Exclusive Interview with Jean Feigenbaum

 

At the end of Guy Kawasaki’s first book, The Macintosh Way — published circa 1989 — Guy gave out his home address and phone number. So I wrote him a letter. I gushed about how his book inspired me, and that I had an idea about starting up a Macintosh conference at the University of California Santa Barbara where I worked. I figured I’d never hear back.

 

Long story short — he called me. After an hour sitting around a table, we shook hands and created the Macintosh Summit Conference, which we jointly produced (and Guy hosted) at UCSB for nearly a decade in the ’90s.

 

Today, Guy has graciously agreed to answer a few questions about how his involvement with the technology industry has evolved over the last quarter century. From his days as a key member of the original Macintosh startup division, through his journey into venture capital, to his career as an author and speaker — Guy’s thinking is disarmingly clear, always succinct, and hilariously insightful.

 

After you read this, you’ll want to visit Guy’s new venture, Alltop, which happens to be a rich Internet application with a great user interface.

 

RIAs, UIs, Experiences

 

Jean: Our readers are all about excellence in RIAs, user interfaces, and experiences. Can you share your views about why there are so many more poor user experiences on the Web than there are elsewhere in our lives — like cars, home life, film, etc?

 

Guy: I think that cars, home life, film, etc. have worse user interfaces and user experiences than the Web. For example, who designed BMW’s UI? Holy cow, I
won’t buy a BMW for that reason.

 

Have you used a digital camera lately? Can it be that Steve Jobs is the only person in the whole world who understands UI? This is a mystery to me because companies like Sony, BMW, etc. can certainly afford to hire UI people. Maybe it’s like anything else: there’s money, and there’s taste. The two are not the same.

 

Jean: What’s your biggest digital pet peeve?

 

Guy: Ironically, that the iPhone UI to change settings is so fragmented. For example, location-based services, WiFi, 3G, and push data retrieval are scattered about like boats after a hurricane. Steve must have been out that week.

 

Jean: This question is from Lance Christmann, the director of UX at EffectiveUI: Are people incapable of embracing immersive experiences digitally, or are the people creating those experiences incapable of connecting with people?

 

Guy: Generally speaking, you should never blame the customer or user — even if it is their “fault.” At an extreme, there are always 10-20% of the people who will just not “get” your UI, and you shouldn’t chase them. But I wish I could tell you that most UIs work for 80% of the relevant customers. It’s the companies’ fault. Specifically, the engineers and the product managers who let them get away with creeping inelegance.
 
Jean: As your children grow up, do you think they benefit from the technology that surrounds them, or suffer from it? And how so?

 

Guy: Benefit, without question. So many aspects of their lives are better. I can tell you what my kids’ scores are on exams almost in real time — well, maybe they won’t think they are benefiting from technology in this instance.

 

Jean: Of the books you’ve written and the acclaim/feedback you’ve received, which one do you think has had the most profound influence on readers, and why?

 

Guy: This is like asking a parent of nine children which one is the most important. They’re all important. Having said that, Reality Check is the latest child, and it reflects everything I’ve learned in the past 25 years.

 

Early Macintosh days

 

Jean: When you were on the original Macintosh team in the early 1980s, you had an unprecedented  opportunity to innovate; your mantra was to change the world. If you had that opportunity today, what would you do?

 

Guy: I’d do something in clean technology. I can’t stand that fact that we’re so dependent on oil. I’d like America to stop buying oil and start selling water and food. There are no substitutes for water and food. There are substitutes for oil.

 

Jean: Your job title on the Macintosh team was Software Evangelist, long before the word “evangelist” became part of today’s human resource vernacular. Why has it spread so quickly throughout the technology industry?

 

Guy: Quickly? It’s taken 25 years! But your point is well taken — companies have come to realize that a customer who loves their product is as powerful as a commissioned sales rep. The key step, however, is to make a great product because a great product generates evangelism.
 
Jean: What would you say is the most important lesson you learned at Apple and how might that lesson apply to enterprise today?

 

Guy: Sadly, it’s kind of a negative lesson: that the best product doesn’t necessarily win. I’m still trying to get over this! I also learned a positive lesson: if people love what you do, they will help you to the ends of the earth. That’s Macintosh evangelism!

 

Jean: What did you do at Apple as an Apple Fellow? And where was Apple in its corporate evolution then?

 

Guy: I came back to help preserve the Macintosh cult. Apple was supposed to die back then — this was 2005. Every ten years or so, Apple goes into the toilet, and it calls me to be a plumber. I hope I’m still alive in 2015.
 

Garage.com and the start-up era

 

Jean: What was the best deal you ever made — and not necessarily for your own gain?

 

Guy: The best deal in the history of Garage will probably turn out to be Miasole, a solar-panel technology company. Having said that, my partner, Bill Reichert did that deal. However, I will publicly take credit for it. :-)

 

Jean: The worst?

 

Guy: Why would I hang my dirty laundry out in front of everyone? Suffice it to say that I made many investments that didn’t pan out.

 

Jean: What role do you think venture capital will play in moving technology forward in the next decade?

 

Guy: Honestly, it’s not as central a role as you might think. VC gets on a moving train and hope it goes faster. We don't build the train or cause it to move.

 

Jean: Why have you cut back your activities in VC?

 

Guy: I missed having a product to evangelize — as opposed to writing checks and beating up CEOs.

 

Today, Alltop

 

Jean: What is Alltop is and what need does it fill?

 

Guy: Alltop is an online magazine rack. We find and subscribe to the top “magazines” across hundreds of topics and present them in organized “racks” for you — like wine, food, football, and adoption. It fills the need for the mass of people who want to stay on top of topics but don’t want to sift through Google’s 25,000,000 matches.

 

Jean: As a serial entrepreneur, you’ve seen thousands of deals cross your desk. What makes this venture so exciting for you?

 

Guy: Alltop is part of my career-long fascination with democratizing stuff. In this case, I’m trying to democratize information so that more people can use what’s available on the Internet.

 

Jean: I don’t see any ads on Alltop.com. What is your business model?

 

Guy: We do have ads on topics like Mac.alltop.com. That’s our business model, so far. Like other Web 2.0 companies, we’re trying to figure out a business model. Unlike other Web 2.0 companies, we admit we don't know yet.

 

Jean: Guy, always great talking with you. Thanks very much.

 

Guy: My pleasure.

 

 

Editor’s note: If you attended, taught, or presented at any of the Macintosh Summit Conferences in Santa Barbara, Guy and Jean would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and is 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.

 

http://twitter.com/guykawasaki (if you have no life)
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/ (if you want to see why I have no life)
http://holykaw.com/ (if you want to see how I have fun in my life)