 🌐 The impact of technology changes on media and how pioneers adapt to these shifts to continue creating innovative content.
• 🎉 The celebration of small but meaningful victories, like sending out a short newsletter, as a way to maintain engagement and share interesting finds.

Q & A

What is the significance of the podcast sponsor's product, One Password, to the host?

The host considers One Password one of his favorite products due to its industry-leading security and award-winning design. He has been using it for over a decade and has made it a requirement for everyone on his team to protect against data breaches.

How does the 8 Sleep Pod cover help improve sleep quality?

The 8 Sleep Pod cover fits on any mattress and allows users to adjust the temperature of their sleeping environment to optimal levels. It features dual-zone temperature control, enabling separate temperature settings for each side of the bed, and makes temperature adjustments throughout the night based on biometrics, environment, and sleep stages to limit wake-ups and increase deep sleep percentage.

What are some of the key takeaways from Seth Godin's advice on writing short blog posts?

Seth Godin suggests treating blog posts more as questions or provocations rather than answers or prescriptions. He emphasizes the importance of creating a post that encourages the reader to think and engage in a dialogue. Additionally, he advises on setting boundaries and rules for writing to ensure consistency and sustainability.

What is the main reason behind the host's decision to experiment with walking talks instead of traditional podcast recordings?

The host believes that sitting is not good for health and that humans are not evolved to consume podcasts in a fixed location. By experimenting with walking talks, he aims to counteract this trend and engage in an activity that humans are designed to do – walk.

How does the host describe the concept of 'creating a vacuum' in relation to his projects?

The host describes 'creating a vacuum' as intentionally stopping a project or activity to make space for new, potentially more fulfilling endeavors. This action involves a level of discomfort and uncertainty but is deemed necessary for personal growth and innovation.

What is the benefit of maintaining a consistent writing schedule, according to Seth Godin?

Seth Godin believes that maintaining a consistent writing schedule helps to eliminate the internal noise and uncertainty about whether to write each day. This consistency allows him to focus on creating and sharing content without the pressure of producing a 'perfect' post every time.

How does the host use the concept of 'cure' in relation to his professional practice?

The host uses the term 'cure' to describe a safe haven or niche where he can consistently deliver value in his professional practice. By occupying a specific lane and being reliable in that space, he has built a platform that provides him with a unique advantage.

What is the main reason for the host to continue writing his blog even if no one reads it?

The host continues to write his blog because it helps to quiet the noise in his head and provides him with a sense of satisfaction and consistency. The commitment to writing daily has become a non-negotiable part of his routine, regardless of the audience size.

What advice does Seth Godin give for making short blog posts more effective?

Seth Godin advises making short blog posts effective by starting with a clear and concise assertion that creates a 't' and then releasing the tension to land an idea. He also suggests keeping the posts simple, beneficial, and free from unnecessary parentheticals or exaggerations.

How does the host describe the process of creating a new piece of writing or content?

The host describes the process as a cycle of creating internal, mediocre work and exploring various ideas. He uses tools like a laser cutter to create physical prototypes and enjoys the invention cycle, although he also acknowledges the need to eventually ship the work and not just focus on the creation process.

What is the host's approach to dealing with the discomfort of creating a 'vacuum' after stopping a project?

The host deals with the discomfort by engaging in other activities, such as creating straw prototypes and exploring new ideas. He also uses this period to reflect on his work and consider new projects, although he acknowledges that this can be a challenging and uncomfortable process.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 Product Endorsements and Cybersecurity

The paragraph introduces two different product endorsements. The first part discusses the benefits of using 1Password, a password manager that ensures secure and convenient access to various platforms. The speaker praises the product's security features, design, and its wide usage by both individuals and businesses. The second part of the endorsement is about the Pod cover by 8 sleep, a device designed to regulate sleeping temperature, which the speaker finds effective in improving sleep quality. The speaker also mentions a personal struggle with sleep due to temperature issues and how the product has helped.

05:01

📚 Writing and Blogging Insights

This paragraph delves into the art of writing and blogging, highlighting the importance of brevity and clarity. The speaker engages in a conversation with Seth Godin, a renowned author and blogger, about the craft of writing short blog posts. They discuss the challenge of condensing complex ideas into shorter formats and the value of posing questions rather than providing exhaustive answers. The speaker also reflects on the impact of blogging as a medium and the need to adapt to its strengths and limitations.

10:05

🚀 Embracing Change and Innovation

The speaker shares insights on embracing change and innovation, drawing from personal experiences in various projects and technological shifts. They discuss the evolution of media and the importance of being a pioneer in new forms of expression. The speaker emphasizes the value of creating a 'vacuum' by letting go of successful projects to make space for new, potentially more impactful endeavors. This approach is driven by a desire to solve interesting problems and contribute positively to one's field.

15:05

🤖 Conversations with Icons and Learning from the Greats

In this paragraph, the speaker recounts experiences working with notable figures such as Isaac Asimov and Stanley Kaplan. They reflect on the contrasting management styles and the impact these experiences had on their professional growth. The speaker appreciates the autonomy and trust granted by Asimov, which allowed for creative freedom, and contrasts it with the micromanagement experienced in other collaborations.

