Survival Is Not Enough: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change

by Seth Godin

You can't embrace change any faster...can't make time for the synergy training workshop...can't deal with one more change management seminar. So stop changing. Evolve.
Evolution can be unleashed in your organization, effortlessly and gradually changing everything in its path. By teaching your company to "zoom" -- embrace change without pain -- you'll have a company that evolves and ultimately attracts people who drive it to evolve even faster.
In up or down markets, for companies in any industry, embrace the organic approach detailed in Survival Is Not Enough and you will always outperform the competition.
Here's practical advice on how to make the chaos we all must deal with an asset, not a threat.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Entrepreneurship, Management

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Seth W. Godin, also known as "F. X. Nine", is an American author and a former dot com business executive.

Reviews

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea behind this book is pretty simple, and the title summarises it perfectly in just four words. Shift happens, and survival is not enough any more – just look at Blockbuster Video, which failed to deal with the threat that Netflix posed with its brand new business model and eventually went bust as a result of it.

The best way for you stay ahead of the curve is to constantly innovate, to thrive during times of change by embracing the shift and, wherever possible, causing the shift to happen in the first place. This book, then, aims to teach you how to embrace change and to prepare you for a future in which change is the only constant.

What’s great about Survival is Not Enoguh, and indeed about Godin’s work in general, is that you’re not given a strict set of steps to follow and then left to get on with it. Instead, Godin simply tries to teach you a better way of thinking – that’s all you need, because once you’re thinking in the right way, you’re on your way to greatness – besides, there’s simply no one answer which can apply to every business in every industry.

This book might not be as groundbreaking as Permission Marketing or as sublime as Purple Cow, but it’s still a fantastic read with some trustworthy advice that you can take away and apply straight away. So why not go and give it a read, then?

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually a Godin fan, but this did not age well.

[Devin Partlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Godin the missing link of the lean startup movement? He definitely alludes to the lean startup principles in this book, specifically those of experimentation, in his own vernacular. He calls it zooming and he does a wonderful job of weaving Darwinism, organizations, and the individuals to explain.

I recommend this book to anyone that practices lean startup principles



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[Raymond Goss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast read. If you like Seth Godin's style, this book is follows that format. It is focused on "Zooming" by trying and doing, making changes as you go, not getting stuck. It focuses mostly on small start-up company strategies, but uses large companies (Kodak, NASA, etc.) as examples of how it applies. It is more of a motivation book than a how to.

[George]

A great book on growing a business, any business. I have in my business books library and re-read last week.

[Vincent Kernaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the other book I give my consulting clients - yes, even in 2021 - and probably for the foreseeable future. The concept will hold true for as long as I can imagine.

At the most simple level, most businesses seem to focus on their day-to-day survival. Few seem to plan very far into the future. This is a big reason why so many struggle. They use a tactical approach and jump around from one shiny object to another instead of having a strategy that guides what they do, when and why. But even that isn't enough.

Your strategy needs to include change, innovation, zooming, and evolution. If a business doesn't embrace these concepts, it will forever remain ordinary and commoditized. And that level of existence is a high-risk gamble.

I have a bright green cover, hardcover 2002 edition of this book titled, "Survival Is Not Enough - Zooming, Evolution, and the Future of Your Company". I have no idea the significance of the above version with a different subtitle for the paperback edition published in the same year.

[Omar M. Khateeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. This book is special to Seth as he put a lot of effort into it but it never did well as it, coincidentally, came out around the same time as 9/11. As you would imagine, the title is not something that resonated with people at the time. It beautifully combines the way life works in nature with how companies can learn to "zoom" by adapting fast to changing markets.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book (published in 2002) on my shelf for a long time but the focus on embracing change and creating change "for change sake" (to evolve) is appealing still. A little heavy on nomenclature ("zooming," "mDNA") but the analogy to evolution is helpful.

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although an old book (2006), the insights in it are timeless! The author does a great job at helping readers think outside the box. Much of the advice is practical and can be applied to business, jobs, or personal, leaving a Darwinistic backdrop of the survival of the fittest.

[Nadya Ichinomiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY good.

[Tomasz Piotrowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old book but still a very good and worth thinking about points still valid after nearly 20 years.

[Yokusun Basi]

Survival Is Not Enough: Zooming, Evolution, and the Future of Your Company by Seth Godin (2002)

[Krishna Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using the concept of evolution, Seth Godin explains how companies, by expanding their vision and ability to change, can evolve to survive and beat market conditions. Companies can learn to “zoom” and not have to fight with change management. It is a well-meaning book, but it has a few problems. It is more directed to companies with dysfunctional and rigid environments. However, such companies need a serious overhaul of their corporate culture, leadership and policies to become more dynamic, which is usually possible only when the company is undergoing significant growth or losses.

A growing company usually is willing to experiment and adopt strategies and tactics that have potential. The problem is that only some potential ideas can be exploited successfully to provide adequate returns within a reasonable time frame, and the others will be discarded. This provides the opening for startups to take discarded ideas that may be profitable for them (but not profitable to the growing company) and attempt to create a growing market. This problem is explained in “The Innovator’s Dilemma” and although Seth Godin has tried to explain it away through his evolution concept, he has only given it a superficial treatment.

The general failure of the book is that it attempts to run an entire discussion using a single metaphor and sometimes it stretches it too far.

[Christian Jespersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book could have been shorter, but Seth's way of writing, makes it OK that is a bit too repetitive.

The key learnings I got from the book was:

- If you are an employer, and you are afraid of change, you are only blocking your way to more succes, and maybe even slowly work your way to failure

- Fail fast, fail quickly, and make sure it doesn't cost you too much, because it doesn't have to.

- Your job should not be considered as a very long term investment, but rather seen as a natural step for a period of time, and equally seen as a natural step to the job that follows that one.

- The importance of getting the foot in the jobmarket, as it's where you really develop. You are also more likely to climb the ladder of personal and professional success, by moving from one company to another, rather than being in the same company all the time.

There was a whole bunch of other good points in the book, but I had to return it to the library today, before I could write this review.

[Thomas Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! Seth says that it is her favorite and I am willing to say it is one of his top books. In a way this book is The Lean Startup but 10 years earlier. Godin talks about Memes in a way were I feel I understand them much better. He also has a lot of great things to say about testing and running experiments.

[Eric Burgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth Godin is one of the best authors on leadership and improving engagement with your customer base.

This was a great audio book that I found I didn't want to stop! Totally engaging, great content, and is read by the author.

[Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I thinks so much when I read Seth's books, I can't sleep. Little firework like ideas go off in my brain. Who can sleep when that happens?

[Richard Mulholland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas, weak delivery mechanic

[Kirstin Elaine]

good reading so far

[Vennittah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advice. Not my best Godin book but worth reading.

[Lori Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

An optional-read book by Seth Godin on marketing for the knowledge worker, manager, executive, or entrepreneur.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy Seth Godin. He's succinct, straightforward and easy to read. So many gems!

[Sergio F. Sosa Sanchez]

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