This is one of those books that have to be read at a point in time. Just like the author proposes, the ideas and the techniques (or the ideavirus as the author calls it - ideavirus is known as memes to laypeople) in the book are a little past their prime. They might have been more relevant when the book was published. Also the effect of the book was less pronounced on me due to some of the ideas in the book have been covered before in Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point (more genrically) or Geoffrey Moore's Crossing the Chasm (More targeted towards early-stage startups and has more rigourous analysis of the similar ideas).

One of the things I liked about the book is it's self referential. Seth Godin refers to the ideas in the book and how he wants them to spread. Then he has a number of hooks to make it viral. Last but not the least, in the afterword, he does a honest evaluation of experimenting with his techniques and how he failed and why.

Nevertheless the some ideas in the book are still relevant though the terminology used in the book is no longer relevant and has not caught on (in the words of the author, the ideavirus has failed to catch on). The book does get repetitive after a while though the author keeps on pushing the narrative along with short chapters and some good examples. A good worthwhile read but don't expect to be dazzled with it.

This is good and actually became viral itself. It's an interesting conept that really only came to light because of the Internet. Before the Internet it was called word of mouth. If you're into marketing or need to spread the word then you need to read this book.

Came around to this one a bit late and it was cool to read it that way - to see how the ideas have stood the test of time. Answer: not very well. It's interesting to note all the companies that have disappeared and all the ones Godin didn't even know would come...and also disappear. The big point that's missing is that these viruses exist to cannibalize themselves. It's hard to see the point in so much hype leading to so little lasting value. I might subtitle this: How To Be Successful For All The Wrong Reasons. Also, not a fan of the aphoristic writing style. It's shallow, much like many of the ideaviruses he champions.

The only reason why this book isn't five stars is because the examples of this book are dated. But since it came out in 2000, I suppose that is to be expected.

I haven't read any of the related stuff, and while the constant advertisements (on how he was going to make this book viral) were a little annoying, there were a lot of interesting ideas in there. It sparked a very lively conversation among me and my friends.

Not his best. Made to Stick is better.


Quotes:

"Marketing by interrupting people isn't cost-effective anymore. You can't afford to seek out people and send them unwanted marketing messages, in large groups, and hope that some will send you money. Instead, the future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation and process where interested people can market to each other. Ignite consumer networks and then get out of the way and let them talk."

"You must build this thinking in from the beginning."

This book looks at how you can craft your ideas so that they are more spreadable. We now live in a world where consumers actively resist marketing. Rather than marketing at people it is now more effective to help people market ideas to each other. Instead of talking to customers directly we now have to help customers talk to each other.

Nobody is going to spread your idea as a favor. To make an idea spread worthy you have to make it interesting enough to be talked about. People only spread ideas if they are remarkable, thought-provoking, important, profitable, funny, horrible, or beautiful. The worst thing an idea can be is boring.

Once you have an interesting idea the next step is to identify the people it matters most to. Do whatever you need to do to get those people deep into the experience of the idea as quickly as possible. Pay them if necessary, especially at the beginning, but never charge for exposure if you can help it.

Figure out what you want these people to say about your idea before you expose them to it. If you don’t decide on the message then they’ll decide it for you.

The way to get the people to spread your intended message is to make it easy for them to spread. Give him a way to send your idea to someone else with one click. Let me join your affiliate program in less than sixty seconds. Reward people who spread the idea the way you want them to so that other people know how to spread it.

The goal of spreading the idea is to get attention. Once you have people’s attention start building a more reliable, permanent chain of communication so that future ideas con be communicated faster and more effectively.

Some ideas burn out more quickly than others. The simplest reason is that people get greedy and forget that short-term exposure is not the end of the process, it’s the beginning. By nurturing the attention you receive, you can maintain communication with the people who are interested in your ideas and build a self reinforcing system that lasts and lasts and benefits all involved.

Few ideas last forever. Embrace the idea life cycle and understand that the needs and benefits of an idea change over time.

La premisa del libro es interesante: una idea se puede contagiar como un virus para hacer que tu producto (o idea o servicio) sea conocido, en lugar de utilizar anuncios.

El problema con el libro es que no ha envejecido nada bien. Fue escrito en 2001 y la mayoría de las compañías y servicios que menciona como ejemplos ejemplares de cómo contagiar el ideavirus, ahora o ya no existen o han quedado muy rezagados en comparación con sus (nuevos) competidores.

Mi intención al leer este libro era encontrar la manera de crear un ideavirus para poder ponerlo en práctica en mi negocio de coaching. Sin embargo, he terminado de leer el libro y ya se me ha olvidado todo lo que he leído.

Una lástima, porque Godin tiene artículos bastante interesantes en su blog.

Sólo te lo recomiendo si eres súper fan de Godin (y porque te lo puedes descargar gratis en su web).

Clear, simple, well-expounded ideas as always from Godin.

All of those who read this book in order to find a formula or even a guideline are in for a disappointment. This is not a textbook, this is a book written to give one an idea. The book does not teach you how, or why, it opens up a whole new way of thinking and gives the reader new directions to embrace change, and follow new ideas in order to take the business in a new direction.
This book has given me many things to think about, I view the marketing department in a whole new way, and as someone who has a say in the company, I even bring out new ideas which break the mold and take the company into a new direction.
This book has given me the tools to come up with those ideas.

Cool book about the way ideas go viral. I like how he uses Richard Dawkin's term "meme" to describe the way an idea is like a living thing that can evolve, grow, and even die. This is a quick read for anyone interested in business, especially online business ideas.

While this book is somewhat dated, it does offer a new way of looking at how to promote yourself and your business. It would be wrong to expect a marketing class or some sort of step-by-step guideline but I did learn how to read think the concept of ideas. Seth Godin is brilliant at generating excitement that surrounds new ideas.

What use an idea? An idea is something that will generate followers. Followers can be customers, viewers, readers, or even employees. And ideas have shelflife. You can't expect one idea to survive and profit you through your lifetime. You have to continually generate new ideas so that you have perpetual revenue streams. What Seth Godin shows in this book is that it's not just new ideas but it's challenging old ideas, racing your ideas to the forefront, and replacing your own ideas with new ones constantly that generate success

At least that's the crib notes version. I like the book but I don't anticipate ever rereading it.

My goodness this is old now! Not a lot of newness for me at this stage, though I'm sure he was ahead of his time when this came out in 2001... That's not to say that all companies are now doing what Seth Godin suggests, in fact, many would still benefit from reading this as a reminder of the inefficacy of mass marketing advertising. I particularly like the idea that "being brave and bold is the only reason you went to work today".