20:07

🎮 Interactive Media and the Evolution of Games

The speaker discusses the evolution of interactive media and games, sharing a story about creating a murder mystery game for VCRs. They describe the innovative aspects of the game, which involved a film with pause-and-play mechanics, and the success it achieved. The speaker also reflects on the serendipitous opportunities that have arisen throughout their career, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and seizing moments of creative potential.

25:10

📈 Decision-Making and the Art of Simplicity

The paragraph focuses on the art of simplifying complex ideas and the importance of decision-making. The speaker uses the example of a short blog post about time management to illustrate how a simple assertion can be turned into a powerful message. They emphasize the value of presenting ideas in a way that resonates with the reader and encourages them to share the insights with others. The speaker also discusses the role of their 'character' in their writing and how they maintain consistency in voice and message over time.

30:11

💡 The Power of Consistency and Creative Freedom

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the power of consistent creative output and the freedom to explore various projects. They share their approach to maintaining a daily writing habit and the benefits it brings, such as reducing internal noise and establishing a reliable professional presence. The speaker also talks about their satisfaction in shipping work and the joy of the creative process, highlighting the importance of balancing continuous creation with the need to complete and share their work.

35:11

🌐 The Impact of Marketing on Environment and Society

The speaker addresses the impact of marketing and consumer trends on the environment and society, using the example of the Patagonian toothfish. They discuss how clever marketing can lead to overconsumption and the potential extinction of species. The speaker emphasizes the need for greater awareness and responsibility in promoting products and the importance of using their platform to share valuable insights and provoke thought.

40:13

📧 The Value of Curated Communication

The speaker talks about the value of curated communication, highlighting their own newsletter, 'Five Bullet Friday,' as an example. They describe it as a concise weekly dispatch that shares interesting finds and thoughts, serving as a curated selection of cool things. The speaker emphasizes the joy of discovery and the pleasure of sharing these discoveries with their audience, creating a positive and engaging experience for their subscribers.

Keywords

💡Password Management

Password management refers to the process of securely storing, retrieving, and using passwords in a digital environment. In the video, it is emphasized as a crucial practice for safeguarding against data breaches, with '1Password' being recommended as a top choice for its industry-leading security and user-friendly design.

💡Data Breaches

Data breaches are incidents where unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive information, often resulting in the exposure of confidential data. The video underscores the widespread impact of data breaches and the importance of robust password management as a preventive measure.

💡Cybernetic Organism

A cybernetic organism refers to a living entity that has integrated mechanical or electronic components with its biological system. In the context of the video, this term is used metaphorically to describe the speaker's interaction with technology, emphasizing the seamless blend of human and machine elements.

💡Sleep Technology

Sleep technology encompasses a range of devices and applications designed to improve the quality and quantity of sleep. The video discusses the 'Pod cover by 8 sleep' as an example of such technology, which adjusts the temperature of the sleeping environment based on individual preferences and sleep stages.

💡Biometrics

Biometrics refers to the measurement and analysis of an individual's physical and physiological characteristics, such as heart rate or body temperature. In the context of the video, biometrics are used by the 'Pod cover' to make intelligent temperature adjustments throughout the night, enhancing sleep quality.

💡Content Creation

Content creation involves the production of various forms of content, such as blog posts, podcasts, or videos, to communicate ideas, information, or entertainment. The video features a discussion on the art of writing concise and impactful blog posts, emphasizing the importance of engaging the audience with thought-provoking questions and ideas.

💡Marketing

Marketing is the process of promoting and selling products or services, including market research, advertising, and branding strategies. The video references Seth Godin's expertise in marketing, highlighting his influential books and blog posts that have shaped modern marketing practices.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency and effectiveness with which tasks are completed or goals are achieved. The video discusses strategies for enhancing productivity, such as streamlining writing processes and managing time effectively.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of introducing new ideas, methods, or products to improve or revolutionize existing practices. The video touches on the importance of innovation in various fields, from technology to marketing, and highlights individuals like Seth Godin who have contributed to their respective industries through innovative thinking.

💡Personal Development

Personal development involves the commitment to improving oneself through various means, such as learning new skills, gaining knowledge, or enhancing personal qualities. The video discusses the value of exploring ideas and experimenting with new writing styles as part of one's personal development journey.

Highlights

One Password is a favorite product of the speaker, used for over a decade for its industry-leading security and award-winning design.

Data breaches are a serious issue that can affect anyone, emphasizing the need for robust password management.

The speaker trusts One Password so much that it has become a requirement for everyone on their team.

One Password was chosen as Wirecutter's top pick for password managers after beating out 40 other options.

The product allows secure switching between various devices like iPhone, Android, Mac, and PC, offering features like autofill for quick sign-ins.

One Password can generate strong, unique passwords and store them securely in an encrypted Vault accessible only by the user.

The platform also supports two-factor authentication with a countdown of unique numbers, reducing the need for separate apps for such functions.

Regular third-party audits and the industry's largest bug bounty program help keep One Password at the forefront of security.

