The Art of the Start

The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything

by Guy Kawasaki

Number of pages: 226

Publisher: Portfolio

BBB Library: Entrepreneurship

ISBN: 9781591841159



About the Author

Guy Kawasaki is the managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, as an early age venture capital firm for high-technology companies. A noted speaker and the founder of various personal computer companies, Kawasaki was one of the individuals responsible for the success of the Macintosh computer.

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Editorial Review

You have the idea of a lifetime and yet you do not know where and how to begin. It is a dilemma shared by entrepreneurs everywhere. So, what does it take to turn a great idea into action?  The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning. Meaning is not about money, fame or power. Instead, meaning is about making the world a better place, increasing the quality of life, righting a wrong and preventing a good thing from ending.  Crafting a mission statement is usually one of the first steps entrepreneurs undertake. Unfortunately, this process is usually a painful and frustrating experience that results in exceptional mediocrity. Postpone writing your mission statement, you can come up with it later when you’re successful and have lots of time and money to waste. Instead of a mission statement, take your meaning and make your own mantra. Examples of mantras include Disney’s “Fun family entertainment” and Nike’s “Authentic athletic performance.” Thus, the beauty of a mantra is that everyone expects of it to be short and sweet.   

Book Reviews

"The Art of the Startembodies the very concept it teaches – focusing simultaneously on both the strategy and executional elements of starting something new. Written with an easy, conversational style, this book is a must have for all entrepreneurs, whether they’re starting a wholly new business or starting a revolution within a larger organization. I, for one, plan to keep it close at hand in the years yet to come." ActionableBooks.com

"In this innovative new look at small start-up ventures, Kawasaki illustrates how the keys to success do not rely on privilege nor wealth, but rather in reason and sheer willpower. Where other similar experts have written voluminous tomes outlining the strategies for acquisition of resources, clout and wealth as an initial step to starting a new venture, Guy pretty much dismisses all this as poppycock, and there’s no arguing with the fact that he is right." Artofthestart.com

"Guy Kawasaki has used his expertise on this subject from various aspects of his career being an evangelist, an entrepreneur & a venture capitalist. This gives Kawasaki the perfect leverage to attract and give the reader an interactive experience. One main reason for success of this book has been the precision in identifying and sequencing phases of a startup." DiGiT

"Much of the very best of his thinking and expertise in identifying the essence of what makes a startup business succeed has been captured in The Art of the Start, a succinct, engaging, and amusing handbook that I recommend to all entrepreneurs, whether you’re still in the proverbial garage, or whether you’re trying to produce a revolution within a larger organization." Intuitive Systems

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Wisdom to Share

Shoot for doing things ten times better than the status quo.

Crafting a mission statement is usually one of the first steps entrepreneurs undertake.

Start creating your product or service and commerce delivering to your customers.

Define your customers and their needs. Come up with a sales mechanism that will earn you more money than what you’re spending.

Compile a list of the milestones you need to meet, assumptions that are built into your business model and the tasks you need to accomplish to create your organization.