What better way to know about the right way to start a business than someone who is a Silicon-valley based entrepreneur, evangelist, and author himself? Guy Kawasaki, in his book, The Art of the Start 2.0, has talked about the tricks of starting something new. He is a marketing expert and is a very well-known name in the start-up world. He has been a technology evangelist for Apple in the 80s and today, he is also a very renowned author. He is now the chief evangelist of Canva and the creator of Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People podcast. He is also an assistant professor of the University of New South Wales and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business. He has written quite a few books in the past and some of them are Wise Guy, The Art of Social Media, Reality Check, and Enchantment. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, an MBA degree from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate degree from Babson College.
In his book, The Art of the Start 2.0, Guy has organized the rules of starting a new company in 13 different chapters. Each one of them has tips, bulleted lists, and a lot more regarding the starting of a new technology company. For example, the first chapter is about the initial steps of creating a company. It explains how to find an idea, how to pick a co-founder, how to define a business mantra, and the business model.
The basis of the book, The Art of the Start 2.0, is quite simple – it begins with a dream of not quitting no matter what. It also talks about the need for pure intention towards a dream. Also, one of the most inspiring parts about this book is that it begins with an explanation about the vitality of Positioning. It talks about how this one thing is so important for making the most strategic decisions in a business. It also explains how entrepreneurs should define the differentiating aspects of their businesses that make them different from the rest.
Build an Empire by Knowing the Art of the Right Way to Start
The book covers a wide array of topics related to starting a business. However, one common aspect that circulates the whole manuscript is that the basis of the business has to be a great product. If you build something amazing, it will be easier for you to sell it in front of the world, get investments, or hire a marketing team for the same. Guy shared a lot of tips in his book about how to sell your products better, but his sole focus has been on one thing; having a great product.
He mentioned how starting a business is now possible even with any external investments. New technologies have made it easier for entrepreneurs to start their companies without any investment. He also propagates that crowdfunding is a good solution if a business needs initial investments. Later, after achieving some traction, businesses can attract venture capitalists for monetary backing. Guy mentions that businesses should also follow the 10/20/30 rule for client pitching. This means, the presentations should have a maximum of 10 slides, it will take a maximum of 20 minutes to explain the same, and should have a minimum of 30 font sizes. In the last chapter of the book, Guy elucidates on why we should aim at being a mensch – which means to become someone who helps others without expecting anything from them in return.
Wrapping it Up,
In this book, Guy Kawasaki explains everything in a very simple manner. Each one of the chapters has a summary paragraph which helps the reader understand what exactly is written in the chapters. All this makes it quite an interesting read even for someone who is not much into reading books. While reading The Art of the Start 2.0, you might feel like reading a blog. You will not only learn about different aspects of starting a business but will also understand a few very essential ways of doing it better. This is one must-read book for entrepreneurs worldwide.
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