574: Guy Kawasaki - Leadership Lessons From Steve Jobs, Learning How To Sell, Becoming a Chief Evangelist, and The 'Think Different' Philosophy

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Mar 24, 2024

Guy Kawasaki shares leadership lessons from Steve Jobs, the importance of learning how to sell, and being a chief evangelist. He reflects on his journey from private school to Stanford, meeting Mike Boich at Apple, and going on the TEDx stage with Jane Goodall. Embracing change, being remarkable, and expressing gratitude are key themes in the conversation.

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ANECDOTE

Jewelry Sales Experience

Guy Kawasaki's jewelry sales job taught him valuable lessons about selling and negotiation.
He learned the importance of direct interaction, patience, and highlighting value beyond raw materials.

ADVICE

Learn to Sell Early

Learn how to sell early in your career, it's a crucial skill.
Selling applies to various situations, from e-commerce to personal interactions.

ANECDOTE

Apple Hiring Story

Guy Kawasaki got hired at Apple through nepotism, despite lacking relevant experience.
He emphasizes that how you get a job matters less than what you do with it.

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574: Guy Kawasaki - Leadership Lessons From Steve Jobs, Learning How To Sell, Becoming a Chief Evangelist, and The 'Think Different' Philosophy

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
In 1977, Guy enrolled in the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he earned an MBA. While there, Guy also worked at a jewelry company, Nova Stylings. He said, "The jewelry business is a very, very tough business, tougher than the computer business... I learned a very valuable lesson: how to sell."
- It’s helpful to know that we are all in sales every day. Whether you think you’re in sales or not… You are. You’re selling yourself, your ideas, projects, products. It’s useful to learn how to sell.
Melanie Perkins, CEO of Canva (which is an amazing product and company)... "She’s Steve Jobs with heart and soul. They are on a relentless pursuit of perfection."
Guy's counting dots story… It started in 6th grade. A teacher pushed him to go to a private school. That led to him getting into Stanford. This is where he met Mike Boich, who ended up hiring him at Apple. Then getting asked to go on the TEDx stage with Jane Goodall… Guy has made the most of the good fortune in his life…
Steve Jobs/Change Your Mind: Guy launched his tech career at Apple as the company’s “chief evangelist,” marketing the original Macintosh computer.
- When Jobs first introduced the iPhone in 2007, it was a closed system — no one outside of Apple could create an app for it. Software developers had to use a Safari plugin to make their app work on the phone, as they weren’t able to access the iPhone’s system directly in order to ensure the phone’s security. Just one year later, however, Jobs made a complete “180-degree reversal,” The founder opened the iPhone system to the public after realizing how much more the device could offer customers with apps written by anyone with a good idea. “I learned the very valuable lesson that when you’re doing something wrong when you’re doing something sub-optimally, it’s a sign of intelligence to change your mind.”
Throughout our conversation, Guy talks about being an evangelist, and the definition of that is to “bring the good news.”
Default to yes. Make yourself indispensable.
Learn to say, "I'm sorry," and "I don't know."
Guy shares a story about a disagreement he had with Steve Jobs and how that cost him millions of dollars… But he learned an important lesson from Steve that has impacted him ever since.