Thursday, July 27, 2006

The Art of The Start

I know this video has been circulated around a lot already, at least in certain circles. It was referred to me not for its content, but for the speaking style. (Speaking geeks are just as bad as any other kind of geek). I watched it and found the style very good as well as the content.

Guy Kawasaki speaks about entrepreneurship, but his message extends deeper. I think that his message can be applied to any endeavor someone may venture into. I list a link to his video on Google Video at the bottom of this entry, but to help out those who may never have the time or capability to watch it, here is the outline that I made listening to it. (I told you I was a geek!) Guy mentions in the speech that his comments were loosely based on his book, The Art of the Start.

1. Make Meaning
a. Increase the quality of life.
b. Right a wrong
c. Prevent the End of Something good.

2. Make A Mantra
a. Not a vision statement
b. 2-3 words. What are you about?

3. Get Going
a. Think Different- Don't do better sameness
b. Polarize People
c. Find soul mates. Balance yourself.

4. Define a Business Model
a. Be specific.
b. Keep it simple.
c. Ask women about your business model

5. Weave a MAT
a. Milestones.
b. Assumptions.
c. Tasks

6. Niche Thyself
1. Great Value to customer
2. Ability to provide unique product or service

7. Follow the 10/20/30 Rule
a. 10 slide maximum
b. 20 minutes
c. 30 pts smallest font

8. Hire Infected People
a. Ignore the irrelevant
b. Hire Better people than yourself
c. Shopping center test
1. Run over and introduce yourself- Hire!
2. If you come face to face- introduce- Don't hire.
3. Drive away- Don't hire.

9. Lower Barriers to Adoption
a. Flatten the learning curve.
b. Don't ask people to do something you wouldn't do.
c. Embrace your evangelists.

10. Seed the Clouds
a. Let a hundred flowers blossom.
b. Enable test drives.
c. Find true influencers

11. Don't let the Bozos grind you down.
a. Losers- easy to ignore
b. Successful, educated- hard to ignore.

Video on Google Video. Check it out while it's free. Art of the Start

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