My keys to success: How playing piano paved my way to becoming an entrepreneur

Status and power aren’t important to me, but freedom and creativity is. Even though it wasn’t my plan from day one, this is ultimately why I became an entrepreneur.?When I was young I had different plans though.?

First while in high school, I thought I’d follow my original passion and become a professional classical pianist. I started playing piano when I was seven years old. At the time, my mum was an elementary school teacher and we didn’t have much money to spare. So, my grandparents bought me my first piano. It was secondhand and sounded awful but that was not important to me.?

I was glad to have my own piano so I could practice whenever I wanted, which was pretty much all the time. It was the place where I could just be. So, I kept on practising. Later, I bought my first grand piano with the money I earned from teaching and performing, which gave me a taste of the freedom that comes with having earned your own money.?

In that sense, teaching the piano was the first business model I tried. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite scale.?

Even though piano lessons are not a great business model, I learned a lot of lessons by playing the piano that I can still use in building companies today. I would never have thought about that kind of return on those 10,000 hours of practising alone.?

Here are my main 3 keys to success, how playing piano paved my way to becoming an entrepreneur.?

Key #1 Practice: Discipline is the foundation of success?

When you’re a founder, there is always a lot to do. Actually, I’d go further than that, there’s a never ending list of things to do, whether that’s a key client meeting, a product roadmap to set up, an investor to convince etc. It is impossible to go down this path without discipline.?

Repetition is key.?

This might not be something that we are all born with - but it’s something that can be trained. To take an example from piano: In etudes, such as Chopin’s, you repeat the same phrases of music over and over again. Sometimes you play the same part hundreds of times until you finally get it right. You might have guessed it by now: It’s not fun.?

Developing discipline has helped me get back up after getting knocked down, like when I decided to go back into business with Carlo after an earlier business venture, coPay, folded after just a year. As a founder, there are lots of things that need to be done that don’t look fun in the first place. A typical challenge of every early-stage startup is to win their first clients. Usually, you need to write emails to hundreds of prospects to get only one reply.?

Discipline gets you through the tough parts of the job.

Key #2 People: Don’t do it alone?

Both in music and in business, a partner to play or work with gives the time spent so much more purpose - and increases “output” significantly.?

In my youth, I joined a national music competition and performed a special kind of duet called piano four hands. I still get goosebumps when I remember the moment it was announced that we made it to the final round. Especially, as we were competing with people that had been practising with guidance from their parents since they were as young as two years old. It was a fantastic feeling to achieve such a great step - together with Hanni - a good friend of mine. