4 ms·

I'd actually be a little bit insulted to get that as a response. It reads like a load of over-dramatized crap. Part of what's wrong with so many of these inte

by brk 18y ago

I'd actually be a little bit insulted to get that as a response. It reads like a load of over-dramatized crap. Part of what's wrong with so many of these internet-marketers is that everything seems to be positioned as various degrees of "super rockstar ninja greatness". There is never any bad, unmarketable, stupid ideas. IE: no one wants to put their reputation on the line by making a potentially bad call. So, he won't say that your proposal was disagreeable, only that other proposals were even more "super rockstar ninja great". IMO, if he actually had something great to offer and was bowled over-amazed-stunned at just how great an idea was, he'd find a way to nurture that, not blow it off.

swombat 18y ago
It does ring a bit empty, doesn't it. Bad move overall, imho. I've lost some respect for Seth Godin because of that letter. A more normal rejection letter would have been more appropriate. This letter makes him sound a bit too kitsch.
- deleted 18y ago
  [deleted]
- cstejerean 18y ago
  The letter looks very much like all of his blog posts, not sure why anyone would expect anything different from him. I'm assuming most of the people that applied to this program are frequent readers of his blog, and so hopefully the style of the letter didn't seem inappropriate to them.
Harkins 18y ago
I've read a couple of Godin's book recently, this is pretty much just his tone. It sounds silly in a single example like this, but it works OK as he builds it up over a book. I suppose anyone applying to a position is pretty familiar with his works. Oh, and Tribes needed way more than one sentence in the acknowledgements mentioning Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky. I'd just reread HCE before I picked up Tribes and I kept waiting to see something like "So, every example in the last three chapters and next two chapters came from this excellent book... "
- Arubis 18y ago
  Despite familiarity with Godin's work, I'm still unsure how I feel about this particular response. It'd be great as an individual rejection (we love you, but just don't have the space!), but as a boilerplate reply requires a little suspension of disbelief. Or maybe that's just because I got this reply not half an hour after sending in my app. :) Zing!
lurker 18y ago
>> It reads like a load of over-dramatized crap. All of Godin's work is over-dramatized crap. That's his shtick.
fallentimes 18y ago
From what I can tell you spend 6 months with him, don't get paid, primarily work on his projects, learn buzzwords and "get" to work on your own personal projects in your spare time. Am I missing something?
- deleted 18y ago
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- bobz44 18y ago
  There is much to be gained from working in the same room as someone who groks what you want to grok.
  - fallentimes 18y ago
    Great - more Seth Godins.
bkj123 18y ago
I'm sure he got a million applications so I can see the canned response but it was a bit over the top. Maybe it's just his way and it is only one instance. Plus, let's face it, he's in the driver's seat as far as this is concerned.
feverishaaron 18y ago
Having worked with Seth on Squidoo, I can tell you that he is a pretty genuine guy. That is just his writing style.
- zaidf 18y ago
  My only problem with this letter is it is not clear if it was personal or sent to everyone rejected. Getting a personal "you are amazing" is very different from "you are amazing" sent to few hundred people. This is a bad choice of words IMO.
  - michaelneale 18y ago
    I think that would be key. If they were all individual, wow, that is sincere. If not - then its really just his writing style and you need to translate that into what it really means.
    - zaidf 18y ago
      I know a few people whose business is to write ebooks and sales letters to sell the ebooks. They prey on desperate folks. And make a killing writing in a style very similar to this email. This was totally miscalibrated for the audience, UNLESS the overall audience really did find "joy" from it and we're just exceptions.
qqq 18y ago
It is kinda crap, but I wouldn't be insulted. It's not really any worse than more restrained form letters.

by brk 18y ago

swombat 18y ago

It does ring a bit empty, doesn't it. Bad move overall, imho. I've lost some respect for Seth Godin because of that letter. A more normal rejection letter would have been more appropriate. This letter makes him sound a bit too kitsch.

deleted 18y ago
[deleted]
cstejerean 18y ago
The letter looks very much like all of his blog posts, not sure why anyone would expect anything different from him. I'm assuming most of the people that applied to this program are frequent readers of his blog, and so hopefully the style of the letter didn't seem inappropriate to them.

Harkins 18y ago

I've read a couple of Godin's book recently, this is pretty much just his tone. It sounds silly in a single example like this, but it works OK as he builds it up over a book. I suppose anyone applying to a position is pretty familiar with his works. Oh, and Tribes needed way more than one sentence in the acknowledgements mentioning Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky. I'd just reread HCE before I picked up Tribes and I kept waiting to see something like "So, every example in the last three chapters and next two chapters came from this excellent book... "

Arubis 18y ago
Despite familiarity with Godin's work, I'm still unsure how I feel about this particular response. It'd be great as an individual rejection (we love you, but just don't have the space!), but as a boilerplate reply requires a little suspension of disbelief. Or maybe that's just because I got this reply not half an hour after sending in my app. :) Zing!

lurker 18y ago

>> It reads like a load of over-dramatized crap. All of Godin's work is over-dramatized crap. That's his shtick.

fallentimes 18y ago

From what I can tell you spend 6 months with him, don't get paid, primarily work on his projects, learn buzzwords and "get" to work on your own personal projects in your spare time. Am I missing something?

deleted 18y ago
[deleted]
bobz44 18y ago
There is much to be gained from working in the same room as someone who groks what you want to grok.
- fallentimes 18y ago
  Great - more Seth Godins.

bkj123 18y ago

I'm sure he got a million applications so I can see the canned response but it was a bit over the top. Maybe it's just his way and it is only one instance. Plus, let's face it, he's in the driver's seat as far as this is concerned.

feverishaaron 18y ago

Having worked with Seth on Squidoo, I can tell you that he is a pretty genuine guy. That is just his writing style.

zaidf 18y ago
My only problem with this letter is it is not clear if it was personal or sent to everyone rejected. Getting a personal "you are amazing" is very different from "you are amazing" sent to few hundred people. This is a bad choice of words IMO.
- michaelneale 18y ago
  I think that would be key. If they were all individual, wow, that is sincere. If not - then its really just his writing style and you need to translate that into what it really means.
  - zaidf 18y ago
    I know a few people whose business is to write ebooks and sales letters to sell the ebooks. They prey on desperate folks. And make a killing writing in a style very similar to this email. This was totally miscalibrated for the audience, UNLESS the overall audience really did find "joy" from it and we're just exceptions.

qqq 18y ago

It is kinda crap, but I wouldn't be insulted. It's not really any worse than more restrained form letters.