Synopses & Reviews
A new product, a new service, a new company, a new division, a new organization, a new anything—where there’s a will, here’s the way. It begins with a dream that just won’t quit, the once-in-a-lifetime thunderbolt of pure inspiration, the obsession, the world-beater, the killer app, the next big thing. Everyone who wants to make the world a better place becomes possessed by a grand idea.
But what does it take to turn your idea into action? Whether you are an entrepreneur, intrapreneur, or not-for-profit crusader, there’s no shortage of advice available on issues such as writing a business plan, recruiting, raising capital, and branding. In fact, there are so many books, articles, and Web sites that many startups get bogged down to the point of paralysis. Or else they focus on the wrong priorities and go broke before they discover their mistakes. In The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki brings two decades of experience as one of business’s most original and irreverent strategists to offer the essential guide for anyone starting anything, from a multinational corporation to a church group. At Apple in the 1980s, he helped lead one of the great companies of the century, turning ordinary consumers into evangelists. As founder and CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, a venture capital firm, he has field-tested his ideas with dozens of newly hatched companies. And as the author of bestselling business books and articles, he has advised thousands of people who are making their startup dreams real. From raising money to hiring the right people, from defining your positioning to creating a brand, from creating buzz to buzzing the competition, from managing a board to fostering a community, this book will guide you through an adventure that’s more art than science—the art of the start.
Review
“A successful entrepreneur requires three things: a garage, an idea, and this book—Guy’s irrepressible guide to the raw essentials of life in a young company. I wish we could post all this information on Sequoia Capital’s Web site because it would make our jobs much easier.”—Michael Moritz, Sequoia Capital “When God made the universe, He took Guy’s advice and started small and put his whole heart into it. Okay, not everything turned out perfect, but as The Art of the Start makes clear, there are no guarantees, only great opportunities. Read this book and then go do something wonderful.”—Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm “This is a delightful, complete, and consummately practical entrepreneur’s handbook—quintessential Kawasaki. Every person who wants to start a business should read it. And read the footnote on page eight. There’s more good stuff in here, but this alone is worth the price of the book.”—Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma and The Innovator’s Solution “I have built my business into an internationally famous brand, and yet after reading this book, I have this nearly uncontrollable urge to chuck my whole business and start all over again. Guy’s book revealed so many things I had never even suspected and shattered so many of my illusions, that it read like a novel. I would love to be the bank for the people who read this book.”—Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing series of books “As useful for the next great not-for-profit as for the next great VC-funded startup. Anyone trying to change the world should read The Art of the Start. I wish it had been around when I started Teach for America.”—Wendy Kopp, president and founder of Teach for America
Synopsis
By now it's clear that whether you're promoting a business, a product, or yourself, social media is near the top of what determines your success or failure. And there are countless pundits, authors, and consultants eager to advise you.
But theres no one quite like Guy Kawasaki, the legendary former chief evangelist for Apple and one of the pioneers of business blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, Tumbling, and much, much more. Now Guy has teamed up with Peg Fitzpatrick, who he says is the best social-media person hes ever met, to offer The Art of Social Mediathe one essential guide you need to get the most bang for your time, effort, and money.
With over one hundred practical tips, tricks, and insights, Guy and Peg present a bottom-up strategy to produce a focused, thorough, and compelling presence on the most popular social-media platforms. They guide you through steps to build your foundation, amass your digital assets, optimize your profile, attract more followers, and effectively integrate social media and blogging.
For beginners overwhelmed by too many choices as well as seasoned professionals eager to improve their game, The Art of Social Media is full of tactics that have been proven to work in the real world. Or as Guy puts it, great stuff, no fluff.”
About the Author
Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online design service, and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley. Previously, he was the chief evangelist of Apple and special advisor to the CEO of the Motorola business unit of Google. His many acclaimed books include
The Art of the Start and
Enchantment. Visit www.twitter.com/GuyKawasaki
Peg Fitzpatrick is a social media strategist innovating the world of social media. Shes spearheaded successful social-media campaigns for Motorola, Google, Audi, Canva, and Virgin. When she dies and meets Saint Peter, the first thing hell say is, I follow you on Pinterest.” Visit www.pinterest.com/PegFitzpatrick
Table of Contents
The Art of The Start
Read Me First Causation
Chapter 1: The Art of Starting
Articulation
Chapter 2: The Art of Positioning
Chapter 3: The Art of Pitching
Chapter 4: The Art of Writing a Business Plan
Activation
Chapter 5: The Art of Bootstrapping
Chapter 6: The Art of Recruiting
Chapter 7: The Art of Raising Capital
Proliferation
Chapter 8: The Art of Partnering
Chapter 9: The Art of Branding
Chapter 10: The Art of Rainmaking
Obligation
Chapter 11: The Art of Being a Mensch
Afterword
Index