Table Of ContentALSO BY GUY KAWASAKI
The Art of Social Media
APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur
Enchantment
What the Plus!
The Macintosh Way
Reality Check
How to Drive Your Competition Crazy
Rules for Revolutionaries
Selling the Dream
Hindsights
The Computer Curmudgeon
Database 101
PORTFOLIO / PENGUIN
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Copyright © 2004, 2015 by Guy Kawasaki Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices,
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This is a revised and expanded edition of The Art of the Start (Portfolio, 2004).
Illustrations credits
Art 01_01: McDonald’s Corporation; 01_03: Derek Sivers; 02_02: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma; 02_05: © Beech-Nut Nutrition Company
2014; 02_06: Stephen Brashear; 04_01: Courtesy of Herman Miller, Inc.; 05_01: IndieGogo; 06_02: U.S. Air Force; 06_03: Courtesy
of Guy Kawasaki; 08_02: Google Inc; 08_03: Adam Lee, AirAsia; 08_04: Courtesy of Guy Kawasaki; 08_05: Courtesy of
SCOTTeVEST; 08_06: Courtesy of Guy Kawasaki; 09_01: Cadbury profile on Google+; 09_02: Peggy Fitzpatrick; 12_01: Courtesy
of Guy Kawasaki; 12_02: Jayme Burrows/Stocksy; Art_Afterword: Photo by Jason Roberts, used by permission of Lewis Pugh; “What
Do Entrepreneurs Do?”: Lindsey Filby, Illustrator, ©2015 Guy Kawasaki; BM_01: Courtesy of Guy Kawasaki ISBN 978-0-69819363-
5
Version_1
To my children: Nic, Noah, Nohemi, and Gustavo.
Children are the ultimate startup, and I have four.
Many years ago Rudyard Kipling gave an address at McGill University in
Montreal. He said one striking thing which deserves to be remembered.
Warning the students against an over-concern for money, or position, or
glory, he said: “Some day you will meet a man who cares for none of these
things. Then you will know how poor you are.”
—Halford E. Luccock
Acknowledgments
In giving advice, seek to help, not please, your friend.
—Solon
VERSION 2.0
M
y thanks to the readers of my drafts. They suggested hundreds of changes
that made the book more relevant and useful. Ankit Agarwal, Biji Anchery,
Christopher Batts, Mark Bavisotto, Stephen Brand, Dr. Julie Connor, Gergely
Csapó, David Eyes, David Giacomini, Oskar Glauser, Allan Isfan, David F.
Leopold, Eligio Merino, David Newberger, Greta Newborn, Mike Sax, Derek
Sivers, Dale Sizemore, Eleanor Starr, Steven Stralser, Leslie Tiongco, Julius
Vincze, and Maruf Yusupov.
Special thanks to these folks, who went above and beyond the call of duty:
Raymond Camden, Mark Coopersmith, Andy Dahlen, Peg Fitzpatrick, Michael
Hall, Chelsea Hunersen, Mohanjit Jolly, Bill Joos, Doug Leone, Bill Reichert,
Beryl Reid, Peter Relan, Mike Scanlin, Ian Sobieski, Stacy Teet, and Hung Tran.
My gratitude to the Portfolio team: Rick Kot, Will Weisser, Adrian
Zackheim, Diego Núñez, Stefanie Rosenblum, Victoria Miller, and Tara
Gilbride. It’s good to work with the A Team again. It’s good to be working with
you guys again. I hope I didn’t drive you too crazy. And finally thank you Sloan
“Hitman” Harris. I’m glad you are on my side.
CONTENTS
Write what you know. That should leave you with a lot of free time.
—Howard Nemerov
Also by Guy Kawasaki
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
Acknowledgments
Read Me First
Conception
Chapter 1: The Art of Starting Up
Activation
Chapter 2: The Art of Launching
Chapter 3: The Art of Leading
Chapter 4: The Art of Bootstrapping
Chapter 5: The Art of Fund-raising
Chapter 6: The Art of Pitching
Proliferation
Chapter 7: The Art of Building a Team
Chapter 8: The Art of Evangelizing
Chapter 9: The Art of Socializing
Chapter 10: The Art of Rainmaking
Chapter 11: The Art of Partnering
Chapter 12: The Art of Enduring
Obligation
Chapter 13: The Art of Being a Mensch
Afterword
What Do Entrepreneurs Do?
After Afterword
Index
Read Me First
I have never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my
heart must come out; that is the reason why I compose.
—Ludwig van Beethoven
I
f I knew then what I know now.” Most experienced entrepreneurs say this at
some point. My goal is that you won’t have to because you read this book.
I’ve started three companies, invested in ten, and advised organizations as
small as two people and as large as Google. I’ve worked for Apple twice, and
I’m the chief evangelist of a startup called Canva. Hundreds of entrepreneurs
have pitched me—until my right ear won’t stop ringing.
When it comes to startups, I’ve been there and done that several times over.
Now I’m doing what techies call a “core dump,” or recording what’s in my
memory. My knowledge comes from my scars—in other words, you will benefit
from my hindsight.
My goal is simple and pure: I want to make entrepreneurship easier for you.
When I die, I want people to say, “Guy empowered me.” I want lots of people to
say this, so this book is for a broad population:
1. Guys and gals in garages, dorms, and offices creating the next big
thing
2. Brave souls in established companies bringing new products to market
3. Social entrepreneurs in nonprofits making the world a better place
Great companies. Great divisions. Great schools. Great churches. Great
nonprofits. Great entrepreneurs. That’s the plan. A few details before we start:
My original intent was to merely update the book. However, I
