The Big Moo Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9781591841036
• ISBN10: 1591841038
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-10-20
• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover

Summary

33 of the world's best business minds tackle one urgent question: What does it really take to make your organization remarkable?Most organizations are stuck in a rut. On one hand, they understand all the good things that will come with growth. On the other, they’re petrified that growth means change, and change means risk, and risk means death. Nobody wants to screw up and ruin a good thing, so most companies (and individuals) just keep trying to be perfect at the things they’ve always done.In 2003, Seth Godin’s Purple Cowchallenged organizations to become remarkable—to drive growth by standing out in a world full of brown cows. It struck a huge chord and stayed on the Business-Weekbestseller list for nearly two years. You can hear countless brainstorming meetings where people refer to purple cows and say things like, That’s not good enough. We need to create a big moo!”But howdo you create a big moo—an insight so astounding that people can’t help but remark on it, like digital TV recording (TiVo) or overnight shipping (FedEx), or the world’s best vacuum cleaner (Dyson)? Godin worked with thirty-two of the world’s smartest thinkers to answer this critical question. And the team—with the likes of Tom Peters, Malcolm Gladwell, Guy Kawasaki, Mark Cuban, Robyn Waters, Dave Balter, Red Maxwell, and Randall Rothenberg on board— created an incredibly useful book that’s fun to read and perfect for groups to share, discuss, and apply.The Big Moois a simple book in the tradition of Fishand Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Instead of lecturing you, it tells stories that stick to your ribs and light your fire. It will help you to create a culture that consistently delivers remarkable innovations.

Author Biography

The Group of 33 is an all-star team of business writers and doers: Julie Anixter, April Armstrong, Dave Balter, Marc Benioff, Kevin Carroll, Carol Cone, Mark Cuban, Dean Debiase, Lisa Gansky, Malcolm Gladwell, William Godin, Lynn Gordon, Jay Gouliard, Amit Gupta, Marcia Hart, Jackie Huba, Guy Kawasaki, Tom Kelley, Polly LaBarre, Tim Manners, Red Maxwell, Chris Meyer, Jacqueline Novogratz, Tom Peters, Promise Phelon, Dan Pink, Randall Rothenberg, Heath Row, Donna Sturgess, Robyn Waters, Alan Webber, Robin Williams, and Seth Godin.

Table of Contents

Who You Are is What You Do	ix
Preface: Remarkabalize it	xi
Introduction: The Purple League of America	xvii
Harry Houdini Was a Lousy Magician	1	(2)
How to be a Failure	3	(1)
Chopping Onions	4	(2)
When Everything is Free	6	(3)
Tuesdays with Shecky: A Play in Three Jokes	9	(3)
Real Artists Ship	12	(2)
This is Your First Test	14	(3)
Isaac Newton's Head	17	(2)
What Do You Stand For?	19	(3)
How to Make Money with Garlic	22	(2)
Be Like Reggie	24	(2)
Why Not? Why Now?	26	(1)
Are You Always Running Out of Time?	27	(2)
``But'' or ``And''?	29	(1)
Panic at Inappropriate Times	30	(2)
Tear Down This Wall	32	(2)
They Say I'm Extreme	34	(4)
The Remarkable Gertrude Bell	38	(3)
Three Steps Ahead	41	(2)
Mr. Butt's Shoppers	43	(2)
What, Exactly, Are You Afraid of?	45	(2)
The One Thing You Can't Download	47	(2)
The Bell Curve	49	(2)
Fear Versus Anxiety	51	(1)
Too Rich, Too Thin . . . Too Efficient?	52	(4)
Get Out!	56	(4)
Don't Be Like Pete	60	(3)
Ten Things Smart Start-Ups Know	63	(4)
Gotta Serve Somebody	67	(2)
The Originality Bump	69	(2)
What Business Can Learn From Dancers	71	(3)
Everyone Needs a Roof	74	(2)
Where Do Ideas Come From?	76	(7)
The Next Da Vinci Code?	83	(2)
Do You Know Arthur Rubin?	85	(2)
Ron Johnson is Not a Genius . . . But He Hires Them Every Day	87	(2)
Two Kinds of Organizations	89	(3)
Get Started Fast and Cheap	92	(2)
Steven Savage is Not More Creative Than You Are	94	(2)
The Problem With Compromise	96	(3)
The Power of Dumb Ideas	99	(5)
Inside Out/Outside In	104	(4)
The Student Becomes The Teacher	108	(3)
Fire The Gatekeepers	111	(3)
Stop Being Ordinary	114	(3)
The Remarkability of Memories	117	(2)
The Power of Small Steps	119	(7)
The Fearless Flight of Little Max	126	(3)
Some Things Just Don't Translate!	129	(3)
Boring	132	(2)
Three Rules of Life (And Everything Else)	134	(1)
Chevy Chase and Bill Murray	135	(2)
This is Not Another ``IPOD'' Story	137	(4)
Juggling is Not What You Think it is	141	(2)
Making The Wrong Decisions, Slowly	143	(2)
Bob Wears Panty Hose	145	(2)
Care!	147	(2)
Defying Gravity	149	(5)
What Are You Measuring?	154	(2)
Hell's Angels at the Captain's Table	156	(2)
Plant Rocks	158	(2)
Is Bigger Better?	160	(2)
Play	162	(2)
Version 1.0	164	(1)
David (and Goliath)	165	(1)
Great Ideas in Bed	166	(1)
Why Ask Why?	167	(2)
Talking About the Weather	169	(3)
No Guarantees	172	(2)
Periodic Table of Differents	174	(1)
Ready or Not! in Defense of Your Own Readiness	175	(3)
What Now?	178	(1)
About the Authors: The Group of 33	179	(5)
Acknowledgments	184