Guy Kawasaki and the "War Gene"
I first met Guy Kawasaki in 1990 when he was the noted software evangelist for Apple Computer and he was crusading across the world convincing software developers to write programs for the Macintosh and I was fairly well-known PR person specializing in high tech products.
We were at a luncheon sponsored by a Macintosh magazine and I had a copy of the proofs of my new book, "How to Publicize High Tech Products and Services." I showed him a copy and asked for his feedback and advice.
"You have two spaces after each period at the end of a sentence," he said.
Boy, does that put a time stamp on this conversation! It is a benchmark in history. The computer and word processors effectively put an end to the centuries-old practice of putting two spaces at the end of each sentence. Now you put only one space. A radical change in practice. Now, no one puts two spaces after a sentence.
So, add 15-plus years and I see uber-venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki again in January 2007 as he is delivering a speech at the University of Minnesota to a group of entrepreneurs.
He is engaging, funny and thought provoking. Some of his business wisdom is common sense (of course some people never learn common sense until someone points it out to them). But he added two points that were defining:
1. Don't work alone. This whole one-man-show thing is nuts. Get partners. Get employees. Get help. I liked this because it meant: Get your time back. Get a life.
Way to go, Guy!
Second key point: Don't ask a man for feedback on your business plan. Ask a woman.
Why?
Because men have a "war gene" that makes them want to take on any challenge, climb every mountain, beat every competitor -- no matter what. So what it the market is dominated by two companies that have been doing this forever and it would cost zillions to outmaneuver them? Take them on anyway! That's the war gene talking.
Women don't have this gene, he said. Women would look at the business plan and say "Are you nuts" and walk away.
You don't get that kind of thinking from a TV reality show!
Thanks, Guy.
Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.PRLEADS.com
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
We were at a luncheon sponsored by a Macintosh magazine and I had a copy of the proofs of my new book, "How to Publicize High Tech Products and Services." I showed him a copy and asked for his feedback and advice.
"You have two spaces after each period at the end of a sentence," he said.
Boy, does that put a time stamp on this conversation! It is a benchmark in history. The computer and word processors effectively put an end to the centuries-old practice of putting two spaces at the end of each sentence. Now you put only one space. A radical change in practice. Now, no one puts two spaces after a sentence.
So, add 15-plus years and I see uber-venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki again in January 2007 as he is delivering a speech at the University of Minnesota to a group of entrepreneurs.
He is engaging, funny and thought provoking. Some of his business wisdom is common sense (of course some people never learn common sense until someone points it out to them). But he added two points that were defining:
1. Don't work alone. This whole one-man-show thing is nuts. Get partners. Get employees. Get help. I liked this because it meant: Get your time back. Get a life.
Way to go, Guy!
Second key point: Don't ask a man for feedback on your business plan. Ask a woman.
Why?
Because men have a "war gene" that makes them want to take on any challenge, climb every mountain, beat every competitor -- no matter what. So what it the market is dominated by two companies that have been doing this forever and it would cost zillions to outmaneuver them? Take them on anyway! That's the war gene talking.
Women don't have this gene, he said. Women would look at the business plan and say "Are you nuts" and walk away.
You don't get that kind of thinking from a TV reality show!
Thanks, Guy.
Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.PRLEADS.com
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
1 Comments:
Hi Dan,
What a great story and what a remarkable breadth of technology years you've seen evolve. And I love the woman point!
Nettie Hartsock
www.nettiehartsock.com
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