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The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything [Hardcover]

Guy Kawasaki
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (272 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 9, 2004
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.


Frequently Bought Together

The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything + The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses + Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers
Price for all three: $60.56

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kawasaki (Rules for Revolutionaries) draws upon his dual background as an evangelist for Apple's Macintosh computer and as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist in this how-to for launching any type of business project. Each chapter begins with "GIST" ("great ideas for starting things"), covering a variety of facets to consider, from identifying your customer base and writing a business plan to establishing partnerships and building brand identity. Minichapters zero in on particular jobs that will need doing, while FAQ sections address the questions readers are most likely to have: Kawasaki covers the basics in an effectively casual tone. Much of the advice, however, consists of generic banalities—start your company's name with a letter that comes early in the alphabet, use big type in presentation slides for older businessmen with declining eyesight, and avoid writing e-mails in all capital letters—that can be found in any mediocre guide. Fortunately, Kawasaki does rise to the occasion here and there. He goes into great detail when it comes to raising capital and offers effective methods for sorting through the nonsense associated with interviewing prospective employees.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 226 pages
  • Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover; 1st edition (September 9, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1591840562
  • ISBN-13: 978-1591840565
  • Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (272 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Guy Kawasaki is the author of twelve books. He was the chief evangelist of Apple. He has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

His latest book is APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur--How to Publish a Book. Kirkus, the toughest reviewer in the business, said this about APE, "Essential reading (and reference) for modern authors, regardless of experience."

Kawasaki was born and raised in Hawaii. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with Wife 1.0, four kids, one dog, two chickens, three lizards, and two turtles.

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Customer Reviews

This book has less than 200 pages and is definitely worth a read. Fred G. Sanford  |  23 reviewers made a similar statement
Not many business books tell it like it is and can make you laugh at the same time. Ryan  |  36 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
262 of 270 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Light a fire under your business October 29, 2004
Format:Hardcover
The book makes a big promise with its sub-title, "The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything." I wondered if such a book could live up to it. "Starting anything" refers to a business, not a career, school, or hobby.

Obviously, it's impossible to create a comprehensive book of business best practices because every business has its own variables. What works great for one may kill another. However, the book doesn't take that approach. Rather, it tells how it is starting a business and the rough road of dealing with VCs (venture capitalists). If you expect a positive spin on stuff that's hard to do. Read a fairy tale instead.

Rather than abrasiveness and a "do this, don't do this" attitude, Kawasaki uses humor to explain the process. Anyone who has a small business including those around for a few years will benefit. When ready to take action, use this book as the manual that doesn't come with starting a business. Thinking about it isn't going to make a business successful.

Every chapter begins with the GIST of it, an overview of what's to come. Each ends with FAQ, frequently AVOIDED questions, to review the chapter's content and drill it in deeper for better understanding and implementation.

Get simple, but important hints on everyday business practices such as how to give a strong presentation. How many times have you sat through a presentation where each slide has over 20 words in size 12 point and the presenter practically reads the words adding little to what is on the slide? Kawasaki smartly covers the 10-20-30 rule. 10 slides, 20 minutes, and size 30 font. Making changes to the small practices can lead to reaching the next milestone.

This book can be likened to a quick reference guide for starting a business and useful strategies: has just what is needed without heavy-duty or dry language. It is, however, larger than most quick guides, but a fast and easy read into the world of startups and dealing with VCs. If a VC isn't involved, the book provides valuable tools and ideas to help with any business. However, technology start ups seeking VCs will benefit most.

Stuck on a business plan? Learn what is needed and not needed. Don't waste valuable time and use the book to do what's necessary without going overboard.

If long hours and challenges aren't in the plans, then read a romanticized business book instead. The Art of the Start shows how it really is and it's hard, but it can be a little easier with this book as a guide.

Get a taste of the book by reading its manifesto (http://www.changethis.com/1.ArtOfTheStart), a free PDF download. The 34 page document should give you a clear idea of whether or not the book is for you as it includes the same components found in the book. As a bonus, the manifesto includes Great Ideas for Starting Things, covered in the first chapter. If the material and the table of contents sound enticing, get it.
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254 of 280 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wow, I am going against the grain here. I picked this book up with a lot of hope. I only met disappointment. The books premise says a lot, leading you to believe that this is a know-how of starting companies and organizations - any types. And in a sense this is somewhat true. But this book is not geared for smaller companies. In fact the book is structured and designed only for those seeking venture capitalists and/or those who are already in the corporate world and want to start their own company. Basically, for those companies geared more towards technology.

