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Derek Sivers podcast — 387 episodes · page 4 of 4
And if only 1% of those people…
Emphasize meaning over price
Is there such a thing as too much freedom?
Imagining lots of tedious steps? Or one fun step?
Sprezzatura
What do you hate not doing?
No “yes.” Either “HELL YEAH!” or “no.”
I miss the mob
Barking
The mirror: It’s about you, not them.
Doing the opposite of everyone is valuable
That’s version infinity. First launch version 0.1.
Show success before asking for help
Why you need your own company
Are you present-focused or future-focused?
Some people like to pay. Let them
Are fans telling friends? If not, don’t promote
The security of no security
You need to be profitable to last
My $3.3M mistake
Character predicts your future
Goals shape the present, not the future.
Sammy Cahn said thank you
My favorite fable
Assume nobody is going to help you
How to attend a conference
Make mystery : make people wonder
This is just one of many options
Nobody knows the future, so focus on what doesn’t change
Are you at the starting line or the finish line?
Small actions change your self-identity
Selling music by solving a specific need
Don’t promote until people can take action
two three four ONE, two three four ONE
Aim for the edges
Restrictions will set you free
Never have a limit on your income
Whatever scares you, go do it
The strength of many little customers
The public you is not you
Ideas are just a multiplier of execution
Compass in your gut
Ignore advice that drains you
You don’t get extreme results without extreme actions
Be a competent novice, not an expert
Have someone work the inside of the industry
Get rejected, get filtered
Put your fans to work
Call the destination, and ask for directions
Or you can not talk at all
Describe your music like a non-musician
Without a good reason, they won’t bother
Hillbilly Flamenco
Don’t know how to describe your music?
Make people curious in one sentence
When your music can’t speak for itself
Life is like high school
Small gifts go a long way
Don’t be afraid to ask for favors
Always think how you can help someone
Meet three new people every week
Stay in touch with hundreds of people
Persistence is polite
Don’t be a mosquito
Every breakthrough comes from someone you know
Captain T
Business is creative
This is only a test. See what happens
Direct it yourself
Was 10%, now 90%
A good plan wins no matter what happens
Test marketing
Well-rounded doesn’t cut
A hundred actors on stage
Don’t try to sound big
Touch as many of their senses as you can
People search harder for the obscure
If you target sharp enough, you will own your niche
The most expensive vodka
Proudly exclude most people
A curious answer to the most common question
Use the tricks that worked on you
Constantly ask what they really want
How to get through the gates?
It’s just people inside the machine!
What’s inside this book
Some quick context for these stories