Happy Quote

April 19, 2007 in Happy Quotes

"Is it possible that you’re just not good enough? That you (or your team) just don’t have enough talent to be the best in the world? Sure, it’s possible. In fact, if your chosen area is the cello, or speed skating, then I might even say it’s probable. But in just about every relevant area I can think of, no, it’s not likely. You are good enough. The question is, will you take the shortcut you need to get really good at this?"

-Seth Godin. His latest book The Dip is about dealing with (wisely quitting, or deftly overcoming) that stage, after the euphoria of starting, when your venture gets really hard.

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Mmmmmmm… since many (maybe most?) new businesses do indeed fail, the right answer is “probably not good enough.” The shortcut thing also sounds dead wrong. There are no shortcuts in long term success. There are no shortcuts to being the best at anything. Discipline (what he seems to mean in cutting out the unnecessary) is not a shortcut. One’s energy would be better directed to finding something, and especially some niche or new twist, which one loves enough to work at really, really hard.

Posted by: Ashley | Apr 19, 2007 10:53:45 AM

I agree with Seth this. I think that most people have the "brains" to succeed, since succeeding is not about brains. It is about persistence and resourcefulness. I truly believe that some businesses fail because the business models are just not sound. However, many businesses also fail because founders give up too early. Now this is all relative, since some can work on a business for months or even years before giving up. But I feel that for many businesses that succeed, it's a huge function of founders' unwaivering dedication and sacrifice, and simply never giving up. Call me an idealist...

Posted by: JTreiber | Apr 19, 2007 3:37:32 PM

@Ashley, yeah, "shortcut" is a loaded word isn't? Fortunately you sussed out his meaning.

Oh, and he isn't equating "able to" with "will" - in fact - that's the whole point of his comment. You are able, will you? And yes, only a small percent succeed, only a small percent make it past "the dip." Thank heavens.

He also had this to say (here: http://www.squidoo.com/theDipBook/ )
"In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it."

Here at WorkHappy, we're talking to the winners, so it's all good. ;)

Posted by: Carson McComas | Apr 19, 2007 3:44:10 PM