In Silicon Valley, credibility is not given. It is earned over decades of building companies, guiding entrepreneurs, investing in bold ideas, and shaping the ecosystem itself. Few people embody that legacy more than Bill Reichert.
Bill’s career spans co-founding startups, leading Garage Technology Ventures, teaching at Stanford and UC Berkeley, and serving as Co-Director of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs Accelerator. He has listened to thousands of pitches, mentored countless founders, and co-authored Getting to Wow!, a book that distills the essence of Silicon Valley pitching into practical frameworks.
Enter Guy Kawasaki
To talk about Bill Reichert is also to talk about Guy Kawasaki.
Guy became a Silicon Valley legend as the Chief Evangelist of Apple, where he helped launch the Macintosh and pioneered the concept of evangelism marketing. Today, as Chief Evangelist of Canva, he brings that same approach to one of the most widely used creative platforms in the world.
As an investor, author, and speaker, Guy has inspired generations of entrepreneurs to think differently about how they pitch, market, and grow. His voice carries weight not because it is loud, but because it is trusted.
So when Guy Kawasaki speaks about Bill Reichert, it is not validation. It is recognition between peers who have worked side by side for decades at Garage Technology Ventures and beyond.
Guy on Bill Reichert
On LinkedIn, Guy described Bill this way:
“When it comes to corporate finance, venture capital, and startup formation, Bill Reichert is the smartest person I know. I guarantee the quality of this course.”
That is high praise from someone who has seen the very best of Silicon Valley. It highlights not just Bill’s knowledge, but the depth of trust between two leaders who have guided thousands of entrepreneurs.
Guy on Getting to Wow!
Guy also wrote the foreword to Bill’s book, Getting to Wow! Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets for Entrepreneurs. In his words:
“I urge every entrepreneur, and every corporate intrapreneur, to read this book and follow these guidelines to put Wow everywhere you need to.”
— Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva
The foreword, titled “Life’s a Pitch!”, makes the point that all of us are pitching, one way or another, every day. While the primary focus of the book is on developing your investor pitch, many of its principles apply to sales, partnerships, and all forms of communication.
About the Book
Getting to Wow! is the entrepreneur’s practical guide to crafting a clear, compelling, credible pitch. Written by two Silicon Valley experts with many years of experience as entrepreneurs and investors, the big idea behind the book is that every time entrepreneurs talk or write about their startups they are pitching. Pitching is not limited to the formal slide deck presentation that most entrepreneurs concentrate on.
The authors point out that much of the advice entrepreneurs get about pitching is just plain wrong. For example, contrary to the common wisdom, a pitch is not a presentation. Throughout the book, they correct the “common wisdom” and offer the clear, unvarnished truth.
The book starts with an overview of The Mind of the Investor, covers techniques for distilling your message into a very short, compelling Wow Statement, discusses the crafting of your slide deck in detail, offers advice on Pitching with Impact, and ends with a deep dive into The Inquisition, the Q&A session that can make or break a pitch. Finally, the appendix provides a treasure chest full of additional resources for entrepreneurs eager to accelerate their success.
Please note: The paperback version of the book is printed in black and white. If you want the full-color experience, with the ability to zoom in on the nearly 100 slide examples provided, you may also want to download the ebook (Kindle version), which you can read on your computer, tablet, phone, or Kindle Fire.
In short, the book covers every dimension of pitching and is useful for anyone who is trying to promote their company.
Get the book: https://www.amazon.ca/Getting-Silicon-Valley-Secrets-Entrepreneurs/dp/B08TS4RHKN
Bill Reichert
Bill Reichert has spent his career helping entrepreneurs move from good to great, from idea to company, from pitch to wow.
Guy Kawasaki’s words remind us why Bill’s work matters. In a world full of ideas, it is the clarity, conviction, and story behind those ideas that determine which ones break through.
Through his book and his teaching, Bill continues to share that wisdom with the next generation of founders. And that is something worth paying attention to.
Join his masterclass: https://www.classx.tech/course/670dcf9cbc6c3ae74dafb39b
