'Make Meaning, not Money,' Guy Kawasaki Maintains.

- Author and Business Visionary Shared His Insights with Utah Executives in an Event Presented by Doba and Co-Sponsored by Connect Magazine and the Utah Technology Council (UTC) -

SALT LAKE CITY -- "Make Meaning, not Money," and "Don't Worry, Be Crappy," were among the gems of insight best-selling author and business visionary Guy Kawasaki shared with Utah executives last week. Kawasaki shared his ideas in a humorous and a very personal way at a local event presented by Doba and co-sponsored by Connect Magazine and the Utah Technology Council (UTC).

Kawasaki's remarks included his own personal brand of wisdom including such stratagems as "Make Meaning, not Money," and "Don't Worry, Be Crappy" as items of folk wisdom he's also shared on various of his personal blogs.

For example, he noted that a true innovator doesn't worry about shipping an innovative product with elements of "crappiness" if it's truly innovative.

"The first permutation of an innovation is seldom perfect--Macintosh, for example, didn't have software, a hard disk (it wouldn't matter with no software anyway), slots and color," he said. "If a company waits until everything is perfect, it will never ship, and the market will pass it by."

He also recommended that innovators roll the DICEE: create a product that's Deep (doesn't run out of features and functions after a few weeks of use), Indulgent (a luxury), Complete (a total user experience), Elegant (an elegant user interface, and Emotive (enticing the user to action). A good example is the iPod:

* Deep: thousands of songs, podcasts, video and add-ons.

* Indulgent: yes, you could find a cheaper player, but that's not the point.

* Complete: total integration with online buying and Apple support.

* Elegant: One wheel does it all.

* Emotive: How did you first find out about it?

Kawasaki also shared humorous anecdotes about how to avoid what he calls "bozosity": the advice of experts (particularly the rich, famous and powerful experts) who tell you that what you're doing can't be done, shouldn't be done, and isn't necessary. (Such as the personal computer, the telephone, and even the Internet). Kawasaki even poked fun at himself, pointed out that he turned down the opportunity to interview for the position of CEO of Yahoo because "the concept didn't matter and the company (a one hour commute from where he lived) was too far away." He jokingly estimates that his own "bozosity" cost him roughly $2B that day.

UTC members can obtain a full copy of Guy Kawasaki's presentation from the members' portal at www.utahtechcouncil.org.

About UTC

As the premier professional organization for Utah's 4,300-plus technology companies, the Utah Technology Council exists to form closer relationships with industry and community leaders, develop superior management talent, sharpen professional skills and help gain access to capital. For more information on UTC, please visit www.utahtechcouncil.org.

About Doba

Founded in the fall of 2002 and headquartered in Orem, Utah, Doba is a software company that provides a web-based Product Sourcing Platform that automates the ecommerce supply chain through virtual inventory and fulfillment systems. Ranked No. 23 on the 2007 Inc. 500 List of the Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies in America, Number 6 on Deloitte's 2007 Technology Fast 500, and Number 1 on the Utah 100 list of fastest growing Utah companies, Doba's web-based platform connects retail merchants to the virtual inventory of over one million products from hundreds of wholesale suppliers. Doba's platform also acts as a fulfillment system, allowing retailers to ship merchandise directly from the supplier to the end consumer without ever touching the product themselves, For more information, visit www.doba.com.

About Connect Magazine

Connect magazine, a Salt Lake City-based monthly business publication, offers Utahns an inside look at the regional economic landscape and the people driving its development. Connect has been awarded twice for Best Business Finance, Management & Retail publication by the Western Publications Association. For more information about Connect, visit www.connect-utah.com.

About Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is the co-founder of Truemors.com, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures (www.garage.com), and a columnist for Entrepreneur magazine. Previously, he was an Apple Fellow at Apple Computer, Inc. Guy is the author of eight books including "The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries," "How to Drive Your Competition Crazy," "Selling the Dream," and "The Macintosh Way." He has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA, as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College. His blog, "How to Change the World" (blog.guykawasaki.com) is considered one of the 100 most popular business blogs on the Internet today.