Reality Check

About the Author

Guy Kawasaki is a celebrated author, venture capitalist, and entrepreneur. With a diverse career spanning over twenty-five years, he has held various roles including Apple Fellow at Apple Computer Inc., co-founder of Alltop.com, and founding partner at Garage Technology Ventures. He has authored several influential books such as The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. Kawasaki's extensive experience and unique perspective make him a credible voice in the business world.

Main Idea

Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition by Guy Kawasaki is a comprehensive guide that collates and updates the best of his advice from years of blogging and real-world experience. The book covers essential business topics such as entrepreneurship, raising capital, innovation, marketing, and competition. Kawasaki's irreverent style and practical insights aim to help readers create and sustain successful organizations by avoiding common pitfalls and focusing on what truly matters.

Table of Contents

• The Reality of Starting
• The Reality of Raising Money
• The Reality of Planning and Executing
• The Reality of Innovating
• The Reality of Marketing
• The Reality of Selling and Evangelizing
• The Art of Blogging
• The Reality of Communicating
• The Reality of Beguiling
• The Art of Creating a Community
• The Reality of Competing
• The Reality of Hiring and Firing
• The Reality of Working
• The Reality of Doing Good

The Reality of Starting

Kawasaki opens by addressing the harsh truths of starting a business. Contrary to popular belief, successful entrepreneurship often involves flailing, grinding, thrashing, and a bit of luck. He states, "Unproven entrepreneurs who start the great world-changing companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Apple, eBay, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and YouTube often succeed because they don't know they're doing something that's 'impossible.'" The chapter emphasizes the importance of resilience and persistence in the face of adversity.

"True believers go nuts at the slightest provocation. The best people at a startup care too much. Good people need big projects." - Guy Kawasaki

startup realities include:

• Passionate team members who are deeply invested in the project.
• The necessity of having significant, meaningful work to attract and retain talent.
• The understanding that startups are often the breeding grounds for unconventional, ambitious individuals.

The Reality of Raising Money

Raising capital is likened to speed dating, where first impressions are crucial. Kawasaki advises entrepreneurs to distinguish between fundability and viability, noting that many viable businesses may not attract venture capital due to their projected scale.

"Don't confuse fundability with viability. Only a few thousand companies a year raise venture capital." - Guy Kawasaki

Key components of an effective executive summary, which is vital for attracting investors, include: