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Unmistakable: Why Only Is Better Than Best
Stop trying to beat everyone else. True success is playing by your own rules, creating work that no one can replicate. Don’t be the best, be the only. You’re on the conventional path, checking off accomplishments. You might be doing okay by normal standards, but you still feel restless, bored, and limited. Srinivas Rao gets it. As a new business school graduate, Srinivas’s dreams were crushed by a soulless job that demanded only conformity. Sick of struggling to keep his head above water, Srinivas quit his job and took to the waves, pursuing his dream of learning to surf. He also found the freedom to chart his own course. Interviewing more than five hundred creative people on his Unmistakable Creative podcast was the ultimate education. He heard how guests including Seth Godin, Elle Luna, Tim Ferriss, Simon Sinek, and Danielle LaPorte blazed their own trails. Srinivas blends his own story with theirs to tell You can find that courage too. Don’t be just one among many—be the only. Be unmistakable. Trying to be the best will chain you to others’ definition of success. Unmistakable work, on the other hand, could only have been created by one person, so competition is irrelevant. Like Banksy’s art or Tim Burton’s films, unmistakable work needs no signature and has no precedent. Whether you’re a business owner, an artist, or just someone who wants to leave your mark on the world, Unmistakable will inspire you to create your own path and define your own success.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2016
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568 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 29, 2016
A call-to-action for artists and business people of all types to create the work that only they can create which makes them irreplaceable and also Unmistakable.
"When you're the only person who could have created a work of art, the competition and standard metrics by which things are measured become irrelevant because nothing can replace you. The factors that distinguish you are so personal that nobody can replicate them." pg 2. That makes sense to me. You're essentially writing the book so no one can tell you how it's supposed to go.
The theory of becoming Unmistakable is fairly simple but the journey to that place is not. There are no maps to this realm because it is different for everyone and the paths to that place vary as widely as the talents that people bring with them. As Srinivas reminds us: "Unmistakable work is a process of self-discovery. We start our ride not knowing what it is that makes us unmistakable, and a thread reveals itself through the creation of a body of work. Dots connect, patterns emerge, and our unmistakable gift is revealed. Time is the critical ingredient required for this to take place, hence the role of longevity and commitment in the quest to become unmistakable." pgs 56-57 So, you can't give up. Create and fail and try again. That is as hard and as easy as it is.
"...creating unmistakable work might be one of the hardest things to do: you have to look into the depths of who you are, explore what matters to you, and infuse that into every element of your work until it can't possibly be mistaken for something anybody could have done but you." pg 68. The messages contained within Unmistakable become repetitive after a few chapters, but Srinivas threads some of the stories and artists from his podcast to break up the material as well as his personal testimony.
Unmistakable encourages creation even in areas that you may have no prior experience: "Lack of formal instruction might keep us from attempting some sort of creative pursuit or starting anything in which we don't have experience. ... When we lack experience, we also have the advantage of lacking preconceived notions of what's possible." pg 113. And, you don't know what you're capable of until you get started. So, what are we waiting for! As Srinivas writes from an interview with Seth Godin: "The enemy of creativity is fear; that seems pretty clear. The enemy of fear is creativity; that doesn't seem that obvious." The antidote to our fear is to put our heads down, do our work, and make something each day." pg 189. Let's all become Unmistakable.
Some further reading: Creativity: The Perfect Crime, Do the Work, and How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery.
"When you're the only person who could have created a work of art, the competition and standard metrics by which things are measured become irrelevant because nothing can replace you. The factors that distinguish you are so personal that nobody can replicate them." pg 2. That makes sense to me. You're essentially writing the book so no one can tell you how it's supposed to go.
The theory of becoming Unmistakable is fairly simple but the journey to that place is not. There are no maps to this realm because it is different for everyone and the paths to that place vary as widely as the talents that people bring with them. As Srinivas reminds us: "Unmistakable work is a process of self-discovery. We start our ride not knowing what it is that makes us unmistakable, and a thread reveals itself through the creation of a body of work. Dots connect, patterns emerge, and our unmistakable gift is revealed. Time is the critical ingredient required for this to take place, hence the role of longevity and commitment in the quest to become unmistakable." pgs 56-57 So, you can't give up. Create and fail and try again. That is as hard and as easy as it is.
"...creating unmistakable work might be one of the hardest things to do: you have to look into the depths of who you are, explore what matters to you, and infuse that into every element of your work until it can't possibly be mistaken for something anybody could have done but you." pg 68. The messages contained within Unmistakable become repetitive after a few chapters, but Srinivas threads some of the stories and artists from his podcast to break up the material as well as his personal testimony.