Listeners of the podcast get an exclusive offer of a free two-week trial at OnePassword.com/Tim.

The speaker introduces another sponsor, 8 Sleep, which offers a temperature-regulating Pod cover designed to improve sleep quality.

The Pod cover fits on any mattress and can adjust the temperature of the sleeping environment for optimal sleep.

Dual Zone temperature control allows individual settings for each side of the bed, catering to different preferences.

The Pod cover uses sensors to track health and sleep metrics, making temperature adjustments throughout the night for better sleep.

Listeners can save $200 on the Pod cover by visiting 8sleep.com/Tim and utilizing the provided discount.

The speaker discusses the importance of walking and being active, countering the negative health effects of too much sitting.

The conversation with Seth Godin is a walking talk, an approach that promotes movement and healthier podcasting practices.

Seth Godin is a renowned author and speaker, known for his expertise in marketing and influential books like 'Tribes', 'Purple Cow', and 'The Dip'.

The speaker and Seth Godin discuss the art of blogging effectively, touching on the balance between brevity and comprehensiveness.

Seth Godin emphasizes the value of treating blog posts more as questions or provocations rather than处方或详尽的答案.

Transcripts

[Music]

this episode is brought to you by one

password I have been using one password

for more than a decade it is one of my

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slim this episode is brought to you by

eight sleep temperature is one of the

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optimal minim at this altitude I can run

flat out for a half mile before my hands

start shaking can I ask you a personal

question now we a see the broken time

what if I did the opposite I'm a

cybernetic organism living dissue over

metal

[Music]

