Person

Principles

Problems

Perspicacity

David Duchovny reveals why success can leave you alone on a pedestal while failure invites you into a community of shared experience.

We unpack the delightful contradiction of business advice books – from bootstrapping beginners to broccoli-avoiding delegators – and why different paths might all lead to the same summit.

Meanwhile, VentraIP’s ‘complimentary’ domain names and Microsoft’s Skype funeral remind us that in business, what’s presented as sweet often leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Get ready to take notes.

Talking About Marketing podcast episode notes with timecodes

01:30 Person This segment focusses on you, the person, because we believe business is personal.
David Duchovny’s Blueprint for Embracing the Upside of Your Failures

When most celebrities discuss their journey, they craft a narrative that conveniently drops the missteps. Not so with David Duchovny, who offers a refreshingly nuanced take on why his post-X-Files ventures into filmmaking sometimes flopped – and why that might be a good thing. As our hosts unpack Duchovny’s conversation with Adam Grant, they reveal his core insight: success isolates while failure creates connection.

The discussion evolves into an exploration of Australia’s peculiar relationship with both success and failure. Unlike America’s entrepreneur-friendly “fail forward” culture, we’ve developed an environment where discussing either triumph or disaster feels equally uncomfortable. As David notes, “We’re not allowed to talk about failure and we’re not allowed to talk about success. What exactly are we meant to talk about?”

The segment concludes with Duchovny’s deliciously pointed observation about Silicon Valley’s “fail fast” mantra, describing it as merely “success culture wearing failure drag” – a concept that resonated with both hosts as they reflected on how our relationship with failure shapes our capacity for authentic human connection.

14:00 Principles This segment focusses principles you can apply in your business today.
The Contradictory Wisdom of Business Guides (Or: How Every Book Can Be Right)

What happens when the business advice you’re receiving appears to contradict itself? Our hosts dive into this conundrum by examining the tension between Simon Squibb’s bootstrapping philosophy and Blair Enns’ “don’t eat your broccoli” approach to delegation. The first tells you to do everything yourself; the second tells you to outsource what you don’t enjoy.

Rather than picking a winner, Steve and David suggest both perspectives might be simultaneously valid depending on your circumstances. “It’s like what Rabbi Brasch once told me,” Steve reflects. “There are many pathways to the top of the same mountain.”

The conversation takes an elegant turn toward Richard Koch’s 80/20 principle as a possible reconciliation between these seemingly opposing views. David reframes the delegation question: “It’s not whether broccoli’s good for you or bad for you… it’s a question of if I spend time eating my broccoli, am I wasting time on something else that would be even better for me?”

This philosophical dance culminates in a real-world application as Steve discusses his newly launched “Website in a Week” offering – a service that contradicts his 20-year philosophy of encouraging clients to build their own sites, yet perfectly aligns with the principle of allowing people to focus on their strengths.

21:00 Problems This segment answers questions we've received from clients or listeners.
The “Free” Domain Name That’s Anything But (Or: When Gifts Come With Strings)

In a segment that sparked evident frustration from both hosts, Steve details how Australian web hosting company VentraIP has adopted a page from the cynical playbook of LinkedIn’s “free premium” offers. Their “complimentary” domain name – presented as appreciation for customer loyalty – automatically renews as a paid service the following year.

The hosts dissect not just the questionable ethics of this “gift” but the deliberately cumbersome process required to decline it. “It is a center of confusion in the business world,” Steve notes, pointing out how small business owners regularly forward domain renewal notices to him, unsure whether they’re legitimate services or clever scams.

The segment concludes with a clear warning: while not reason enough to immediately abandon VentraIP, this tactic has certainly primed our hosts to keep their eyes open for competitors who “stick to their knitting” without resorting to such manipulative marketing practices.

26:00 Perspicacity This segment is designed to sharpen our thinking by reflecting on a case study from the past.
Microsoft’s Digital Spring Clean: The Death of Skype and Publisher

In the final segment, our hosts contemplate Microsoft’s decision to discontinue Skype, exploring the unexpected emotions that surface when familiar tools disappear from our digital landscape. While not widely mourned by the general public, Skype’s pay-as-you-go model offered podcasters like Steve an affordable recording solution that newer subscription-based alternatives can’t match.

The conversation expands to include Microsoft Publisher’s impending demise, prompting a moment of gentle mockery for the “gordy, cutesy, sickly sweet little kindergarten newsletters” it helped produce. “There’s gonna be a lot of people who are gonna get an hour of their day back with the death of Publisher,” David quips, neatly capturing the sentiment.

This bittersweet farewell to once-revolutionary tools serves as a reminder of the technology lifecycle – from boundary-pushing innovation to corporate acquisition to eventual obsolescence – while raising questions about whether the next wave of useful tools might come from “half a dozen little nerds” rather than tech behemoths.

David Duchovny reveals why success can leave you alone on a pedestal while failure invites you into a community of shared experience.
We unpack the delightful contradiction of business advice books &ndash; from bootstrapping beginners to broccoli-avoiding delegators &ndash; and why different paths might all lead to the same summit.
Meanwhile, VentraIP&rsquo;s &lsquo;complimentary&rsquo; domain names and Microsoft&rsquo;s Skype funeral remind us that in business, what&rsquo;s presented as sweet often leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Get ready to take notes.
Talking About Marketing&nbsp;podcast episode notes with timecodes
01:30 Person&nbsp;This segment focusses on you, the person, because we believe business is personal. David Duchovny&rsquo;s Blueprint for Embracing the Upside of Your Failures
When most celebrities discuss their journey, they craft a narrative that conveniently drops the missteps. Not so with David Duchovny, who offers a refreshingly nuanced take on why his post-X-Files ventures into filmmaking sometimes flopped &ndash; and why that might be a good thing. As our hosts unpack Duchovny&rsquo;s conversation with Adam Grant, they reveal his core insight: success isolates while failure creates connection.
The discussion evolves into an exploration of Australia&rsquo;s peculiar relationship with both success and failure. Unlike America&rsquo;s entrepreneur-friendly &ldquo;fail forward&rdquo; culture, we&rsquo;ve developed an environment where discussing either triumph or disaster feels equally uncomfortable. As David notes, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not allowed to talk about failure and we&rsquo;re not allowed to talk about success. What exactly are we meant to talk about?&rdquo;
The segment concludes with Duchovny&rsquo;s deliciously pointed observation about Silicon Valley&rsquo;s &ldquo;fail fast&rdquo; mantra, describing it as merely &ldquo;success culture wearing failure drag&rdquo; &ndash; a concept that resonated with both hosts as they reflected on how our relationship with failure shapes our capacity for authentic human connection.
14:00 Principles This segment focusses principles you can apply in your business today. The Contradictory Wisdom of Business Guides (Or: How Every Book Can Be Right)
What happens when the business advice you&rsquo;re receiving appears to contradict itself? Our hosts dive into this conundrum by examining the tension between Simon Squibb&rsquo;s bootstrapping philosophy and Blair Enns&rsquo; &ldquo;don&rsquo;t eat your broccoli&rdquo; approach to delegation. The first tells you to do everything yourself; the second tells you to outsource what you don&rsquo;t enjoy.
Rather than picking a winner, Steve and David suggest both perspectives might be simultaneously valid depending on your circumstances. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like what Rabbi Brasch once told me,&rdquo; Steve reflects. &ldquo;There are many pathways to the top of the same mountain.&rdquo;
The conversation takes an elegant turn toward Richard Koch&rsquo;s 80/20 principle as a possible reconciliation between these seemingly opposing views. David reframes the delegation question: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not whether broccoli&rsquo;s good for you or bad for you&hellip; it&rsquo;s a question of if I spend time eating my broccoli, am I wasting time on something else that would be even better for me?&rdquo;
This philosophical dance culminates in a real-world application as Steve discusses his newly launched &ldquo;<a href="https://talkedaboutmarketing.com/services/website-in-a-week/" data-type="page" data-id="8258">Website in a Week</a>&rdquo; offering &ndash; a service that contradicts his 20-year philosophy of encouraging clients to build their own sites, yet perfectly aligns with the principle of allowing people to focus on their strengths.
21:00 Problems This segment answers questions we've received from clients or listeners. The &ldquo;Free&rdquo; Domain Name That&rsquo;s Anything But (Or: When Gifts Come With Strings)
In a segment that sparked evident frustration from both hosts, Steve details how Australian web hosting company VentraIP has adopted a page from the cynical playbook of LinkedIn&rsquo;s &ldquo;free premium&rdquo; offers. Their &ldquo;complimentary&rdquo; domain name &ndash; presented as appreciation for customer loyalty &ndash; automatically renews as a paid service the following year.
The hosts dissect not just the questionable ethics of this &ldquo;gift&rdquo; but the deliberately cumbersome process required to decline it. &ldquo;It is a center of confusion in the business world,&rdquo; Steve notes, pointing out how small business owners regularly forward domain renewal notices to him, unsure whether they&rsquo;re legitimate services or clever scams.
The segment concludes with a clear warning: while not reason enough to immediately abandon VentraIP, this tactic has certainly primed our hosts to keep their eyes open for competitors who &ldquo;stick to their knitting&rdquo; without resorting to such manipulative marketing practices.
26:00 Perspicacity This segment is designed to sharpen our thinking by reflecting on a case study from the past. Microsoft&rsquo;s Digital Spring Clean: The Death of Skype and Publisher
In the final segment, our hosts contemplate Microsoft&rsquo;s decision to discontinue Skype, exploring the unexpected emotions that surface when familiar tools disappear from our digital landscape. While not widely mourned by the general public, Skype&rsquo;s pay-as-you-go model offered podcasters like Steve an affordable recording solution that newer subscription-based alternatives can&rsquo;t match.
The conversation expands to include Microsoft Publisher&rsquo;s impending demise, prompting a moment of gentle mockery for the &ldquo;gordy, cutesy, sickly sweet little kindergarten newsletters&rdquo; it helped produce. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s gonna be a lot of people who are gonna get an hour of their day back with the death of Publisher,&rdquo; David quips, neatly capturing the sentiment.
This bittersweet farewell to once-revolutionary tools serves as a reminder of the technology lifecycle &ndash; from boundary-pushing innovation to corporate acquisition to eventual obsolescence &ndash; while raising questions about whether the next wave of useful tools might come from &ldquo;half a dozen little nerds&rdquo; rather than tech behemoths.

