Lean Startups & Bartering Relationships (Part1)

Being self-employed, and a 'free agent' for the last 15 years, I have been asked questions pertaining to start-ups and sustainability. Here are my thoughts distilled over the years for those who are thinking seriously about taking that quantum leap of faith into self-employment. 

To start your own company, and launch it, you can start lean and still be mean. Key considerations are:

A) Have 12 Months of Salary

In case things do not work according to plan, you have a year's worth of savings to tide over your overheads. These include purchase of capital expenses (notebook, work-station, peripherals), operating costs (rental, staff salary, software,licenses, taxes), business expenses (transportation, travel, accommodation) and developmental costs (education, seminars, courses, books, DVDs, EBooks). Do your 'books' according to a simple plan of Input/Output, or Cost/Income. Learn about basic Accounting, if you will, as it is important to be compliant with taxation laws and enjoy prevailing tax reliefs and start-up benefits.

Now, this window of 12 months gives you an 'out', in case things do not pan out for reasons. You still have a sense of relevance and 'recency', as you have not been too long 'out in the cold'.

Leadership Lessons: Plan to succeed. Success comes with planning and working your plan. A 12-month bank of salary gives you an assurance that you can manage your current lifestyle or alter it. What endurance sports can teach us are values of patience, optimism, determination, persistence, and purpose. I used 'The Art of The Start' by Guy Kawasaki as a working manual, and it has useful orientations for business start-ups and entrepreneurial approaches. 

It All Adds Up, and We Are Not Just Talking About Google Plus!

Here is Guy Kawasaki’s latest book, which is his first e-book that was inspired from his use of Google+. The book is called What the Plus! Google+ for the Rest of Us, and it explains how to master Google+.  Written only as an e-book, it will only cost $2.99, and will be available on Kindle and iBooks.

Guy wrote me to say, ‘I didn't plan to write this one – except that I fell in love with Google+, so I decided to write a book about it.’

As Guy extended the reach of marketing communication with his new book with existing social media devices, and so can you. Using the four principles of marketing, you can expand and extend your Presence. Every person that connects with you on Facebook or Twitter can enhance the reach of your cause. Like all things useful, it requires that you invest in some energy before you see movement and momentum. The journey of an ultra-marathon begins with the first step; it then adds up as you decide to keep going.

Leadership Lessons: How do you measure up to expectations? How patient are you in building up your wealth and worth? What is your accounting system for measuring value?

Having A Feel For Things

‘I feel the earth move – under my feet. I feel the sky tumbling down…’ ~ Carole King

Running barefoot and doing core training taught me two main things: having a feel for my surroundings and my body.

Sports teach us about feeling, and feeling sensations outside our body (exteroception) as well as inside (interoception). It is about developing a feel for movement, momentum and mobility. How we move, move faster and move around dictates our results and impact on others. Results without relationships can be a hollow victory. It is akin to celebrating by yourself when you succeed. That is why our Iron-Crew and Iron-Mates are crucial to our total success as lifestyle athletes.

When you run barefoot, or walk barefooted on the beach you activate your connection with the ground. Terra firma – the earth beneath our feet – gives us a sense of rooting our self to something. By having our feet on the ground, we are earthed and realistic. It is the antithesis of building castles in the air, where we do not have the building material and place to anchor it. Virtual space is still space, whereas landed property is based on an acreage, and land.

When you stand on one foot, you will activate your proprioceptors – internal balancing centres. Proprioception means ‘sense of self’. In the limbs, the proprioceptors are bodily sensors that provide information about joint angle, muscle length, and tension, which is integrated to give information about the position of the limb in space. How we land when running, or put our foot on the pedal during cycling, and stay balanced when dancing – engages proprioception. Close your eyes; when you stay balanced your proprioception is activated.

Leadership lessons: How do you develop a feel for your people? How much do you engage your intuition? How do you connect with people?

Consider a feel for business. How do you develop a feel for people as well as for the business? Here is my interview with business author Guy Kawasaki on how to keep your clients and colleagues enchanted.

Enchantment: An Exclusive Interview with Guy Kawasaki

‘At least, writers try to say new things. Even if there's ‘nothing new’, the fact remains that most people aren't as enchanting, likable, or trustworthy as they could be. When everyone is perfect, then redundancy is truly unnecessary. Until then, we'll keep saying the same things.’ ~ GUY KAWASAKI

Guy is a friendly author. He is also a straight shooter. He says it as it is, and he writes it as it is, although respectfully. Otherwise, he would not be as likeable as he is as a successful writer – with his books on the bestseller lists. Underlying his writing is his unique sense of humour, honed from being in the trenches and spending time with some of the best entrepreneurs – business and marketing rebels if you like.

