Derek Sivers podcast
Episodes
It’s hard to get off stage
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Being a songwriter is weird. You dig deep inside yourself. You extract and explain your emotions. Then you broadcast your innermost feelings to t...
“Marketing” just means being considerate
15 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t confuse the word “marketing” with advertising, announcing, spamming, or giving away branded crap. Really, “marketing” just means b...
Repeatedly follow-up to show you care
14 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I knew a music publicist in New York City when she was at the peak of her success. A few of her clients had hits, so everyone wanted to work with h...
Unlikely places and untangled goals
11 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I once went without food for ten days, and that was fine. But the two things I can’t do without for long are solitude and silence. (Freedom from...
What are the odds of that?
03 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Three true stories: In 1992, in Tokyo, I dated a girl named Masako. After our month together, she moved to London. We lost touch. In 2008, I ...
Parenting : Who is it really for?
26 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Since my son was born five years ago, I’ve spent at least thirty hours a week with him, just one-on-one, giving him my full attention. But I’ve...
Actions, not words, reveal our real values
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I told my old coach that I really wanted to start my new company. He said, “No, you don’t.” I said, “Yes, I do! This is really importan...
Think like a bronze medalist, not silver
13 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine the Olympics, where you have the three winners of a race standing on the podium: the gold, the silver, and the bronze. Imagine what it’s...
Art is useless, and so am I
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Art is useless by definition. If it was useful, it would be a tool. For the past twenty years, I was obsessed with being useful. That one meas...
Quitting something you love
30 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Personal change needs some space to happen. To bring something new into your life, you need somewhere to put it. If your current habits are fill...
Solitary socialite
27 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For the past ten years, I’ve answered up to two hundred emails per day. I sit alone in my little office for hours, engaging with everyone’s sto...
How to do what you love and make good money
19 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
People with a well-paying job ask my advice because they want to quit to become full-time artists. But full-time artists ask my advice because the...
Tilting my mirror (motivation is delicate)
05 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Motivation is delicate. When you notice your motivation fading, you have to seek out the subtle cause. A simple tweak can make all the differenc...
Why are you doing?
05 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It’s crucial to know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Most people don’t know. They just go with the flow. Social norms are powerful....
I’m a very slow thinker
26 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When a friend says something interesting to me, I usually don’t have a reaction until much later. When someone asks me a deep question, I say, “...
Keep earning your title, or it expires
04 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Until yesterday, I called myself an entrepreneur. Now, I don’t. It’s been years since I started a company, so I can’t keep using that title...
When you’re extremely unmotivated
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Like everyone, I get those times when I’m unmotivated to do anything. Brain dead. No energy. Everything feels like, “Why bother? What’s the...
Disconnect
27 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
All the best, happiest, and most creatively productive times in my life have something in common: being disconnected. No internet. No TV. No pho...
Don’t add your two cents
25 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
“My two cents” is American slang for adding a small opinion or suggestion. An employee says to the boss, “I’ve been working for the past t...
Possible futures
27 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
I occasionally get a big vision for my future — a huge project that will take many months or years. Something exciting and very worth doing. I’...
Singing the counter-melody
21 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
My advice and opinions may sound strange on their own. Do you know what musical counterpoint is? Underneath the main melody, you have a counter-m...
Don’t start a business until people are asking you to
13 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When you bake a cake, you need to do first things first. You need to get the ingredients before you turn on the oven. You need to bake it before y...
Happy, Smart, and Useful
03 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
There are three things to consider when making life-size decisions: What makes you happy What’s smart — meaning long-term good for you Wha...
Assume men and women are the same
28 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Men say, “Women can never make up their minds.” But actually both men and women are equally indecisive. Women say, “Men think one thing bu...
Beware of advice
25 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine that you hand someone your camera, and ask him to take a photo of you. He does, but when you look at the photo later, you notice that he to...
Overcompensate to compensate
23 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You have something you want to change: a thought process or habit you want to fix. Let’s use the metaphor of a bunch of bricks on a seesaw. Rig...
