Dip or Hump? Get Over It!

Ken's Blog

Seth Godin, one of my favorite business authors, has written a new book. I've pre-ordered my copy from Amazon (release date is May 2007)...

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

It should, as usual, be a fascinating read. But this one, I must admit, has me a tad worried...

Here's the description from Amazon.com...

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. 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.

It's a shame that he didn't call it "The HUMP: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)" We'd be in perfect sync -- Seth calls it "the dip" while we call it "the hump."

I've written about the hump many times, including in The Tao of SBI! (right-click to download). The one thing you can absolutely count upon in any business is a hump, a setback or problem that you must overcome. Or is it a dip, something you fall into and have to get out of? In any event...

Persistence is important, even crucial, for getting over the hump and accomplishing anything in life. Calvin Coolidge said it best...

The first five days of Site Build It! are so, so important. This part of the process is all about choosing the right niche -- when you reach the dip, you already know it's worth overcoming.

However, there may come a time when you should recognize that no matter how hard and how long you try, you've chosen the wrong niche. The solution is simple...

Change direction. Simply start over with a new niche. The key, though, is to be sure...

Don't give up too soon.

And that is the one thing that worries me about this book. Ask me this question...

"Ken, what is the most common reason for people to fail... quit too soon or stick too long?

Hey, I'm glad you asked!

The answer, hands down? Folks give up too easily.

They "quit too soon" 99-1 over "stick too long." And the danger with Seth's book is that, despite its good intentions, it may give the average person the "justification" to quit when s/he should be sticking with it.

I have seen so many SBI! owners work hard for 3, 6, 9 months, traffic and income slowly building and then... BINGO! The business starts growing at a faster rate. Imagine if they had just decided to cut their losses. Remember these two quotes...

"There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." -- Roger Staubach

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. " -- Thomas A. Edison

I hope Seth addresses this in his book. I'd hate to see him accidentally do a disservice to the majority who tend to quit too soon.

We'll have to wait until May to know for sure.

All the best,