Unmistakable encourages creation even in areas that you may have no prior experience: "Lack of formal instruction might keep us from attempting some sort of creative pursuit or starting anything in which we don't have experience. ... When we lack experience, we also have the advantage of lacking preconceived notions of what's possible." pg 113. And, you don't know what you're capable of until you get started. So, what are we waiting for! As Srinivas writes from an interview with Seth Godin: "The enemy of creativity is fear; that seems pretty clear. The enemy of fear is creativity; that doesn't seem that obvious." The antidote to our fear is to put our heads down, do our work, and make something each day." pg 189. Let's all become Unmistakable.
Some further reading: Creativity: The Perfect Crime, Do the Work, and How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery.
June 5, 2016
This is a phenomenal piece of work. Srinivas Rao drives the point home of how being unmistakeable is the path to better work and a better life. Through the order sharing his own story as well as the stories of others, this book will inspire you to be "only" in your field – because only is better than best.
If you're looking for something to act as a catalyst to bring your great work to life or need a reminder of why it is that you do what you do in the first place, then this book is for you.
If you're looking for something to act as a catalyst to bring your great work to life or need a reminder of why it is that you do what you do in the first place, then this book is for you.
June 2, 2018
One of my students gave me this book during our second class. I'm not sure why--he didn't know me yet, or anything about me. And yet, it feels like he did.
I've laid everything on the line to pursue my dream of being a full-time novelist. A lot of people think that's crazy, but the guy who wrote this book not only understands--he's lived it. While the surfing analogies didn't speak to me, as I'm not a surfer, much of what he said was encouraging and affirming. Keep following the path that only you can follow. Not everyone will like it, but those who need to find you will.
While nothing in this book is overly startling or revolutionary, everyone who's ready to--or already has--risk all to pursue their dreams will find it comforting. I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad my student gave it to me when he did.
I've laid everything on the line to pursue my dream of being a full-time novelist. A lot of people think that's crazy, but the guy who wrote this book not only understands--he's lived it. While the surfing analogies didn't speak to me, as I'm not a surfer, much of what he said was encouraging and affirming. Keep following the path that only you can follow. Not everyone will like it, but those who need to find you will.
While nothing in this book is overly startling or revolutionary, everyone who's ready to--or already has--risk all to pursue their dreams will find it comforting. I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad my student gave it to me when he did.
August 29, 2016
Inspiring. Need to re-read and take notes.
November 13, 2016
Short punchy book drawing a lot of analogies relating doing good stuff to surfing. Following up on the examples cited was nice.
_______
The antidote to the voice of fear is to put your work out into the world, little by little, day by day, until you can live with the voice, while also ignoring it. You overcome resistance drip by drip with seemingly small accomplishments, one at a time, until you find a capacity to dare a bit more.
Treat validation as one of the environments you live in. Realistically we all need validation, so instead of searching for it everywhere or from people you know you can't get enough of it from, be deliberate. Have a select group of cheerleaders.
Our evaluations of the conditions can sometimes be misleading, because conditions are always changing.
Having a long-term view is a founder's greatest competitive advantage, because so few others have one.
Many so-called best practices would be more honest if the following disclaimer preceded them: This is what we did. This is what happened. We've turned them into some principles. They might work for you. They might not.
Make sure you know why these practices were done in the matter they were carried out.
If you have your life mapped out in exact detail, where's the room for serendipity in that?
Rather than seeing your resources as limited, if we start with the question "what can we do with what we've got?" the set of possible solutions to any problem we're trying to solve immediately expands.
Often our fear is a signal that what's on the other side is bliss, and miracles start to occur only when we attempt to do those things that scare us.
Uncertainty is a form of limitlessness. Not knowing what might happen opens up a world of possibilities.
Everyday we have creative impulses, moments that could make our work unmistakable. They are moments in which we feel deeply compelled to make something simply because we want to see it exist. But we're quick to write off such moments as silly. But it is exactly in these moments that the biggest breakthroughs occur.
We'll frequently choose to tolerate the unfulfilling over the uncomfortable. And we do so at a very high price: the cost of our joy and self-expression
Life is a series of false horizons. On the path to mastery, nearly every external marker of success is a false horizon.
The rough edges are where your most unmistakable elements lie.
Try a thirty day project that has nothing to do with your work. The only goal is progress: be slightly better than you were before you started.
Our cultural lack of encouragement for psychological health is one of the primary sources of our own unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and deepest inner suffering.
We must have the grit to persistently do hard things that have no immediate payoff.
Your temporary circumstances don't have to become your permanent identity.
If all we do is try to avoid being wrong, we'll never be able to do work that is unmistakable.
_______
The antidote to the voice of fear is to put your work out into the world, little by little, day by day, until you can live with the voice, while also ignoring it. You overcome resistance drip by drip with seemingly small accomplishments, one at a time, until you find a capacity to dare a bit more.