Guy is a rare breed: He makes time for his tribes; he is accessible to his Facebook and Twitter fans. He responds to his e-mails promptly, despite being involved now in a busy, nation-wide, book-signing campaign for the launch of his new book ‘Enchantment’. I trust that you will enjoy this interview I had with him. He is truly enchanting, and for this enchanter we wish him every success in his new book launch.

Enrico Varella: How is ‘Enchantment’ different from ‘The Art of the Start’? I noticed some nice linkages.

Guy Kawasaki: The Art of the Start focuses on the process of starting a company, so it must cover a broader range of topics. Enchantment focuses on a particular process: enchanting people. Entrepreneurs must enchant people too – investors, customers, and employees – so they can use Enchantment too, but the Art of the Start is focused on the tasks of startups.

EV: What enchants you in business?

GK: More than anything else, great products enchant me in business. I love great gadgets and technology.

EV: How was writing Enchantment different from your other books? How do you approach writing a new book?

GK: Every book is similar for me. I spend months fleshing out a Word outline and gathering thoughts and stories. Then I sit down and fill out the outline with text. Enchantment is my tenth book, so I have mastered this process.

EV: Something old, something new! Many critics say that there is little under

the sun that has not been considered. How do you bypass criticisms from
pundits about your book content?

GK: The critics are right – but then again, every criticism they have come up with has also been said already, too. At least, writers try to say new things. Even if there's ‘nothing new’, the fact remains that most people aren't as enchanting, likable, or trustworthy as they could be. When everyone is perfect, then redundancy is truly unnecessary. Until then, we'll keep saying the same things.

EV: Your company is called Garage Technology Ventures. Hewlett-Packard was, literally, a computer company born in a garage. What is it about garages that fascinate you?

GK: I like cars, and I like the concept of two people pursuing their passion at night, after work, and on the weekends. This is the purest form of entrepreneurship – untainted by venture capital and greed.

EV: You are recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on business

marketing and high-tech entrepreneurship. How do you live up to such a distinctive reputation?

GK: I don't take it very seriously. If I win a Noble Prize for marketing, then I'll take it seriously. Until then, it's just words.

EV: Do mavericks have a place in business? If so, who would you consider mavericks in today’s business?

GK: Mavericks create businesses. Think of Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Herb Kelleher. They were all mavericks. Without mavericks, we'd still be rubbing two sticks together to create fire.

EV: Thus far, which have been your highest points in your career and professions?

GK: The highest point was probably the work I did in the Macintosh Division evangelizing Macintosh to developers. The Macintosh Division truly made history, and I'm honored to have been part of it.

EV: Which contributions would you like to be most recognized for?

GK: I'd like to be recognized for empowering people with my writing, speaking, and advising. I want to empower people to change the world and make it a better place.

More about Guy at the following resources:

Facebook quiz

Speech video
Bio and background
Facebook fan page
Wallpaper

Enchantment: A Review of Guy Kawasaki’s Latest Book

Title: Enchantment (2011)

Author: Guy Kawasaki

Pages: 212, embossed hardcover copy with attractive dust-jacket, and accompanying photographs

Publisher: Penguin Group

If providing service is about delighting customers, then enchanting customers is its distant emotional cousin. The word enchantment is closely associated with magic, surprise, astonishment, curiosity and intrigue. Isn’t that what business should be about – the many indirect moments of truth? Innovation in products and services should consider the emotional impact and effect it has on the consumer, considering how the iPhone and iPad have made such a significant influence on our lives.

Despite his overarching reputation as the former-Chief Evangelist of Apple – he promoted with amazing marketing ambidexterity for Apple its Macintosh personal computer - Mr Kawasaki has firmly established himself as the business-owner’s guru, yet he still has more offerings in his bag of tricks. I enjoyed Guy’s ‘The Art of the Start’ - focused mainly on new business upstarts and startups - and how to, sensibly and ostensibly, sell and market products and services. I applied many of his ideas including adopting a Mensch-ian mindset, and closed a few business deals in the process. He insists that values matter, especially when you lead as a role model ('mensch').

This book has relevance to entrepreneurs and intra-preneurs, the latter being initiators of actions in the company. This time, he condenses his research of about 20 books and passes them through his entrepreneurial and marketing filters. He strongly integrates the landmark work of Robert Cialdini, and adapts the latter’s observed principles, and adeptly overlays it over a business fabric. Push & Pull Technology (in chapters 8 and 9 respectively) are about using Social Media 2.0 to further your cause. This he suggests that you do, through your tribes of evangelists, emphasizing the pertinent folds in the digital origami platform, which could unfold your business potential. One guarantee he makes is how to enchant your audience in the first five minutes of your presentation.

