Though I am a very avid reader (of both business and
technology books) I had not planned on posting book reviews on this site. In
this particular case, I feel compelled to make an exception and post my first
book review.
I just finished “Art Of The Start” by Guy
Kawasaki. I am not generally prone to gushing praise (for anything), but
in this case, I need to make an exception.
If you are a startup founder and have time
to read just one book this year, read “Art Of The Start”. If
you have time to read just two books – read it twice.
How’s that for an endorsement?
If you have not yet read this book, run – don’t
walk (unless you’re holding scissors) and go grab a copy somewhere. It
is by far one of the most useful and
practical books on how to improve your chances of succeeding at a startup I
have ever read. In fact, I will make you this offer. Buy the book,
read it. If you don’t think you got your money’s worth out of
the thoughts and ideas in the book, email me and I’ll pay you the price
of the book (via PayPal or some such means). This is as good of a
guarantee as they come. Yes, I liked the book that much. Not
because it is particularly erudite or deeply researched, but because it is useful. Guy somehow manages
not to dodge the issues and state his opinions (most of which I happen to agree
with).
I’ll admit it’s a little humbling to read
something like this as it greatly diminishes the value I can bring to startup
founders through a blog like this. Guy covers so much territory and does
it so well, its really hard to compete. The good news is I don’t
have to. I’ll continue to share my insights and ideas focused
specifically on software startups and if I end up repeating things that Guy has
already said, I can comfort myself with the notion that by seeing the same
concepts and insights twice, you’re likely to believe them a little bit
more.
In future articles, I’ll take some of the key insights
from the book that most resonated with me and expand on them here. Stay
tuned…
Closing Note: I’ve never met Guy and as far as I
know, we have no “connections” (no common investments, don’t
sit on any common boards, etc.). So, I have absolutely nothing to gain by
the above endorsement other than the warm glow one gets from sharing a good
thing.