How to take a compliment
18 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You would think this would be a basic life skill, but it seems almost nobody knows it, so please spread the word. When someone gives you a complim...
Why I don’t want stuff
16 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
About once a month, someone asks for my mailing address because they want to send me something. They liked something I wrote, and want to send me a...
Switch strategies
27 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Life is like any journey. You need to change directions a few times to get where you want to go. Early in your career, the best strategy is to s...
Relax for the same result
02 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A few years ago, I lived in Santa Monica, California, right on the beach. There’s a great bike path that goes along the ocean for seven and a ha...
Saying no to everything else
23 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Pressfield called himself an author for years, but he’d never actually finished a book. Eventually, the psychological pain of not finishin...
Getting out of a bad state of mind
01 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The last time I was in really bad state of mind, I used these five steps to get out of it. I’ve shared this with a few friends in a similar situa...
I love being wrong
09 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Most of the time, I feel smart, successful, and driven — like I’ve got it all figured out. But last month a bunch of stuff knocked me on my ass...
You can afford to be generous
04 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Your business is secure. Even if it’s not, you have to feel that it is. Money is coming your way. You are doing well. You are one of the luck...
Lose every fight
03 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Customer service often starts when someone has a problem, and is upset. When you feel attacked, it’s hard not to fight back, especially when you ...
Every interaction is your moment to shine
02 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Probably only 1% of your potential customers ever bother to contact you. So when they do, it’s your time to shine. Three minutes spent talking ...
Customer service is everything
01 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
I was honestly surprised that CD Baby was such a runaway success. But I was even more surprised to find out why. Whenever I was out at events, I’...
Loving what I used to hate
18 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Be careful when you say you like or dislike something, because you could change your mind soon. The first time I heard Tom Waits’s music, when h...
What if you didn’t need money or attention?
19 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You know that feeling you have after a big meal? When you’re so full that you don’t want anything more? Ever wonder what that would feel like...
How will this game end?
06 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine that I’m going to auction a $100 bill. The bidding starts at $1. The regular rules of auctions apply with one change: if you are the se...
Imitate. We are imperfect mirrors.
02 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You know that song you love that you wish you’d written? Copy it. You know that existing business that you wish you had thought of? Copy it. ...
OK Milt, I’ll start writing again
09 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterday I procrastinated, tinkered, and wasted time, doing nothing of any value. Then this morning, I found out that one of my best friends died...
Some will always say you’re wrong
03 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Some people are into money. Some aren’t. Some people are inspired by helping the needy. Some aren’t. Some people are into fame, power, and pre...
Seeking inspiration?
14 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The word “inspiration” usually means “something that mentally stimulates you.” But “inspiration” also means to breathe in. The meani...
Human Intervention as a Competitive Advantage
21 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The listening algorithm A year after I started CD Baby, when it was still just me in my bedroom, the CEO and VP of a hugely-funded Silicon Valley...
Everything is my fault
09 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
I used to get mad at people. They lied. They betrayed me. They disappeared. Do you hear the pattern? “They this. They that.” When someon...
You don’t have to be local
02 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
You can focus your time locally or globally. If you’re local, you focus on your community, doing things in-person. But this means you have less...
Smart people don’t think others are stupid
16 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The woman seemed to be making some pretty good points until she stopped with, “Ugh! Those people are just so stupid!!” She could have said Sou...
The co-op business model: share whatever you’ve got
20 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The only business I’ve ever done is the co-op / sharing model. It goes like this: You have something that people want. It might be something ...
232 sand dollars
15 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
When I was twenty-two, I lived alone on the Oregon coast for a year, just practicing, recording, dreaming, and going for long runs on the beach. I...
Procrastination hack: change “and” to “or”
24 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
My unwritten condition for when to exercise was this: When it’s a nice day, and I’ve finished my work, and I haven’t just eaten, and I’m f...
