--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marketing isn't done by computers, it's…" description: "\"Marketing isn't done by computers, it's done by people. And people who sense opportunity and have the confidence to be remarkable will always defeat de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/seth-godin-152_action_marketing-isn-t-done-by-computers-it-s-d_455857.png" --- # Marketing isn't done by computers, it's done by people… ![“Marketing isn't done by computers, it's done by people. And people who sense opportunity and have the confidence to be remarkable will always defeat defensive actions by people who have given up.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/seth-godin-152_action_marketing-isn-t-done-by-computers-it-s-d_455857.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/seth-godin-152_action_marketing-isn-t-done-by-computers-it-s-d_455857.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/seth-godin-152_action_marketing-isn-t-done-by-computers-it-s-d_455857.png) > “Marketing isn't done by computers, it's done by people. And people who sense opportunity and have the confidence to be remarkable will always defeat defensive actions by people who have given up.” [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marketing succeeds when people who recognize opportunity and act confidently outpace those who have resigned. **In simple terms:** People, not computers, drive marketing success. Key Takeaway Empower confident people. Themes marketing confidence opportunity human agency Mood inspirational pragmatic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - product launch - sales strategy - team building Key Concepts behavioral economics leadership motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can you nurture confidence in a team? - What structures support opportunity sensing? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on individual confidence can ignore systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Real content marketing isn’t repurposed advertising, it is making something worth talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/real-content-marketing-isn-t-repurposed-advertising-it-is-making/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I am fortunate that people have given me the opportunity and confidence to go all out and have fun with the characters I play,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/i-am-fortunate-that-people-have-given-me-the-opportunity-and/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [The future of marketing isn't big data, it's big understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-baer/the-future-of-marketing-isn-t-big-data-it-s-big-understanding/) [Jay Baer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-baer/) > [“Marketing is not a department Do you have a marketing department? If not, good. If you do, don’t think these are the only people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/marketing-is-not-a-department-do-you-have-a-marketing-department-if/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [People who tell computers what to do, and people who are told by computers what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/people-who-tell-computers-what-to-do-and-people-who-are-told-by/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [The computers people have are no longer on their desks but in their hands, and that is probably the transformative feature of the technology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-fake/the-computers-people-have-are-no-longer-on-their-desks-but-in-their/) [Caterina Fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-fake/) > [The only way we can fly planes and use computers is because people were curious about their world and also skeptical about the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/the-only-way-we-can-fly-planes-and-use-computers-is-because-people/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [Early on, when software was developed by computer scientists, just people working with computers, people passed around software because that was how you got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/early-on-when-software-was-developed-by-computer-scientists-just/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [The Web is actually a coming together of three technologies, if you like: the hypertext, the personal computer, and the network. So, the network…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cailliau/the-web-is-actually-a-coming-together-of-three-technologies-if-you/) [Robert Cailliau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cailliau/) > [Pixar is not about computers, it's about people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/pixar-is-not-about-computers-it-s-about-people/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [When computers (people) are networked, their power multiplies geometrically. Not only can people share all that information inside their machines, but they can reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcnealy/when-computers-people-are-networked-their-power-multiplies/) [Scott McNealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcnealy/) > [Organized common (or uncommon) sense -- very basic knowledge -- is an enormously powerful tool. There are huge dangers with computers. People calculate too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/organized-common-or-uncommon-sense-very-basic-knowledge-is-an/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [What I try to do is factor in how people use computers, what people's problems are, and how these technologies can get applied to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warnock/what-i-try-to-do-is-factor-in-how-people-use-computers-what-people-s/) [John Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warnock/) > [The future lies in designing and selling computers that people don't realize are computers at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/the-future-lies-in-designing-and-selling-computers-that-people-don-t/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [The roots of apple were to build computers for people, not for corporations. The world doesn't need another dell or compaq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-roots-of-apple-were-to-build-computers-for-people-not-for/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More by Seth Godin > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The public square is more public than ever, but minds are rarely changed in 140 character bursts and by selfies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-public-square-is-more-public-than-ever-but-minds-are-rarely/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Making an average pitch to average people, or having an average gala for average people isn't going to scale anymore. You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. Nope, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-remarkable-ideas-i-think-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The mirror we hold up to the person next to us is one of the most important pictures she will ever see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-mirror-we-hold-up-to-the-person-next-to-us-is-one-of-the-most/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-a-marketer-who-doesn-t-know-how-to-invent-design-influence/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) [Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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