A Brief History of Mine

To build a case that you should give a shiitake about this blog, let me explain my background. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1954. My family lived in a tough part of Honolulu called Kalihi Valley. We weren’t rich, but I never felt poor-because my mother and father made many sacrifices for my sister and me. My mother was a housewife, and my father was a fireman, real estate broker, state senator, and government official during his long, distinguished career.

I attended Iolani School where I graduated in 1972. Iolani is not as well known as its rival, Punahou because no presidents of the U. S. went there, but I got a fantastic and formative education there. (Punahou is “USC,” and Iolani is “Stanford”—but I digress.) I pay special tribute to Harold Keables, my AP English teacher.He taught me that the key to writing is editing. No one in the universe would be more shocked that I have written eight books (or one book eight times) than Harold Keables.

After Iolani, I matriculated to Stanford; I graduated in 1976 with a major in psychology—which was the easiest major I could find. I loved Stanford. I sometimes wish I could go back in time to my undergraduate days “on the farm.”

After Stanford, I attended the law school at U.C. Davis because, like all Asian-American parents, my folks wanted me to be a “doctor, lawyer, or dentist.” I only lasted one week because I couldn’t deal with the law school teachers telling me that I was crap and that they were going to remake me.

The following year I entered the MBA program at UCLA. I liked this curriculum much better. While there, I worked for a fine-jewelry manufacturer called Nova Stylings; hence, my first real job was literally counting diamonds. From Nova, its CEO Marty Gruber, and my Jewish colleagues in the jewelry business, I learned how to sell, and this skill was vital to my entire career.

I remained at Nova for a few years until the the Apple II removed the scales from my eyes. Then I went to work for an educational software company called EduWare Services. However, Peachtree Software acquired the company and wanted me to move to Atlanta. “I don’t think so.” I can’t live in a city where people call sushi “bait.”

Luckily, my Stanford roommate, Mike Boich, got me a job at Apple; for giving me my chance at Apple, I owe Mike a great debt. When I saw what a Macintosh could do, the clouds parted and the angels started singing. For four years I evangelized Macintosh to software and hardware developers and led the charge against world-wide domination by IBM. I also met my wife Beth at Apple during this timeframe—Apple has been very good to me.

Around 1987, my job at Apple was done. Macintosh had plenty of software by then, so I left to start a Macintosh database company called ACIUS. It published a product called 4th Dimension. To this day, 4th Dimension remains a great database.

I ran ACIUS for two years and then left to pursue my bliss of writing, speaking, and consulting. I’ve written for Macuser, Macworld, and Forbes. I call these the “Wonder Years” as in “I wonder how I came to deserve such a good life.”

In 1989, I started another software company called Fog City Software with three of the best co-founders in the world: Will Mayall, Kathryn Henkens, and Jud Spencer. We created an email product called Emailer which we sold to Claris and then a list server product called LetterRip.

In 1995 I returned to Apple as an Apple fellow. At the time, according to the pundits, Apple was supposed to die. (Apple should have died about ten times in the past twenty years according to the pundits.) My job on this tour of duty was to maintain and rejuvenate the Macintosh cult.

A couple years later, I left Apple to start an angel investor matchmaking service called Garage.com with Craig Johnson of Venture Law Group and Rich Karlgaard of Forbes. Version 2.0 of Garage.com was an investment bank for helping entrepreneurs raise money from venture capitalists. Today, version 3.0 of Garage.com is called Garage Technology Ventures; it is a venture capital firm and makes direct investments in early-stage technology companies.

Currently, I’m a founding partner at Garage and co-founder of Alltop as well as a husband, father, author, speaker, and hockey addict. Alltop is an online magazine rack that I hope you’ll check out—you’ll probably enjoy Innovation.alltop, for example. I’ve also written ten books. My latest is Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. You can read about my other nine books here.

If you’d like to stay on top of my writing, the best places are the American Express Open Forum and Google+. You can also follow my adventures on Twitter and Facebook.

Comments

[milo317]

Wow, i'm impressed.

[Dev]

I am very much impress by your writing and your mantra.

God bless you.

[Darren Lee]

Hi Guy,

Really cool life story you have. I find it motivational and inspirational to some of us here. Can't wait to achieve a great success like you did.

All the way from Asia,

Darren Lee

[Wendee]

Punahou=USC and Iolani=Stanford? Oh-ho... I see how it is.
ILH rivalries aside ... I'm looking forward to keeping up with your blog. Cheers.

[Rajan Sodhi]

Guy, just want to drop a quick note to say how much I enjoy your blog. Your blog was one of the few that inspired me to start my own - an activity I thoroughly enjoy and a chance to talk about what I'm passionate about. By the way, you mentioned you're a big hockey fan, me too. Whose your team? Didn't catch it in your bio. Go Canucks go!

