Nick Douglas at Valleywag has a particularly snarky post on how top self-branding bloggers sell themselves. Everyone in the article is on my list of favorite daily reads, but I have to admit, the post is amusing. Douglas says:
“It’s one thing to be your own #1 fan. But people like bloggers Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, and Jason Calacanis (“he’s so crazy and laughable, and yet so successful, that he’s impossible to hate.”) are their own worshippers. Guy is such a consummate self-evangelist that he’s practically his own pope. Seth’s number one product is himself. Jason thinks he’s Ari Gold from Entourage.”
Jeff Jarvis, Hugh Macleod and Merlin Mann (aka the always entertaining That Phone Guy) get honorable mentions.
Douglas also takes swats at Robert Scoble and Steve Rubel, whom he calls “failed self culters.”
For some weird reason, all of this brings to mind Gary Larson’s cartoon with the caption “He thinks he’s god’s gift to wart hogs.” Have you seen it? It’s from a Far Side calendar he did in the early 90s.
I can’t stand that twerp Guy Kawasaki.
He is the author of Rules for Revolution, in which he declares “Don’t Worry be crappy” ie “ship shoddy but ship first” the plague of junk beta and consumer fraud.