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The Knot: Problems Can Be Solved
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"This book will give you language for something you felt your whole life but couldn't quite articulate." —From the foreword by Mel Robbins, author of The Let Them Theory
You’re not stuck because the problem is too hard.
You’re stuck because something invisible is holding it in place.
Most persistent problems—at work, in organizations, and in our own lives—aren’t unsolvable. We’ve tried harder. We’ve optimized. We’ve worried about it.
And nothing changes.
This is the kind of stuckness that shows up for people who lead, create, and build—for those who care deeply, think clearly, and still find themselves going in circles.
Some challenges are situations outside our control, best met with acceptance. But others are real problems, capable of being changed. The trouble is, we often can’t tell the difference.
That’s because we’re entangled.
An entanglement is a hidden commitment that creates conflict beneath the surface: wanting progress without risk, change without loss, or forward motion without letting go of who we were—or who we promised to become. When we want two incompatible things at the same time, effort doesn’t help. We stay stuck.
In The Knot, Seth Godin offers a clear, practical framework:
How to tell the difference between problems you can solve and situations you need to accept
How to see systems, understand what people actually want, and create conditions for change rather than simply hoping for it
A practical guide to entanglements—time-based (sunk costs, premature optimization), social (phantom audiences, borrowed scorecards), and identity-based (who we were, who we promised to become)—each named, examined, and shown to be removable
The book leaves readers with a simple mantra for meaningful work:
Name the baggage.
Drop the baggage.
Ship the work.
If you’ve been pushing without progress, this book helps you see what’s really in the way—and finally remove it.
You’re not stuck because the problem is too hard.
You’re stuck because something invisible is holding it in place.
Most persistent problems—at work, in organizations, and in our own lives—aren’t unsolvable. We’ve tried harder. We’ve optimized. We’ve worried about it.
And nothing changes.
This is the kind of stuckness that shows up for people who lead, create, and build—for those who care deeply, think clearly, and still find themselves going in circles.
Some challenges are situations outside our control, best met with acceptance. But others are real problems, capable of being changed. The trouble is, we often can’t tell the difference.
That’s because we’re entangled.
An entanglement is a hidden commitment that creates conflict beneath the surface: wanting progress without risk, change without loss, or forward motion without letting go of who we were—or who we promised to become. When we want two incompatible things at the same time, effort doesn’t help. We stay stuck.
In The Knot, Seth Godin offers a clear, practical framework:
How to tell the difference between problems you can solve and situations you need to accept
How to see systems, understand what people actually want, and create conditions for change rather than simply hoping for it
A practical guide to entanglements—time-based (sunk costs, premature optimization), social (phantom audiences, borrowed scorecards), and identity-based (who we were, who we promised to become)—each named, examined, and shown to be removable
The book leaves readers with a simple mantra for meaningful work:
Name the baggage.
Drop the baggage.
Ship the work.
If you’ve been pushing without progress, this book helps you see what’s really in the way—and finally remove it.
- GenresSelf Help
160 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 22, 2026
About the author
Seth Godin
173 books6,623 followersSeth W. Godin, also known as "F. X. Nine", is an American author and a former dot com business executive.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An inimitable feature binding every Seth Godin book is the unravelling of intractable problems using startlingly simple solutions and fundamental ideas. The Knot: problems can be solved (the knot) is no exception to the norm. There are numerous occasions in life where we find ourselves in a frustrating bind unable to decide amongst competing choices and contradictory alternatives. How do we then extricate ourselves from such entanglements?
Godin’s slim book (has there ever been a Godin book that is otherwise?) begins with a riveting story involving Alexander the Great (before he became great that is). Riding into a small city in Central Turkey, Alexander is intrigued by the sight of an ox tied to a post with a complicated knot. Apocrypha held that many tried, but in vain to untie the knot. Whoever succeeded would become great, according to a prevailing legend. Alexander approached the rope and completely ignoring the knot, pulled out a pin at the centre, and instantly understanding the entanglements. From then on, the matter of untying the knot became a rudimentary chore.
We also get entwined in many an entanglement in both our personal life and professional endeavours. We are unable to see the “pin” that has us trapped. The art of solving problems is more likely than not the art of seeing the obstacle. Paraphrasing Godin, “name the baggage, drop the baggage, ship the work.” Godin asserts that, more likely than not, while working with people, we tend to inherently get lured by two kinds of compromises, the compromise of commitment, and the compromise of average. While commitment forces us to concentrate on a core audience and solve issues, the endemic average seeks to convert people who are entrenched in the dogma of status quo. Average is ‘but’ masquerading as ‘and.’
