Business guru and author Guy Kawasaki gives frequent talks introducing ideas such as those from his recent publication, The Art of the Start, what Kawasaki calls a "definitive guide for anyone starting anything."
His experience as a venture capitalist informed the writing, which he says is "as relevant for two guys in a garage starting the next Google as social activists trying to save the world." In other words, Kawasaki says, the book "cuts through the theoretical crap, and gets down to the real-world tactics of pitching, positioning, branding, recruiting, bootstrapping, and rainmaking."
Sounds like something for a down-and-out city to consider.
Kawasaki describes the notion of recruiting "infected" workers (read: citizens) for your team. He writes:
Classically, organizations look for the “right” educational and professional backgrounds. I would add a third quality: Is the candidate infected with a love of your product? Because all the education and work experience in the world doesn’t matter if the candidate doesn’t “get it” and love it.
In another brief talk from 2004, Kawasaki emphasizes the importance of "making meaning" over making money. He says, "The core, the essence of entrepreneurship is about making meaning. Many people start companies to make money. Those companies that are fundamentally founded to change the world, to make the world a better place, to make meaning, are the companies that make a difference. They are the companies [read: cities] to succeed."
"My naive and romantic belief," Kawasaki continues, "is that if you make meaning, you’ll probably make money. But if you set out to make money, you will probably not make meaning, and you won’t make money." (Casinos, anyone?)
What is Springfield doing to make meaning? Kawasaki says the first consideration with this is "to increase the quality of life." Now there’s a concept.
