This is a contract for Seth Godin's son to skateboard
Selfish Jerks
- If the point is to tell the reader the truth about risk, then it should be designed for the signer to actually read it.
- If the goal is to put enough on the page so that the signer does not read it so that way when his son breaks his wrist and he tries to sue, the company can tell them that they can't then this is broken because of how selfish the company is.
Some things are broken because people are selfish jerks who want to make sure that they get as much benefit as possible out of any outcome.
How can something be broken?
The World Changed
And then there is this sign.
These shoes are not good at being shoes
Warning you of . . . the sign.
Fans wanted this shirt
Broken on Purpose
But they got this instead
This is broken because someone did not realize why the consumer would want a "vote for Pedro" shirt, and thought the simple concept could be improved on.
They are not meant to be comfortable.
Things that are broken because people use a business model from one era for another era and is unwilling to fix it.
Because they wanted it to be just like in the movie
Things that are broken on purpose so that people will notice the brokenness, comment it and buy a pair.
At this cab stand were 75 people in line and 75 cabs
Contradictions
This is a wine list.
On the other hand that computer is none of those things. That computer is clunky, slow, and at the time was new. All things that contradict why people drink wine, and that makes people less willing to spend money on the wine. This is broken.
When how you go about selling something contradicts the image of the product that you are selling.
Why this topic?
Wine is old, vintage, and refined.
What makes something broken?
I am not a fish
- Do you think it is broken?
- If yes, its broken.
- If no, well then your opinion does not matter because if I think it is broken it is broken.
- If anyone thinks it is broken, well then it is broken.
The engineer who put up this sign
If you drink coffee, the air conditioner will chill your drink.
On the other hand if you would like to use your controls you cannot because you are enjoying a beverage.
Something that is designed by someone who has never needed to use the product.
And can read the sign, does not need the sign.
- "This is Broken" was made because of a cab stand that Mr. Godin got stuck at.
I didn't know
These are products where the creator simply had no clue.
This is the control panel of a million dollar laser cutter
Only a few keys are ever used, so why are they all the same size?
Not my Job
Someone had the authority to put up this sign
There are things that are broken simply because it was no one's job to fix it.
Here are a few examples:
Everyday the janitor needs to clean this up
This is broken just because it is not someone's job
But, it is not his job to get a new trash can
But, not the authority to fix the problem.
Core of the Talk
This is Broken
- Stuff that's broken
- Why it's broken
- By pointing it out, he hopes that we may one day unbreak these things.
And somethings are just broken
Those are bullet holes.
Simple as that right? Wrong.
- Rather than simply get in a cab and go, everyone waited in line.
- Seth Godin and everyone else in line waited an hour for a cab.
This is Broken by Seth Godin