Books by this author
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Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions -
Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition -
The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything -
Rules For Revolutionaries: The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services
Guy Kawasaki
Garage Technology Ventures
Garage Technology Ventures
Guy Kawasaki is the co-founder of Alltop.com, an "online magazine rack" of popular topics on the web, and a founding partner at Garage Technology Ventures. He is also a columnist for the Open Forum of American Express. Previously, he was the chief evangelist of Apple.
Mr. Kawasaki is the author of nine books including Enchantment, Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way.
Guy Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.
Related Links: www.garage.com
Last Updated: Fri, Oct 29, 2010
Kawasaki explains that hiring infected people is the most important factor. Often, how a person looks on paper means nothing if they are not enthusiastic and ready to work hard. All of the experience in the world means nothing if they are not bitten and infected by the start-up bug. He also tells you how to avoid the bozo explosion, which only leads to layoffs, and how to apply the shopping center test to know if you're hiring the right person.
A successful product is easy for everyone to use, immediately. Flatten the learning curve, never ask someone to do something you would not, and recruit evangelists to spread your message.
There are typical ways to approach sales, but Kawasaki has three other ideas. These include the unintended users, allowing test drives, and the suck down theory - chances are the CEO is not going to be the one buying your product, but rather the people at lower levels.
Kawasaki shares some of the qualities that he believes entrepreneurs, and everyone else, should have. In order to be a mensch, a person who is widely respected and trusted, one should help those who cannot be helpful in return, do the right thing in the right way, and pay back to society.
Kawasaki talks about two examples of early-stage funding, bootstrapping and venture capital, and the benefits and drawbacks of both. Ultimately, he believes that too much money is worse than not enough money, and that both methods can be successful of a smart approach is taken with the funds that are received.
If a product or services is worthwhile, then evangelists will come to you, says Kawasaki. He believes that if you are having a hard time finding someone to spread the message about your product, then you may need to re-evaluate your product or your goals. Build something great, and the evangelists will be there.
Kawasaki believes that often soul mates are found within your existing social network, but there is danger in that as well. Close relationships outside of a business environment can lead to promising more than can be delivered. Kawasaki explains that it is a tricky process, and can be difficult if a soul mate is not fulfilling their duties.
Kawasaki believes there are some lessons one should learn before becoming a venture capitalist or entrepreneur. One thing to avoid is the "Morgan Stanley disease." Investment banking isn't the best way to learn those important lessons -- instead join the sales team of a large company and learn from the bottom up.
Kawasaki's viewpoint is not one shared by the majority of venture capitalists. Kawasaki sees the best candidates for a successful start-up are young engineers with no business experience.
Guy Kawasaki, Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, provides a description of Garage Technology Ventures and their services. These include: mergers & acquisitions, investment banking, and venture capitalism. He also describes what Garage Technology Ventures looks for in startups.
Kawasaki talks about how he uses a top 10 format for Powerpoint presentations and thinks that most presentations are terrible. For example, he says either the presentations are too long, Powerpoint is used poorly, or the font is too small to read.
Kawasaki provides advice about foundation, priorities, financing, key employees, getting the word out, leveraging resources, scope, business development, raison d'etre, and the big picture. For example, a few years ago, cleverness was the priority, he says. Today, expertise in technology is important and entrepreneurs should be thinking of making the world a better place, he adds.
Whatever you build, says Kawasaki, it's about passion, and less about money. Your goals should be about changing the world, or making the world a better place, he says. He also talks about his experience growing up thinking that money was the most important thing in life. He advises students to study abroad and to spend as much time learning as possible.
What does Silicon Valley 4.0 look like? Kawasaki does not consider himself a visionary, but he does see changes in the future. For example, he believes everything will be wireless and have an IP address.
In Kawasaki's opinion, he discusses the 10 reasons why Silicon Valley 4.0 will never happen.
Listen to your customers and your noncustomers, emphasizes Kawasaki. People who are not your customers are going to buy your product and use it in ways that you would not expect, he says. It is a good thing to see people using your product in a way you didn't intend means that your product means something to them, he adds.
Kawasaki talks about the essence of Selling the Dream, his new book. You need evangelists, those who sell your dream, he says. The way to get others to believe in your dream is to show them you're making the world a better place, he adds. Kawasaki uses Google as an example of a company that has changed the world and has evangelists supporting their cause and spreading the word.
Kawasaki shares his thoughts on whether or not to get an MBA. The problem with an MBA he says is that you believe you are being taught how to manage, and he generally thinks it is impossible to learn how to manage in school. The only way to learn how to manage, according to him, is to do it in the real-world.
What is the difference between a brilliant idea that is successful and a brilliant idea that is not successful? Kawasaki believes that luck, timing and karma are the keys to success. Karma has to do with whether your product will ultimately make the world a better place, and he believes that the best technologies really do survive.
Kawasaki thinks that companies like Nordstrom, Audi, and Nike make the world a better place. His advice: don't start a business because you think that's what's hot. You should study and do what you love, he says. He can't promise you that the money will come, he does promise that if you start a company simply for the money, you will probably end up miserable.