Larry Chiang has a detailed breakdown of Guy Kawasaki’s 2006 TiECon talk “The Art of the Start” (the ~1-hour keynote based on his book). The video is energetic, humorous, and packed with Silicon Valley stories, Apple anecdotes, and practical no-BS advice. Guy uses a Top 10 format (plus an 11th bonus) for easy tracking. He draws from his Apple evangelism days, VC experience at Garage Technology Ventures, and hard-won lessons. youtube.com
The talk was cut short by organizers (leading to funny on-stage tension), but it’s still complete and fiery. He emphasizes making meaning over money, simplicity, and action.
1. Make Meaning (Not Just Money)
The best reason to start anything is to change the world:
• Increase the quality of life (e.g., Macintosh made people more creative/productiv).
• Right a wrong (Mac team saw MS-DOS as immoral/criminal against humanity).
• Prevent the end of something good.
VCs hear too many “quick flip to Google/Yahoo” pitches — it’s depressing. Meaning-first companies attract better people. Money follows meaning; chasing only money brings in MBAs and consultants (worst for startups). youtube.com
Tip for pitching VCs: Lead with meaning.
2. Make a Mantra (Not a Mission Statement)
Ditch bloated mission statements from 2-day off-sites with trust-fall exercises and facilitators. Those produce useless corporate-speak (e.g., Wendy’s long paragraph about “superior quality… leadership, innovation, partnerships” that no employee or customer remembers). youtube.com
Mantra: 3-4 words max, memorable, actionable.
• Wendy’s: “Healthy fast food”
• FedEx: “Peace of mind”
• Nike: “Authentic athletic performance”
• Target: “Democratize design”
This guides employees and customers instantly.
3. Get Going
Don’t over-plan. Think different. Polarize people. Find a few soul mates.
Start imperfectly. Polarization means some will love it, some hate it — that’s better than bland. Build a small team of true believers.
4. Define a Business Model
• Be specific
• Keep it simple
• Ask women (they often have better insight into real needs)
How will you make money? Not vague “eyeballs and ads” — concrete and realistic.
5. Weave a MAT (Milestones, Assumptions, Tasks)
A practical planning tool instead of endless business plans:
• Milestones: Major goals (e.g., “Finish design”).
• Assumptions: Testable beliefs (e.g., “X sales calls/day”).
• Tasks: Specific actions (e.g., “Rent an office”).
This keeps you grounded and iterative. files.guykawasaki.com
6. Niche Thyself
Positioning matrix:
• Unique product/service + high value to customer = winner.
• Avoid “stupid” (low value, no uniqueness) or “dot-com” bubbles.
Dominate a niche rather than being mediocre everywhere.
7. Follow the 10/20/30 Rule (for Pitching)
• 10 slides: Title, Problem, Solution, Business model, Underlying magic, Marketing & sales, Competition, Team, Projections, Status & timeline.
• 20 minutes: Leave time for Q&A.
• 30-point font: Minimum. No tiny text.
Clear, high-level, engaging. Practice until polished. files.guykawasaki.com
8. Hire Infected People
• Ignore the irrelevant (e.g., fancy degrees over passion).
• Hire better than yourself.
• Apply the shopping center test: Would you enjoy running into this person at a mall? (For cultural fit).
Look for passion (“infected” with the mission), not just skills.
9. Lower the Barriers to Adoption
• Flatten the learning curve.
• Don’t ask people to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.
• Embrace your evangelists (turn users into advocates).
Make it easy for people to try, buy, and love your product.
10. Seed the Clouds (Let 100 Flowers Blossom)
• Enable test drives.
• Find the influencers.
Experiment with multiple channels/markets. Support early adopters and let organic growth happen. Don’t over-control.
11. Don’t Let the Bozos Grind You Down (Bonus)
Classic bozo quotes dismissing big ideas (IBM on computers, Western Union on phones, etc.). Ignore naysayers. Persist.
Guy ends with personal reflections: family > career regrets, a story about turning down Yahoo CEO role (framed positively around his kids being “worth a billion dollars” in value to him), and encouragement to change the world. guykawasaki.com
Overall Style & Takeaways
• Humor: Apple egomaniacs (first-class flights, in-cubicle massages, lightbulb joke), digs at Microsoft, consultants, etc.
• Timelessness: Still highly relevant in 2026 — focus on meaning, simplicity, action, and people over hype.
• Energy: Rapid-fire delivery, audience interaction, grace under time pressure (organizer interruptions become part of the fun).
The talk aligns closely with the book but is more concise and performative. Guy admits it’s “what I should have done” — battle-hardened wisdom, not perfection. files.guykawasaki.com
WordPress’d from my personal iPhone, 650-283-8008, number that Steve Jobs texted me on
#externalAPI = collaboration
#externalAPI collab’s
|
|
|
Web12 
Leave a comment