Seth Godin's best tactics for building remarkable products, strategies, brands and more

Godin distinguishes quality from luxury and perfection. He says a team should improve the specification in service of the customer, then ship when it meets that standard. Avoid an endless delay disguised as high standards, while making sure the specification reflects what the customer needs.

He objects to blaming people for not reading the manual. His point is that the product is made for other people, so difficulty using it is information for the builder. Investigate the source of confusion rather than assuming the customer failed to deserve the product.

Godin argues that a smallest viable audience shapes language, expectations, technical requirements and the product itself. A product aimed at experienced experimenters can make a different promise from one sold as a finished mainstream tool. Decide who the offer is for before promising to serve everyone.

He defines a brand by what people expect and whether they would miss it, rather than a logo. He recommends stating what you do not do as well as what you stand for. Use that boundary to make the promise credible and specific.

He asks whether the work is meant to match the boss's taste or the chosen customer's taste. Making that distinction explicit can change reviews. Decide whose needs determine success instead of switching standards whenever someone senior expresses a preference.

His Purple Cow explanation centers on what a customer has a reason to tell others, not on a ridiculous promotional stunt. Ask how recommending the product helps the person doing the recommending. A product's useful promise can supply the story more reliably than spectacle.

Godin asks whether people stay, return and tell their friends. He contrasts those behaviors with publicity and buzz. His brand examples are unverified here, so use the distinction as a question about actual use rather than a universal claim that publicity never helps.