The Art of the Start 2.0

Starred review from March 15, 2015

Kawasaki (Haas Executive Fellow, Univ. of California Berkley's Haas Sch. of Business; chief evangelist, online design service Canva; coauthor, The Art of Social Media) here fully revises and expands 2004's The Art of the Start. His goal is to "make entrepreneurship easier for you," and he does so by arranging this book within categories: Conception (the art of starting up); Activation (launching, leading, bootstrapping, fundraising, pitching); Proliferation (building a team, evangelizing, socializing, rainmaking--generating larger quantities of sales); and Obligation (how to become someone ethical, graceful, and admirable). This very practical guide takes readers through the steps needed to launch a successful business. Nitty-gritty topics covered include: regulatory compliance, how to raise seed capital, how to present a good demo to an audience of venture capitalists, selecting a name for the company, hiring employees and building the team, pitching the start-up and product, and effective use of social media. Each chapter includes a further-reading list and exercises (e.g., "go to websites of your favorite companies and try to find information about how to apply for grants and volunteer for the company"). Kawasaki also includes FAQs related to the start-up process and microchapters on subtopics, for example, "The Art of Leading" offers the minichapter "How To Manage your Board." VERDICT An excellent guide packed with valuable information for students, would-be entrepreneurs, and practicing entrepreneurs.--Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens, NY

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