Is It Time to Quit?
Book Review of The Dip by Seth Godin

Quitters never win and winners never quit, right? Well according to Seth Godin, author of “The Dip – A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (And When to Stick)“, winners quit all the time — they just quit the right stuff at the right time.

Every new project starts out fun and exciting. Then it gets harder and harder, until it hits a point where it becomes not much fun at all. If you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle you may be in a Dip—a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing.

This book is short — 80 pages long — and lists out seemingly obvious facts that can be summarised as follows:

1. Be the best in the world;
2. If you’re in a dead-end situation (or a cul-de-sac), you should quit;
3. If it’s something worth doing, there is likely a Dip that you have to overcome before achieving real success

All that said, Seth has a way of writing that makes you think. Take being best in the world. “Being the best” here means the best for your intended audience/customer, right now, based on what they believe and what they know, and “in the world” meaning their world, the world they have access to. An example from the book:

“If I’m looking for a freelance copy editor, I want the best copy editor in English, who’s available, who can find a way to work with me at a price I can afford. That’s my best in the world.”

Overall an easy and inspiring read, I enjoyed the book a lot and would recommend it to anyone who is in a trying position (whether in a job or starting a company/new project etc) and is unsure whether to quit or stick.

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