The Art of the Start

I’ve been reading Guy Kawasaki’s book The Art of the Start for the last two weeks, and I’m quite impressed. Kawasaki’s book is billed as a tutorial for “anyone starting anything” — but really, it’s a guide for entrepreneurs starting businesses, specifically geared toward high-tech businesses looking for venture capital funding. Kawasaki, previously a product evangelist for Apple Computer, is now the CEO of Garage Technology Ventures. As a result, Kawasaki knows all about what’s needed to bring a product to market and obtaining financing (and customers). A lot of the tips in the book are phrased as “if only the companies pitching to me knew how to do it better…”, so it feels like you’re really getting inside information that most startups are unaware of.

For example, I read the chapter on partnerships today. (Joint ventures, not legal entities.) It was all about how to evaluate and negotiate a partnership opportunity so that you don’t get stuck with losers. These were ideas I never had even considered. If I was running a startup and Sun wanted to partner with me, I would have jumped at it because they’re a big company, no matter the strategic relevance. Kawasaki teaches you how to evaluate these kinds of opportunities to ensure they’re worth the time (and money). Plus it’s a fun read, which helps.

Just like Startup School, The Art of the Start is a very candid and a great resource from an accomplished insider. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to succeed in a technology startup.