The key to success is to find a way to stand out. It’s about being so remarkable you become the one thing people can’t ignore in a sea of sameness.
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Table of Contents
Meaning
The core message is brutal but simple: being very good is no longer good enough. To win, you have to be fundamentally, unignorably different.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out a hundred times. The “Purple Cow” idea isn’t about being a little better. It’s about being a different animal entirely. You’re not trying to be the best brown cow; you’re aiming to be the one purple one that makes everyone stop and stare. It’s about baking “remarkable” right into your product or service’s DNA, so it’s worth talking about. Because if you’re not remarkable, you’re invisible. It’s that simple.
Quote Summary
Reading Level70
Aesthetic Score88
Origin & Factcheck
This concept comes straight from Seth Godin’s 2003 book, “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.” It’s a cornerstone of modern marketing theory. You’ll sometimes see the idea paraphrased, but the “purple cow” metaphor is uniquely and correctly attributed to Godin.
Attribution Summary
Author Bio
Seth Godin writes and teaches about marketing, leadership, and creative work. After earning an MBA from Stanford, he founded Yoyodyne, sold it to Yahoo!, and later launched ventures like Squidoo and the altMBA. He has authored bestsellers such as Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, Tribes, Linchpin, and This Is Marketing. He posts daily at seths.blog and speaks globally about making work that matters. If you’re starting with the Seth Godin book list, expect insights on trust, storytelling, and shipping creative projects that change culture.
| Official Website | Facebook | X
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | The key to success is to find a way to stand out—to be the purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2003; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781591843177; Last edition: 2010; Number of pages: 160. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 1: The Purple Cow, page 5/160 |
Context
Godin was pushing back against the old, interruptive model of advertising—the idea that you could build an average product and then shout about it with enough TV ads. He argued that in a crowded, ad-saturated world, the only path to growth is to create something so inherently interesting that it markets itself.
Usage Examples
So how do you actually use this? It’s not just theory.
- For a Marketer: Stop asking “How do we get more eyeballs?” and start asking “What is our Purple Cow?” What is the remarkable feature, story, or experience that makes our product spreadable?
- For an Entrepreneur: Before you launch, scrutinize your idea. Is it a “me-too” service, or is there a truly purple element that will make early adopters desperate to tell their friends? Your initial concept needs that spark.
- For a Job Seeker: Your resume is a field of brown cows. Your personal projects, your unique approach to problem-solving—that’s your purple cow. That’s what gets you the interview.
To whom it appeals?
| Context | Attributes |
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| Theme | Advice (756) |
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| Audiences | creators (138), entrepreneurs (1088), leaders (2944), marketers (214), startup founders (6) |
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| Usage Context/Scenario | branding workshops (8), business school lectures (2), entrepreneurship seminars (4), marketing strategy meetings (3), motivational talks (449), startup pitches (3), team brainstorming sessions (1) |
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Share This Quote Image & Motivate
Motivation Score90
Popularity Score80
Shareability Score85
Common Questions
Question: Isn’t being a Purple Cow risky? What if people don’t like it?
Answer: Absolutely it’s risky. But you know what’s riskier? Being completely ignored. The goal isn’t to be liked by everyone; it’s to be loved—passionately—by a specific few.
Question: Can a company in a boring industry have a Purple Cow?
Answer: That’s the best place for one! Look at what Mailchimp did for email marketing or what Blendtec did for blenders with “Will it Blend?”. The more boring the field, the more a purple cow stands out.
Question: Is this just about marketing and products?
Answer: Not at all. I apply it to personal branding, career development, even internal projects. In any situation where you need to capture attention, the principle holds true. Be the purple cow.
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