When Jackson Pollock, after attaining great fame and fortune, experimented with a radically new technique, critics savaged him mercilessly. Pollock’s dilemma was trying to walk an impossible tightrope. Having found the right audience he wanted to both please them and make them converts to what he felt was a new and ingenious art form. This impasse led Pollock towards depression, substance abuse, and an absolutely untimely tragic death. “Every hour we spend fighting a situation we cannot change is an hour we’re not spending on a problem we can solve.”
The key according to Godin is to never let go of this tenet: We Live with Situations. We (Try to) Solve Problems. “Gravity is a situation. Flying to the moon is a problem.” There are a few guidelines to identify problems that are worth solving or addressing. In order for a problem to be amenable for solving:
It has to be about something that matters.
It clearly articulates a gap between the current state and the ideal state.
It contains variables that can be understood.
It remains neutral about cause and solution.
Is it small enough to tackle?
Recurring problems are often the outputs and outcomes of intransigent systems. Hiding behind the convenient veil of culture, systems usually develop strong and almost unshakeable roots to maintain a presence in perpetuity. Rewarding people maintaining such systems with status and affiliation, systems try to keep users at a predetermined state, a state in which “just doing the job” means a great deal, irrespective of the discomfort caused and injustice created in the process.
New frameworks need to be built if systems need to undergo a transformation. One innovative way lies in using the very system to change it! For example, Dunkerque metro in France made bus usage free for their approximately 200,000 inhabitants. Car ownership since then is down 10%, parking is no longer a headache, there is a thriving city centre and downtown. A plebiscite following the institution of this rule revealed that 99% of the population claimed that the free buses constituted the most important government service.
the knot is a timely help in a world offering a deluge of opportunities and choices on the one hand, while on the other constraining those very opportunities by incorporating systems that bind down users in a vice like grip putting paid to ingenuity, optimism, and inventiveness.
“The knot: problems can be solved”, by Seth Godin is published by Authors Equity and will be available on sale beginning September 22, 2026.
Thank You, Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy.
Godin’s slim book (has there ever been a Godin book that is otherwise?) begins with a riveting story involving Alexander the Great (before he became great that is). Riding into a small city in Central Turkey, Alexander is intrigued by the sight of an ox tied to a post with a complicated knot. Apocrypha held that many tried, but in vain to untie the knot. Whoever succeeded would become great, according to a prevailing legend. Alexander approached the rope and completely ignoring the knot, pulled out a pin at the centre, and instantly understanding the entanglements. From then on, the matter of untying the knot became a rudimentary chore.
We also get entwined in many an entanglement in both our personal life and professional endeavours. We are unable to see the “pin” that has us trapped. The art of solving problems is more likely than not the art of seeing the obstacle. Paraphrasing Godin, “name the baggage, drop the baggage, ship the work.” Godin asserts that, more likely than not, while working with people, we tend to inherently get lured by two kinds of compromises, the compromise of commitment, and the compromise of average. While commitment forces us to concentrate on a core audience and solve issues, the endemic average seeks to convert people who are entrenched in the dogma of status quo. Average is ‘but’ masquerading as ‘and.’
When Jackson Pollock, after attaining great fame and fortune, experimented with a radically new technique, critics savaged him mercilessly. Pollock’s dilemma was trying to walk an impossible tightrope. Having found the right audience he wanted to both please them and make them converts to what he felt was a new and ingenious art form. This impasse led Pollock towards depression, substance abuse, and an absolutely untimely tragic death. “Every hour we spend fighting a situation we cannot change is an hour we’re not spending on a problem we can solve.”
The key according to Godin is to never let go of this tenet: We Live with Situations. We (Try to) Solve Problems. “Gravity is a situation. Flying to the moon is a problem.” There are a few guidelines to identify problems that are worth solving or addressing. In order for a problem to be amenable for solving:
It has to be about something that matters.
It clearly articulates a gap between the current state and the ideal state.
It contains variables that can be understood.
It remains neutral about cause and solution.
Is it small enough to tackle?
Recurring problems are often the outputs and outcomes of intransigent systems. Hiding behind the convenient veil of culture, systems usually develop strong and almost unshakeable roots to maintain a presence in perpetuity. Rewarding people maintaining such systems with status and affiliation, systems try to keep users at a predetermined state, a state in which “just doing the job” means a great deal, irrespective of the discomfort caused and injustice created in the process.
