Guy Kawasaki - The Art of the Start

THE TIME-TESTED, BATTLE-HARDENED GUIDE FOR ANYONE STARTING ANYTHING

M y thanks to all the people who helped me with this book. First, Rick Kot at Viking, because this book was his idea. Furthermore, he tolerated my crazy ideasincluding the title and subtitle and having a cover-design contest. Every author should be so lucky to work with an editor like Rick. (The converse is not necessarily true.)

Second, Patty Bozza and Alessandra Lusardi of Viking, and the Portfolio team: Joe Perez, Will Weisser, and Adrian Zackheim, as well as Lisa Her Highness Berkowitz. Behind every successful author stands an amazing team.

Third, a group of readers who truly sought to help, not please, me. They spent many hours reading and refining my drafts. My eternal gratitude to: Marylene Delbourg-Delphis, George Grigoryev, Ronit HaNegby, Heidi Mason, Bill Meade, John Michel, Anne P. Mitchell, Lisa Nirell, Bill Reichert, Gary Shaffer, Rick Sklarin, and Andrew Tan.

Fourth, a group of people who contributed by making suggestions, course corrections, and additions. They are: Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, Anupam Anand, Imran Anwar, Dave Baeckelandt, A. J. Balasubramanian, Steve Bengston, David Berg, Scott Butler, Tom Byers, Antonio Carrero, Lilian Chau, Pam Chun, Tom Corr, Stephen Cox, Deborah Vollmer Dahlke, Martin Edic, Bob Elmore, Eric Erickson, Elaine Ferr, Pam Fischer, Sam Hahn, Lenn Hann, Steve Holden, Hilary Horlock, Katherine Hsu, Doug Ito, Bill Joos, John Michel, Cindy Nemeth-Johannes, Tom Kosnik, Pavin Lall, Les Laky, Molly Lavik, Eric Im Open Lier, Anthony Lloyd, Robert MacGregor, Tom Meade, Chris Melching, Fujio Mimomi, Geoffrey ONeill, Bola Odulate, Colin Ong, Steve Owlett, Lakiba Pittman, Gina Poss, Julie Pound, Warrick Poyser, the Propon Team, Richard Putz, Anita Rao, Jim Roberts, Marty Rogers, John Roney, Aaron Rosenzweig, Michael Rozenek, Brian Rudolph, David Schlitter, John Scull, Izhar Shay, Marc Sirkin, Marty Stogsdill, Judy Swartley, Russ Taylor, Larry Thompson, Amy Vernetti, Ryan Walcott, Shelly Watson, Tim Wilson, Ryan Wong, and Jan Zones.

Fifth, the people who helped me to market this book: Alyssa Fisher, Sandy Kory, Tess Mayall, Ruey Feng Peh, Shifeng Li, Shyam Sankar, Betty Taylor, and Kai Yang Wang.

Sixth, my loving and lovely wife, Beth. Thank you for bearing with me as I wrote this book during a very busy time in our lives, and for the best twenty years of my life.

Seventh, Sloan Harris of International Creative Management. Thank God for Sloanotherwise, Rick Kot and Portfolio would have eaten me alive.

Eighth, Patrick Lor and the gang at iStockPhoto.com who helped this graphically challenged author.

Finally, John Baldwin, Ruben Ayala, and Ken Yackel of the Ice Oasis Skating and Hockey Club. Were it not for them, I would have finished this book six months earlier. But then I wouldnt be the best fifty-year-old, transplanted Hawaiian, beginner ice hockey player in Silicon Valley. And this is certainly a desirable niche to fill.

A friend is one to whom you can pour out the contents of your heart, chaff and grain alike. Knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.

anonymous

T here are many ways to describe the ebb and flow, yin and yang, bubble-blowing and bubble-bursting phases of business cycles. Heres another one: microscopes and telescopes.

In the microscope phase, theres a cry for level-headed thinking, a return to fundamentals, and going back to basics. Experts magnify every detail, line item, and expenditure, and then demand full-blown forecasts, protracted market research, and all-encompassing competitive analysis.

In the telescope phase, entrepreneurs bring the future closer. They dream up the next big thing, change the world, and make late-adopters eat their dust. Lots of money is wasted, but some crazy ideas do stick, and the world moves forward.

When telescopes work, everyone is an astronomer, and the world is full of stars. When they dont, everyone whips out their microscopes, and the world is full of flaws. The reality is that you need both microscopes and telescopes to achieve success.