When talking to potential customers, some of which might be companies, lower the introduction barriers, for example by trying your provice: explain yourself in the first minute — the first thing your audience wants to know is “what does your organization do?” Do it in simple language. “We sell hardware”; It begins with a dream that just won’t quit, the once-in-a-lifetime thunderbolt of pure inspiration, the obsession, the world-beater, the killer app, the next big thing. Everyone who wants to make the world a better place becomes possessed by a grand idea. A plan is anything that identifies our objectives and the steps we’re going to take to reach them, and this is no different for a business. Although it might sound formal and even maybe useless for a startup that has a lot of unknowns, but this is a vital step on your path to profit. Last comes listing the tasks that you need to do on a daily or weekly basis to meet your milestones. These can be anything from setting up insurance policies for your employees to acquiring office space. Lesson 3: A business plan will set you up for success.

Another thing about this book: parts of it contain advice for those seeking funding from angel and VC investors. Since that covers a tiny percentage of the entrepreneurial population, it's really targeted toward a narrow niche. I was incredibly impressed with Guy Kawasaki's The Art of the Start in terms of its comprehensive coverage of all aspects involved in starting a business."

Retailers:

Sow many seeds. See what takes root and then blossoms. Nurture those markets.” For example, when your product is used by customers you didn’t expect or in a way you didn’t think of, don’t panic, but instead take advantage of this new chance to grow. Another key asset is a willingness to shift focus if your “obvious” target customers are hard to reach (pivoting in Lean Startup). In 1995 I returned to Apple as an Apple fellow. At the time, according to the pundits, Apple was supposed to die. (Apple should have died about ten times in the past twenty years according to the pundits.) My job on this tour of duty was to maintain and rejuvenate the Macintosh cult. I’ve tried, in earnest, to poke holes or truly disagree with anything in the book. It’s about as ironclad as a book can be. Let’s start launching some great products that may change even the way of living. Advertising your product? Not mandatory anymore.

Guy Kawasaki is a respected serial entrepreneur whose articles I've read in Inc. magazine. The book's lessons are relevant, concise, and entertaining. Each chapter covers a particular topic (bootstrapping, branding, etc.) and ends with exercises and recommended reading. Define objectives (what will each organization deliver and when?) and put a clause in the deal that assures that both parties can get out of the partnership and are not trapped in it, this actually promotes the longevity of the partnership. Accentuate strengths instead of weaknesses. Guy Kawasaki shares his experiences. He makes available plenty of practical advice regarding business ideas , new social media, what’s useful and what’s not in business. Think about your stakeholders, for example. They might not ever read it, but you’d better bet they’ll ask for it. And you’re never going to get funding from investors unless you have a business plan. People don’t really remember a long statement. For example coca-Cola’s mission statement is “The Coca-Cola Company exists to benefit and refresh everyone it touches.” But if we formulate a hypothetical mantra for the same company, we could come up with something like “Refresh the world,” which is much catchier and easier to keep in mind. Red Cross “Stop suffering” Southwest Airlines “better than driving” Get Goingrule — 10 slides, 20 minutes (or 20% of time of the meeting), 30-point font text (this is a rule of thumb). The ~10 slides are a very low number so that we concentrade on the absolute essentials. In a 1h meeting, 20 minutes to present, 40mins to answer questions. He suggests some options for the slides, depending who the presentation is directed at (prospective investors/sales/partner) Money is the engine of any business. If they usually move the world, they will definitely make your startup business grow. The focus is on tech entrepreneurs. While much of the advice is applicable to other industries, the book will hit the bullseye specifically with those starting technology businesses.