endoskeleton hello boys and girls ladies

and germs this is Tim Ferris welcome to

another episode of the Tim Ferris show

and this is one of my favorite types of

episodes of course I'm speaking to world

class performers of all different

disciplines all the time but one of my

favorite people to ask for advice is

Seth Goden and this is a Walkin talk

which means Seth and I were walking and

talking while we recorded this and I had

many burning questions I wanted to ask

he did not fail to deliver a lot of sage

advice tactical practical wisdom and

what more can I say the guy's a gem he

delivers every time who is Seth Goden

you might ask Seth Goden is the author

of 21 International bestsellers that

have changed the way people think about

work his books have been translated into

38 languages and Seth's books include

tribes Purple Cow lynchpin the dip and

this is marketing Seth writes one of the

most popular marketing blogs in the

world 8500

8,500 plus daily blog posts just to put

that into perspective and two of his TED

Talks are among the most popular of all

time he is the founder of the alt MBA

the social media Pioneer squid do and

yo-yo dine one of the first internet

companies his latest book is the song of

significance a new Manifesto for teams

you can find him at Seth golden.com and

you can find Seth's blog at seth. blog

so you can go to both of those for a lot

of resources and I'm going to just

reiterate why we did this format the way

we did it because there's too much

sitting in the world it's not good for

you we weren't evolved to do it and I am

trying to counteract the trend the

impulse all the incentives to do

podcasts in a fixed location this isn't

good for my health and it's certainly

not good for your health to force you to

consume it that way so I'm at least

experimenting with being out and about

doing something that we are designed to

do and that is walk so without further

Ado please enjoy my wide ranging

conversation where I ask for a lot of

help from Seth

Goen all right here we are so thank you

again for taking the time and the

subject I suppose relates to time

attention all these good things which is

how to make Tim Ferris is incredibly

long form writing shorter or how those

two things fundamentally are different

in terms of long and short I texted you

asking if there's any Secret Sauce any

tips or tricks for writing short blog

posts because I consider you the

Undisputed King of consistently good

short blog posts and that kind of

Uncorked all of this so here we are and

uh I suppose where I might want to start

is with our initial text thread and one

of the points that at least as I read it

seemed to resonate was treating blog

posts more as a question than an answer

or a provocation rather than a

prescription could you expand on that a

little bit because I think it relates

also to the post that you so kindly

proof read where I may have

misinterpreted how best to think about

that I would be delighted to dive in

there are so many places to start I'm

going to start with this you are a

gifted and generous writer and you have

been since I began tracking what you do

and blogging is inherently a generous

act because it's hard in 2024 to justify

it as a financial Endeavor you're doing

it

to

illuminate and what does it mean to

write in this form a short story

attributed to Ernie Hemingway probably

not for sale baby shoes never worn six

words it's perfect in six words your

heart

breaks that's not scalable practical

repeatable you can't sign up to write

six word short stories that break

people's hearts every day

because that level of condensing that

level of being able to get at the heart

none of the words had more than seven

letters none of the words have more than

two syllables that's magic right we

can't repeatedly do that so when we look

at the form of a Blog we say well you

know Seth's blog posts have 100 to a

thousand words in them all I have to do

is take my idea and make it shorter and

when we try to do that resistance kicks

in pressfield's resistance and we say

but I need to clarify this sentence and

add a parenthetical to that sentence or

else I will be misunderstood so this

first sentence in this paragraph which

is Rich and detailed and recursive and

layered goes like this growth agents

have a place in medicine parentheses

some types of hypop poopari inis wasting

syndromes diseases surgical care Etc

and some sports effectively require them

at higher levels but there are always

trade-offs when you turn on the dials on

complex hormonal Cascades and feedback

loops y everything in that is true and

someone could study that sentence in

college for a month because there's

layers below layers below

layers and

unfortunately the blog reader in general

is not ready to consume that level of

condensation mhm and so

we shouldn't even try because that's not

what a Blog is good at mhm what a Blog

is good at is what Scott McLoud taught

us about Comics Scott mccloud's book

about Comics which is a must read I have

read it or understanding Comics is the

one that I read understanding Comics

thank you yes the key lesson is this

Comics work because something happens

between the panels uh right and panel

one Superman sees a problem in panel two

Superman is with the villain we don't

see how Superman got from panel one to

panel two that happened in our brain so

the reason Bad Comics and bad graphic

novels are bad is because the Creator

didn't understand that they didn't let

our brain do the leaping they just

decided to add a lot of pictures to a

story that would be better in words so

what a blog post does is it says here's

a sketch over here and now I'm over

there you figure out how I got from here

to there and by you figuring it out the

reader you will grow you will explore

you will be a voice in this dialogue it

is not just me talking MH so when you

ask me to review your writing some

people are tempted to proofread and they

don't really mean proofread they mean

copy edit and copy editing means fix the

errors and what I'm trying to do when

I'm editing a friend work is say are

they even asking the right question cuz

they can fix their own errors they don't

need my help to do that and so here what

I'm trying to say is what is this post

for and what it's for I think is to help

someone who's not paying attention to

realize that there are seven things they

might want to think about and seven is a

lot so what I pitched back to is this is

actually seven blog posts in a series

and what the first one says is you know

there's some things you're not thinking

about that you might want to think about

here's one of them and the idea if I

just say to somebody biceps are

temporary baseball helmet sizes are

forever they visualize that immediately

MH and then they're like H what and then

they want to think about what you meant

by that it's a ha cou it's a puzzle it's

a shadow where is the light and what is

being reflected so now you gotten

permission to tell me in a paragraph or

two what you meant and then I can you

get to say and I

say and that is the form that is what

blogs are good at but and I'm going to

end my rant now the

downside is you will be

misunderstood and that is why there are

no comments on my blog because people

who misunderstood a post would then

respond by making me feel bad so I would

over right and overwrite so they

wouldn't do that anymore and then it

wasn't a Blog anymore so I had to stop

and basically what I'm saying is if you

don't get it ask a friend and if they

don't get it either come back tomorrow

and we can discuss a new thing and I

think the king of this is actually the

