Seth Godin teaches how to launch a product - What it means to make a difference | BEHIND THE BRAND

Summary

The speaker discusses the intersection of curiosity and productivity, emphasizing that curiosity involves making assertions and asking critical questions to drive design thinking. They also highlight the importance of a disciplined approach to work, sharing insights from Isaac Asimov's writing routine and the value of a daily writing habit, even if it's not for public consumption.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Curiosity is not just about reading more, but being willing to make assertions and explore the reasons behind things.
• 💡 When encountering something unfamiliar, it's important to either engage with it or move on, rather than being apathetic.
• 🛀 The example of hotel shower designs illustrates the importance of understanding the user's perspective and needs.
• 🏨 The design of hotel showers can reflect the intentions of architects or the desires of clients, showing how design thinking can be applied.
• 🤔 Asking 'who's it for', 'what's it for', and 'how will I know if it's working' are key questions in design thinking that help in understanding and creating for the right audience.
• 📺 Productivity can be increased by eliminating distractions like television, social media, and meetings, freeing up time for focused work.
• ✍️ Developing an instinct to 'ship' or complete and release your work is crucial for productivity, even if it's not perfect.
• 💤 Daily writing, such as a blog, can instill a discipline that helps your subconscious to produce quality work.
• 🕒 Establishing a routine, like Isaac Asimov's, can significantly contribute to a productive writing life.
• 📚 Quantity of output does not necessarily equate to quality, and receiving criticism is a natural part of the creative process.

Q & A

How does the speaker define curiosity?

The speaker defines curiosity as being prepared to make an assertion when encountering something they don't understand, rather than walking on by, which leads to apathy.

What is the speaker's perspective on hotel shower designs?

The speaker believes that hotel showers should have a standard design because there's no need for innovation in this aspect. They use their experience with a complicated shower design to illustrate their point.

How does the speaker approach a situation where they encounter something they don't understand?

The speaker chooses to assert a possible explanation, even if it might be wrong, as a way to exercise curiosity and design thinking.

What three questions does the speaker suggest asking to understand the design of a product or service?

The speaker suggests asking 'Who's it for?', 'What's it for?', and 'How will I know if it's working?' as a way to apply design thinking.

How does the speaker manage to be productive?

The speaker manages productivity by avoiding time-consuming distractions like television, meetings, Twitter, and Facebook, and by developing the instinct to 'ship' or complete tasks.

What advice does the speaker give for improving writing habits?

The speaker advises having a daily writing routine, even if no one reads it, to train the subconscious to produce content consistently.

How did Isaac Asimov maintain his prolific writing?

Isaac Asimov maintained his prolific writing by having a strict daily routine of waking up early and writing until noon, regardless of the quality of his writing at first.

What does the speaker suggest about the mindset towards one's work?

The speaker suggests that one should not be hindered by the need for perfection or universal approval, as critics are simply indicating that the work wasn't for them.

How does the speaker relate curiosity to the process of design thinking?

The speaker relates curiosity to design thinking by using it as a means to question and understand the purpose, target audience, and effectiveness of a design, leading to better outcomes.

What is the speaker's opinion on the importance of routine in productivity?

The speaker believes that having a set routine is crucial for productivity, as it trains the subconscious to work efficiently and consistently.

How does the speaker view the concept of 'shipping' or completing work?

The speaker views 'shipping' as an essential instinct for productivity, emphasizing the importance of completing work over striving for perfection and approval from all.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Balancing Curiosity and Productivity

The speaker discusses the concept of curiosity and its role in productivity, particularly in writing and publishing. They differentiate between reading more and being genuinely curious, which involves making assertions and asking critical questions. The speaker uses the example of hotel shower designs to illustrate how curiosity can lead to understanding and improving upon existing systems. They also touch on the importance of developing an instinct to 'ship' or complete work, and share advice from the late Isaac Asimov on maintaining a consistent writing routine, emphasizing the value of quantity over perfection.

Keywords

💡Curiosity

Curiosity in the context of the video refers to an eagerness to learn and understand new things, rather than simply reading more. It involves making assertions and asking questions to deepen one's understanding of a subject. This is exemplified by the speaker's curiosity about hotel shower designs, which leads them to imagine the thought process behind such design decisions.

💡Productivity

Productivity in this video is associated with effective time management and the ability to create and share ideas without distractions. The speaker emphasizes the importance of avoiding time-consuming activities like watching television, attending meetings, or using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to gain more time for creative work.

💡Design Thinking

Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves understanding the needs of the user, defining the purpose of a product or service, and measuring its success. In the video, the speaker uses design thinking to analyze the hotel shower example, considering who it was made for, what its purpose might be, and how success is determined.

💡Assertion

An assertion in the video is a statement or proposition that is put forward as a basis for further exploration or discussion. The speaker uses assertions to express their thoughts and hypotheses about the shower design, even though they admit to being possibly wrong. This demonstrates the speaker's willingness to engage with ideas and challenge assumptions.

💡Innovation

Innovation in the context of the video is the process of introducing new ideas, methods, or products. The speaker argues that hotel showers should not be innovative, as their primary function is to provide a basic service without the need for novelty. The critique of the hotel shower design highlights the speaker's view that not all areas require innovation.

💡Subconscious

The subconscious, as discussed in the video, refers to the part of the mind that operates beneath the level of conscious awareness and can influence one's thoughts, actions, and creativity. The speaker suggests that by establishing a routine of daily writing, an individual can harness the power of their subconscious to produce quality work.

💡Routine

A routine in the video is a set of habits or activities that are performed regularly. The speaker advocates for the establishment of a daily writing routine to increase productivity and creativity. This routine helps to train the subconscious to produce work consistently, regardless of its initial quality.

