A couple of interesting books for revolutionary startups
Hello, dear habrosociety! Today I want to submit my review (although, rather, my vision) of two interesting books by Guy Kawasaki, published in Russian. It's about Startup and Revolutionary Product. How to create and bring to the market. ”
Perhaps this will really help someone, or maybe not. In any case, I want to warn you right away that held IT people who do not need changes, as well as those who, for various reasons, have a personal dislike of Kawasaki for kat, are not needed. Seriously, you just won’t find any useful information there.
I ask everyone else to follow me!
In the beginning I wanted to write a review of only 1 book, but came to the conclusion that any of them would not be complete without the second. These books are like a whole system and, therefore, must be read in the system. So, I will present them to you in the order in which, in my opinion, they should be taken.
I will start with this book, because at first glance it is something more philosophical than practical, a sort of “Bible for the revolutionary-startup”. At first glance, it is such and is, especially if you misunderstand what a startup is (hi grantozhki!)
Indeed, the book helps to have a clearer look at today's world-class business opportunities, business without borders and work as a lifestyle. And also on the many barriers that stand in the way of this world, with pink unicorns and a pony vomiting a rainbow. The book is divided into 3 logical chapters (not counting the conclusion) with several logical subitems in each of them.
He pays attention to such obvious things as the importance of alternative thinking, the breadth of views and the need for a constant desire to at least go beyond the existing way of things. However, the obviousness of these points does not mean their simplicity, otherwise how else to explain that most of the “two guys from the garage” (two girls, a guy and a girl, yeah) do not follow them.
Exercise.
Would cars exist now if entrepreneurs always focused only on the desires of their consumers? Or would we never get off the horses, driven to an incredible state?
The main idea here, as it seems to me, consists in an alternative (regarding the current state of affairs) view of interaction with people both inside and outside the company. It is not surprising that Guy gives the main attention to evangelists - users of a product or service who are ready to promote it (as well as your brand, related products and lifestyle in general) simply because they really liked the product itself and / or interaction with the creator company . Much attention is paid to how to acquire, maintain and nurture them. Pretty useful and even fun tips.
In this section, Guy hopes that revolutionary readers will grasp yet another very simple, but also very useful thought: we must work efficiently. No seriously. Not much, not tough and not wear-out, but effective. It is impossible to create a revolution all day lying in a lethargic dream on the couch in front of the TV, and imitating violent activity for 9 hours in an office full of sworn friends, or falling at work that does not bring satisfaction and special money.
Whether you like it or not (although if you don’t like it, why do you need these books at all?), You will have to step out of your usual way of the world and reconsider a number of views on the information absorbed and issued, lifestyle, professional relationships, taking into account the interests of people around and other things. And yes, most likely it will be a long, difficult, not necessarily lead to the desired result, but very interesting.
Exercise.
Does everything suit you in your life, weapons and work? If yes, then congratulations - about 99% of the population of our globe is jealous of you and it is really very cool.
The second book is simply called “Startup.” If you get to it, then here you will find a more practical approach to business. This is not even a book, but rather a collection of life experiences and interesting practices.
This collection contains 11 workshops. Each of them (well, almost everyone except the 11th one) illuminates the formation of the company in accordance with curve J. This curve is sometimes called the “hockey stick curve” and it symbolizes the stages of development of the company corresponding to “sowing”, “start-up”, “Growth” and “expansion”.
I decided not to describe each master class separately here, but simply to list the main ideas that seemed to me the most interesting. Of course, that you can expand, supplement, or even completely rethink this entire list, if only you ask yourself such a goal.
Not. If the answer is not self-evident for you, then you should definitely read these books. Before the onset of enlightenment. Probably.
Perhaps this will really help someone, or maybe not. In any case, I want to warn you right away that held IT people who do not need changes, as well as those who, for various reasons, have a personal dislike of Kawasaki for kat, are not needed. Seriously, you just won’t find any useful information there.
I ask everyone else to follow me!
