Art of the Start, The : The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything

Art of the Start, The : The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything Guy Kawasaki Date: 09 September, 2004   —   $17.79   —   Book product page Rating:

I read this one over the weekend in Indonesia. I completely lapped up the delicious irony of lounging by the pool, reading a book telling me not to bother with books and just start something. Heh, right after my two o'clock spa treatment. ;)

Seriously though, if you're going to start a project - entrepreneurial, or non-profit, or whatever - this book should be your first stop for motivation, advice, and a reality check. I wish it was around when I started my company back in the 90s. Luckily, it was the 90s, so even though I had no idea what I was doing, I still did pretty well. According to Kawasaki, I could have done a lot better.

Probably the most important takeaway for me was: just start. If it's a self-evidently good idea and you sell the heck out of it and your team, you'll do well. If it's a crappy idea... Well, pitching it to people will give you a pretty good sense of whether it's worth pursuing or not. And that's where this book really helps. Kawasaki has pointers on everything from pitching to funding to branding to just being a "mensch".

BTW, I'm exploring the idea of combining my love of politics and computers into a career. I've got some ideas, maybe you do too. Drop me a line: americanpundit@yahoo.com