magic of XKCD which is a Blog in graphic

form yeah it's outstanding I agree on

that and as you're talking a few things

come to mind for me and maybe as a

backdrop the

for a lot of this for me at least is

number one to get back into writing and

to experiment with a new form a new

style a new approach to writing and

number two is to explore ideas to

explore ideas in various ways to clarify

my own thinking Y which ended up

happening in this short piece the no

biological free lunch piece that you

proof read I suppose my question not

copyedited which is certainly a very

different thing in this particular case

if you were writing this would you be

inclined to make it a series or would

you make each of these a standalone

piece in other words of those seven

bullets as you're thinking through not

just the word count right this is my

mistake where I basically said okay

instead of writing a 5,000 word blog

post I'm gonna make it less than a

thousand but I'm G to try to still

somehow get all of the concepts into

this shorter form seems like there's a

conceptual con straint that makes things

powerful but would you take those seven

make them into an interrelated series

would you make them all kind of

independent after you introduce them in

this one piece how would you think about

divvying this up conceptually for

yourself and I should also just add one

more thing which is yeah fundamental to

all of these observations and questions

and goals and dreams of mine is how do I

make this sustainable for me right which

is part of the feedback you gave in the

comments on on the draft of this blog

post was I'm paraphrasing but if you try

to just make the 5,000 words thing a

th000 words it's going to be exhausting

for you and most likely also exhausting

for your

readers which I agree with this about

genre so my blog is a long running

series it has been a series of 8,500

Daily Posts so if I was starting today I

have to figure out what is the genre of

my work if you think about David

Letterman TV show mhm he needed to have

a series called stupid pet tricks cuz

the show wasn't stupid pet tricks but

there was a regular recurring stupid

petrick right the show was a series of

David Letterman shows so if your genre

as you reenter blogging is uh there is a

post from Tim on a regular basis and all

of them are about the things we put into

our body and performance that you're

fine if that's not the case then the

question is when the reader shows up do

you need to do a lot of throat clearing

to get them back on track for what you

are writing about today and so since

you're starting with largely a blank

slate I said well if the first seven of

these are in this series then you only

have to clear your throat once on the

8th day and say okay now we're talking

about this and you could do one of those

or six of those or 12 of those mhm but

people do better if they understand that

they're going to see Dune not read the

power broker those are different genres

and you need to give them a hint as to

what they're going to get I like the

idea of recognizing that my tendency is

to how should I be generous with

myself be comprehensive was gonna say

over complicate but let's be nice try to

be comprehensive I would rather as we

talked about earlier I'm walking by

tennis court right now and I remember

taking a tennis lesson and I kept

hitting the ball into the net and the

coach said to me he's like you can do

anything now next step you can hit the

ball straight up in the air you can hit

a home run the one thing you cannot do

is hit it into the net and I was like

okay I got it and I kind of feel like I

need to give myself some marching orders

like that for writing to counterbalance

some of my Tendencies so I like the idea

of writing self sustaining independent

pieces to restrict myself from the

desire to say you know what I'm not

going to overwrite this but it's going

to be part one in a 12p part series

which is uh maybe a workaround uh for

tricking myself I'm gonna interrupt you

for a little bit the please do you are

extraordinarily skilled at not over

complicating your writing or your

narratives that's how you got this far

that there's very little that you have

published where you were the primary

researcher and the Breakthrough creator

of the original science what you've done

is helped people simplify understand

what's Happening Here is resistance you

are adding parentheticals to protect

yourself 100% MH so what I'm pushing you

to do is to come up with boundaries so

that you can say I did a good job and

ship the work now that could involve

having

very like the rules of ha cou very

significant rules where you must have a

tagline to come online that's less than

18 wordss and you are allowed to have

two footnote links but the rest of it

has to be a narrative that you would say

to somebody on the telephone and instead

of typing them you are just recording

each one and letting someone on your

team type them if that would be the

model you would have to let go of it

because you only have a 5-minute phone

call you're going to say it as clearly

as you can you can add two links when

you're done and it's done you got to

ship it right but that's not letting the

reader down because you've announced to

them that that's what this is the genre

matters I asked you one question related

to how you know when you're done

and I'd love for you to answer that

again because I suspect I'll have some

follow-up questions and either before or

after that I would love to know for

yourself what typee of rules you have

imposed or constraints SL

boundaries when you have had your better

streaks of writing let's just say all

right well we I'll do the first part

first because it's easier you asked how

do you decide or no when a post is done

and I texted back I

don't that's the point and then I wrote

imagine how hard it would be to have a

conversation or even a text thread if we

had to Think Through whether our turn to

talk was over before we stopped

talking right so my model my ritual is I

write blog posts in advance and then the

night before I review them I rewrite

them I delete them so if I get the

stomach flu there's still going to be a

blog post tomorrow and when I rewrite a

blog post the rule is you wa get points

if you make it shorter you don't get

points if you make it longer and if I

can't boil it down more than it already

is and it's not deliberately deceptive

it's done because the purpose is tell

people something they already sort of

know in a way that they would be

grateful for the chance to forward to

other people can you say that one more

time Seth that seems important if I can

show up with something in your bones you

know to be true or interesting or worth

thinking about but I can say it in a way

that would benefit you if you could

share it with your friends and

colleagues that's a great blog post

benefit you in what possible senses I

will give you a trivial one first which

is more than once I have blogged about

how stupid it is that there's a pull

down menu when you're checking out of a

shop and there's all 50 states listed

that isn't helping anybody we have have

ai that can speak English it knows how

to turn NY into New York and we do this

because 40 years ago or whenever the web

was young 25 years ago it was a hack

that made life slightly easier for

certain programmers and it's just been

sticking around ever since there are

people like me it really vexes and if I

say this and you are one of those vexing

people now you can forward it to your

Web Master and say see see I said we

shouldn't this and so I just gave you a

useful thing to

