Seth Godin American business book author Date of Birth: 10.07.1960 Country: USA

1. Biography of Seth Godin
2. Early Life and Education
3. Professional Career
4. Key Principles
5. Contributions to Marketing

Biography of Seth Godin

Seth Godin is an American business book author, popular speaker, and renowned marketing blogger. He first gained widespread recognition with his book on permission marketing, which became highly popular.

Early Life and Education

At the age of 14, Seth embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by printing and selling biorhythm charts at a local university for $30 each. Two years later, he founded the High School Ski Club, gathering a group of 50-60 children to go skiing near his hometown of Buffalo. During this time, Seth also worked in a fast-food restaurant on weekends.

In 1982, Seth graduated from Tufts University with a degree in computer science and philosophy. He was accused of exploiting a loophole in the education system as he skipped challenging engineering classes in favor of philosophy lessons. Seth then pursued an MBA in marketing from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, commuting between California and Boston to work two jobs and earn his degree.

Professional Career

From 1983 to 1986, Seth worked as a brand manager at "Spinnaker Software." During this time, he met Mark Hurst and co-founded Yoyodyne, one of the first online companies. A few years later, Seth sold his book business to his employees and focused his efforts on Yoyodyne, where he developed the concept of permission marketing. In 1998, Seth sold Yoyodyne to Yahoo! and became the Vice President of Permission Marketing at Yahoo! as part of the deal.

After leaving Yahoo!, Seth worked as a columnist for the business magazine "Fast Company." In late 2005, he founded the recommendation network and website Squidoo.com. His book "Purple Cow" sold over 150,000 copies and went through 23 reprints within the first two years. Another one of his books, "The Dip," became a bestseller according to Business Week and The New York Times.

Key Principles

Seth Godin's publications focus on three main principles. Firstly, he emphasizes the end of the "TV-Industrial complex," asserting that sellers can no longer control anyone's attention at will. Secondly, in a market where buyers have more influence, Seth advocates for sellers to show respect, avoiding spam, deceit, and breaking promises. Lastly, Seth believes that the only way to spread an idea is by making it exceptional, referring to outstanding products or services as "purple cows."

Contributions to Marketing

Seth Godin criticizes traditional advertising on television and radio as interruptive marketing, which distracts consumers from their activities. He introduces the concept of permission marketing, where businesses offer something valuable to consumers to gain their trust before engaging in marketing efforts.

Seth Godin is married and resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, with his wife, Helene Godin, who works as a consultant at Audible.com.