Seth Godin: Solving the Unsolvable: Live Interview

Why do smart retailers stay stuck? Seth Godin is back on The Remarkable Retail podcast to unpack his new book, The Knot, and the hidden "but" holding companies back. Bestselling author Seth Godin returns to the show with Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc to talk about The Knot, his new book on solving the problems that feel unsolvable. Seth starts with the real story of Alexander and the Gordian Knot. Alexander didn't cut it; he pulled out the pole it was tied around. Seth argues that every organization has hidden entanglements like that, and they keep smart people frozen. For retail, the diagnosis is blunt. Struggling retailers aren't short on resources or data. They want two things that can't coexist, and nobody will say it out loud. Seth explains why Sears, Kodak and Blockbuster defended the old model while Netflix disrupted itself on purpose, and why a century of department store thinking was really about defending real estate rather than delighting customers. He also offers a new take on the sunk cost fallacy: after a 15-hour first-class flight to Dubai, would you stay on the plane? The conversation covers "my boss won't let me," how to move a board one member at a time, AI's race to the bottom versus the race to the top, and why today's leaders have to stop playing golf and learn to surf. Seth closes with a challenge for every retail executive: skip the consultants, get close to a real customer, and go be a merchant again. CHAPTERS 00:00 Seth Godin returns with The Knot 00:51 Why every book is about marketing 01:59 The real story of the Gordian Knot 03:55 The hidden "but" that keeps us stuck 07:22 Wired to avoid change: Kodak vs. Netflix 10:08 What struggling department stores are missing 13:13 Solving problems at the speed of disruption 16:12 Sunk cost: would you stay on the plane? 17:33 "My boss won't let me": small experiments 20:38 Purpose, identity and frozen boardrooms 24:05 AI's race to the bottom vs. the race to the top 26:21 Stop playing golf, start surfing 30:29 Tell the truth: what retailers must say out loud 33:22 Why Blockbuster couldn't see its customers 35:26 Seth's advice: go be a merchant again 37:47 Where to find The Knot ABOUT REMARKABLE RETAIL The Remarkable Retail podcast is hosted by Steve Dennis, retail strategist, keynote speaker and author of best-selling books Remarkable Retail and Leaders Leap, and Michael LeBlanc, senior retail advisor and award-winning media producer & host. Every week they break down the retail news that matters and talk with leaders shaping the future of commerce. 🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast... 📘 Get The Knot by Seth Godin: https://www.indigo.ca/products/the-kn... 🔔 Subscribe for weekly retail analysis and interviews #SethGodin #Retail #RemarkableRetail