New frameworks need to be built if systems need to undergo a transformation. One innovative way lies in using the very system to change it! For example, Dunkerque metro in France made bus usage free for their approximately 200,000 inhabitants. Car ownership since then is down 10%, parking is no longer a headache, there is a thriving city centre and downtown. A plebiscite following the institution of this rule revealed that 99% of the population claimed that the free buses constituted the most important government service.
the knot is a timely help in a world offering a deluge of opportunities and choices on the one hand, while on the other constraining those very opportunities by incorporating systems that bind down users in a vice like grip putting paid to ingenuity, optimism, and inventiveness.
“The knot: problems can be solved”, by Seth Godin is published by Authors Equity and will be available on sale beginning September 22, 2026.
Thank You, Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, Authors Equity, and Seth Godin for providing an ARC copy of The Knot in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been in marketing for nearly 20 years, and Seth Godin has been one of those authors I’ve returned to over and over again. His books have always been smart, sharp, and weirdly good at making you feel gently called out by a man who somehow knows exactly what business problem you’ve been avoiding. So I was very excited to get an early look at The Knot.
The core concept here is strong: some problems can be solved, some can’t, and a lot of our frustration comes from not knowing the difference. That idea feels classic Seth Godin in the best way. Simple on the surface, but immediately applicable to work, leadership, creativity, relationships, and the general human hobby of making things harder than they need to be. There are several meaningful insights in this book, especially in the first half, and I found myself highlighting moments that made me stop and think, “Well, unfortunately, yes.”
That said, the copy I read felt like a very early draft. The ideas are good. The general outline is good. The potential is absolutely there. But the most helpful pieces sometimes got buried under anecdotes and analogies, and after a while I found myself wanting the book to tighten its grip on the actual framework. I love a metaphor as much as the next chronically overthinking marketing person, but at a certain point I wanted fewer scenic routes and more map.
My biggest wish was for the book to end with a more practical guide to problem solving. The concept is useful, but I wanted more structure around how to apply it: questions to ask, steps to follow, ways to identify the knot, ways to untangle it, and ways to know when you’re trying to solve the wrong thing entirely. The insights are there, but they don’t always feel organized into the kind of tool I could immediately take into a meeting, a strategy session, or a messy personal decision and say, “Okay, here’s the method.”
What worked for me:
- The core concept is strong, clear, and very Seth Godin.
- The first half has several thoughtful, meaningful insights.
- The idea of separating solvable problems from unsolvable ones is genuinely useful.
- There are moments that feel immediately applicable to marketing, leadership, and creative work.
- The book has the bones of something that could become a really practical, memorable guide.
What didn’t fully work for me:
- The draft felt unfinished in places.
- The most useful insights sometimes got buried under too many anecdotes and analogies.
- I wanted a clearer, more actionable framework.
- The second half did not feel as strong or as focused as the first.
- I wanted the ending to tie everything together with a practical problem-solving guide.
Best for readers who like:
Business books
Problem solving
Leadership thinking
Marketing strategy
Who should read it:
Read this if you’re already a Seth Godin fan, if you enjoy business books that are more idea-driven than step-by-step, or if you like short reads that give you language for something you’ve probably felt but haven’t fully named. The Knot has a smart premise and some genuinely useful insights, but in the early draft I read, it still needed more tightening, clarity, and practical application to fully land for me. Three stars for a strong concept that I wanted to see pulled into a cleaner, more actionable shape.
I’ve been in marketing for nearly 20 years, and Seth Godin has been one of those authors I’ve returned to over and over again. His books have always been smart, sharp, and weirdly good at making you feel gently called out by a man who somehow knows exactly what business problem you’ve been avoiding. So I was very excited to get an early look at The Knot.
The core concept here is strong: some problems can be solved, some can’t, and a lot of our frustration comes from not knowing the difference. That idea feels classic Seth Godin in the best way. Simple on the surface, but immediately applicable to work, leadership, creativity, relationships, and the general human hobby of making things harder than they need to be. There are several meaningful insights in this book, especially in the first half, and I found myself highlighting moments that made me stop and think, “Well, unfortunately, yes.”
That said, the copy I read felt like a very early draft. The ideas are good. The general outline is good. The potential is absolutely there. But the most helpful pieces sometimes got buried under anecdotes and analogies, and after a while I found myself wanting the book to tighten its grip on the actual framework. I love a metaphor as much as the next chronically overthinking marketing person, but at a certain point I wanted fewer scenic routes and more map.