For a small book of about 200 pages, Mr Kawasaki has succeeded on several levels. Enchantment is not one of those books where you only read the preface, first and last chapters, and the rest filled with unexciting fillers. You can benefit from applying the principles from any chapter, immediately. Mr Kawasaki writes in his inimitable style with a unique sense of humour. You may be enchanted by his ideas as a venture capitalist, serial author, business consultant and a resume that is wide as it is deep (founder of Alltop.com, and has an honorary doctorate). This book is a good primer to explore his other books such as Rules of Revolutionaries. Simple concepts may be hard to implement; thus, common sense may be uncommon. Instead of becoming a convert, perhaps we can invert our wile and wistful ways of doing business towards a customized (versus customary) approach. Each chapter is supplemented with a success story of enchantment at work, and summarises the usefulness of the content. The numerous anecdotal references make this book content-rich and very readable. To reiterate a triphon, it is: content, content, and content. And this book piques your curiosity with its matter-dense content, without losing the plot.

Like the one-of-a-kind Kawasaki butterfly on his cover - derived from 250 submissions in a clever contest - by walking-his-talk, he subtly urges us to flap our action wings and flutter away to personal discoveries. I strongly recommend this magical book to you – of which mine will be dog-eared, underlined and heavily used soon - my mark of respect to an author.

A New Relatively Unsupported Pair of Shoes Runs Fast!

A new broom sweeps clean. Or, in contemporary terms, a new vacuum-cleaner sucks better.

This evening, I took my new pair of Newton Gravity shoes for its second run. I was mighty pleased when I ran a PB-in-training for my usual 11K route. I completed the run in about 47 minutes, sustaining a 4:20/minute pace. It was challenging to stop at one traffic light, weave around oblivious recreational cyclists, and running alone with my laboured breathing for company.

I am pleased that my anaerobic fitness has improved over the last duathlon and cross-country time trial. Hopefully, this newly found speed would see me through a decent marathon time in Hong Kong this Sunday: three bridges, one stuffy tunnel, and cold conditions. 

Elite Bicycle-sponsored athlete, Ashley Liew won his age-group at the TAS Duathlon held three weeks ago. Wayne Kurtz shares his thoughts about faster feet turnover, but watch your heart rate as you increase your cadence. My preference for training these days are:

1)    Unshod running (Vibram Five Fingers) twice a week for about 45-60 minutes, with forefoot landing and forward lean.

2)    Two CrossFit/circuit training sessions weekly (comprising 3-4 key, gross muscles exercises).

3)    One long run, one medium distance run, and one or two 10K runs each week.

4)    One time trial held every 7-10 days.

5)    Cross training with swimming and riding.

6)    More speed and strength work instead of purely endurance workouts.

We will be reviewing author and marketing guru, Guy Kawasaki’s latest book Enchantment in early-March. There might even be a bonus interview with Mr Kawasaki. Stay tuned!

Benchmarked Against the Best of the Best

It feels good to be noticed; it is sign that you have created attention and attraction. Recognition is a useful value to bestow upon others. Most staff appreciate being recognized; they feel important and valued. Yet, one man’s meat is another man’s poison and opinions differ on performers and their peformance. I have yet to discover an Asian leadership website/blog that ranks high with other international ones. I hope that 2011 will feature distinguished Asian leadership/management bloggers.

One of the collaborative sites I share the honour to be with is on AllTop Leadership. One of our fellow bloggers recently featured the top-50 leadership sites. Founded by Guy Kawasaki, author of many business books including The Art of the Start, and The Macintosh Way – this mega-site of blogs features top-notch leadership authors, including leading book authors and consultants. I hope to review Mr Kawasaki’s new book Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions, just before it is launched in early-March.

Please read the blogs featured on my site. Certainly, bloggers who are endurance athletes (and leaders in their own fields) have a special place in my heart. Some are regular bloggers (almost daily) that makes for frequent reading. It is like catching up with old friends and their adventures, and we are indeed friends. All readers of this blog and the recommended ones are all friends!

Is Free Really For Real?

Are you attracted by things free? Seriously.

Chris Andersen, editor of Wired magazine proposes a challenging argument for business and commerce in FREE. He proposes that free is the way to go with digital products and services.

Guy Kawasaki points us Andersen’s video presentation organised by Guy’s Garage Technology Ventures bootcamp here:

I will post more, shortly on my thoughts about free, pricing, value and perceptions about free.

It’s free - I assure you. No catch.