Episode Notes [03:47] Seth's Early Understanding of Questions [04:33] The Power of Questions [05:25] Building Relationships Through Questions [06:41] This is Strategy: Focus on Questions [10:21] Gamifying Questions [11:34] Conversations as Infinite Games [15:32] Creating Tension with Questions [20:46] Effective Questioning Techniques [23:21] Empathy and Engagement [34:33] Strategy and Culture [35:22] Microsoft's Transformation [36:00] Global Perspectives on Questions [39:39] Caring in a Challenging World Resources Mentioned The Dip by Seth Godin Linchpin by Seth Godin Purple Cow by Seth Godin Tribes by Seth Godin This Is Marketing by Seth Godin The Carbon Almanac This is Strategy by Seth Godin Seth's Blog What Does it Sound Like When You Change Your Mind? by Seth Godin Value Creation Masterclass by Seth Godin on Udemy The Strategy Deck by Seth Godin Taylor Swift Jimmy Smith Jimmy Smith Curated Questions Episode Supercuts Priya Parker Techstars Satya Nadella Microsoft Steve Ballmer Acumen Jerry Colonna Unleashing the Idea Virus by Seth Godin Tim Ferriss podcast with Seth Godin Seth Godin website Beauty Pill Producer Ben Ford Questions Asked When did you first understand the power of questions? What do you do to get under the layer to really get down to those lower levels? Is it just follow-up questions, mindset, worldview, and how that works for you? How'd you get this job anyway? What are things like around here? What did your boss do before they were your boss? Wow did you end up with this job? Why are questions such a big part of This is Strategy? If you had to charge ten times as much as you charge now, what would you do differently? If it had to be free, what would you do differently? Who's it for, and what's it for? What is the change we seek to make? How did you choose the questions for The Strategy Deck? How big is our circle of us? How many people do I care about? Is the change we're making contagious? Are there other ways to gamify the use of questions? Any other thoughts on how questions might be gamified? How do we play games with other people where we're aware of what it would be for them to win and for us to win? What is it that you're challenged by? What is it that you want to share? What is it that you're afraid of? If there isn't a change, then why are we wasting our time? Can you define tension? What kind of haircut do you want? How long has it been since your last haircut? How might one think about intentionally creating that question? What factors should someone think about as they use questions to create tension? How was school today? What is the kind of interaction I'm hoping for over time? How do I ask a different sort of question that over time will be answered with how was school today? Were there any easy questions on your math homework? Did anything good happen at school today? What tension am I here to create? What wrong questions continue to be asked? What temperature is it outside? When the person you could have been meets the person you are becoming, is it going to be a cause for celebration or heartbreak? What are the questions we're going to ask each other? What was life like at the dinner table when you were growing up? What are we really trying to accomplish? How do you have this cogent two sentence explanation of what you do? How many clicks can we get per visit? What would happen if there was a webpage that was designed to get you to leave? What were the questions that were being asked by people in authority at Yahoo in 1999? How did the stock do today? Is anything broken? What can you do today that will make the stock go up tomorrow? What are risks worth taking? What are we doing that might not work but that supports our mission? What was the last thing you did that didn't work, and what did we learn from it? What have we done to so delight our core customers that they're telling other people? How has your international circle informed your life of questions? What do I believe that other people don't believe? What do I see that other people don't see? What do I take for granted that other people don't take for granted? What would blank do? What would Bob do? What would Jill do? What would Susan do? What happened to them? What system are they in that made them decide that that was the right thing to do? And then how do we change the system? How given the state of the world, do you manage to continue to care as much as you do? Do you walk to school or take your lunch? If you all can only care if things are going well, then what does that mean about caring? Should I have spent the last 50 years curled up in a ball? How do we go to the foundation and create community action?…
This is a podcast about Islam from a Christian perspective. Presented by a Christian seminary graduate, you will learn about Muhammad, the Quran and 1400 years of fascinating stories you may have never heard. This is a resource for learning, thinking and spiritual development. This show can be reached at makalnasrani@gmail.com. Patreon.com/IslamForChristians
This is a podcast about Islam from a Christian perspective. Presented by a Christian seminary graduate, you will learn about Muhammad, the Quran and 1400 years of fascinating stories you may have never heard. This is a resource for learning, thinking and spiritual development. This show can be reached at makalnasrani@gmail.com. Patreon.com/IslamForChristians
