#728: Seth Godin — Coaching Tim on Overcoming Resistance, Lessons from Isaac Asimov, Writing Secrets After 8,500+ Daily Blog Posts, The Dangers of Authenticity, Practices for Consistency, and Much More
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Episode Highlights
Lessons from Legends
shares his experiences working with Isaac Asimov, highlighting the legendary author's humility and hands-off approach. Despite Asimov's prolific output and reputation, Seth found him to be funny and trusting, allowing Seth the freedom to explore creative directions. This experience set a high bar for Seth's future collaborations, contrasting sharply with more controlling partners like Stanley Kaplan 1.
He spent time with me to make sure I understood the boundaries of what an Isaac Asimov project was. And then he said, go for it. And he didn't micromanage a thing because he trusted me and my understanding of where the robots universe could go.
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compares this to Rick Rubin1.
Innovative Projects
Seth recounts an innovative project he worked on with Asimov, a VCR-based murder mystery game. This game, co-created with Peter Allotka, allowed players to interact with a film by pausing and using clue cards to solve the mystery. The game was a commercial success, even receiving praise from Siskel and Ebert 2.
We invented a murder mystery game you could play on your VCR. So there was a movie shot with real union actors in a set in New York City. It lasted 38 minutes and took place on another planet about robots and murder and detectives.
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This venture was part of Seth's early career in educational computer games, where he collaborated with notable authors like Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury 2.
Choosing Next Chapters
asks Seth about how he chooses his next projects, especially as Tim approaches the 10th anniversary of his podcast. Seth explains that he often stops successful ventures to create a vacuum that forces him to innovate and take on new challenges. This approach has led him to pioneer new media spaces repeatedly, adapting to technological changes 3.
I stopped because if I kept doing it, there's something else I wouldn't do instead. And creating a vacuum is required so that I will do the hard work of filling the vacuum.
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Seth's strategy emphasizes the importance of moving on when the landscape changes, ensuring continuous growth and adaptation 3.