Seth Godin Glossary (1999–2025): Permission, Tribes, Purple Cow and Significance

Seth Godin Glossary (1999–2025) is my plain-English field guide to the ideas I actually use at work.
I define each term.
I explain why it matters in 2025.
I show how I apply it this week.

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1) Permission Marketing (1999 → 2025)

I treat permission as a loan of trust that I must repay with value.
I earn it with clear promises, useful follow-ups, and easy opt-outs.
In a cookieless, AI-summarized world, permission beats hacks.

Use this.

• Ask for one clear yes.
• Deliver one specific win.
• Remind people why staying is worth it.

Pitfall.
Tricking consent kills LTV.

2) Purple Cow (Remarkability)

I make something visibly different and useful so people talk about it.
I pick one axis—price, speed, trust, openness—and push it to the edge.

Use this.

• Ask: “Would anyone retell this?”
• Ship a public artifact that proves the difference.

Pitfall.
Cute stunts without business impact.

3) Tribes

I build a group of people connected to one another, to a leader, and to an idea.
I give them language, rituals, and places to show up.

Use this.

• Name the change we seek.
• Publish a pledge we defend.
• Host one recurring gathering.

Pitfall.
Confusing audience size with belonging.

4) Linchpin

I become the person who ships, connects dots, and takes responsibility when it matters.
I trade “fitting in” for making a difference.

Use this.

• Volunteer for the messy project.
• Ship a draft before the meeting.
• Teach someone what you just learned.

Pitfall.
Hero mode without systems.

5) The Dip

I expect the scary middle where effort rises and results don’t.
I decide before I start whether to quit fast or lean in.

Use this.

• Define finish lines and kill switches.
• Track leading indicators, not vibes.

Pitfall.
Sunk-cost pride.

6) Minimum Viable Audience (MVA)

I pick the smallest group that can make the work sustainable.
I serve them so well they bring the next cohort.

Use this.

• Write for one role + one pain.
• Design features for that exact job.
• Say no to the rest.

Pitfall.
Going broad, learning nothing.

7) Shipping (The Practice)

I publish on a schedule, not when I feel ready.
I keep quality with checklists, not perfectionism.

Use this.

• Weekly ship date.
• 5×5 research sprint.
• One “evidence pass.”

Pitfall.
Infinite polishing, zero momentum.

8) Tension (Productive)

I create clean pressure that pulls people to act.
I trade manipulation for earned urgency.

Use this.

• Time-boxed trials.
• Limited but honest offers.
• Clear next steps.

Pitfall.
False scarcity.

9) Status & Affiliation

I recognize people buy identity, not only features.
I help them signal who they are and who they’re with.

Use this.

• Name the club clearly.
• Offer badges, roles, or rituals.
• Spotlight member wins.

Pitfall.
Exclusivity that excludes revenue.

10) Story (Positioning)

I align promise, proof, and price so the story matches reality.
I choose one claim I’m willing to be judged on.

Use this.

• “For who, we deliver what, unlike alternative.”
• Add one number and one limit.

Pitfall.
Fancy taglines without evidence.

11) Trust (The Real Product)

I treat trust as the product we sell first.
I prove it with receipts, not adjectives.

Use this.

• Cite sources and dates.
• Show before/after.
• Publish roadmaps and post-mortems.

Pitfall.
Weasel words and hidden caveats.

12) Attention (A Loan, Not a Right)

I define attention as voluntary, repeated focus.
I earn it with usefulness and consistency.

Use this.

• One promise per asset.
• Replies over impressions.
• Owned channels over rented feeds.

Pitfall.
Chasing trend cycles you don’t control.

13) Enrollment

I invite people to opt in to the change.
I make the path clear, safe, and worth it.

Use this.

• Spell out the first three steps.
• Show a peer story.
• Remove one fear per step.

Pitfall.
Confusing coercion with commitment.

14) Generosity (Work as a Gift)

I give specific help without keeping score.
I set boundaries so I can keep giving.

Use this.

• Publish one usable tool a month.
• Offer fast replies to qualified questions.

Pitfall.
Vague “value” that helps no one.

15) Constraints (As Feature)

I embrace limits to make better choices.
I set budgets for time, scope, and risk.

Use this.

• One-page brief.
• No more than three objectives.
• A tiny calendar that survives real life.

Pitfall.
Infinite options, zero decisions.

16) Smallest Viable Project (SVP)

I ship the minimum public artifact that proves the idea.
I learn in the market, not in meetings.

Use this.

• One page.
• One demo.
• One cohort.

Pitfall.
MVP that’s invisible.

17) Remarkable Distribution

I design distribution that spreads itself.
I bake shareable moments into the product.

Use this.

• Built-in case study mode.
• “Copy this” templates.
• Public leaderboards.

Pitfall.
Publishing and praying.

18) The Song of Significance (High-Trust Teams)

I build teams where meaning, mastery, and agency are the point.
I protect craft and candor.

Use this.

• Team charter.
• Conflict rules.
• Weekly ship + retro.

Pitfall.
Perks instead of purpose.

19) AI in 2025 (Recoverable & Verifiable)

I use AI for tasks I can undo and check.
I keep humans for taste, ethics, and judgment.

Use this.

• Confidence thresholds.
• Source-first answers.
• Rollback plans.

Pitfall.
Letting AI make irreversible calls.

20) Carbon Almanac Mindset (Systems Change)

I make impact visible, verifiable, and worth retelling.
I publish baselines, small wins, and next steps.

Use this.

• One impact page.
• Three initiatives in 90 days.
• Monthly updates with receipts.

Pitfall.
Slogans without proof.

FAQs

What’s the fastest way to apply this glossary.
I pick one term per week, ship a tiny artifact, and stack habits for 12 weeks.

How do I choose my Purple Cow axis.
I pick the lever my competitors won’t copy without changing their operating model.

Does “permission” mean I can’t market aggressively.
No.
It means I earn the right to follow up because I keep promises.

What’s a clean measure of attention.
Replies per 100 opens and repeat direct visits beat impressions.

How do I build a tribe from zero.
I name the change, publish the pledge, and host one repeating event.

How do I know I’m in The Dip vs. a dead end.
If leading indicators don’t move after real iterations, I quit on purpose.

Is “remarkability” only about product.
No.
Pricing, onboarding, trust, and distribution can be remarkable too.

How do I use AI without losing the plot.
I keep AI on recoverable tasks and put humans on taste and ethics.

What if my audience is too broad.
I switch to an MVA and tune offers to one role and one pain.

How do I make generosity sustainable.
I publish useful gifts with boundaries and a clear path to paid help.

Conclusion

Seth Godin Glossary (1999–2025) is a toolkit I use to earn attention, build trust, and ship work that spreads.
If I define these ideas in my context and practice them weekly, I’ll grow faster than any tactic can promise.
Book a demo at https://hoook.io to see how our customers getting up to 100% traffic growth and up to 20% revenue increase.

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