Purple Cow
transform your business by being remarkable
by Seth Godin · first published 2002
66% recommend25% neutral9% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, simple argument that the best marketing is building a remarkable product rather than spending on ads. Suggested as a starting point for founders and engineers who want to learn differentiation.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
208 p. : 21 cm
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…what you have to offer. One of the best people to follow for guidance on how to do this is Seth Godin. Follow his daily blogs/emails, and read his books, particularly Linchpin, Permission Marketing, Purple Cow and The Dip. Simon Sinek is another person worth paying attention to.
on “Ask HN: How to get good at social media?” ↗Everything from Seth Godin. Permission Marketing, All Marketers are Liers and Purple Cow are my personal favorites.
on “Ask YC: What books on marketing do you recomend?” ↗…not literally every marketing book. But if you're interested, here are a few items I'd recommend to a budding would-be marketer. Permission Marketing - Seth Godin All Marketers Are Liars - Seth Godin Purple Cow - Seth Godin Unleashing The Ideavirus - Seth Godin Positioning - Jack Trout and Al Ries Differentiate or Die - Jack Trout The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries Repositioning - Jack Trout Marketing…
on “Ask HN: How can a non-technical co-founder add value?” ↗…Technology by William H. Davidow 12. How to Drive Your Competition Crazy: Creating Disruption for Fun and Profit by Guy Kawasaki 13. I'm a big Seth Godin fan, I'd say read anything and everything by him. The Purple Cow stands out in my memory as a particularly good one. Permission Marketing is good as well. 14. The Cluetrain Manifesto Also, I don't have any specific titles handy (I'm out of town consulting right now,…
on “Ask HN: What can you recommend to Read for future startup founder?” ↗Read "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin. Implement. To oversimplify the ideas in his book, Godin says that the old methods of marketing are essentially dead. The only way to market efficiently is to build compelling ideas…
on “IDEAS WANTED : How to create Buzz for new Start-up?” ↗Being exceptional and interesting is the way to getting covered. (Read Purple Cow. Seriously. And then read every other Seth Godin book.) Being famous/well-known is another. (Sounds tough, but you can really reach people by teaching.) Before you redesign your front page which --…
on “Ask HN: How do you get tech bloggers to review a startup?” ↗* Getting Real - 37signals * Don't make me think! - Steve Krug * Envisioning Information - Edward Tufte * Purple Cow - Seth Godin (see TED talk for 15 min summary) * The Art of the Start - Guy Kawasaki
on “Top Start-up books” ↗I would start with the Purple Cow and Free Prize Inside by Godin, they are high level but they talk about that fact that you need to make your product exceptional instead of pouring money into marketing. I would also check out Inbound…
on “Ask HN: Marketing Books for Developers?” ↗…a great supplement to reading them. So far I've only hit one that bored me to death (Innovator's Dilemma) For example - Chasing The Light - Amazing Book. A Whack on the Side of the Head - Loved it. Purple Cow - Classic. http://noahfleming.com/blog/100-business-books
on “The 100 Best Business Books of All Time” ↗Here are a few that I'd suggest: * The purple cow * Positioning * 22 immutable laws of marketing
on “Ask HN: Best startup books?” ↗Agree on Four Steps and Getting Real, also check out: Purple Cow and The Dip by Seth Godin The Long Tail and Free by Anderson
on “Ask HN: I want to start a web company what books should I read?” ↗The Four Steps to the Epiphany - @sgblank Built To Last - Jim Collins The Purple Cow - Seth Godin The Art of the Start - Guy Kawasaki
on “Ask HN: must read books for startup founders” ↗I suggest some of Seth Godin's earlier books. "All Marketers are Liars" and "Purple Cow." Marketing is one of those things you can adapt to any business, any product, you just need to figure out how the lessons apply to what you're doing.
on “Ask HN: a good marketing book?” ↗I've read books on this subject, most notably, 'Free Prize Inside' by Seth Godin- a perfect sequel addressing 'the how', to the book about 'the why' to be remarkable: 'Purple Cow'. Whenever I read on the subject it gets me to thinking about how my particular company might go about implementing practices & policies which encourage such exceptional customer experiences. What I've…
on “The Value in Wowing Your Customers” ↗Read some Seth Godin books.... purple cow, free prize inside etc... and you will learn how to market/pr. One of my college degrees is in PR but I learned more via Seth Godin's books
on “Ask HN: What PR book should I read?” ↗