When I started the altMBA last year, they mailed me a big box of books and some random supplies. In it were a few postcards with Seth Godin-isms like “Make a Ruckus”. And another that says “Money is a story.” Seth can be a little cryptic in his meaning at times. And I never really understood his meaning behind this particular phrase, until this week.
With Avengers: Endgame just hitting theaters, the speculation is higher than ever on which characters will live and who will die. It’s interesting to go down rabbit holes of fan theories, but I’ve found it’s actually pretty easy to figure out what will happen purely by what’s planned next for the series.
And for Marvel, that means more Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. In short – they spoiled their own ending simply by showing off what’s next in the pipeline. What their next moneymakers will be. And in that, I realized what Seth means by “money is a story”. By following the money – who’s pursuing it, and the means with which they pursue it, it can say a lot of about the motivations and the story for why. You can reverse engineer the path someone is taking simply by looking at the money.
We can see it in ourselves too – why we chose the career we’re on. Why we happily fork over hundreds of dollars towards a hobby, yet balk at paying for a parking spot. You can learn a lot about yourself by following the money. But remember others are trying to figure out your money story too – and it may not always be a narrative you’re excited to reveal.