In the old days, they called it setting the wires humming. In the Internet era, it's buzz -- that word-of-mouth and word-of-press about a company or product that elevates it into the minds of millions. Guy Kawasaki, a founder and the chief executive of the entrepreneur-investor matching site Garage.com, is a master of buzz-generation -- and the lingo that goes along with it. He was formerly the "evangelist" at Apple Computer Inc., which, for all its financial problems, has attracted and maintained a fanatical following to Mac computers. Kawasaki is doing something similar at Garage.com, which launched in October to impressive buzz. The company's opening party -- featuring a giveaway of a Mercedes lease -- has already become legendary. And the company has become the hot Internet site for entrepreneurs and investors. (See our Nov. 24, 1998 story, "How Garage.com Set Off So Much Buzz"). Here, in an edited E-mail interview, Kawasaki explains to Business Week Frontier Online reporter Samuel Fromartz the nuts and bolts of buzz and its twin concept -- evangelism:

Q: Is buzz the same as evangelism?
A: Buzz is generalized and sometimes diffuse but useful "street talk" about a company or a product. Evangelism is specific, focused, and directed -- i.e., getting someone to try or buy a product. Evangelists have a psychological stake, whereas people who spread buzz usually don't.

Q: How important is buzz, or evangelism, in getting Garage.com off the ground?
A: Buzz is essential for Garage.com, because we had to spread the word far and wide that entrepreneurs had another source for capital, and investors could see a high-quality deal flow. We have to "let a thousand flowers bloom" because there are thousands of entrepreneurs out there in their garages, bedrooms, and kitchens working on the Next Big Thing.

Q: In creating a buzz, what are the things you focus on? Do you have a conscious plan for doing the outrageous -- such as giving away a Mercedes at your launch?
A: Ninety percent of buzz is having a great product or service -- not giving away a car or having some famous musicians play at a party. If you knew the inside story, our launch was remarkably inexpensive because of the buzz that was created about Garage.com before it. The lesson is that entrepreneurs should focus on creating great products or services. Then, it's easy to generate buzz. Indeed, the buzz will generate and sustain itself. No amount of money can generate buzz -- long-lasting buzz, anyway -- though people will sure be happy to eat your food and drink your wine.

Q: In companies you've funded or have been involved with as an entrepreneur, does buzz or evangelism figure in the business plan?
A: In every one of them. At the start of a revolution, companies need evangelists, not sales. These evangelists are not shareholders or employees but stakeholders. They are motivated not by personal gain as much as the satisfaction of helping their friends, relatives, and colleagues find great products or services.

Q: You've got national buzz. But if you are a small company, can you also create buzz locally or in a very specific market segment, like industrial solvents or hot dogs?
A: First of all, is there such a thing as a "local" company anymore? You can create buzz in a local market or a niche. In fact, it's probably easier, because you don't have to travel as far, and people are more likely to understand the impact of a revolutionary product or service in a niche. But, almost by definition, buzz is about casting a big net. "Localized buzz" is almost an oxymoron.

Q: Your Web site also seems very oriented toward marketing, getting the message out, hooking people into listservs, etc. Is it a sophisticated ad that really differs from the service you offer?
A: There are three parts to our Web site: Garage, Heaven, and public areas. The Garage is where entrepreneurs enter their business information. Heaven, logically, is where angels and investors can see short descriptions of the companies and request more information from entrepreneurs.

The public areas are designed with one purpose in mind: Brand Garage.com as a valuable resource for high-tech entrepreneurs and investors. Perhaps visitors to our site are not seeking startup capital at this very moment...nor [are they] investors seeking companies to invest in. But we want to imprint people with our brand for the day when they are starting a company or wanting to invest. Call it institutionalized buzz, if you will.

Q: Once you have buzz, do you have to continually feed it, or can it fade away easily?
A: Buzz is a process, not an event. Many companies think that creating a splashy introduction is both hard and the key to success. It's probably better to have a slow start that builds. Of course, it's best to have a fast start and build, but that takes lots of hard work, a great product or service, and lots of luck, too.

Q: Who was the most influential person you came across in learning about evangelism/buzz, and is he/she reachable by phone?
A: Steve Jobs. No.

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