Because of this I was very disappointed. Additionally, the tables were almost all useless and the exercises were a big waste of time. Exercises such as "Look up the background of these entrepreneurs" or "Go to eBay and look up this item" or "Fill in the blank... (where you fill in your mantra)". Even the quotes, although some were interesting, were a waste of space as the book is literally layered with them all over the place.

Again, I am really going against the grain. If you are looking for venture capital or are currently in the corporate world, this book is for you. Otherwise there is very little to learn from this book.

2.5 stars.
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60 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a truly great book. I didn't expect to get so much from it; I'm battle-hardened myself and thought I knew a lot about starting companies and thinking about product development and marketing. I'm an author myself, of two technical books (you can search for me in Amazon's author index) so I understand the process and am have pretty high standards in reading and judging books.

I've read the first 20 pages of a lot of supposedly similar books and given up on them. Time, after all, is one of the most valuable assets to an entrepreneur, and I won't have mine wasted. But with The Art of the Start I was learning and thinking on every page, and genuinely got excited about my own business by reading this book; it doesn't get much better than that.

Guy Kawasaki has a gift for getting right to the heart of an issue, in a no-nonsense way, which of course every entrpreneur needs; I'm often thinking: make your point already!

And right when you're about to call into question one of the points the author is making (and he does make some bold points that you're tempted to question) he follows it immediately with "for example..." and the examples are so compelling and clear, you immediately accede his point, change your own thinking slightly, and keep reading.

I wrote Guy Kawasaki a long email while I was on an airplane and had been reading this book, to tell him that I loved it. I normally would never do such a thing, but he points out in the book that you should always include your email address and not hide from customers, and you should answer your email, so it occurred to me that it might be okay to write to him. So I did, and he wrote back to thank me.

I've read a lot of "how-to" books on a lot of topics, from woodworking to business development, and this is one of the best ever written. I'm not sure if my review will compell you to check it out, but I thought it's worth a try. I am not one who normally recommends things, so my recommendation carries extra weight.

Get it. Read it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars BRAVO KAWASAKI !
having read a summary of ART OF THE START prior to my purchase...IT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. Very practical, easy to read and entertaining, Kawasaki: BRAVO! Read more
Published 1 day ago by YAFFA LICARI
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book for Business People
I thought the book contained candid and practical advice when considering starting a business or seeking financing/capital. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Brian Stanton
5.0 out of 5 stars Get started now - but first read this book!
This book gave me a lot of inspiration to start and finish Brainwash Yourself Thin and launch my coaching business. Weight loss is also about the art of the start. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Lindis Courtney
3.0 out of 5 stars Good
This has some good advice in it and covers a few very important ideas very well. However, it, like most modern books, is not very "Information Rich" and could be condensed.
Published 1 month ago by todd allen
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, helpful and humorous.
Wonderful book on beginning a new company and the difficulties and different aspects of doing so. Guy has a great writing style, mixing business and humor in a way that maintains... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tyler Knochel
5.0 out of 5 stars Kawasaki Fan
Guy you are an awesome writer. I thank you for such an awesome book. I love the way you write. I love the information you offer us for such a low price. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Book Buyer
3.0 out of 5 stars This book is more for motivation than a guide
Sometimes what you need is a spark to get going, this book does that, and that's about it. Guides can be found online too, try your local SBA.
Published 2 months ago by Lana Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is igniting!
Great book. It should give quite a bit of encouragement to a person with just a great idea, a lot of energy, a willingness to work hard but not a ton of financial resources. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael Arvid Hardiman
4.0 out of 5 stars Very much worth a quick read
This book made me jot down several notes and really think - which means it definitely was worth the read. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jason
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
This is a must read for hopeful entrepreneurs. Kawasaki is full of practical advice. Easily in my top 3 business books.
Published 3 months ago by Jack M
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