The Dip
The old saying is wrong—winners do quit, and quitters do win.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 will get better 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 bestselling 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.
Stats for nerds
40recommend
66mentions
59people
2007–2025years
65% recommend32% neutral3% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- - Zero to One, Peter Thiel
Always makes me feel that I’m not ambitious enough. And that too many smart people are in the wrong industry (finance).
- The Dip, Seth Godin
Don’t give up. Unless you’re in a cul-de-sac.
- Obviously Awesome, April Dunford
Your competitor is often not who you think it is.
- > A series of recent setbacks have depleted our mental fortitude to realize that vision. While there is a path to sustain Touca as a small business, the opportunity cost would be too high. We are returning our cash to our investors while we can still make them whole.
I can relate to that and that’s a very mature and honest way to handle things… it takes great self-awareness knowing when to quit.
More on this topic can be found in the book The Dip by Seth Godin… quitting is OK and shouldn’t be seen as failure.
Summary here: https://medium.com/@thenoahdouglas/what-i-learned-about-quit...
Anyway, recharge and then on to the next adventure ;)
- In the offline world, much of what "trends" is stuff that hacks people's reward system.
E.g., high-fructose corn syrup, french fries, nicotine, slot machines.
It's bad for us long term, but satisfies our evolved physiological needs in the short term.
Most of the trending content on social media is the same, and much of modern news and commerce has adapted to it.
From what you've said, you're trying to win at the same game, against people/companies who are far more experienced, skilled, resourced and cynical than you.
The answer: don't play that game.
Find a small niche of people you can satisfy with earnestly good quality content.
Think really small - like, 5-10 people, who you can get to know personally and whose interests you can address really really well.
Then grow gradually.
It will seem painfully slow at first, but with a consistent effort over a long enough period of time, you can achieve exponential growth and eventually build a huge audience that really cares about what you have to offer.
One of the best people to follow for guidance on how to do this is Seth Godin. Follow his daily blogs/emails, and read his books, particularly Linchpin, Permission Marketing, Purple Cow and The Dip.
Simon Sinek is another person worth paying attention to.
- The Dip by Seth Godin is perhaps the essential book for an 'indie hacker'.
It's about identifying the difference between dips (good business ideas facing inevitable challenges) and cul-de-sacs (poor ideas that are not going anywhere).
Choice quotes:
> Strategic quitting is the secret of successful organizations
> Extraordinary benefits also accrue to the tiny majority with the guts to quit early and refocus their efforts on something new
> Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other....the opportunity cost of investing your life in something that’s not going to get better is just too high
- For me it was the Dip by Seth Godin.
- When to quit... great question! Seth Godin wrote a wonderful little book on this called 'The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and when to stick)'
