The Dip

By: Seth Godin

Narrated by: Seth Godin

Length: 1 hr and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point: really hard, and not much fun at all.

And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle. Maybe you're in a Dip: a temporary setback that you will overcome if you keep pushing. But maybe it's really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.

According to best-selling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.

Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt: until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can become number one in your niche, you'll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security.

Losers, on the other hand, fall into two basic traps. Either they fail to stick out the Dip - they get to the moment of truth and then give up - or they never even find the right Dip to conquer.

Whether you're a graphic designer, a sales rep, an athlete, or an aspiring CEO, this fun little book will help you figure out if you're in a Dip that's worthy of your time, effort, and talents. If you are, The Dip will inspire you to hang tough. If not, it will help you find the courage to quit so you can be number one at something else.

Seth Godin doesn't claim to have all the answers. But he will teach you how to ask the right questions.

©2007 Seth Godin (P)2007 Audible, Inc.

Precise and to the point

I found the book to be insightful. The author writes from his own experience and pains.

Short & Sweet

Knowing when (and how) to quit at the things that just aren’t worth the continued effort is a sound strategy for success in life. I knew early on in life, despite my love for the sport, that I was never going to be good at (or tall enough) basketball so I stuck with other sports I was better at. Quitting basketball actually helped me find my love for other sports I was better suited for. I have also quit jobs when I could see that I was in a cul-de-sac and wasn’t going to go any further. As such, I have had many wonderful new opportunities opened to me that I wouldn’t have had if I had just stayed put. Quitting for the right reasons is often a very good way to become the best at something ELSE!

I recommend this quick listen

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dip?

I really enjoyed the author's concept of 1) the dip, 2) the cul de sac, and 3) the cliff. It is a very practical self-help book that anyone can apply to all aspects of their life if they suffer from the same ambition and success roadblocks as the author. I'm considering listening to it again because it was so quick and concise.

Much Better than You'd Expect from a "Self Help"

Where does The Dip rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The idea was simple and elegant, and the writer/reader quite humble.
Maybe a bit re-iterated, but even so the book was pretty short.

Great read!

I need to listen to this every couple of months. So direct and easy to listen to in one seating!

Love this little book

Read this in one morning. Thought proving for someone like me in their early 20s trying to build a business and work full time. There are fine lines of when to stick to it and when to abandon projects and jobs and this book gave me clarity as to how to make decisions in those areas. Great strategic tool.

Stopped playing at 11min left in Chapter 2

Book content was good but it stopped playing at 11min left in Chapter 2, replayed just to check & same thing.

Simple but important read

Godin has a way of cutting to the core of an issue and conveying an instructive word. The Dip is another success is doing that. Not earth shattering but important

The Dip

Loved it - short and sweet.

Main take away for me was you just have a quitting strategy, if you must quit - "Decide before you start something what will make you quit and when."

An eye-opening take on quitting

A brave take on the conversational reasons why one shouldn’t quit this, or that.
Very easy read; very practical. Made me wonder why I never looked at quitting in the same light.