In the beginning I wanted to write a review of only 1 book, but came to the conclusion that any of them would not be complete without the second. These books are like a whole system and, therefore, must be read in the system. So, I will present them to you in the order in which, in my opinion, they should be taken.
Revolutionary product. How to create and bring to market.
I will start with this book, because at first glance it is something more philosophical than practical, a sort of “Bible for the revolutionary-startup”. At first glance, it is such and is, especially if you misunderstand what a startup is (hi grantozhki!)
Indeed, the book helps to have a clearer look at today's world-class business opportunities, business without borders and work as a lifestyle. And also on the many barriers that stand in the way of this world, with pink unicorns and a pony vomiting a rainbow. The book is divided into 3 logical chapters (not counting the conclusion) with several logical subitems in each of them.
The first chapter, “Create as God”
He pays attention to such obvious things as the importance of alternative thinking, the breadth of views and the need for a constant desire to at least go beyond the existing way of things. However, the obviousness of these points does not mean their simplicity, otherwise how else to explain that most of the “two guys from the garage” (two girls, a guy and a girl, yeah) do not follow them.
Exercise.
Would cars exist now if entrepreneurs always focused only on the desires of their consumers? Or would we never get off the horses, driven to an incredible state?
The second chapter, “Manage as a King”
The main idea here, as it seems to me, consists in an alternative (regarding the current state of affairs) view of interaction with people both inside and outside the company. It is not surprising that Guy gives the main attention to evangelists - users of a product or service who are ready to promote it (as well as your brand, related products and lifestyle in general) simply because they really liked the product itself and / or interaction with the creator company . Much attention is paid to how to acquire, maintain and nurture them. Pretty useful and even fun tips.
Third chapter “Work like a slave”
In this section, Guy hopes that revolutionary readers will grasp yet another very simple, but also very useful thought: we must work efficiently. No seriously. Not much, not tough and not wear-out, but effective. It is impossible to create a revolution all day lying in a lethargic dream on the couch in front of the TV, and imitating violent activity for 9 hours in an office full of sworn friends, or falling at work that does not bring satisfaction and special money.
Whether you like it or not (although if you don’t like it, why do you need these books at all?), You will have to step out of your usual way of the world and reconsider a number of views on the information absorbed and issued, lifestyle, professional relationships, taking into account the interests of people around and other things. And yes, most likely it will be a long, difficult, not necessarily lead to the desired result, but very interesting.
Exercise.
Does everything suit you in your life, weapons and work? If yes, then congratulations - about 99% of the population of our globe is jealous of you and it is really very cool.
A little bit about “Startup”.
The second book is simply called “Startup.” If you get to it, then here you will find a more practical approach to business. This is not even a book, but rather a collection of life experiences and interesting practices.
This collection contains 11 workshops. Each of them (well, almost everyone except the 11th one) illuminates the formation of the company in accordance with curve J. This curve is sometimes called the “hockey stick curve” and it symbolizes the stages of development of the company corresponding to “sowing”, “start-up”, “Growth” and “expansion”.
I decided not to describe each master class separately here, but simply to list the main ideas that seemed to me the most interesting. Of course, that you can expand, supplement, or even completely rethink this entire list, if only you ask yourself such a goal.
Here is my list:
- Compose a cool name and a short mantra for the product (1 - 3 words)
- Always present demos at presentation
- Fit a 10-word business model
- Strive to create a product 10 times better than the existing one
- Talk about your product to everyone. Generally everyone.
- Create a promotional website with a normal address and always keep business cards with you
- Try to get maximum customer loyalty, not maximum market coverage
- Clearly identify and adhere to product positioning
- Product presentation on 10 slides
- Immediately at the beginning of the presentation describe what the company is doing. Keening about your life story is better then, much later.
- Record customer responses during presentation
- Play versus existing well-known brands
- Refinement, delivery, revision, delivery ... And not revision, revision, revision, delivery.
So will making me reading these books revolutionary?
Not. If the answer is not self-evident for you, then you should definitely read these books. Before the onset of enlightenment. Probably.
