[A] Seth Godin | Get Your Ideas to Spread [ PRACTICE ]

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⏱ 00:50 - 03:56

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

diffusion

[ dih-'fyoo-zhuhn ]

noun

- the process of spreading something more widely, such as an idea or innovation

The diffusion of technology has made it easier for people to connect across the world.

patent

[ 'pat-uhnt ]

noun

- a government license that gives someone the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention for a certain period

The inventor received a patent for her innovative product, protecting it from being copied.

complex

[ kuhm-'pleks ]

noun

- a system consisting of interconnected parts or elements

The TV-industrial complex relied on advertising to generate revenue.

mass media

[ 'mas 'me-dee-uh ]

noun

- means of communication, such as television, radio, and newspapers, that reach large audiences

Mass media has the power to influence public opinion on a global scale.

interrupt

[ in-tuh-'ruhpt ]

verb

- to stop or hinder an activity or process temporarily

The speaker was frustrated when the loud noise interrupted his presentation.

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FIRST CUT ⏱ 00:50 - 02:20

Let's read...

Before I can do that I've got to tell you about sliced bread, and a guy named Otto Rohwedder. Now, before sliced bread was invented in the 1910s I wonder what they said? Like the greatest invention since the telegraph or something. But this guy named Otto Rohwedder invented sliced bread, and he focused, like most inventors did, on the patent part and the making part. And the thing about the invention of sliced bread is this -- that for the first 15 years after sliced bread was available no one bought it; no one knew about it; it was a complete and total failure. And the reason is that until Wonder came along and figured out how to spread the idea of sliced bread, no one wanted it. That the success of sliced bread, like the success of almost everything we've talked about at this conference, is not always about what the patent is like, or what the factory is like -- it's about can you get your idea to spread, or not. And I think that the way you're going to get what you want, or cause the change that you want to change, to happen, is to figure out a way to get your ideas to spread. And it doesn't matter to me whether you're running a coffee shop or you're an intellectual, or you're in business, or you're flying hot air balloons. I think that all this stuff applies to everybody regardless of what we do. That what we are living in is a century of idea diffusion. That people who can spread ideas, regardless of what those ideas are, win.

Let's follow Seth Godin...

Before I can do that / I've got to tell you about sliced bread, / and a guy named Otto Rohwedder. // Now, before sliced bread was invented in the 1910s / I wonder what they said? / Like the greatest invention since the telegraph or something. // But this guy named Otto Rohwedder invented sliced bread, / and he focused, / like most inventors did, / on the patent part / and the making part. // And the thing about the invention of sliced bread is this -- / that for the first 15 years after sliced bread was available / no one bought it; / no one knew about it; / it was a complete and total failure. // And the reason is that until Wonder came along / and figured out how to spread the idea of sliced bread, / no one wanted it. // That the success of sliced bread, / like the success of almost everything we've talked about at this conference, / is not always about what the patent is like, / or what the factory is like -- / it's about / can you get your idea to spread, / or not. // And I think that the way you're going to get what you want, / or cause the change that you want to change, / to happen, / is to figure out a way to get your ideas to spread. // And it doesn't matter to me whether you're running a coffee shop / or you're an intellectual, / or you're in business, / or you're flying hot air balloons. // I think that all this stuff applies to everybody / regardless of what we do. // That what we are living in / is a century of idea diffusion. // That people who can spread ideas, / regardless of what those ideas are, / win.

SECOND CUT ⏱ 02:21 – 03:55

Let's read...

When I talk about it I usually pick business, because they make the best pictures that you can put in your presentation, and because it's the easiest sort of way to keep score. But I want you to forgive me when I use these examples because I'm talking about anything that you decide to spend your time to do. At the heart of spreading ideas is TV and stuff like TV. TV and mass media made it really easy to spread ideas in a certain way. I call it the "TV-industrial complex." The way the TV-industrial complex works, is you buy some ads, interrupt some people, that gets you distribution. You use the distribution you get to sell more products. You take the profit from that to buy more ads. And it goes around and around and around, the same way that the military-industrial complex worked a long time ago. That model of, and we heard it yesterday -- if we could only get onto the homepage of Google, if we could only figure out how to get promoted there, or grab that person by the throat, and tell them about what we want to do. If we did that then everyone would pay attention, and we would win. Well, this TV-industrial complex informed my entire childhood and probably yours. I mean, all of these products succeeded because someone figured out how to touch people in a way they weren't expecting, in a way they didn't necessarily want, with an ad, over and over again until they bought it. And the thing that's happened is, they canceled the TV-industrial complex. That just over the last few years, anybody who markets anything has discovered is that it's not working the way that it used to.

Let's follow Seth Godin...

When I talk about it / I usually pick business, / because they make the best pictures / that you can put in your presentation, / and because it's the easiest sort of way to keep score. // But I want you to forgive me / when I use these examples / because I'm talking about anything / that you decide to spend your time to do. // At the heart of spreading ideas / is TV and stuff like TV. // TV and mass media made it really easy to spread ideas / in a certain way. // I call it the "TV-industrial complex." // The way the TV-industrial complex works, / is you buy some ads, / interrupt some people, / that gets you distribution. // You use the distribution you get / to sell more products. // You take the profit from that / to buy more ads. // And it goes around and around and around, / the same way that the military-industrial complex worked a long time ago. // That model of, / and we heard it yesterday -- / if we could only get onto the homepage of Google, / if we could only figure out how to get promoted there, / or grab that person by the throat, / and tell them about what we want to do. // If we did that / then everyone would pay attention, / and we would win. // Well, this TV-industrial complex informed my entire childhood / and probably yours. // I mean, all of these products succeeded / because someone figured out how to touch people / in a way they weren't expecting, / in a way they didn't necessarily want, / with an ad, / over and over again / until they bought it. // And the thing that's happened is, / they canceled the TV-industrial complex. // That just over the last few years, / anybody who markets anything has discovered / is that it's not working the way that it used to.