Episode Notes [03:47] Seth's Early Understanding of Questions [04:33] The Power of Questions [05:25] Building Relationships Through Questions [06:41] This is Strategy: Focus on Questions [10:21] Gamifying Questions [11:34] Conversations as Infinite Games [15:32] Creating Tension with Questions [20:46] Effective Questioning Techniques [23:21] Empathy and Engagement [34:33] Strategy and Culture [35:22] Microsoft's Transformation [36:00] Global Perspectives on Questions [39:39] Caring in a Challenging World Resources Mentioned The Dip by Seth Godin Linchpin by Seth Godin Purple Cow by Seth Godin Tribes by Seth Godin This Is Marketing by Seth Godin The Carbon Almanac This is Strategy by Seth Godin Seth's Blog What Does it Sound Like When You Change Your Mind? by Seth Godin Value Creation Masterclass by Seth Godin on Udemy The Strategy Deck by Seth Godin Taylor Swift Jimmy Smith Jimmy Smith Curated Questions Episode Supercuts Priya Parker Techstars Satya Nadella Microsoft Steve Ballmer Acumen Jerry Colonna Unleashing the Idea Virus by Seth Godin Tim Ferriss podcast with Seth Godin Seth Godin website Beauty Pill Producer Ben Ford Questions Asked When did you first understand the power of questions? What do you do to get under the layer to really get down to those lower levels? Is it just follow-up questions, mindset, worldview, and how that works for you? How'd you get this job anyway? What are things like around here? What did your boss do before they were your boss? Wow did you end up with this job? Why are questions such a big part of This is Strategy? If you had to charge ten times as much as you charge now, what would you do differently? If it had to be free, what would you do differently? Who's it for, and what's it for? What is the change we seek to make? How did you choose the questions for The Strategy Deck? How big is our circle of us? How many people do I care about? Is the change we're making contagious? Are there other ways to gamify the use of questions? Any other thoughts on how questions might be gamified? How do we play games with other people where we're aware of what it would be for them to win and for us to win? What is it that you're challenged by? What is it that you want to share? What is it that you're afraid of? If there isn't a change, then why are we wasting our time? Can you define tension? What kind of haircut do you want? How long has it been since your last haircut? How might one think about intentionally creating that question? What factors should someone think about as they use questions to create tension? How was school today? What is the kind of interaction I'm hoping for over time? How do I ask a different sort of question that over time will be answered with how was school today? Were there any easy questions on your math homework? Did anything good happen at school today? What tension am I here to create? What wrong questions continue to be asked? What temperature is it outside? When the person you could have been meets the person you are becoming, is it going to be a cause for celebration or heartbreak? What are the questions we're going to ask each other? What was life like at the dinner table when you were growing up? What are we really trying to accomplish? How do you have this cogent two sentence explanation of what you do? How many clicks can we get per visit? What would happen if there was a webpage that was designed to get you to leave? What were the questions that were being asked by people in authority at Yahoo in 1999? How did the stock do today? Is anything broken? What can you do today that will make the stock go up tomorrow? What are risks worth taking? What are we doing that might not work but that supports our mission? What was the last thing you did that didn't work, and what did we learn from it? What have we done to so delight our core customers that they're telling other people? How has your international circle informed your life of questions? What do I believe that other people don't believe? What do I see that other people don't see? What do I take for granted that other people don't take for granted? What would blank do? What would Bob do? What would Jill do? What would Susan do? What happened to them? What system are they in that made them decide that that was the right thing to do? And then how do we change the system? How given the state of the world, do you manage to continue to care as much as you do? Do you walk to school or take your lunch? If you all can only care if things are going well, then what does that mean about caring? Should I have spent the last 50 years curled up in a ball? How do we go to the foundation and create community action?…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/the-geekery-17-degrassi-remedy.mp3 In this special episode, two of the three guys debut Chris’ new podcast The Degrassi Remedy. Chris invites Matt to join in on the pilot episode, after watching an episode of Degrassi Junior High, they deconstruct the episode and learn a little something along the way. The Degrassi Remedy will be available on its own feed very soon.…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/the-geekery16-baby-smoove.mp3 In this episode of The Geekery, Matt wants a Viking funeral, Chris goes to church, and Willie has strict rules about personal grooming habits (yours and his). **Disclaimer: The guys talk about several topics that should not be discussed in proper company, including religion, death, and genitalia. They also need their mouths washed out with soap. Basically, your children will likely learn some dirty things if you hear it.**…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/the-geekery-15-rex-manning-day.mp3 It’s a very special day for the guys of The Geekery, it’s Rex Manning Day! In which, Matt steals some Skittles, Chris meets Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Willie knows how to handle a shoplifter. Damn the man. Save the Empire.…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/the-geekery-14-when-i-grow-up.mp3 In this episode of The Geekery, the guys take a trip down failure lane to discuss what they used to want to be. Matt is always prepared for a Die Hard situation, Chris has some interesting bathroom habits, and Willie just wants to entertain.…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/the-geekery-13-kc-mo.mp3 In this episode of The Geekery the guys chronicle their trip to the Childish Gambino concert in Kansas City. Matt has a love/hate relationship with the hills of downtown Kansas City, Chris is afraid of other black people, and Willie is ready to party down. (Side note: Chris gets progressively drunk throughout this episode, some parts that would normally be cut out were left in to show his increasing intoxication.)…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/the-geekery-12-i-am-not-a-hipster.mp3 Emotions run high, lifestyles are questioned, and the jeans get skinny in this episode of The Geekery. Matt champions polygamy, Chris finds out whether or not he is a hipster (SPOILER ALERT: he is), and Willie is mad at Obama.…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/the-geekery-11-nope-nope-pup-a-lope.mp3 The new episode of The Geekery is turned up to 11 as the guys welcome their very first guest, Will Cain, the writer and illustrator of the children’s book, Nope Nope Pup-a-lope. Matt is honored by being named in the book’s sequel, Chris is touched by the books message of acceptance, and Willie judges the book by it’s cover.…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/the-geekery-10-milestones-and-origins.mp3 In this 10th episode of The Geekery, it’s a Double Feature! First, Matt talks about the Oscars, Chris just has to say something… every time, and Willie is on his phone a lot. Then we explore our origins with the unaired pilot episode of The Geekery, in which Matt struggles to keep they guys on track (he will one day learn that this endeavor is futile) and Chris and Willie debate the use of black face.…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/the-geekery-09-diversity-now.mp3 It gets a bit heavy in this episode of The Geekery, Matt has become disenchanted with PC sensitivity, Chris has a preference for the word “orientation”, Willie finally gets to talk about football, and the guys get serious about diversity. Warning: it seriously gets serious.…
https://thegeekerypodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/the-geekery-08-merica-the-beautiful.mp3 In this episode of The Geekery, the guys discuss Superbowl commercials, Matt has fun at the expense of an innocent doomsayer, Chris defends feminine hygiene products, and Willie embraces the melting pot.