Talking About Marketing is a podcast for you to help you thrive in your role as a business owner and/or leader. It's produced by the Talked About Marketing team of Steve Davis and David Olney, with artwork by Casey Cumming. Each marketing podcast episode tips its hat to Philip Kotler's famous "4 Ps of Marketing" (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), by honouring our own 4 Ps of Podcasting; Person, Principles, Problems, and Perspicacity. Person. The aim of life is self-development. To realise one's nature perfectly-that is what each of us is here for. - Oscar Wilde Principles. You can never be overdressed or overeducated. - Oscar Wilde Problems. “I asked the question for the best reason possible, for the only reason, indeed, that excuses anyone for asking any question - simple curiosity. - Oscar Wilde Perspicacity. The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it. - Oscar Wilde Apart from our love of words, we really love helping people, so we hope this podcast will become a trusted companion for you on your journey in business. We welcome your comments and feedback via podcast@talkedaboutmarketing.com

Talking About Marketing is a podcast for you to help you thrive in your role as a business owner and/or leader. It's produced by the Talked About Marketing team of Steve Davis and David Olney, with artwork by Casey Cumming. Each marketing podcast episode tips its hat to Philip Kotler's famous "4 Ps of Marketing" (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), by honouring our own 4 Ps of Podcasting; Person, Principles, Problems, and Perspicacity. Person. The aim of life is self-development. To realise one's nature perfectly-that is what each of us is here for. - Oscar Wilde Principles. You can never be overdressed or overeducated. - Oscar Wilde Problems. “I asked the question for the best reason possible, for the only reason, indeed, that excuses anyone for asking any question - simple curiosity. - Oscar Wilde Perspicacity. The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it. - Oscar Wilde Apart from our love of words, we really love helping people, so we hope this podcast will become a trusted companion for you on your journey in business. We welcome your comments and feedback via podcast@talkedaboutmarketing.com

The only thing worse than being talked about, is not being talked about...

Talking About Marketing

Talking About Marketing is a podcast for you to help you thrive in your role as a business owner and/or leader. It's produced by the Talked About Marketing team of Steve Davis and David Olney, with editing by Tim Whiffen. Artwork by Casey Cumming.

Each marketing podcast episode tips its hat to Philip Kotler's famous "4 Ps of Marketing" (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), by honouring our own 4 Ps of Podcasting; Person, Principles, Problems, and Perspicacity.
Person. The aim of life is self-development. To realise one's nature perfectly-that is what each of us is here for. - Oscar Wilde
Principles. You can never be overdressed or overeducated. - Oscar Wilde
Problems. “I asked the question for the best reason possible, for the only reason, indeed, that excuses anyone for asking any question - simple curiosity. - Oscar Wilde
Perspicacity. The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it. - Oscar Wilde

Apart from our love of words, we really love helping people, so we hope this podcast will become a trusted companion for you on your journey in business.

We welcome your comments and feedback via podcast@talkedaboutmarketing.com

<a href="https://talkedaboutmarketing.com/podcast/">Talking About Marketing</a> is a podcast for you to help you thrive in your role as a business owner and/or leader. It's produced by the Talked About Marketing team of Steve Davis and David Olney, with editing by Tim Whiffen. Artwork by Casey Cumming.
Each marketing podcast episode tips its hat to Philip Kotler's famous "4 Ps of Marketing" (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), by honouring our own 4 Ps of Podcasting; Person, Principles, Problems, and Perspicacity.
<ol>
<li>Person. The aim of life is self-development. To realise one's nature perfectly-that is what each of us is here for. - Oscar Wilde</li>
<li>Principles. You can never be overdressed or overeducated. - Oscar Wilde</li>
<li>Problems. “I asked the question for the best reason possible, for the only reason, indeed, that excuses anyone for asking any question - simple curiosity. - Oscar Wilde</li>
<li>Perspicacity. The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it. - Oscar Wilde</li>
</ol>
Apart from our love of words, we really love helping people, so we hope this podcast will become a trusted companion for you on your journey in business.
We welcome your comments and feedback via <a href="mailto:podcast@talkedaboutmarketing.com">podcast@talkedaboutmarketing.com</a>

From the liberating power of giving up a PhD to the cynical domain name ‘gifts’ that become tomorrow’s unexpected bills, we explore why failure might just be your most generous teacher (and why David Duchovny agrees).

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