This is Strategy by Seth Godin

Hey everyone, this is Og Maciel with another book recommendation for Bellwether.

Last week, I had the opportunity to give a presentation on career development for the team of an old teammate, who is now a software engineering manager himself. His team had just grown, and he happened to be doing what’s called a face-to-face meeting here in Raleigh. He asked me if I would come over to talk about career development.

At the time, I happened to be reading the book that I’m going to recommend today: This Is Strategy by Seth Godin, and it felt like perfect timing because the book addresses strategy—decisions and actions that you, a team, or an organization can take to plan for the future. It helps you figure out where you want to go and how to come up with a strategy to drive decisions, build a team, and create a brand. It even helps with strategies for personal growth, so it’s not just about work—it applies to personal growth as well.

This is probably the second or third book I’ve read by Seth Godin. As I said, it was perfect timing. As I read the book, knowing I was going to give this presentation, a lot of the passages I highlighted were very much aligned with the kind of conversation I wanted to have with the team. If you’ve ever read any of Seth Godin’s books, you might know he is a prolific blogger. He writes a blog post daily, without missing a single day. Many of his books are compilations of hand-picked blog posts, packaged nicely into books around a certain theme. His blog posts are short, concise, and to the point, often no more than a page long. He has a unique ability to distill complex ideas into actionable insights. While not every post may resonate equally, there are plenty of valuable gems.

I also happened to be very slowly taking my time going through the book Hamilton from the musical, and I think is also very apropos.It talks about someone like Alexander Hamilton taking control of his destiny—not just sitting idly by waiting for things to happen. Hamilton is shown in the musical as someone who decided to take ownership of his career. He started from nothing, as an immigrant who came to America before it was called the United States, and grew to become one of the founding fathers. So, the combination of these two books was on my mind as I approached this presentation.

The book emphasizes being intentional about your actions, understanding trade-offs, committing to your strategy, experimenting and iterating through your plan, and connecting with others through storytelling. These principles resonated deeply with me. For example, being intentional means taking ownership of your career, relationships, and goals. It’s about deciding what to pursue and what to let go.

Trade-offs are another critical element. Every decision involves sacrifices, and being aware of these trade-offs helps you navigate challenges with clarity. Once you’ve set your strategy, commitment is vital—dedication to your goals while staying true to your values. This focus should remain front and center as you progress.

Seth also underscores the importance of a growth mindset, treating everything as an iterative process. You try, observe, adjust, and repeat. This approach applies to building strong teams or personal improvement.

Lastly, storytelling ties it all together. Communicating your vision and strategy effectively is essential for connecting with your team or others involved in your journey.

So today I want to try something different; I want to read a couple of the passages that I highlighted from the first 25% of the book, some of the passages that stood out to me and might also give you a taste for what to expect if you decide to read the book.

One passage I highlighted says: “Plant your seeds in places where the conditions are right.” Another passage related to this says: “If you want to grow a garden, you need to plant seeds, but it’s the ecosystem and the climate that will determine what happens after that.” These aren’t about gardening but about where you invest your time. They resonated with me because they reflect career choices I’ve made, particularly when building teams. It’s about creating an environment where people can flourish and be their true selves.

Another passage says: “Better waves make better surfers.” It’s about growth through challenges. I often tell people to seize opportunities, even difficult ones, because that’s how you grow.

There’s also a passage about systems: “To fundamentally change something, we must build a new system that makes the existing system obsolete.” This means creating something that lasts, not just relying on quick fixes or heroic efforts.

One of my favorites is: “Sometimes the best way to win is to help others succeed.” It’s about creating an environment where everyone can grow together, whether it’s your team or your family.

Finally, a powerful quote: “At your age, your job is to live a life worth talking about.” What people will remember isn’t the work you’ve done or the technical achievements but the positive impact you’ve had on others. It's about the true legacy we leave behind.

This is just a fraction of This Is Strategy. I highly recommend the book and hope you find it as inspiring as I did. If anything I’ve shared resonates with you or if you have thoughts about Seth Godin’s work, I’d love to hear them.

Until next week, keep reading.