share that's trivial but that's sort of

the idea is that if you have a brother

or a son or a colleague or daughter or a

sister who would benefit from the

Insight that you think I'm on to you're

going to forward it to them and you're

going to have a connection with them CU

I opened the door and made it possible

for you to do that every once in a while

I do post something about Claude AI that

you didn't know know about and know you

go oh great I use Claud thank you very

much but that's not really the service

my blog offers the service my blog

offers is not I'm breaking news it's I

am trying to illuminate things that

already resonate with people not to add

too many parentheticals to this

conversation but what is CLA but what is

Claude AI

Claude AI I can't believe I know

something you don't know claw. a

is significantly better then chat GPT at

certain

functions and I think part of it is cuz

it doesn't read the web or it says it

doesn't read the web so it's not easily

distracted but I'm launching a software

project in six weeks and the business

plan took more than a year and a whole

bunch of contributors it's 40 pages long

and I uploaded the business plan to

Claude And I said please review this

highlight contradictions paradoxes and

obvious errors and in less than 10

seconds it me a page and a half MBA

quality memo that nailed it it just

nailed it nailed it nailed it and I was

like okay you got me that's great that's

great so I use Claude AI every day to

read other people's writing my writing

critique it give me Insight you could

send your post to Claude and it might

not have the Insight I had but it would

definitely have something to say

incredible all right well end

parenthesis what are some other elements

or practices or constraints or fill-in

the blank that have helped you with

consistency in terms of blog writing

because I have attempted

and failed a number of times to build up

momentum writing shorter posts and I

think a lot of what we've already

discussed will help is there anything

else that you would add to the it helped

my consistency streak category well I

would say two things first I think

you're talking about consistency in

terms of showing up at the Ballpark

every day Cadence yeah exactly yeah so

I'll do that one second the first one I

have never met Larry David but I am

guessing that there are some days that

Larry David is actually a nice

thoughtful person and there is a

character named Larry David as well so

the person who writes my blog is a

character named Seth Goden and I am the

only person who has ever written my blog

I the only person who ever will write my

blog but when I am doing it I am playing

the character named Seth goed so if it

doesn't sound like me if it's just me

authentically being tired or annoyed I

don't publish those because that's not

what my character would do it's this is

not me exposing some mystical mythical

Seth Goden to the world it's me

portraying the character Seth Goden CU

it's a service

and then the second thing is streaks are

usually used against us by software and

if they make you feel bad it's not a

helpful thing but I write blog posts

every single day whether I use them or

not and I learned that from Isaac azimov

when I worked with him all those years

ago if you know that tomorrow morning

you have to start typing tonight when

you go to sleep or today when you're

walking around you will be noticing

things so that you have something to

type and you know I've have enough in

reserve that I don't have to do it every

day but I do it every day because I eat

lunch every day and because I take a

shower every day two follow-ups so the

first is related to the playing the

character of Seth Goden it sounds like

if I heard you correctly you're saying

your writing should

reflect how you feel in the world at the

time that you're writing am I hearing

that correctly no it's it's the opposite

of that it's the opposite there's no

should here first of all if someone

wants to write a blog that's just the

unvarnished version of them in the

moment go for it I don't care I'm not

the blog police what I'm saying is I can

read a blog post I wrote 14 years

ago and I might not write the same one

today but it rhymes with the one I would

write today because there's a voice that

this character has that I am very

comfortable with I did the first thing

that all writers do when I got chat GPT

which is I asked it to write like me and

I was pleased to discover it was a

parody of me and being able to be

parodied is a really good

sign and that's what it is to have this

voice is to say I could exaggerate it in

six different directions and people

could tell I would be parodying it but

like you know the Peanuts comic strip

Charles Schultz did it every single day

and it's very hard to tell which decade

a peanut strip is from totally and

that's that's what I'm after so just to

unpack that a little bit more I know

we've talked before or I should say I've

asked and listen to you discuss how the

authenticity fetishizing that goes on is

often not always but often very

misplaced and just kind of overvalues

this oversharing what are the things

that make Seth the character Seth the

character is it

80% voice that you've developed such

that chat GPT can imitate you and Par to

you what are the other ingredients that

make Seth the character who writes on

Seth's blog you know I've not ever

pushed myself to name them because

seeing is forgetting the name of what

one sees but yeah I guess I'd highlight

a couple things the first one is I try

to begin from a place of the benefit

benefit of the doubt of there probably

aren't bad people there's just

situations that cause people to do

things that are troubling and a level of

optimism to go with it I try to reduce

ideas to their Essence without becoming

hyperbolic because the voices of social

media amped up the hyperbolic part

that's not a simplification that's an

exaggeration right I try

to

eliminate parentheticals unless I really

have no choice so I will avoid saying

something like all tall people are very

brave because that's ridiculous but I

will not write tall people or Brave

parentheses except for this person this

person this person and this person

because now it's not worth reading right

so there's an assertion at the beginning

that creates a t

and then a

release of that tension that lands an

idea so the shortest blog post I ever

wrote which I'm really proud of is first

line is you don't need more

time so that's an assertion it's

controversial people who feel

overwhelmed want to challenge it and

then the delivery is you just need to

decide so that flips it upside down

takes the blame off off the system and

the people who are making you busy and

puts it right back on you giving you

agency and authority and responsibility

to Simply decide and then get back to

what needs to get done and so in just a

few words that's an example of a short

Seth Goen blog post and a longer one is

one where I will try to teach somebody

details about something they didn't know

but frame it

in a way that they're comfortable with

because that's how they might have

framed it as well let me ask a quick

question and maybe that I've cut back on

my caffeine too significantly but you

don't need more time you just need to

decide what are people deciding well

folks who say I'm going to figure out

which college I want to apply to soon I

just need to do more research I just

need to think about it I got it right

close the open Loops get it done make a

decision exactly mhm that makes a lot of

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followup I had and I'm sure I've asked

