Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That's not marketing though, that's efficiency.

Without people pushing against your quest to do something worth talking about, it's unlikely to be worth the journey. Persist.

Strategic quitting is the secret of successful organizations

The way you feel about giving money to good causes has a lot to do with the way you feel about money.

Go ahead, fail. Try to avoid mistakes, though.

Instead of working hard to keep their share of a shrinking pie, or working even harder to make sure the industry stays as is, I think the most essential thing legacy book industry players can do is set up independent ventures with great people and little interference and work really hard to put themselves out of business by starting at the bottom, not by reinforcing the top.

If your project or organization depends on knowing things that other people don't know (but could find out if they wanted to), your days are probably numbered. Ask a travel agent The alternative, while difficult, is obvious. Provide enough non-commodity service and customization that it doesn't matter if the ideas spread. In fact, it will help you when they do.