Quit to Win

The good news is it's getting easier to be the best in the world because "the world just got a whole lot bigger, and the number of choices is approaching infinity," Godin points out. "The challenge of the marketer/business is to pick a universe that's big enough to make you happy once you get to the other side of the dip."

Urgent Care

The primary misconception small businesses make, says Godin, is that their hard work deserves a profit or a sympathetic ear. He welcomes us warmly to the selfish world.

"People don't care about you; they care about themselves," he says. "When a small business creates relevance and urgency, when they have an authentic story that makes it clear that they are the best choice, then they win."

As examples, Godin offers his own Squidoo.com, with a relentless focus on one thing, and Kiva.org, which grabbed an untaken spot in lending money to small businesses in the developing world.

"I've grappled with dozens of dips, just like everybody else," Godin says. "Most of them have wiped me out because I wasn't prepared for them and didn't have enough resources to get through them. But the few times I've focused on the dip ahead and been ready for it, the ride has been more than worth the journey."

So what are you waiting for? Quit!