|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interview with Guy Kawasaki By Sonshi.com When our chief founder read Dr. Guy Kawasaki's new book The Art of the Start, he wanted to spread its penetrating philosophies to all readers at Sonshi.com. The book is more than just about how to achieve entrepreneurial success; it is about how to soundly conduct business and live life. Peruse any chronicle of Apple Computer, Inc. and you will see Guy Kawasaki's name prominently next to Macintosh, one of the company's most successful products. His marketing concept of evangelism not only spread throughout Apple but also to the hypercompetitive high-tech industry as well. Being a Mac evangelist or a Mac advocate means you proselytize PC users in a very personal way to switch to the Macintosh platform. If you have ever used an Apple computer, you will understand why. Thus, Dr. Kawasaki is also largely responsible for all the stubborn, near-rabid Apple users you see out there! Guy Kawasaki is currently a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and a columnist for Forbes.com. Dr. Kawasaki is the author of eight books including The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. He has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. What a distinct honor for us that Guy Kawasaki accepted our interview request and be a part of our continuing strategy discussions. To learn more about Dr. Kawasaki, go to www.guykawasaki.com.
Kawasaki: The main strategy I used was that the best way to drive your competition crazy is to succeed, and the best way to succeed is to do things FOR the customer, not TO the competition. Very few people buy a product in order to help you hurt the competition. To think otherwise is lunacy.
Kawasaki: I've absolutely read The Art of War, several times as a matter of fact. There is similarity in what I said because I stole it from Sun Tzu. I'm not ashamed of this...it takes some expertise to figure out what to steal.
Kawasaki: Ultimately, the customer, not the company, positions a product and decides how to use it. You can have all the plans, offsites, and focus groups, but all of that goes out the window the moment you ship. The key at that point is to not be proud. You think you make a workstation for CIOs, but desktop publishers like it? Don't get stubborn, flow with the go. The key is to be open to unintended success. Some companies just can't take yes for an answer.
Kawasaki: My personal mantra is "empower entrepreneurs." I view this book as a way to spread the word. Also, there's royalty. :-)
Kawasaki: Mensch is a Yiddish word for a person who is highly respected, trusted, and admired. There is not greater achievement than to be labeled a mensch. Trying to achieve menschdom makes sense even for business people because, to use another culture's terminology, of karma. When you're a good person, good things happen to you. You shouldn't be a good person with the expectation of therefore deserving good things, but in its purest form, I believe when you do good, good comes back to you.
Kawasaki: What gets me up in the morning is either my three-year old daughter crawling into bed or my sons having to go to school. I love my family. They need a certain level of economic resources. They need my time. They need my attention. That's why I do what I do...and don't do what I don't do what I don't do.
Kawasaki: I'm fifty one years old. Most of my life is over. I am going to enjoy my family and friends before any of us depart this earth. I'll never start another company. I'll never work long hours again. At this point in my life, I only answer to God, my wife, and my kids. Everything else is secondary--especially the expectations of strangers. At the end of my life, I want to say that I made the world a better place because I raised good children, loved my wife, and empowered entrepreneurs. If I do these things, then I can rest knowing that I made the world a better place. [End of interview]
Home | Sonshi Articles | The Temple | Top of Page Site
Map |