You make your perfect world
24 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
I started CD Baby focused on the importance of making a dream-come-true perfect world for musicians. Along the way I learned the importance of mak...
Delegate, but don’t abdicate
23 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Delegation doesn’t come naturally to any of us. But I was trying really hard to be good at it. I knew how important it was to get into the deleg...
Make it anything you want
22 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
After your business has been up and running a while, you’ll hit an interesting crossroads. Everyone assumes that as the owner of the company, yo...
It’s about being, not having
21 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Since I was 14, I was determined to be a great singer. But my pitch was bad, my tone was bad, and everyone said I was just not a singer. For 11 y...
Prepare to double
20 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
CD Baby doubled in size every year for the first six years. Both customers and profit, almost exactly 100 percent growth each year. Because the b...
It’s OK to be casual
19 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
My hiring policy was ridiculous. Because I was too busy to bother, I’d just ask my current employees if they had any friends who needed work. ...
Little things make all the difference
18 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
If you find even the smallest way to make people smile, they’ll remember you more for that smile than for all your other fancy business-model stuf...
The most successful email I ever wrote
17 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
When you make a business, you’re making a little world where you control the laws. It doesn’t matter how things are done everywhere else. In y...
Like you don’t need the money
16 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Banks love to lend money to those who don’t need it. Record labels love to sign musicians who don’t need their help. People fall in love wit...
Care about your customers more than about yourself
15 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
At a conference in Los Angeles, someone in the audience asked me, “What if every musician just set up their own store on their own website? Since ...
You don’t need a plan or a vision
14 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have a big visionary master plan for how the world will work in twenty years? Do you have massive ambitions to revolutionize your industry? ...
Why no advertising?
13 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
I got a call from an advertising salesman, saying he’d like to run banner ads at the top and bottom of cdbaby.com. I said, “No way. Out of the...
Proudly exclude people
12 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
You know you can’t please everyone, right? But notice that most businesses are trying to be everything to everybody. And they wonder why they c...
Formalities play on fear. Bravely refuse.
11 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A year after starting CD Baby, when it was going pretty well, I got a call from a friend who was setting up his own similar web-based business. He...
Start now. No funding needed.
10 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Watch out when anyone (including you) says they want to do something big, but can’t until they raise money. It usually means they’re more in l...
The advantage of no funding
09 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Having no funding was a huge advantage for me. A year after I started CD Baby, the dot-com boom happened. Anyone with a little hot air and a vagu...
Just like that, my plan completely changed
08 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
When I first started CD Baby, I thought it was just a credit card processing service. It was supposed to be a website that musicians would use to ...
If it’s not a hit, switch
07 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in my life, I had made something that people really wanted. Before that, I had spent twelve years trying to promote my various ...
This ain’t no revolution
06 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Five years after I started CD Baby, when it was a big success, the media said I had revolutionized the music business. But “revolution” is a t...
A business model with only two numbers
05 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Like most people, I had no idea what to charge. So I went to the local record store in Woodstock, where they had some local musicians’ CDs on th...
Make a dream come true
04 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Selling my friends’ CDs was starting to take up a lot of my time. I realized I had accidentally started a business. But I didn’t want to start...
Just selling my CD
03 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This story begins in 1997. I was a professional musician, age 27. I was making a full-time living just playing music — playing lots of gigs arou...
What’s your compass?
02 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Most people don’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing. They imitate others, go with the flow, and follow paths without making their own...
Ten years of experience in one hour
01 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
From 1998 to 2008, I had this wild experience of starting a little hobby, accidentally growing it into a big business, and then selling it for $22 m...
Projecting meaning
23 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Chinese characters look complicated, but they’re mostly made up of smaller, simpler characters. For example: language 语 = words 讠 + five ...
Fish don’t know they’re in water
19 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Fish don’t know they’re in water. If you tried to explain it, they’d say, “Water? What’s water?” They’re so surrounded by it that it...
