Guy Kawasaki's Chocolate Two-by-Four - Art of the Start

Wow. Guy Kawasaki is like a lightening bolt of inspiriation! Smart, sassy, and a powerhouse, he delivers his message like a welcome tsunami.
 
I will share the most interesting nuggets from our conversation, but the bottom line is this: If you are interested in starting anything, you've got to read his book, Art of the Start: Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything.
 
I had the pleasure of hearing Guy speak and then spending an hour with him one-on-one. What a privilege! In preparing for our meeting I read Guy's latest book, Art of the Start, his Forbes columns, and several online interviews, blog posts, and reviews (like Common Craft, Digitalyst, Zdnet, Media Guerrilla, Say Leadership, Groovy Mother). I was impressed with his ability to provide direct, amusing and effective advice. In person, this strength is even more pronounced. I told Guy that he has a gift of being able to deliver a two-by-four effect that tastes like chocolate. In other words, he can give people the direct feedback they need in a way that leaves them grateful, happy, and motivated.
 
Four weeks ago I had not heard of Guy Kawasaki. I first learned about him and his book through the 1800CEOREAD blog (Thanks Jack and Todd!). I also picked up buzz here and there in articles and blogs. People seemed to think this guy Guy was fascinating so I bought the book. LOVED IT! I am not interested in venture capital or building boards so I breezed over these parts. I am very interested in how to start and build my business and helping others build theirs. Art of the Start delivers. Guy's tips and techniques are clear and stripped down to the essential must do's. There's no waste and no dull parts to get through to get the good stuff. To use Guy's word for great products - it's Gold. He's funny too, which helped my ADD brain stay engaged (I really do have ADD).
 
I was checking out the local events in Seattle and saw that Guy was scheduled to speak at the Entrepreneur University put on by the Northwest Entrepreneur Network. Thanks to Lori Richardson for sending the EU link to the Seattle Fast Company - Company of Friends email list. I emailed Guy and asked for the interview, and he said yes! He's a well known and highly paid speaker, so you can imagine how fortunate I felt. We talked about this briefly during our interview and Guy's response is indicitive of how he builds his businesses and suggests others do. Guy said that for all he knew, I could be his Tipping Point. Someone from a large corporation could be reading my blog and that connection would be the spark that makes great things happen. Other bloggers might link to this post and someone reading that blog could become a big customer. The point is that we just never know which action will make a difference and it will serve us well to be open to many opportunities.
 
So I could be the tipping point! How cool would that be? Something else happened as a result of this conversation. By Guy validating me and my management blog, he has turned me into an evangelist for his work and book. He has inspired me to WANT to be the tipping point. Read more about why this is a good thing to do (and how to do it) in the book.

Before you think otherwise, let me assure you that this is not slimy marketeer manipulation. I received great value and enjoyment from my time with Guy. His generosity and conversation is part of what makes him so darned endearing. He walks his talk and talks his walk. In his book and during his speech, he talked about the value of being a mensch (a Yiddish term for a person who is ethical, decent, and admirable) and a schmoozer. I talked about schmoozing in yesterday's post. Schmoozing is about giving of yourself, not the reverse.

I will think about this the next time I am networking at an event. How often do we go to events with the mindset of, “What can I get out of this?”
 
 Throughout the book, research, speech, and our conversation, two dominant themes emerged:
 
1. Get on with it!
 
Get your product out there.
Don't over-think things, just try something.
Avoid second guessing yourself or others. If you want to start something, start it.
Be wary of paralysis by analysis.
Try many avenues.
Be open to uncommon and unknown possibilities for your business and product.
Obliterate the barriers that are keeping you from moving forward.
 
2. Do what you love and make meaning!
 
Don't worry about what is hot or trendy (by the time you know of trends it is too late anyway!). Create products and services that you love and that solve your problems.

Solve new problems, seize new opportunities, or approach a business solution in new way. Don’t just build on what’s already out there, build something new.
 
Worry about making meaning first, then making money. If you are producing what you love and it will make life better for others, the money will follow.
 
The best product and services are loved by their customers. To evangelize your business, you need to be passionate about and believe in what you are doing. The importance of this is paramount.

You may need to reenergize and remind yourself that the focus is on making meaning.

 
Summary: I've learned a lot from Guy's book and by hearing him talk. Art of the Start can help us kick-start our endeavors and improve our chances of success and satisfaction.

Has this post been helpful? If so, get Guy's book because I can't possibly do the content justice (plus, I’ve mentioned only a few of the areas covered in the book). And if Guy is scheduled to speak in your area, I highly recommend catching him in action.
 
Guy Kawasaki is one of those folks who changes the lives of the people he touches. He has changed mine and I would invite you to let him change yours.
 
Art of the Start can be found at:
 
Amazon.com
1800CEOREAD.COM
Barnes & Noble
Garage.com (Guy’s website)
 
And you can download an excerpt in PDF form here from the Change This site.

Comments

[Bob Watkins]

I became a Guy Kawasaki fan after reading his earlier book, "Selling the Dream." It draws upon his experiences "evangelizing" the Macintosh among software developers while he was at Apple Computer, and covers how to evangelize your dream whether it's building computer software or wooing a girlfriend (really!)

I agree with what you said above: he is direct, but disarmingly so. Thanks for the tip, Lisa. Art of the Start is exactly what I need right now; it's going to the top of my To Read list. And I'm adding your blog to my NewsGator.

Feel free to check out my fledling efforts at "a free agent in training," http://fait.typepad.com.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Bob - Thanks for your comments! Yes, Guy is intense - that is what I was getting at when I said he delivered his message like a welcome tsunami. Personally, I find this approach refreshing because I have many more business encounters typified by weakness.

[Anita Campbell]

Hi Lisa, I stumbled on your site from another business blog. Nice!

I too am a Guy Kawasaki fan. He has a way of getting to the point that I appreciate.

Best,
Anita