The Art of the Start

I’ve just started reading The Art of the Startthe time tested, battle-hardened guide for anyone starting anything – by Guy Kawasaki.

I’m only a few chapters in but it’s a great book. I was particularly struck by the first few paragraphs of the Introduction or “Read Me First”:

There are many ways to describe the ebb and flow, yin and yang, bubble blowing and bubble bursting phases of business cycles. Here’s another one: microscopes and telescopes.

In the microscope phase, there’s a cry for level-headed thinking, a return to fundamentals, and a going “back to basics.” Experts magnify every detail, line item, and expenditure, and then demand full-blown forecasts, protracted market research, and all-encompassing competitive analysis.

In the telescope phase, entrepreneurs bring the future closer. They dream up the “next big thing,” change the world, and make late-adopters eat their dust. Lots of money is wasted, but some crazy ideas do stick, and the world moves forward.

When the telescopes work, everyone is an astronomer, and the world is full of stars. When they don’t, everyone whips out their microscopes, and the world is full of flaws. The reality is that you need both microscopes and telescopes to acheive success.

Almost everywhere I’ve worked has been full of people wielding microscopes with very few telescopes in evidence. For me The Art of the Start is one of many steps I am taking at the moment towards a telescope rich environment.

How about you? Are you a micrscope or telescope person?