01. SRB “Changed My Life” w/ Seth Godin

Interviews
Written By Owen Raisch

Full episode NOW LIVE (See below)!

 

Introduction

Seth Godin was one of my heroes growing up - I even had his action figure (see below).

Imagine my surprise when I learned that he helped to build an impressive and historic student-run business program. It’s called Tufts Student Resources (TSR) in Cambridge, and Seth not only helped to build the program but added dozens and dozens of businesses to their portfolio while he was a student at Tufts.

So Seth, this global phenom, serial entrepreneur, author with 20+ best sellers, and one of a small group of global, wise influencers that seems to really reflect the values we hold most high, is one of us!

Seth’s background is in marketing: He founded what he calls the first internet marketing company, and he has been innovating in the space since he was a teen. But he’s more than that. Seth has been a one-of-a-kind leader for decades, offering balanced wisdom, thoughful advice and surprising insights to aspiring founders, freelancers, changemakers and business progressionals.

I couldn’t have been more happy to spend an hour with Seth, exploring his experience with student-run businesses, how they shaped him personally, and gathering his specific advice for our members (students, staff, faculty, and more).

We launched this full conversation during SRBA Expo24 at Stanford, with teasers before-hand.

Take a look - you’ll be challenged, entertained, surprised, and it will .

Let me know what you think!

Owen Raisch
President, SRBA
September, 2024

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Seth turned down a gigantic compensation packages (~$1bil in stock options alone), because he had other ideas . . .

He shares stories that can only come from life as a student founder

As the President of the Student-Run business Association (SRBA), I had the privilege of diving deep into Seth's journey, from his early days at Tufts University to his innovative projects and the principles that guide his work today. This blog post captures the essence of our conversation, offering valuable lessons for students, educators, and administrators alike.


The Early Days: Tufts Student Resources (TSR)

Seth Godin's journey began at Tufts University, where he took over the struggling Tufts Student Resources (TSR). This experience was pivotal, teaching him the essence of entrepreneurship and problem-solving. TSR was more than just a student organization; it was a laboratory for innovation, offering services ranging from a snack bar to a bagel delivery service.

"TSR changed my life. It was a great laboratory for a lot of us. We started a snack bar, a ticket agency, a travel service, a bagel at night in the dorm service, a coffee shop, a concert bureau, a birthday cake service. Every week or two, I would start something new.”

Key Lessons from TSR

  1. Think Like an Entrepreneur: Seth emphasized the importance of thinking like an entrepreneur, solving interesting problems, and scaling operations without getting bogged down in daily tasks.
    "I realized if we were gonna have a typing service, I couldn't do the typing because I don't scale that way."


  2. Fail Forward: TSR taught Seth the value of failure as a learning tool. He encouraged students to view their ventures as projects with a beginning, middle, and end, rather than permanent businesses.
    "The biggest message that I have for the people who are watching this is... if you're running the student-run business, you should fail and fail and learn and fail."


  3. Generative Value: The focus should be on creating generative value—solutions that benefit everyone involved. TSR's various ventures aimed to solve genuine student problems, creating a win-win situation.
    "We could pay these students who were at eight o'clock at night double the minimum wage. Everybody comes out ahead."


The Role of Administrators

Seth provided valuable insights into the role of administrators supporting student-run businesses. He compared our work in maintaining student-run business programs to the work of civil engineers:

"You're building roads that are going to be around for a very long time. And you've got to be comfortable swapping in and out buildings."

I highly recommend that you listen for the full context, but Seth challenges student-run business support staff to let students start more efforts and to let some of them fail. He wants us to think differently about student-run businesses, to be sure that students have a chance to be creative and learn through experiment and projects rather than having them performing routine maintenance on well-oiled machines.

Creating a Sustainable Model

To ensure the sustainability of student-run businesses, Seth suggested a structured yet flexible approach:

  1. Cohorts and Challenges: Organize students into cohorts, challenge them to create original business plans, and provide minimal resources to get started.
    "I would figure out how to get 50 people into a cohort, run some orientation for them, and figure out how they could write original business plans."

  2. Safe Failures: Create an environment where failure is safe and encouraged. If a business fails, no harm is done; if it succeeds, students gain valuable experience and recognition.
    "If it doesn't work, no one will know. And if it does work, you get all the credit."


Projects Over Jobs

Seth's career trajectory exemplifies the power of focusing on projects rather than traditional jobs. After TSR, he pursued business school at Stanford, not to learn, but to secure a bridge to entrepreneurship. This mindset of project-based work guided him throughout his career.

"I love doing projects. If I get someone to pay me to do projects going forward, I will work for anybody who will do that."



Rethinking Credentials: The Role of Badging in the SRBA

One of the most thought-provoking parts of our conversation was Seth’s take on credentials. While he’s long been a critic of traditional credentialing systems—arguing that they often reward compliance over creativity—he acknowledged that in today’s world, some form of credential is still necessary to break through institutional filters.

That’s where badging comes in. Seth drew a clear distinction: “Badges are not the same as credentials.” To him, badges are signals of community and shared experience, not just checkboxes on a resume. They’re about saying, “I’ve done something difficult, creative, and real—and I did it in the company of others who believe in doing meaningful work.”

This insight deeply validated SRBA’s approach. Our Founders Badge and Builders Badge aren’t just participation trophies or digital stickers. They’re community-issued signals that tell the world: this student led something from scratch, took real risks, and built something new. The badges are backed not just by accomplishments, but by a growing network of peers and mentors who understand what it takes to lead a student-run venture.

As Seth noted, for a badge to matter, it must become part of a “guild effect”—a network where members recognize and support one another. Our goal at SRBA is exactly that: to build a trusted community where these badges carry real weight, because the people behind them know what it takes to earn them.

Seth noted specifically how such badges could grow into powerful, informal credentials:

"These informal credentials will inevitably catch up to the elite, overpriced luxury-good famous colleges... as we create project groups that amplify, they spread."

He emphasized that meaningful credentials emerge naturally from authentic community validation and support:

"People like us do things like this. That is what badges can start us down the road to doing in inventing a new kind of credential."

This vision is bold—but it’s possible. And it starts with each student who dares to create something new.

A Message to Students and Educators

Seth concluded the interview with a powerful message to students and educators, emphasizing the importance of embracing creativity, taking risks, and viewing education as a platform for experimentation and growth.

"If you can learn to do projects, it doesn't matter what the world throws at you. There's always going to be an interesting problem to solve."


Finally

My time with the one and only Seth Godin illuminated the transformative potential of student-run businesses. By fostering an environment that encourages experimentation, values failure as a learning tool, and prioritizes generative value, educational institutions can unlock the full potential of their students. Seth's journey from TSR to becoming a successful entrepreneur offers a roadmap for students and educators aiming to make a lasting impact.



Relevant Reference Materials

  1. Books by Seth Godin:

  2. Articles and Essays:

  3. Websites:

    • Seth's Blog - Reaching more than 1 million readers with daily posts from Seth


  4. Podcasts:

  5. Videos:

Call to Action

If you're inspired by Seth's insights, consider getting involved with the Student-Run Business Association (SRBA). Whether you're a student, educator, or administrator, there are countless opportunities to make a difference through student-run businesses. Visit the SRBA to learn more and get started today!



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