Overview
Apple's original chief evangelist provides a battle-tested guide for anyone launching a new venture.
Kawasaki was one of the original Apple evangelists and later a venture capitalist. The Art of the Start, published in 2004 and updated as The Art of the Start 2.0 in 2015, is a pragmatic guide to founding a company. Kawasaki's tone is direct and tactical — he spent years advising hundreds of founders through Garage Technology Ventures.
Key Ideas
Make Meaning, Not Money
The best companies are founded to make meaning. If you make meaning, the money will follow.
The 10/20/30 Rule
Your pitch should have no more than 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes, and use no font smaller than 30 points.
Don't Worry, Be Crappy
Ship your product with known imperfections rather than waiting for perfection.
Who should read this
First-time founders who want a concrete, step-by-step operational guide rather than inspirational storytelling. The chapters on pitching, hiring, and positioning are especially useful, and Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule for pitch decks (ten slides, twenty minutes, thirty-point font) remains a standard.
Who might skip it
Skip if you've been around Silicon Valley for a decade — most of the advice will feel like background knowledge. Skip also if you prefer strategy-level books; Kawasaki works mostly at the tactical level, and he's not trying to change your philosophy of entrepreneurship.
The verdict
The most practical founding manual of its era, now partially eclipsed by more recent books. Kawasaki is experienced, direct, and unpretentious — qualities that make for a useful rather than exciting reading experience. Better as a reference than a cover-to-cover read.
"Entrepreneurship is not about getting a job. It's about making meaning."
— Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start
If you liked this
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz for the operational counterpart. Zero to One by Peter Thiel for the strategic counterpoint.