Treat validation as one of the environments you live in. Realistically we all need validation, so instead of searching for it everywhere or from people you know you can't get enough of it from, be deliberate. Have a select group of cheerleaders.
Our evaluations of the conditions can sometimes be misleading, because conditions are always changing.
Having a long-term view is a founder's greatest competitive advantage, because so few others have one.
Many so-called best practices would be more honest if the following disclaimer preceded them: This is what we did. This is what happened. We've turned them into some principles. They might work for you. They might not.
Make sure you know why these practices were done in the matter they were carried out.
If you have your life mapped out in exact detail, where's the room for serendipity in that?
Rather than seeing your resources as limited, if we start with the question "what can we do with what we've got?" the set of possible solutions to any problem we're trying to solve immediately expands.
Often our fear is a signal that what's on the other side is bliss, and miracles start to occur only when we attempt to do those things that scare us.
Uncertainty is a form of limitlessness. Not knowing what might happen opens up a world of possibilities.
Everyday we have creative impulses, moments that could make our work unmistakable. They are moments in which we feel deeply compelled to make something simply because we want to see it exist. But we're quick to write off such moments as silly. But it is exactly in these moments that the biggest breakthroughs occur.
We'll frequently choose to tolerate the unfulfilling over the uncomfortable. And we do so at a very high price: the cost of our joy and self-expression
Life is a series of false horizons. On the path to mastery, nearly every external marker of success is a false horizon.
The rough edges are where your most unmistakable elements lie.
Try a thirty day project that has nothing to do with your work. The only goal is progress: be slightly better than you were before you started.
Our cultural lack of encouragement for psychological health is one of the primary sources of our own unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and deepest inner suffering.
We must have the grit to persistently do hard things that have no immediate payoff.
Your temporary circumstances don't have to become your permanent identity.
If all we do is try to avoid being wrong, we'll never be able to do work that is unmistakable.
August 26, 2017
3.75
What does it mean to be unmistakable? And how do you produce work that is unmistakable?
Based on his successful podcast “The Unmistakable Creative” Srinivas Rao puts his spin on the over saturated market of how to succeed at being a creative entrepreneur to paper in his latest Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best.
While I listen to more than my fair share of podcasts in the area of creative inspiration, I’m not a fan of Rao’s podcast. Frankly, it’s a little too bro for me. Which is fine. Bros need their inspirational podcasts, too.
I like Rao much better in book form. He focuses what he has learned from interviewing successful creatives around a surfing analogy. Turning that into a book is no easy feat, and I give him propos for doing so . And while there’s certainly some repetition in his advice, most of the guidance for aspiring creatives can be boiled down to this – just do it.
More and more, I think being unmistakable simply means staying in the game for the long-haul. As a photographer, I just need to keep on keeping on. Put your work out there, see what resonates with people, try out ways to monetize it and repeat. And repeat. And repeat even if nobody shows up to your show or buys your product. Try again. And again. And again. Because one thing is certain, if you're not putting work out there, you'll never have a chance to succeed.
And now, anybody want to buy one of my prints? :) https://www.flickr.com/photos/emjay49...
What does it mean to be unmistakable? And how do you produce work that is unmistakable?
Based on his successful podcast “The Unmistakable Creative” Srinivas Rao puts his spin on the over saturated market of how to succeed at being a creative entrepreneur to paper in his latest Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best.
While I listen to more than my fair share of podcasts in the area of creative inspiration, I’m not a fan of Rao’s podcast. Frankly, it’s a little too bro for me. Which is fine. Bros need their inspirational podcasts, too.
I like Rao much better in book form. He focuses what he has learned from interviewing successful creatives around a surfing analogy. Turning that into a book is no easy feat, and I give him propos for doing so . And while there’s certainly some repetition in his advice, most of the guidance for aspiring creatives can be boiled down to this – just do it.
More and more, I think being unmistakable simply means staying in the game for the long-haul. As a photographer, I just need to keep on keeping on. Put your work out there, see what resonates with people, try out ways to monetize it and repeat. And repeat. And repeat even if nobody shows up to your show or buys your product. Try again. And again. And again. Because one thing is certain, if you're not putting work out there, you'll never have a chance to succeed.
And now, anybody want to buy one of my prints? :) https://www.flickr.com/photos/emjay49...
May 5, 2017
This book is preachy and repetitive, so much so that you will feel like you're reading the same chapter over and over.
The more I read books of this nature, the more convinced I am that acclaimed authors such as Seth Godin, Hugh MacLeod, et al., operate within the realm of a links-exchange orgy - I mention you in my book, and you mention me in yours. Eventually they become enclosed in an echo chamber and their reputation precedes themselves.
Take for example a glaring contradiction on the piece about Seth Godin. The author states that one of the reasons that Seth has intentionally chosen not to have comments on his blog is because "hearing negative feedback from anonymous people who I have no connection with will cause me to do nothing but hide."
Yet, in the conclusion of the piece, Seth defines unmistakable this way: "The path to become unmistakable is the willingness to be wrong, to be criticized, and most of all to matter."
The more I read books of this nature, the more convinced I am that acclaimed authors such as Seth Godin, Hugh MacLeod, et al., operate within the realm of a links-exchange orgy - I mention you in my book, and you mention me in yours. Eventually they become enclosed in an echo chamber and their reputation precedes themselves.
Take for example a glaring contradiction on the piece about Seth Godin. The author states that one of the reasons that Seth has intentionally chosen not to have comments on his blog is because "hearing negative feedback from anonymous people who I have no connection with will cause me to do nothing but hide."
Yet, in the conclusion of the piece, Seth defines unmistakable this way: "The path to become unmistakable is the willingness to be wrong, to be criticized, and most of all to matter."
August 12, 2025
I just finished this book Unmistakable: Why "Only" Is Better Than "Best" by Srinivas Rao (2016)
The standout insight is this simple yet transformative idea: strive to be unmistakably yourself, rather than trying to outcompete others. When you focus on your unique voice, experiences, and values, you shift from playing the comparison game to crafting something authentic and indispensable.
This mindset not only liberates you from endless competition but also cultivates original contributions that truly matter. As Rao powerfully puts it: “When you’re truly unmistakable, the competition becomes completely irrelevant. You’re not the best option, you’re the only option.”
#Unmistakeable
#Goodreads
The standout insight is this simple yet transformative idea: strive to be unmistakably yourself, rather than trying to outcompete others. When you focus on your unique voice, experiences, and values, you shift from playing the comparison game to crafting something authentic and indispensable.
This mindset not only liberates you from endless competition but also cultivates original contributions that truly matter. As Rao powerfully puts it: “When you’re truly unmistakable, the competition becomes completely irrelevant. You’re not the best option, you’re the only option.”
#Unmistakeable
#Goodreads
April 12, 2021
I enjoyed this. Listened to it, which is the medium I’m used to consuming Srini’s work (The Unmistakable Podcast), so it was a familiar space. There wasn’t anything groundbreaking here, although I liked the book’s framing of creative-journey-as-surfing analogy. (Even though I’ve never surfed, it still worked for me.) A few readers complained it was repetitive, but I didn’t feel that listening to it, and it’s short enough to be something I could return to for inspiration and motivation again and again.
July 4, 2021
I was only recently introduced to this author's podcast and books. I can't believe what I have been missing. "Unmistakables" are my people, what and who I aspire to be. As soon as I finished this book, I ordered his others. Rao's words speak to the inner spark that may have been doused in our childhood, that deep restlessness we carry within. This is a book I will pick up and read again.
January 14, 2025
If one thing this book left me with, it is that we need to master small waves with consistency, to be prepared for huge waves. Anyone can write on a blog for 90 days, anyone can post on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter for 90 days, but few of the people are able to have unmistakable creations, and to be persistent against constant failures.
February 11, 2025
It is a typical self-help book. What makes it more interesting than others is its comparison between personal growth and surfing. At the very least, I learned something about surfing. It also contains many stories about various people and how their work makes them unique. However, it can be repetitive at times.
January 9, 2021
Another motivating book. However I feel in most chapters, the author went round n round and the message delivered is not worth those 6-7 unnecessary para.. it gets a bit boring when u reach part 4 n above..
March 31, 2018
Inspiring and instructive book about how to be you and let yourself be expressed to the world
April 6, 2019
Quick bloggy book w/ encouraging words for creators and would-be originators, which is definitely worthwhile: serves its purpose.
October 19, 2018
Just drop everything you are doing right at this moment (unless you're holding a beer and/or a baby) and read this book.
June 10, 2023
The surfing metaphor is exhaustive. There’s a lot of quoting other people and quoting his own podcast. On page 133 he says if you don’t want to dedicate at least a year of your life to working every single day you should stop reading this book right now.
So I did.
So I did.
February 20, 2017
A call-to-action to take that first step to living the life you've always wanted to live. I love the idea behind the book, but I just couldn't get into it. It's repetitive and I lost interest fast.
Read
June 2, 2016Great book!
August 5, 2016
This is a Goodreads win review. I liked this book. It has the premise that we do not have to beat other people. The print was too tiny for me to see it.
Read
September 15, 2016Enjoyed this. Was a good incentive for moving your career past ordinary.
October 8, 2016
Great insight from Srinivas, and how he navigated through challenges, and through persistence and riding the waves enabled him the success that was within him.
March 28, 2017
I really wanted to like this after listening to him speak, but the book is all metaphors. I get it, start ups are like surfing...I was hoping this would be about improving business but its more of a pep talk about taking risks and not keeping life at the status quo.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews