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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Perennial Seller summary
Ryan Holiday
The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts
18 mins
Brief summary
Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday is a business book that emphasises the importance of creating work that stands the test of time. It offers practical advice for artists and entrepreneurs to achieve lasting creative success by mastering the art of craftsmanship and marketing.
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Perennial Seller
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Key idea 1 of 8
Creating a perennial seller requires hard graft, and great ideas alone will get you nowhere.
You know that old maxim about product success being 20 percent creativity, 80 percent marketing? Well, you can safely ignore it, because it’s pure bushwa.
If you want to develop a perennial seller – a product that always sells, year in and year out – you’re going to need to put a lot of work into the creative process. Marketing is not a magic wand. To be successful, your creation will have to be a world-beater from the get-go. And there’s no escaping the hard work that creation entails.
No company knows this better than Microsoft. It’s forced some real stinkers on the market, hoping that marketing would make up for product shortcomings. Just think of its failed MP3 player, Zune, or its dismal search engine, Bing.
In contrast, Microsoft Office has only gotten better over the years, and is now a classic 25-year perennial seller, thanks to its sound software design.
But, of course, if you're going to market a product you'll need to develop one in the first place. Just having lightbulb moments will get you nowhere.
To drive this point home, consider how many aspiring writers you’ve met who haven’t actually published a thing. You know the type; he talked your ear off at this or that party, claiming he would soon produce a masterpiece, though he hadn’t written anything yet. It’s one thing to have an idea for a film’s plot, or a concept for a start-up, but it's quite another to actually get going.
Ideas alone are worth nothing. Take the writer and comedian Sarah Silverman’s advice. You needn’t wait for someone’s approval to get going: just write!
So exactly how do you turn an idea into something real? Just what kind of hard work is needed? Let’s turn to that now.
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What is Perennial Seller about?
Perennial Seller (2017) explains how to ensure that great creative work also succeeds in the market. These blinks not only demonstrate how to generate success for a particular project, but also how to secure continued long-term success for yourself as a creative individual.
Perennial Seller Review
Perennial Seller (2017) by Ryan Holiday is a compelling guide to creating and marketing work that stands the test of time. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides insightful strategies and practical tips on how to create and promote work that will have a lasting impact in the saturated market of today.
- The book emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship, quality, and perseverance, encouraging readers to focus on creating something truly exceptional and timeless.
- Through real-world case studies and examples, the book inspires and gives readers a clearer understanding of what it takes to create a perennial seller, making it far from boring.
Best quote from Perennial Seller
Lots of people want to be the noun, without doing the verb. – Austin Kleon, poet
—Ryan Holiday
Who should read Perennial Seller?
- Creative types
- Entrepreneurs
- Dreamers with high ambitions but low success rates
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Perennial Seller FAQs
What is the main message of Perennial Seller?
The main message of Perennial Seller is the key principles for creating and marketing timeless work.
How long does it take to read Perennial Seller?
The reading time for Perennial Seller varies. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Perennial Seller a good book? Is it worth reading?
Perennial Seller is worth reading as it offers valuable insights and strategies for creating and sustaining lasting success.
Who is the author of Perennial Seller?
The author of Perennial Seller is Ryan Holiday.
What to read after Perennial Seller?
If you're wondering what to read next after Perennial Seller, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Cashvertising by Drew Eric Whitman
- Do I Make Myself Clear? by Harold Evans
- Persuasive Copywriting by Andy Maslen
- Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
- Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
- The Daily Dad by Ryan Holiday
- Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday
- Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace
- Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
- The Monopolists by Mary Pilon