Friends of Ben: Seth Godin

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In between visiting NYU and Sarah Lawrence (more on my college trip soon) I raced up to visit Seth Godin in Irvington, NY. It was my first time meeting Seth but I’ve been inside his brain for a few years now through consuming his books and blog. When I knew I was going to be near his town I dropped him an email explaining my background and mutual interests. He agreed for a quick cup of tea and I was thrilled.

Interacting with him in-person on business/marketing issues and life/college issues was incredibly illuminating. He has an appealing style of offering blunt advice and feedback in a constructive, level-headed way.

On the college process, Seth (who was once a professor at NYU and PACE) threw out this scenario: what if I was to take all the money my parents would spend on a formal college education (at a private college, this would be in the hundreds of thousands) and spend a year in Banglore, a year in China, and two years rolling up my sleeves in a company. What kind of education would that provide and would it be superior to the conventional college ed?

I hope to get to know Seth better in the coming months and years. In the meantime, thanks Seth, for a stimulating conversation.