The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable

210 Pages·2005·6.24 MB·English

The Big Moo
The
BIG MOO
Stop Trying to Be Perfect
and Start Being Remarkable
The Group of 33
Edited by Seth Godin
PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO
Published by the Penguin Group • Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York,
New York 10014, U.S.A. • Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700,
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England
First Published in 2005 by Portfolio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The Big Moo is copyright 2005 by its respective authors: Tom Peters, Malcolm Gladwell, Guy
Kawasaki, Randall Rothenberg (pages 99–103), Jackie Huba, Promise Phelon, April Armstrong,
Polly LaBarre, William Godin, Julie Anixter, Dean DeBiase, Red Maxwell, Alan Webber, Heath
Row, Mark Cuban, Dave Balter, Lisa Gansky, Kevin Carroll, Robyn Waters, Carol Cone, Lynn
Gordon, Marcia Hart, Tim Manners, Dan Pink, Jay Gouliard, Marc Benioff, Donna Sturgess,
Amit Gupta, Jacqueline Novogratz, Robin Williams, Tom Kelley, Chris Meyer and Seth Godin.
Compilation copyright © Do You Zoom, Inc., 2005
All rights reserved
Cartoons copyright: gapingvoid.com
Publishers Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the
subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in
rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If you require legal advice or other
expert assistance, you should seek the services of a competent professional.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA
The big moo : stop trying to be perfect and start being remarkable / The group of 33 ;
edited by Seth Godin.
p. cm.
ISBN: 0-7865-8593-5
1. Marketing. I. Godin, Seth.
HF5415.B448 2005
658.8—dc22 2005050909
Set in Electra LH with Univers / Designed by Daniel Lagin
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior writ-
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CONTENTS
WHO YOU ARE IS WHAT YOU DO ix
PREFACE: REMARKABALIZE IT xi
INTRODUCTION: THE PURPLE LEAGUE OF AMERICA xvii
HARRY HOUDINI WAS A LOUSY MAGICIAN 1
HOW TO BE A FAILURE 3
CHOPPING ONIONS 4
WHEN EVERYTHING IS FREE 6
TUESDAYS WITH SHECKY: A PLAY IN THREE JOKES 9
REAL ARTISTS SHIP 12
THIS IS YOUR FIRST TEST 14
ISAAC NEWTON’S HEAD 17
WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? 19
HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH GARLIC 22
BE LIKE REGGIE 24
WHY NOT? WHY NOW? 26
ARE YOU ALWAYS RUNNING OUT OF TIME? 27
vi CONTENTS
“BUT” OR “AND”? 29
PANIC AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES 30
TEAR DOWN THIS WALL 32
THEY SAY I’M EXTREME 34
THE REMARKABLE GERTRUDE BELL 38
THREE STEPS AHEAD 41
MR. BUTT’S SHOPPERS 43
WHAT, EXACTLY, ARE YOU AFRAID OF? 45
THE ONE THING YOU CAN’T DOWNLOAD 47
THE BELL CURVE 49
FEAR VERSUS ANXIETY 51
TOO RICH, TOO THIN . . . TOO EFFICIENT? 52
GET OUT! 56
DON’T BE LIKE PETE 60
TEN THINGS SMART START-UPS KNOW 63
GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY 67
THE ORIGINALITY BUMP 69
WHAT BUSINESS CAN LEARN FROM DANCERS 71
EVERYONE NEEDS A ROOF 74
WHERE DO IDEAS COME FROM? 76
THE NEXT DA VINCI CODE? 83
DO YOU KNOW ARTHUR RUBIN? 85
RON JOHNSON IS NOT A GENIUS . . .
BUT HE HIRES THEM EVERY DAY 87
TWO KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS 89
GET STARTED FAST AND CHEAP 92
CONTENTS vii
STEVEN SAVAGE IS NOT MORE CREATIVE
THAN YOU ARE 94
THE PROBLEM WITH COMPROMISE 96
THE POWER OF DUMB IDEAS 99
INSIDE OUT/OUTSIDE IN 104
THE STUDENT BECOMES THE TEACHER 108
FIRE THE GATEKEEPERS 111
STOP BEING ORDINARY 114
THE REMARKABILITY OF MEMORIES 117
THE POWER OF SMALL STEPS 119
THE FEARLESS FLIGHT OF LITTLE MAX 126
SOME THINGS JUST DON’T TRANSLATE! 129
BORING 132
THREE RULES OF LIFE (AND EVERYTHING ELSE) 134
CHEVY CHASE AND BILL MURRAY 135
THIS IS NOT ANOTHER “IPOD” STORY 137
JUGGLING IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS 141
MAKING THE WRONG DECISIONS, SLOWLY 143
BOB WEARS PANTY HOSE 145
CARE! 147
DEFYING GRAVITY 149
WHAT ARE YOU MEASURING? 154
HELL’S ANGELS AT THE CAPTAIN’S TABLE 156
PLANT ROCKS 158
IS BIGGER BETTER? 160
PLAY 162
viii CONTENTS
VERSION 1.0 164
DAVID (AND GOLIATH) 165
GREAT IDEAS IN BED 166
WHY ASK WHY? 167
TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER 169
NO GUARANTEES 172
PERIODIC TABLE OF DIFFERENTS 174
READY OR NOT! IN DEFENSE OF YOUR OWN READINESS 175
WHAT NOW? 178
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: THE GROUP OF 33 179
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 184