INTERVIEW | Make Money by Playing the Long Game with Reputation, Luck & Leverage, feat. Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is a Silicon Valley legend, bestselling author of 19 books, Chief Evangelist at Canva, and former Chief Evangelist at Apple. From being in the room for Apple’s iconic “Think Different” campaign to helping scale Canva into a global powerhouse, Guy has built a career defined by timing, trust, and an uncanny ability to attach himself to winning ideas. In this episode, he shares lessons on privacy, startups, content creation, and what really drives long-term success.

On this episode we talk about:

• Why privacy matters more than ever—and how tools like Signal can help protect it

• Behind-the-scenes stories from Apple’s “Think Different” campaign and working with Steve Jobs

• The real story of how Guy joined Canva—and why luck often beats strategy

• Why most startups fail (and the only two roles that truly matter)

• The power of podcasting as a lifelong learning and networking tool

Top 3 Takeaways

1. Success isn’t about a “golden touch”—it’s about recognizing and attaching yourself to great opportunities when they appear.

2. Focus on what actually matters in business: building something valuable and selling it—everything else is secondary.

3. Consistent curiosity and learning (like podcasting) can compound into your most meaningful work over time.

Notable Quotes

• "As your privacy degrades, so does society and democracy."

• "Guy’s golden touch is whatever is gold, Guy touches."

• "You’re either building something or selling something—everything else is bullshit."

Connect with Guy Kawasaki:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki

• Website: https://guykawasaki.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guykawasaki/

• Other: Podcast – Remarkable People | Book – Everybody Has Something to Hide

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