💡Criticism

Criticism in the video is the expression of disapproval or the analysis and judgment of ideas or work. The speaker advises against seeking perfection and being overly concerned with criticism, as it can stifle creativity. Instead, the speaker encourages embracing the idea that not all work will appeal to everyone and that this is not a failure.

💡Writing

Writing in the video is the act of creating written content, which can range from personal blogs to published books. The speaker emphasizes the importance of writing regularly to improve productivity and creativity, using the example of Isaac Asimov's disciplined approach to his writing routine.

💡Perfection

Perfection in the video is portrayed as an unrealistic goal that can hinder productivity. The speaker argues that the pursuit of perfect and polished work can prevent individuals from creating and sharing their ideas. Instead, the speaker encourages embracing imperfection and focusing on the act of creation itself.

💡Time Management

Time management refers to the process of organizing and planning how much time is spent on specific activities. In the video, the speaker highlights the importance of managing one's time effectively to increase productivity, by eliminating distractions and dedicating time to focused work.

Highlights

Curiosity is not just about reading more, but being prepared to make assertions.

Curiosity involves engaging with things you don't understand by hypothesizing possible explanations.

An example of curiosity is pondering over the design of hotel showers and the decisions behind them.

The design of hotel showers can be a reflection of the architect's attempt to innovate and impress clients.

Design thinking involves asking three key questions: who's it for, what's it for, and how will I know if it's working.

Productivity can be boosted by eliminating distractions like television, meetings, and social media platforms.

Developing an instinct to 'ship' or produce work consistently is crucial for productivity.

Having a daily writing habit, even if no one reads it, can greatly enhance your productivity and writing skills.

Isaac Asimov's writing routine involved typing every morning until noon, regardless of the quality of the output.

Asimov's approach to writing was to keep typing without worrying about perfection, allowing his subconscious to improve the work.

The importance of understanding that criticism is subjective and not all work is meant to please everyone.

Curiosity is about asking the right questions and being willing to explore the answers, even if they turn out to be wrong.

The value of routine and discipline in fostering creativity and productivity, as exemplified by Asimov's writing schedule.

The necessity to balance curiosity with productivity, focusing on creating and asserting rather than endless research.

The idea that innovation in design should meet the needs of the user, not just serve as a showcase for the creator.

The importance of understanding the target audience and their needs when approaching any design or creative task.

The concept that the purpose of a design or product should be clear and aligned with the goals of the client or user.

Measuring the success of a design or product by its effectiveness and the satisfaction of the intended audience.

Transcripts

question for you about curiosity

how do you manage to be someone who is

wildly curious and yet also

insanely productive from a writing

standpoint from a publishing standpoint

at some point you have to stop

reading and then decide to work

how do you manage that especially today

with the preparation of

just insights everywhere um

there's two parts to this question so

let me try to answer each one

curiosity

doesn't mean reading more but i'm a big

fan of reading

curiosity means being prepared to make

an assertion

so when you see something you don't

understand

you have to either

walk on by

which

dulls the mind it's apathy

or you have to say

maybe it's like this because of that

so for example some of you know i rant

about the showers in hotels

the showers and hotels should all be

exactly the same design because there's

no prizes for innovation it should be

like you turn it it gets hot you turn it

gets cold that's all it does

the one

uh

last night in la was three nested dials

and if you turned it one way it got cold

and turned it the other way it got hot

but if you turn it all the way past hot

it stopped getting hot and made the

other head put water out

right now i'm looking at this and i'm

saying not that sucks but i'm saying

someone thought this was a good idea and

i'm curious about that there's no way

for me to read about it there's no book

on shower design for hotels if there was

there'd be no problems

so i started imagining what's the world

view of somebody who finally gets a

chance to either design a shower

controller or buy one for a hotel and

what are the pressures on them and what

are the story they need to tell their

boss so i asserted something

and i was probably wrong

but that's a version of curiosity that

the way we become designers of a future

is by asking three questions who's it

for

what's it for and how will i know if

it's working that's design thinking

those three questions

so the who's it for was clearly not me

was clearly no business traveler at

three o'clock in the morning

that this was for them

so who was it for well maybe it was for

the architect trying to persuade the

client that this hotel could charge

extra because it had hip architecture oh

what's it for

to give the architect give her something

fresh and new that she could brag about

in the meeting oh how will i know if

it's working because the client says you

can build the hotel

that's my series of assertions so that's

the kind of curiosity i'm talking about

second half of your question was about

being productive and i think there's a

couple things here the first is i don't

have a television and i don't go to

meetings

so i and i don't use twitter or facebook

so i got 10 hours on almost everybody

and

but the second thing is that

either you develop this instinct to ship

or you don't

and the reason i think everyone should

have a daily blog even if no one reads

it even if you write under an assumed

name

is because every night you go to bed

knowing you got to write something when

you wake up in the morning and your

subconscious will do it

my friend the late isaac asimov wrote

400 books published 400 books in his

lifetime books of course the science

fiction book books on the bible and

science and lots of other things how did

he do it

isaac i say how did you do it he says

it's simple

every morning i wake up at 6 30 and i go

to the manual underwood typewriter in my

living room overlooking lincoln center

and i type and i type until noon

and then i'm done for the day and it

doesn't matter if what i type is good i

just keep typing

and once your subconscious knows you're

going to type no matter what

it gets better because it says i don't

want to waste my time writing bad stuff

i'll make the best stuff i can because

you it didn't work it didn't he couldn't

stop himself he just kept typing

that is possible today but we have to

get past this idea that has to be

perfect and polished and everyone has to

like it because the critics that don't

like it are merely telling you

it wasn't for them so now you know who's

it for and what