Socrates Never Wrote a Book

If you’re an expert in your field and believe writing a book is your ticket to greater recognition and opportunity, you might want to rethink that strategy.

I’m seeing more and more people announcing that they are writing a book but I’d argue that books alone are losing their power as a signal of expertise.

AI is making it easier than ever to write and publish. And the supply is increasing, attention is getting harder to earn, and trust in the expertise behind what gets published is becoming more difficult to establish.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write a book, more it means writing one isn’t going to be enough.

What you know matters. But increasingly, who knows what you know matters just as much if not more.

Let’s consider Socrates. He wrote nothing. Yet his ideas have lasted for centuries, largely because of people like Plato (his student), engaged with his thinking, and carried it forward.

His influence traveled through people, not publications.

What’s the lesson?

The skills that may matter most aren’t necessarily those involved in authoring and publishing instead it’s the skills of connecting, conversing, convincing, teaching, and helping others do something better or differently because of what you know.

A book can communicate your expertise but people experiencing your expertise, benefiting from it, and sharing it with others is what gives it reach and staying power.

So write that book… really write it, just don’t mistake publishing your knowledge for building your influence.

And remember – The book isn’t the destination. It’s a means of getting your thinking into other people’s lives, conversations, and work.