Don’t be a donkey
08 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Are you trying to pursue many different directions at once? Are you frustrated that the world wants you to pick one thing, because you want to do ...
Delegate or die: the self-employed trap.
23 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Most self-employed people get caught in the delegation trap. You’re so busy, doing everything yourself. You know you need help, but to find and...
Obvious to you. Amazing to others.
21 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Any creator of anything knows this feeling: You experience someone else’s innovative work. It’s beautiful, brilliant, breath-taking. You’r...
The day Steve Jobs dissed me in a keynote
11 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
In May 2003, Apple invited me to their headquarters to discuss getting CD Baby’s catalog into the iTunes Music Store. iTunes had just launched t...
Valuable to others, or only you?
21 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
When I’m hot, it’s hard for me to imagine that others in the room are cold. I think it really is hot, not that it’s hot only for me. It feel...
I assume I’m below average
01 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Ninety-six percent of cancer patients claim to be in better health than the average cancer patient. Ninety-four percent of professors say they are...
After fifteen years of practice
15 Jun 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Since the age of fourteen, I was determined to be a great singer. But my pitch was bad, my tone was bad, and everyone said I was just not a singer....
How I became Ryuichi Sakamoto’s guitarist
25 May 2010
Contributed by Lukas
In 1991 I was 22 years old, and had moved to New York City to be a professional musician. I had a little home studio, and was doing some random gig...
Naïve Quitting
24 May 2010
Contributed by Lukas
My first real job was as the librarian at Warner/Chappell Music. I loved it. I was 20 years old, just graduated college, just moved to New York C...
A real person, a lot like you
31 Mar 2010
Contributed by Lukas
My friend Sara has run a small online business out of her living room for twelve years. It’s her whole life. She takes it very very personally. ...
Flip it in your favor
29 Mar 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The old saying, “It’s all who you know,” used to feel so defeating. I wanted to be a famous musician, but I didn’t know any famous people....
Don’t punish everyone for one person’s mistake
30 Jan 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The little diner near me has these big warning signs posted everywhere: WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE FOR ANY REASON ALL OR...
There are always more than two options
27 Jan 2010
Contributed by Lukas
People sometimes ask my help in making big decisions. They’re usually trying to decide between two options. But that’s not a decision — tha...
Why I gave my company to charity
04 Dec 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Two friends were at a party at a billionaire’s extravagant estate. One said, “Wow! Look at this place! This guy has everything!” The other s...
There’s no speed limit
01 Dec 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or a parent, I think you’ll appreciate this story of how one teacher can completely and permanently change ...
Trust, but verify
24 Nov 2009
Contributed by Lukas
In 2005, CD Baby’s main business was doing digital delivery of music to all the digital music retailers: iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, MSN, Y...
Let pedestrians define the walkways
23 Nov 2009
Contributed by Lukas
A new college campus was built, but one thing was still debated: Where in the grass should we put the paved walkways? Some people thought the wa...
If you think you haven’t found your passion…
16 Oct 2009
Contributed by Lukas
I hear so many people say, “But I haven’t found my true passion!” It’s dangerous to think in terms of “passion” and “purpose” bec...
Learning the lesson, not the example.
14 Oct 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Learning how to read metaphorically was a major turning point in my life. When I was nineteen, attending Berklee College of Music, I had no intere...
How I knew I was done with my company
13 Oct 2009
Contributed by Lukas
I thought I would never sell my company. When National Public Radio did a story about me in 2004, I said I’d stick it out until the end, and I me...
You should feel pain when unclear
12 Oct 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Email blasts are the best training for being clear. At CD Baby, I had about 2 million customers. When writing an email to everyone, if I wasn’...
How do you grade yourself?
09 Oct 2009
Contributed by Lukas
We all grade ourselves by different measures: For some people, it’s as simple as how much money they make. When their net worth is going up, th...
Not happy with existing venues? Make a new one
07 Oct 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Jules is a singer/songwriter from California. When he lived in Los Angeles he wished there was a venue more friendly to musicians. A place wh...