you this so I apologize but I can't

remember the answer if we have discussed

it what are some other things you picked

up from Isaac azimov I mean this guy's a

demigod at least a lot of people would

consider him one what are things you

absorbed or observed with Isaac Isaac

was in his 70s I was 24 and a half maybe

25 it was one of my first projects it

was one of his last ones and we would

hang out in his apartment near Lincoln

Center and I got to spend time with his

wife the thing about Isaac azimov is the

character of Isaac azimov was a

know-it-all egomaniac for the time today

he would be seen as humble but he he

published 400 books he invented the

modern conception of a robot he wrote

seminal work on an enormous number of

topics a definitive book about the Bible

I mean all over the place but in

person he was humble and funny and as a

project partner he was completely hands

off he spent time with me to make sure I

understood the bound Ines of what an

Isaac aam project was and then he said

go for it and he didn't micromanage a

thing because he trusted me and my

understanding of where the robots

Universe could go and it spoiled me

because I thought that was going to

happen again and again and again and you

know I got Stanley Kaplan into the test

prep book business and it took seven

years and by the time we the book

Stanley was long gone from the project

CU he had sold the company but talk

about micromanaging with a well-known

name so I'm one end of the spectrum was

Isaac azimov and on the other end was

Stanley Kaplan go figure you know your

story about azimov makes me think a

little bit of Rick rubben where right

out of the gate LL Cool J BC boys he's

like oh this is easy this is how it

works fantastic what was the project

that you're were working with isacon

okay so before DVDs lots of people had

VCRs and yes I remember a company called

Parker Brothers took their board game

Clue and they made it into a VCR game

and it was Dumb and it sold more than a

million copies at $40 wow good for them

and so Peter alatka the greatest game

designer of his generation and I

invented a murder mystery game you could

play on your VCR so there was a movie

shot with real Union actors in a set in

New York City it lasted 38 minutes and

took place on another planet about

robots and murder and detectives and six

times during the short film a screen

came up and said hit the pause button

and play a card so you would hit pause

and you had a stack of six cards and

each card had two sides and you would

throw a card down and it would be a clue

like there are no fingerprints on the

gun which might mean it was a robot cuz

robots don't have fingerprints right and

on the other side of the card it said

there were fingerprints on the gun so

now you know it's not a robot so it

turned out that 2 to the^ of 6 is 150

six or whatever and if you added up the

code numbers on the top of each card you

played it told you which page in the

answer booklet had the answer to that

thread through the game so you could

play the game hundreds of times and it

would be a different outcome each time

and we sold the rights to Kodak and cisc

and Ebert gave it two thumbs up and

advertised it on the Olympics like the

full thing it was fascinating wow where

were you in your career that that

opportunity presented itself or you

found that opportunity what had led up

to that outside of what you just

described so before I did that I had

only one real job and my job was at

Spiner software we invented educational

computer games and I built the first

brand of Illustrated computer adventure

games I worked with Arthur C Clark and

Ray Bradbery and Michael Brighton I got

rights to games I worked with Byron

price he had a team of programmers and I

had a team of programmers we did The

Wizard of Oz and I loved it I could

still be doing it to this day but the

world changed and I was out on my own

after a couple years as a book packager

but Peter and I knew each other and the

momentum from the interactive game thing

led me to Isaac's editor and no one had

ever asked for the rights the rights

weren't expensive and then once I had

the rights I found Kodak and Kodak was

able to put up the money so we could

build this thing and own part of the

back end so if I zoom out I have a macro

level question for you which has been on

my mind a lot if you don't mind which is

a question of how you choose next

chapters or projects because I'm coming

up on the 10th anniversary of the

podcast next April so in a few months

and figured that would be a good

a time as any to pause and reflect on

things and think about where I want to

go love doing the podcast don't plan on

stopping it but there are a lot of

Trends driving it towards effectively

turning podcasts into fixed location

television shows and I don't have much

desire to do that y I don't want to be

contrarian just for the sake of being

contrarian that's its own trap or set of

traps but I know you've been very

deliberate for instance in choosing not

to start a dozen startups and and in

favor of choosing to spend your time on

other things how do you choose or think

about kind of next chapters or how what

advice might you give me as I

contemplate for what's next type of

question you know I think it's very kind

of you to say I'm very good at it I

don't think I'm good at it but because

I'm sort of in public and I do it in a

certain way it's noted you know I did

five years of a Kimbo it was in the top

1% of all podcasts and then I just

stopped and I stopped not because I

didn't love it I did love it I stopped

because if I kept doing it there's

something else I wouldn't do

instead and creating a vacuum is

required so that I will do the hard work

of filling the vacuum but if I just keep

doing the thing then there is no vacuum

and sometimes the technology changes

that's why Spiner went away that's why

you couldn't keep making VCR games it's

why my Head Start in the cdrom business

was worthless cuz CD ROMs went away i'

