Rethinking Business Strategy (‘This Is Strategy’ by Seth Godin | Book Club)
In this Book Club episode, Charelle and I dove into This Is Strategy by Seth Godin—a book that’s as unconventional as it is thought-provoking. With 297 short, standalone points and no traditional structure, it’s more like a collection of strategy poems than a typical business book. We talk through the themes that stood out most (systems, games, empathy, and time), how strategy can sometimes feel like surfing, and the surprising way this book nudges us toward thinking more deeply about our work.
Whether you’ve read the book or not, this episode is packed with juicy takeaways about marketing, business planning, and what strategy even means. Plus, we talk about the concept of "embracing disapproval," why business is always a game, and what Seth says about AI that caught both of us off guard.
💡 In this episode, we discuss:
✅ Why this might be the “bittiest” book we’ve ever read—and why that makes it tricky (but thought-provoking!)
✅ The four core themes Seth Godin says strategy is built on: systems, games, time, and empathy
✅ How to better understand the systems your business operates within—and how to work with them
✅ Seeing your business as a game, and how that mindset shift can help
✅ Why strategy is all about time, and how to stay patient for long-term results
✅ Marketing as scaffolding: building a journey that brings your people along
✅ Choosing your customers intentionally and how that choice shapes your business future
✅ Positioning your business using grids to clearly stand out in your market
✅ A modern, refreshing take on writing a business plan that actually works
🌟 Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ Strategy is about systems. Understanding and navigating the systems around you is key to building a strategy that works.
2️⃣ Business is a game. There are rules, players, and outcomes—and seeing it that way can take some pressure off.
3️⃣ Time is part of strategy. Results won’t always show up right away. Strategy is about making intentional moves today for future payoff.
4️⃣ View marketing as scaffolding. Your job is to guide people through your brand story in a way that invites and supports their journey.
5️⃣ Positioning matters. A strategic position in the market—based on what your ideal customer values—can be your greatest asset.
We mentioned:
This month’s book: This Is Strategy by Seth Godin
Next month’s book: Chill & Prosper by Denise Duffield-Thomas
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