My biggest wish was for the book to end with a more practical guide to problem solving. The concept is useful, but I wanted more structure around how to apply it: questions to ask, steps to follow, ways to identify the knot, ways to untangle it, and ways to know when you’re trying to solve the wrong thing entirely. The insights are there, but they don’t always feel organized into the kind of tool I could immediately take into a meeting, a strategy session, or a messy personal decision and say, “Okay, here’s the method.”
What worked for me:
- The core concept is strong, clear, and very Seth Godin.
- The first half has several thoughtful, meaningful insights.
- The idea of separating solvable problems from unsolvable ones is genuinely useful.
- There are moments that feel immediately applicable to marketing, leadership, and creative work.
- The book has the bones of something that could become a really practical, memorable guide.
What didn’t fully work for me:
- The draft felt unfinished in places.
- The most useful insights sometimes got buried under too many anecdotes and analogies.
- I wanted a clearer, more actionable framework.
- The second half did not feel as strong or as focused as the first.
- I wanted the ending to tie everything together with a practical problem-solving guide.
Best for readers who like:
Business books
Problem solving
Leadership thinking
Marketing strategy
Who should read it:
Read this if you’re already a Seth Godin fan, if you enjoy business books that are more idea-driven than step-by-step, or if you like short reads that give you language for something you’ve probably felt but haven’t fully named. The Knot has a smart premise and some genuinely useful insights, but in the early draft I read, it still needed more tightening, clarity, and practical application to fully land for me. Three stars for a strong concept that I wanted to see pulled into a cleaner, more actionable shape.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was really eager to read this book and found it informational, well-in-line with other books by Seth Godin. The book derives from the author's deep experience and knowledge across multiple business and non-profit domains. The examples are plentiful and peppered throughout to break from lecture-like monotony and provide diverse perspectives - from tuberculosis treatment and eradication to food security, from building a fighter jet under a new paradigm to unseating restaurant tipping in the United States.
The book breaks down a project, an endeavor, a challenge into necessary components - naming the problem, identifying underlying systems, finding entanglements/challenges, embracing the constraints, acknowledging controlling factors (situations), speaking truth vs selling, sharing the strategy and theory of change, designing with intention and shipping the work. This is a good and time-tested methodology and the previously mentioned examples add color and depth. The chapters are easy to consume and written in plain, non-professorial language.
Two criticisms: first, I think the book seeks too much simplicity by leaning heavily into meme-worthy sentences. These 4–6-word aphorisms are interesting as callouts but disruptive when reading in book format. Perhaps the author/publisher intend to convert the book into Adam Grant-like memes, constantly posting on socials to drive the book but I found them disconcerting in my reading. Second, the number of industry examples and the constant back and forth between them results in reader whiplash. I struggled to keep track of the various examples and bit-sized case studies sprinkled throughout the book.
Finally, I think the questions at the end of the book are an excellent compilation of things to think about or do. I think their value could increase if the relevant questions were sprinkled throughout the book at the end of each chapter and also presented as a collection at the end.
The book breaks down a project, an endeavor, a challenge into necessary components - naming the problem, identifying underlying systems, finding entanglements/challenges, embracing the constraints, acknowledging controlling factors (situations), speaking truth vs selling, sharing the strategy and theory of change, designing with intention and shipping the work. This is a good and time-tested methodology and the previously mentioned examples add color and depth. The chapters are easy to consume and written in plain, non-professorial language.
Two criticisms: first, I think the book seeks too much simplicity by leaning heavily into meme-worthy sentences. These 4–6-word aphorisms are interesting as callouts but disruptive when reading in book format. Perhaps the author/publisher intend to convert the book into Adam Grant-like memes, constantly posting on socials to drive the book but I found them disconcerting in my reading. Second, the number of industry examples and the constant back and forth between them results in reader whiplash. I struggled to keep track of the various examples and bit-sized case studies sprinkled throughout the book.
Finally, I think the questions at the end of the book are an excellent compilation of things to think about or do. I think their value could increase if the relevant questions were sprinkled throughout the book at the end of each chapter and also presented as a collection at the end.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I picked up The Knot because I liked the idea that maybe we're not always stuck because the problem is too difficult—sometimes we're stuck because we're trying to solve the wrong problem altogether. That ended up being the biggest takeaway for me.
The concept behind this book is really interesting. It encourages you to step back and ask whether you're dealing with a problem that can actually be solved or a situation that simply needs to be accepted. That shift in thinking felt practical and made me stop to reflect on a few areas of my own life and work.
I also liked the idea of identifying the "knot" that's keeping you from moving forward. Sometimes it's an old commitment, unrealistic expectations, or simply trying to hold onto two things that can't exist at the same time. Those were the moments that stood out the most.