liked in every time I did this being a

Pioneer in a New Media space because

that's for me the funnest spot and then

when the technology changes I got to

move on but podcast technology is never

going to change I mean you're noting

there's a change in the production

format and that is a change so in my

case what I'm trying to do is not

maximize my my income per hour spent nor

am I trying to maximize the size of my

audience what I'm trying to maximize is

are the people I'm

serving glad that I did that I showed up

to solve an interesting problem and two

as I build the stack of things on the

bookshelf behind me can I point to them

and say that was interesting and

generous and I'm glad I did it and you

know that's part of a limited attention

span theater so it's not for everybody

but my whole point of view is that life

is projects it is not a job and when you

stopped the podcast and created that

vacuum did you already have something

kind of warming up in the batting cage

that was pending that you need to create

that vacuum for or did you create the

vacuum and then wait for something to

get pulled into it not to strain the

metaphor but you get the idea no you're

not straining it if there's something

pending it's not a vacuum there have

been times when something so good came

along I did it and then how to remove

things so I could do it you know when a

few of us started squido which was one

of the first social networks I had a

completely or reorganized my life

because we built the 40th biggest

website in the US with only eight

employees so we were busy this is not

what I'm talking about I am talking

about an actual uncomfortable vacuum

where you feel like you're never going

to work again where nothing can possibly

be worth what you gave up and that's

hard to

do yeah it is to do so just to put a put

a microscope on that I have as means of

backstory done this for periods of time

and have found it deeply deeply

uncomfortable sometimes fruitful often

times not terribly fruitful in part I

think because when I create that vacuum

I don't know if the best way to embrace

the vacuum is to basically just stare at

the wall and watch paint dry or to do

something else and my mind just kind of

folds in on itself you create the VAC

and then what do the next few weeks look

like in terms of how you spend your time

dayto day or week to week I think a

fundamental difference between you and

me there are so many of them but one of

them as I am here talking to what the

world Tango Champion former world record

holder a long time ago yes is the only

thing I have a world record in is being

part of the largest co-author book

signing in history in which me and 400

other people all signed our book at the

same time because I am not a high

performer I am interesting and being

interesting is really important to me

but I am not holding myself to the

standard you hold yourself in so many

ways and so I could imagine that the

thing that gives me Comfort might not

make you happy right for sure I agree

with all of that and how does that

difference translate to what you would

do in the weeks following creating

the vacuum after say stopping the

podcast because I guess you have

activities that you're still carrying

forward it's not like you're completely

idle you're writing still presumably if

someone looked at me from the outside I

think that they would see that my days

aren't that different I am not shipping

public work because I don't ship junk

but I am internally creating lots of

mediocre work and basically creating

straw people and saying what would this

be like and then what would that be like

and here's this thing and I sat with my

60 or 80 watt laser cutter and I cut

this thing out what do I think of that

and

um that invention cycle is joyful but I

can't do it forever because I also need

the satisfaction of shipping the work

and not giving into resistance so what

I'm doing when I was a book packager we

sold 120 books in 10 years a book a

month but I had more than 800 books on

my hard drive ready to go not finished

but two page five page proposals because

the only way to have a finished proposal

for me is to have an unfinished one that

you didn't ship what is it and this is

probably a fundamental question I should

have asked earlier but what did you get

from writing and having written as

consistently as you have and do what is

the payoff like why do that okay so the

biggest payoff is simple not in terms of

equity stock value but in terms of the

noise in my head the biggest benefit is

I will be writing tomorrow because it's

Friday not because I've written the

perfect blog post that every single day

something gets published by me because I

decided that 24 years ago not because I

have reconsidered each day whether this

one is good enough mhm and even if no

one read my blog

I would still do it and I'm very

fortunate that people give me the

benefit of the doubt knowing that I am

not guaranteeing this is the best thing

I ever wrote and they're still willing

to look at it so that's lovely in terms

of my professional

practice again back to genre having a

cure a platform where for a long time if

you type blog into Google I was the

first match because I just showed up

more than just about anybody there's a

lot of value to saying this is my lane

and you can count on me in this Lane and

for someone who is as paretic as I in

their creative Pursuits having one of

those turned out to be a really useful

thing you mentioned a word that I don't

recognize but I love the sound of ccure

what is that yeah it's a safe haven a

niche a place to hide a fortress what a

great word yeah all right mental note to

use

cure well I don't want to take up a ton

of time here south this is all

incredible incredibly helpful the best

part of my day and I know that you're

not publishing this as written but I

just want to say as for the people who

were wondering what's in this magical

thing you wrote it includes the line

like Patagonian toothfish has become

Chilean seab Baths on fashionable menus

worldwide right there that's gold Jerry

that's just gold

and so you need to liberate these things

and explain to people what the I know

what you're talking about but the fact

is that entire species are becoming

extinct because somebody figured out a

clever way to Market an animal that we

eat there's a lot to be said about that

one little riff and you have 20 of them

in one

post thanks man yeah the the no

biological freelan it's one of those

things things that I've said so many

times to friends in conversation and I

was finally like you know what if not

for any other reason than I am tired of

repeating this Gettys Burger dress

speech to every Wayward friend who calls

me up about to consume really potent

drugs I have some of those if you go to

Seth stop blog and type advice for

authors there are two posts with the

same title cuz that's I wasn't being

clear that I wrote a year and a half

apart and they have each like a dozen or

15 bullet points and now I have a Sig

and superum that I can call up if when

someone sends me a note a friend or

whatever I can say oh I've already

thought about this question here you

go oh I love

it hey guys this is Tim again just one

more thing before you take off and that

is five bullet Friday would you enjoy

getting a short email from me every

Friday that provides a little fun before

the weekend between 1 and A2 and 2

million people subscribe to my free

newsletter my super short newsletter

called five bullet Friday easy to sign

up easy to cancel it is basically a half

page that I send out every Friday to

share the coolest things I've found or

discovered or have started exploring

over that week it's kind of like my

diary of cool things it often includes

articles I'm reading books I'm reading

albums perhaps gadgets gizmos all sorts

of tech tricks and so on that get sent

to me by my friends including a lot of

podcast guests and these strange

esoteric things end up in my field and

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goodness before you head off for the

weekend something to think about if

you'd like to try it out just go to tim.

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blog Friday drop in your email and

you'll get the very next one thanks for

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