Don't settle for the middle of the road

Seth Godin has once again hit the nail right on the head. No one needs to be told that the recording industry is in a tailspin. Sales of CDs are down, profits are down, and very few in the industry have grasped the concept of moving towards digital delivery of their product. In about 300 words, Seth tells us that not all is lost; there are a few brave souls out there who are not only still making great music, but are embracing the future of music distribution. These forward-thinkers are going to pull the recording industry along for the ride (kicking and screaming if necessary), and that is the point of the story. Every industry when faced with change has a few people who are willing to take big risks to make a difference. Those who are not willing to be leaders are destined to be the middle of the road, or worse yet, left behind altogether.

There is always an opportunity to be the forward-thinker, no matter what you do. Do you think that Steven Levitt was the first economist to look at subjects such as drug dealers or swimming pools vs. guns? Probably not, but he was the guy who took the risk, and published the book about them.

Don't settle for middle of the road, be the forward thinker!

Seth Godin isn't perfect

Seth Godin gets it. He knows marketing, and has a hugely successful career because he knows it so well. He's a really smart guy, but every once in a while he misses the mark. Although I am not a linguistic major, and only speak one language (and even that is a struggle sometimes :) ), I think the Genki English blog nailed it with their rebuttal to Seth's post.

Language is an amazing thing, and taking the time to learn one (or more) other than your native tongue can be a struggle, but certainly one worth doing.

I for one can't wait until I can have a fluent conversation in something other than English.