It Might Get Loud

Have you ever truly understood what an entrepreneur means when he or she says "It's not about the money", when it's painfully obvious that the very core of business centers around making profit? I mean, if you don't make profit you don't exist...right? No sane entrepreneur would deny the profit motive its rightful place. However, generating capital is the byproduct NOT the chief driver of why excellent entrepreneur's do what they do. The vast majority of business people will pay this concept lip service but actually don't get it. An illustration of what I'm talking about is found in a documentary by Davis Guggenheim called 'It Might Get Loud'.

The documentary is amazing on many levels and centers around the spectacular nature of the six stringed instrument so many of us love called the Guitar. It focuses on three musicians from three very distinct generations of music, chronicles their history, how they learned to play, how they made the transition from 'guitar player' to 'song writers', explores their distinct playing styles and philosophies, and then brings them together for the first time to meet, talk and play together. The musicians are Jimmy Page of Led Zepplin, The Edge of U2 & Jack White of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs. Wow.

It is not a story about rock-n-roll. It is not about success or excess. It IS about the creative journey and what it takes to find fulfillment and develop passion in your work. Through understanding their stories, you witness the struggle to conquer an instrument that has infinite possibilities to create new and better sound. What reached through the screen to smack me in the head was that these three guitar heros were on a continuous journey of reinvention. Even Jimmy Page at 66, is still driven on a daily basis by the creative process. Edge admitted that some days he questions his talent and abilities but yet he's driven by finding that magical moment where greatness appears out of the creative process.

As I watched 'It Might Get Loud' (for a second time this weekend) I could not help but allude to my own journey as an entrepreneur and how I am-yet again-in the midst of another start-up. Interestingly, I am working on this new venture with two incredibly smart, talented and creative guys. From the beginning of bringing this team together it has been evident that the three of us are not in it for the money. Like Edge, Page and White with the guitar, we are all in part driven by a thirst to reinvent business and are fascinated by the process of doing so. At the highest level we want to have a good time, do something amazing and change the world. We want to use the talents we have been blessed with to enjoy life and do what we were built to do. Please, dwell on that last part for a moment. I believe that we ALL must figure out our DNA and play to its strengths to find true happiness. In that vein, the new team believes (indeed KNOWS) that through this new venture & pooling our strengths, we can make a huge difference in the lives of thousands - perhaps millions - of people. Is there anything more noble than that? Pete, Dan and myself have grown through, practiced and experienced the struggle of business along the path of creation and entrepreneurship. We have realized that life is about peace and love (peace of mind and love for your fellow man and woman) and that business fulfillment comes from the journey and the process of changing lives.

I'll close by saying that especially for the Creative Entrepreneur it's important not to confuse the pursuit of peace, love and happiness with being happy-go-lucky. Jack White talked extensively that playing the guitar to him is all about the attack. It is about the struggle to take this simple six stringed instrument and beat it, mold it and make it what he wants it to be. Again, not dissimilar to the technology start-up process. We have the right perspective, super intelligence (at least Dan and Peter do) and we are in the process of beating the hell out of it. It's going to be fascinating to see what happens...