The Dip - Seth Godin
The main topic of Seth Godin’s 2007 book is quitting. The author argues that quitting is generally not a bad thing and that knowing when to quit and when to stick is a very valuable skill - a skill he will teach us readers in this book.
Core Concept: the Dip
If It Is Worth Doing, There’s Probably a Dip.
Godin’s view is that every worthwile endevour features a ‘dip’ - a period of time where the first rush of excitement is over and you put in effort after effort seemingly without any benefits. This is where you want to quit. Godins prescription here is easy: Never quit in the dip, go through it and you will be spoiled with the benefits of the other side. The dip acts like a natural filter, weeding out the people which are not serious. The other possiblity is: do not enter the dip at all - ‘quit’ before you even get there. If you quit within the dip, you have already expended too many resources.
Arguments
Godin presents essentially three key factors to evaluate before starting a new project:
- Identify the Pattern: Has this activity a dip with benefits at the end or is it a dead-end, which gulps up your efforts with no advantage for you in the end?
- Assess your Commitment: Do I want to cross the dip of this activity and I am capable of doing so? Remember that a bigger dip generally leads to better rewards.
- Aim for Excellence Do I have the capability to be the best there is for the chosen project? It is hard work to go through the dip. If you decide on doing so, you might as well be the best in the world for this specific activity and earn unproportional benefits. He cites the law of pareto, where top performers reap disproportionate benefits.
Strengths
I agree with the general advice of the book. It is important to be mindful when choosing a new project. Thinking about the three bullet points stated above is definitely a good starting point. And when one has chosen a project, having the dip in mind will definitely help with persevering when times get tough.
Limitations
Only do the things you’re going to be the best in the world at. If you won’t be the best in the world at them - quit right now (if you’ve already started) or don’t start (if you haven’t yet).
I do not entirely agree with his view on starting something only when it is realistic to become the best in the world at it. I think this advice holds well in a professional setting. However, Godin does not make this distinction. He keeps the book very general, which holds it back in my opinion. If he had narrowed the audiance down to business-owners and ambitous professionals the concept would work better. For private individuals, there are just too many reasons to take up a hobby: fun, wellness, charity, networking, bonding, mental-health etc. Also, sometimes you cannot know in advance if it is possible to become ’the best in the world’. He has this snowboarding example:
The mature thing is not even to bother starting to snowboard because you’re probably not going to make it through the Dip. And the stupid thing to do is to start, give it your best shot, waste a lot of time and money, and quit right in the middle of the Dip.
But how do you know in advance that snowboarding is not for you? I agree that sometimes you can kind of tell it. But otherwise, I prefer just trying stuff and see what sticks.
Alternatives and Verdict
I rate this book at a 3/5. I liked the shortness and the general advice. However, the examples were mostly weak and I think it would have been better as a business book. Also, despite the shortness, it felt repetetive at places.
For readers interested in similar concepts I think the books Essentialism and The 80/20 Principle explore very similar themes with greater depth.
Rating: 3/5
Recommendability: 5/10