*****************

Thanks! You're very kind. I like the Sharks, Flames, and Hurricanes!

Guy

[Greg Tracy]

Guy- Glad you're blogging, giving us all some of your preachin' teachin'...

[Alexander Muse]

Your work has been an inspiration to me for years and now with your blog I get a weekly dose of that inspiration. Thanks!

[Michael E. Cantone]

Hi Guy,
Looking at you I could not for the life of me, because I was not doing the math, figure out why you were calling your self old. It was not until today when I read your "Brief History...' that I saw the year you where born.

I recently came up with a great idea that could help change the world and has everything to do with and involves the latest technologies. I am a student at UMass Boston a junior that procrastinated till the last minute and now I need to foucus on getting my degree instead of working on my idea.

I knew who you were before looking for tools to start the business and for what ever it's worth, bought "Business Plan Pro 2006". Why? Your name was on the box and your book that I saw you outline online, "The Art of the Start" was in it.

I failed a class last semester that I'm now taking over again which was accounting. The "F" had a devastating affect on me but you have brought me back up. I have a vague product model for my idea but someone will snatch it up before I can bring this product to life.

Would love to hear from you!

Thanks in advance

***********************

Michael,

Thanks for your kind words. Glad to hear that Art is helping!

Guy

[Christopher Carey]

This is so strange I have been reading Guy's stuff for so many years. How strange I feel reunited with the king of Mac Cult. I am thankful for all that Guy has done to the Apple community, if not for his insightful writing the faithful might have lost the faith in Apple's darkest hour. I hope my website can live up to the content that Guy will write here. http://www.noheat.com

[Jasmine]

Hey, thanks for posting this information about yourself. I've been reading your work for probly 20 years, but never knew anything about you. Keep up the good work!

Jasmine

[Daniel Higginbotham]

Hi Mr. Kawasaki,

Thanks for your awesome blog! I love reading your articles and watching your videos - you always seem so happy, and it's very inspiring.

I was very happy to find this article and learn that you were raised in Hawaii. You definitely have that aloha spirit that is so wonderful to encounter - thank you for sharing it!

[Ved]

Now, I've to read your book! Good reviews at Amazon.com. Keep sharing your thoughts.

[World business for sale]

This is a great post!
We would be honored if we could be added to this great blog. We are from the World Business for sale is the leading independent businesses for sale listing service http://www.worldbusinessforsale.com/

Good work keeps it up!

[Richwell Phinias]

Guy,

By the way i am from Zimbabwe in Africa and success stories of American ICT companies are amking us go wild with technology here.
thanx

[Richwell]

Quite interesting blog. I read about the purposed downfall of Apple and i am glad its now valued even more than Pundits like Dell, who once predicted its demise. I am yet to read your books though but i wonder how i could access your speeches and evangelism brochures while u were still at Apple

[Eddie]

Guy,

Like the blog, but your comment about Atlanta and its residents is a lame and quite untrue stereotype. You're smarter than that. Get a different line.

[Pierre Little]

Guy,

There is a problem with your url link to Garage.com. I think its got a coma in the lookup....

Great site...Glad to see you are doing well. When I started selling Macs in 1992 I read most of your evangelist articles. Thanks for your enthusiasm.

God Bless..

[Ian Goulet]

Guy,

Thanks for the backgournd info - very appreciated.

I've read your art of start book - it's not bad, especially because it was authored by a venture capitalist.

I say this because, although you started a couple of companies, I can't help but wonder if you've ever had to raise a single red cent to fund them. ;-)

As you know, raising funds is at the core of founding a startup - have you ever raised venture capital for any of your own companies, or was it all funded by apple cash-out money?

I'm hoping you will be candid with us!! :-)

[Melissa]

Hello Guy and welcome!

I wish you'd been at Apple during my stint with eWorld--perhaps all would be very different with the Internet today...

Cheers,
Melissa

[julie70]

and you where a wonderfull evangelizer too! but I never liked the 4d so there our ways parted...

As for who cares?

It is not what you have been, it is what you put into the blog from now on and how much of yourself or your ideas are you ready to share with us!

[Jay Small]

Guy,

I was delighted to hear you've started blogging. It so happens I am rereading Rules for Revolutionaries -- and I'm amazed at how many of the examples and recommendations seem to take on new life in the so-called Web 2.0 world.

Looking forward to great things!

[Netanel Jacobsson]

Hi Guy! Welcome to the club.I am sure you have many intersting stories and experiences to share. Love your latest book.

All the best,

[Sam Michelson]

Hi Guy,

I'm glad you started a blog! Your speech was one of teh highlights of the AdTech show in Chicago this past summer! I like your no-nonsense approach to business. I think it has encouraged me as I build a small empire of cellular phone stores online!

Wishing you success with the blog!

sam michelson
http://www.mphone.net
http://www.americancell.com
etc.