Where this lost me a little was that I wanted more direction. There are plenty of examples and stories throughout the book, but I kept waiting for a more structured framework that showed exactly how to apply these ideas. By the end, I understood the concepts, but I wasn't sure I had the practical tools to immediately put them into action.
Overall, I think this is a good read if you enjoy books that challenge the way you think about leadership, business, or personal growth. It isn't packed with step-by-step advice, but it does offer some thoughtful perspectives that will probably have you looking at your own "knots" a little differently.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The concept behind this book is really interesting. It encourages you to step back and ask whether you're dealing with a problem that can actually be solved or a situation that simply needs to be accepted. That shift in thinking felt practical and made me stop to reflect on a few areas of my own life and work.
I also liked the idea of identifying the "knot" that's keeping you from moving forward. Sometimes it's an old commitment, unrealistic expectations, or simply trying to hold onto two things that can't exist at the same time. Those were the moments that stood out the most.
Where this lost me a little was that I wanted more direction. There are plenty of examples and stories throughout the book, but I kept waiting for a more structured framework that showed exactly how to apply these ideas. By the end, I understood the concepts, but I wasn't sure I had the practical tools to immediately put them into action.
Overall, I think this is a good read if you enjoy books that challenge the way you think about leadership, business, or personal growth. It isn't packed with step-by-step advice, but it does offer some thoughtful perspectives that will probably have you looking at your own "knots" a little differently.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 29, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5
The Knot isn’t a book that hands you the answers. It’s a book that changes the way you look at the questions.
What I appreciated most was the practical framework. Instead of telling you to simply work harder or think differently, the book encourages you to step back, identify what’s actually holding you in place, and decide whether you’re facing a problem that can be solved or a situation that needs to be accepted. That shift in perspective alone makes the book worthwhile.
For me, this wasn’t a life-changing or deeply provocative read, but it was a valuable kickstarter. It challenged me to look at complacency differently and recognize how easily it can hide behind systems, routines, and “the way we’ve always done things.”
If you’re a leader, builder, creator, or someone responsible for driving change, you’ll probably find yourself highlighting plenty of passages and thinking about how to apply the framework to your own work.
A solid four-star read that gives you practical tools to help untangle the problems worth solving.
The Knot isn’t a book that hands you the answers. It’s a book that changes the way you look at the questions.
What I appreciated most was the practical framework. Instead of telling you to simply work harder or think differently, the book encourages you to step back, identify what’s actually holding you in place, and decide whether you’re facing a problem that can be solved or a situation that needs to be accepted. That shift in perspective alone makes the book worthwhile.
For me, this wasn’t a life-changing or deeply provocative read, but it was a valuable kickstarter. It challenged me to look at complacency differently and recognize how easily it can hide behind systems, routines, and “the way we’ve always done things.”
If you’re a leader, builder, creator, or someone responsible for driving change, you’ll probably find yourself highlighting plenty of passages and thinking about how to apply the framework to your own work.
A solid four-star read that gives you practical tools to help untangle the problems worth solving.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been reading Seth Godin's books for decades and I was enjoying this one. But then I hit this paragraph
'When we quietly give a single employee a single performance bonus, it’s likely that this useful shortcut will spread and stick around. Until our team is motivated by performance bonuses, not the mission . . .'
This is everything wrong in the business world. Employees should be all about the 'mission' and not performance bonuses? What in the actual f!ck? Right until some salesperson convinces the executive team that AI can replace employees then explain to me how that benefits the mission.
I think there is some goodish advice in the book, but that single paragraph (to use an example from the book) ice-nined everything else
'When we quietly give a single employee a single performance bonus, it’s likely that this useful shortcut will spread and stick around. Until our team is motivated by performance bonuses, not the mission . . .'
This is everything wrong in the business world. Employees should be all about the 'mission' and not performance bonuses? What in the actual f!ck? Right until some salesperson convinces the executive team that AI can replace employees then explain to me how that benefits the mission.
I think there is some goodish advice in the book, but that single paragraph (to use an example from the book) ice-nined everything else
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Godin does a great job at dissecting the essence of a problem without ignoring the constraints of the larger systems in place. There are also some helpful reframes of how we think of problems and if it is indeed a problem. The writing comes across as pithy and is more example laden as it goes on, but I found some parts redundant or lacking clear direction. Also I think having Robbins to do the forward and then praise her as a bit problematic since she's quite a controversial character in the field. All in all, it's a solid quick read that can give a new perspective on problems.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews