Guy Kawasaki - Starting off PubCon Vegas 2006

The three of us finally made it to PubCon.  We got here an hour early because we wanted to get registered early.  However, the line had about 600 people in it already.  So when the conference was to start, they just let us in anyway.  We just need to register sometime this morning.

At any rate, the opening keynote address is by Guy Kawasaki.  He is the owner of a VC company.  He also has a background in getting Macs off the ground for Apple.  He has written a couple books that I have read.  His one book is called “The Art of the Start”.  He is an expert in starting businesses and knowing if they will succeed or fail.

His format was a top ten list.  “The Art of Innovation”.  Much of what he stated below is also in his books.  It’s basically a top ten list of things you should do if you are starting a business. 

I think it was helpful to Tim who came with me.  But it was also helpful to me because I’m always changing my business.  I have some big changes in mind for 2007.

1.  Make Meaning - Don’t just try to make money.  Have a true purpose.

2.  Make a Mantra - Have a guiding light and principle.  Not a mission statement.  For example:

• Wendy’s - “Healthy Fast Food:
• Nike - “Authentic athletic performance”
• FedEx - “Peace of Mind”

3.  Jump to the Next Curve.  Don’t just try to do what you do better.  Start something new.  Think about doing something in your industry, but in a completely different way.

4.  Roll the DICEE

• D = Depth (Has plenty of use)
• I = Intelligent (Make something that takes brains to think of)
• C = Completeness (Support, add-ons, etc.)
• E = Elegance (Simple and beautiful)
• E = Emotive (Strikes at the emotions)

5.  Don’t Worry, be Crappy.  Send your first products out.  Get started, don’t bother with detailed testing.  Use your customer service as testing.  Ship it and get started.  Test the most important things and let it ride.

NOTE:  This is something that I advocate in my classes.  I say don’t do “Ready, Aim, Fire”.  Do “Ready, Fire, Aim”.

6.  Polarize People.  Don’t expect everyone to use what you have.  Cater to certain groups.  Look at the Scion car.  It only appeals to certain types.

7.  Let a Hundred Flowers Blossom.  At the start of innovation, your customers may not be the intended customers.  Work with it.  Plant “fields of flowers” so that any of them may work.  “Flowers” may take root in areas you don’t expect.

There are two theories after starting something new:

1.  Ask the people that aren’t buying your products why.
2.  Ask the people that are buying your products why.

8.  Churn, Baby, Churn - Create new versions of your product.  Don’t just give up after starting. 

NOTE:  My favorite comment from one of his books is to not give up just because you are bored with it.  It is the one thing that benefited me the most.  I don’t like working on things that are boring.  But sometimes you need to.

9.  Be valuable and unique  (Pretty obvious, but true)

10.  Follow the 10/20/30 rule.  When you start anything new, you need to pitch it.  But you need to handle these pitches correctly. 

Use 10 slides
Do it in 20 minutes
Use 30 point font

11.  Don’t let the Bozos try to grind you down.

Overall, it was a great presentation if you are starting a business or taking your business in a different direction.  I had to leave a little early because I wanted to register to get in while everyone else was in there listening to him.

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