The Dip
A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
by Seth Godin · first published 2007
68% recommend31% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, readable guide to deciding when to quit and when to push through a hard stretch, separating a temporary dip from a dead-end cul-de-sac. Suits founders, indie hackers, and side-project builders.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The old saying is wrong—winners do quit, and quitters do win.Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point—really hard, and not much fun at all.And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle. Maybe you're in a Dip—a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing. But maybe it's really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to e
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I would recommend reading The Dip by Seth Godin. It is all about deciding when to quit and when to push through. My favorite line is "Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers"
on “Ask HN: Should I give up?” ↗If you think the idea is still good, or could do better this time, go for it. You should read The Dip by Seth Godin.
on “Ask HN: Reattempting Failed Startup/Project for Second Time?” ↗There's a surprisingly good book by Seth Godin (sorry!) called The Dip about this dilemma. http://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/15918... The key thing, he says, about successful people is they quickly and accurately either choose to abandon something…
on “Ang Lee and the uncertainty of success” ↗Seth Godin wrote a book on this a decade ago, called The Dip. It's short, but a good book (and the Audible audiobook is quite good too). https://smile.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/15... http://sethgodin.typepad.com/the_dip/
on “The emotional journey of creating anything great” ↗The Dip by Seth Godin is perhaps the essential book for an 'indie hacker'. It's about identifying the difference between dips (good business ideas facing inevitable challenges) and cul-de-sacs (poor ideas that…
on “What are the most indispensable books for indie hackers?” ↗…still make them whole. I can relate to that and that’s a very mature and honest way to handle things… it takes great self-awareness knowing when to quit. More on this topic can be found in the book The Dip by Seth Godin… quitting is OK and shouldn’t be seen as failure. Summary here: https://medium.com/@thenoahdouglas/what-i-learned-about-quit... Anyway, recharge and then on to the next adventure ;)
on “Touca is shutting down” ↗For a more broadly targeted, more nuanced version[1] of this I found The Dip, by Seth Godin, quite helpful. Like this essay, the book gives much advice of the "don't give up" type. But the book also mentions some cases when you should quit: you should quit activities that…
on “How Not to Die” ↗Book recommendation: the dip (http://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/15918...)
on “Fail Early, Fail Often” ↗…app. The secret, like others have said, is to build out an idea you have. Once you finished that project you will most likely have dozens of ideas you want to work on. Right around that time read The Dip by Seth Godin so you learn to know when to hold em and when to fold em.
on “Where does a wannabe hacker begin?” ↗…anything else, IMO. User happiness is a HUGE motivator and lack of it is a huge de-motivator... So launching would be a good step if you're looking for motivation or a final nail in the coffin. Read "The Dip: When to Quit and When to Stick" by Seth Godin.
on “Ask HN: Demotivated Founder With Lost Passion Seeking Advice” ↗…finished a ton of great books, some that immediately come to mind: The Four-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris - Really made me think about life and the work I do Tribes by Seth Godin - Love this book. The Dip by Seth Godin - read it before, reread it again this year Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina - really had to struggle to get past the beginning, was fantastic once I did Find Your…
on “Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009?” ↗Sorry if this has been mentioned, but I haven't had the chance or time to read all the comments but...It sounds like you are quitting when you hit The Dip http://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/15918...
on “Ask HN: Why do I lose interest in every project after 6 months?” ↗Seth Godin wrote a great book on this exact question. How to know when you should push through the dip and when you should decide to quit. It's an insightful read: http://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/15918...
on “When Do You Throw in the Towel On Your Struggling Project?” ↗…something better." If your situation is anything like mine was then I really feel for you. You probably feel trapped right now, and that adds to your stress which compounds your mistakes. Maybe read The Dip by Seth Godin. And good luck!
on “Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?” ↗I want to give you an alternate perspective. Sometimes it's far more liberating to accept and move on. There is this book called "Dip" by Seth Godin. I recommend that you read it (it's just 70 odd pages). In that book, Seth talks about how, when you are in a dip, it's important to realize whether to persist and succeed, or to quit.…
on “Tell HN: Man, I quit” ↗