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| The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything | 
 enlarge | Author: Guy Kawasaki
Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $11.95
You Save: $15.00 (56%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (184 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2223
Format: Illustrated
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 226
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 1591840562
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.11
EAN: 9781591840565
ASIN: 1591840562
Publication Date: September 9, 2004
Release Date: September 9, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 What's in it for low tech or no tech startups October 16, 2008
Because Guy Kawasaki is associated with tech and Silicon Valley, you might think his book about how to execute a start up wouldn't apply much if you're launching a dry cleaning service or a machine shop. But there is valuable information here for any business.
No matter what you're doing, positioning, business plans, and pitching your business are essential, and Kawasaki does a great job of explaining how to do all three without going overboard.
Another area where his insight is especially valuable is financing. His experience has taught him a lot about bootstrapping, borrowing, and other ways of raising capital. These days, when loans are hard to come by, any new business needs creative options, and Kawasaki provides several.
He devotes a fair amount of time to branding and sales as well, but the meat and potatoes is in the areas I mentioned above. On every topic, Kawasaki provides a list of further reading recommendations for those who want more detail.
Overall, the book is heavy on common sensical, practical suggestions. Kawasaki has been on all sides of the start up game and knows most if not all of the angles.
 study this book carefully September 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Every entrepreneur should know and implement strategies and techniques and concepts found in this book. For expansion and/or a complement of concepts found in my own book, "The Expert's Edge," study this book carefully!
 Great reading! September 18, 2008
Excellent book! I just finished the first reading/watching of "the Art of the Start" and it gave me so many deja
vu's and many "Yes! Finally someone said it in clear text!". I wish the book had been around in the late 90's.
 Old motivation September 5, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book is very well written. It is concise, very low on fluff, and great for intuitive people. It gives you motivation and the feeling of - "YEAH! I can do it!". But there is a huge piece missing - people. In today's world, businesses do not have 3 employees. They have 3000. The foundation for a successful business is its people, and the book does not say anything about how to make sure that the people in the organization remain productive and happy. Instead, the book promotes the approach that, if you encourage and inspire your employees, then they will make a great team. This is absolutely wrong, as was pointed out by the pioneer of Management, Peter Drucker ("Inside the Guru Mind"). If you are serious about building an organization that people call home, then this book will not lead you there.
Another big issue that I had with this book, is that the Author says that to create a successful business you need to create meaning and want to do something good for others. But what is wrong about loving to be a manager? wanting to create wealth that you could than give to others? What about the personal goals? I think that an entrepreneur will be much more successful if they start the business because they understand the personal meaning of their business.
I think that the author is a really nice guy, but as the say goes: "Those who can, do; Those who cannot do, teach; And those who cannot teach- teach gym" (no offense to gym teachers).
Great book for startups August 27, 2008
I had a chapter preview of this book before I purchased it. Guy was able to cover a lot of necessary ground for startups and some things that he has learned along the way with various startups and his current venture capital company, Garage.com.
I was able to glean some good advice for my startup from this book, including some do's and don'ts.
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