By those winds sent forth successively, and those blowing violently, and those scattering rainclouds widely! And by those angels fully distinguishing truth from falsehood, and those delivering revelation, ending excuses and giving warnings. Surely, what you are promised will come to pass. So when the stars are put out, and the sky is torn apart, and the mountains are blown away, and the messengers’ time to testify comes up— for which Day has all this been set? For the Day of Final Decision! And what will make you realize what the Day of Decision is? Woe on that Day to the deniers! Did We not destroy earlier disbelievers? And We will make the later disbelievers follow them. This is how We deal with the wicked. Woe on that Day to the deniers! Did We not create you from a humble fluid, placing it in a secure place until an appointed time? We perfectly ordained its development. How excellent are We in doing so! Woe on that Day to the deniers! Have We not made the earth a lodging for the living and the dead, and placed upon it towering, firm mountains, and given you fresh water to drink? Woe on that Day to the deniers! The disbelievers will be told, “Proceed into that Fire which you used to deny! Proceed into the shade of smoke which rises in three columns, providing neither coolness nor shelter from the flames. Indeed, it hurls sparks as big as huge castles, and as dark as black camels.” Woe on that Day to the deniers! On that Day they will not be in a position to speak, nor will they be permitted to offer excuses. Woe on that Day to the deniers! They will be told by Allah, “This is the Day of Final Decision: We have gathered you along with earlier disbelievers for punishment. So if you have a scheme to save yourselves, then use it against Me.” Woe on that Day to the deniers! Indeed, the righteous will be amid cool shade and springs and any fruit they desire. They will be told, “Eat and drink happily for what you used to do.” Surely this is how We reward the good-doers. But woe on that Day to the deniers! “Eat and enjoy yourselves for a little while, for you are truly wicked.” Woe on that Day to the deniers! When it is said to them, “Bow down before Allah,” they do not bow. Woe on that Day to the deniers! So what message after this Quran would they believe in?…
"A man from Banu Fazarah came to the Prophet and said: 'My wife has given birth to a black boy' -and he wanted to disown him. He said: 'Do you have camels?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'What color are they?' He said: 'Red.' He said: 'Are there any gray ones among them?' He said: 'There are some gray camels among them.' He said: 'Why is that do you think?' He said: 'Perhaps it is hereditary.' He said: 'Perhaps this is hereditary.' And he did not permit him to disown him."…
The Muslims learn of the large army, and its 600 horses, that are marching toward Medina. This situation looks awful for the Muslims, but an outside convert comes up with a new idea to even up the odds. And Abu Sufyan's army... uninspired as ever... has to deal with a major surprise.
What are they asking one another about? About the momentous news, over which they disagree. But no! They will come to know. Again, no! They will come to know. Have We not smoothed out the earth ˹like a bed˺, and ˹made˺ the mountains as ˹its˺ pegs, and created you in pairs, and made your sleep for rest, and made the night as a cover, and made the day for livelihood, and built above you seven mighty ˹heavens˺, and placed ˹in them˺ a shining lamp, and sent down from rainclouds pouring water, producing by it grain and ˹various˺ plants, and dense orchards? Indeed, the Day of ˹Final˺ Decision is an appointed time— ˹it is˺ the Day the Trumpet will be blown, and you will ˹all˺ come forth in crowds. The sky will be ˹split˺ open, becoming ˹many˺ gates, and the mountains will be blown away, becoming ˹like˺ a mirage. Indeed, Hell is lying in ambush as a home for the transgressors, where they will remain for ˹endless˺ ages. There they will not taste any coolness or drink, except boiling water and ˹oozing˺ pus— a fitting reward. For they never expected any reckoning, and totally rejected Our signs. And We have everything recorded precisely. ˹So the deniers will be told,˺ “Taste ˹the punishment˺, for all you will get from Us is more torment.” Indeed, the righteous will have salvation— Gardens, vineyards, and full-bosomed maidens of equal age, and full cups ˹of pure wine˺, never to hear any idle talk or lying therein— a ˹fitting˺ reward as a generous gift from your Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, the Most Compassionate. No one will dare speak to Him on the Day the ˹holy˺ spirit1 and the angels will stand in ranks. None will talk, except those granted permission by the Most Compassionate and whose words are true. That Day is the ˹ultimate˺ truth. So let whoever wills take the path leading back to their Lord. Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment—the Day every person will see ˹the consequences of˺ what their hands have done, and the disbelievers will cry, “I wish I were dust.”…
The Quran clearly paints the apostles as righteous and honest men. What does that mean for the difference between the Christian and the Muslim versions of these men?
Three persons set out on a journey. They were overtaken by rain and they had to find protection in a mountain cave where at its mouth there fell a rock of that mountain and thus blocked them altogether. One of them said to the others: Look to your good deeds that you performed for the sake of Allah and then supplicate Allah, the Exalted, that He might rescue you (from this trouble). One of them said: 0 Allah, I had my parents who were old and my wife and my small children also. I tended the flock and when I came back to them in the evening, I milked them (the sheep, goats, cows, etc.) and first served that milk to my parents. One day I was obliged to go out to a distant place in search of fodder and I could not come back before evening and found them (the parents) asleep. I milked the animals as I used to milk and brought milk to them and stood by their heads avoiding to disturb them from sleep and I did not deem it advisable to serve milk to my children before serving them. My children wept near my feet. I remained there in that very state and my parents too until it was morning. And (0 Allah) if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, grant us riddance from this trouble. (The rock slipped a bit) that they could see the sky. The second one said: 0 Allah, I had a female cousin whom I loved more than the men love the women. I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her; she refused but on the condition of getting one hundred dinirs. It was with very great difficulty that I could collect one hundred dinirs and then paid them to her and when I was going to have a sexual intercourse with her, that she said: Servant of Allah, fear Allah and do not break the seal (of chastity) but by lawful means. I got up. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, rid us from this trouble. The situation was somewhat eased for them. The third one said: Allah, I employed a workman for a measure of rice. After he had finished his work I gave him his dues (in the form of) a measure of rice, but he did not accept them. I used these rice as seeds, and that gave a bumper crop and I became rich enough to have cows and flocks (in my possession). He came to me and said: Fear Allah, and commit no crueltv upon me in regard to my dues. I said to him: Takeaway this flock of cows and sheep. He said: Fear Allah and do not make a fun of me. I said: I am not making a fun of you. You take the cows and the flocks. So he took them. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did it for Thine pleasure, case the situation for us. And Allah relieved them from the rest of the trouble.…
The preamble to the Battle of the Trench... or the Siege of Medina. Same thing. Setting the table with some historical parallels, and also looking at the reasons for the battle and the strengths of the combatants. Muhammad has a week to prepare for an alliance of Arab tribes coming right at Medina -- that's the good news. The bad news? They have 600 horses. He has none.…
By those angels stripping out evil souls harshly, and those pulling out good souls gently, and those gliding through heavens swiftly, and those taking the lead vigorously, and those conducting affairs obediently! Consider the Day when the quaking Blast will come to pass, followed by a second Blast. The deniers’ hearts on that Day will be trembling in horror, with their eyes downcast. But now they ask mockingly, “Will we really be restored to our former state, even after we have been reduced to decayed bones?” Adding, “Then such a return would be a total loss for us!” But indeed, it will take only one mighty Blast, and at once they will be above ground. Has the story of Moses reached you O Prophet? His Lord called him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwa, commanding, “Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed all bounds. And say, Would you be willing to purify yourself, and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe of Him?’” Then Moses showed him the great sign, but he denied and disobeyed Allah, then turned his back, striving against the truth. Then he summoned his people and called out, saying, “I am your lord, the most high!” So Allah overtook him, making him an example in this life and the next. Surely in this is a lesson for whoever stands in awe of Allah. Which is harder to create: you or the sky? He built it, raising it high and forming it flawlessly. He dimmed its night, and brought forth its daylight. As for the earth, He spread it out as well, bringing forth its water and pastures and setting the mountains firmly upon it— all as a means of sustenance for you and your animals. But, when the Supreme Disaster comes to pass— the Day every person will remember all their striving, and the Hellfire will be displayed for all to see— then as for those who transgressed and preferred the fleeting life of this world, the Hellfire will certainly be their home. And as for those who were in awe of standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from evil desires, Paradise will certainly be their home. They ask you O Prophet regarding the Hour, “When will it be?” But it is not for you to tell its time. That knowledge rests with your Lord alone. Your duty is only to warn whoever is in awe of it. On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed in the world no more than one evening or its morning.…
A review of the Jesus portion of the series.... emphasizing key concepts and being brutally honest of the possibility of Christian-Muslim dialogue about Jesus.
He frowned and turned his attention away, simply because the blind man came to him interrupting You never know O Prophet, perhaps he may be purified, or he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder. As for the one who was indifferent, you gave him your undivided attention, even though you are not to blame if he would not be purified. But as for the one who came to you, eager to learn, being in awe of Allah, you were inattentive to him. But no! This revelation is truly a reminder. So let whoever wills be mindful of it. It is written on pages held in honour— highly esteemed, purified— by the hands of angel-scribes, honourable and virtuous. Condemned are disbelieving humans! How ungrateful they are to Allah! From what substance did He create them? He created them from a sperm-drop, and ordained their development. Then He makes the way easy for them, then causes them to die and be buried. Then when He wills, He will resurrect them. But no! They have failed to comply with what He ordered. Let people then consider their food: how We pour down rain in abundance and meticulously split the earth open for sprouts, causing grain to grow in it, as well as grapes and greens, and olives and palm trees, and dense orchards, and fruit and fodder— all as a means of sustenance for you and your animals. Then, when the Deafening Blast comes to pass— on that Day every person will flee from their own siblings, and even their mother and father, and even their spouse and children. For then everyone will have enough concern of their own. On that Day some faces will be bright, laughing and rejoicing, while other faces will be dusty, cast in gloom— those are the disbelievers, the wicked sinners.…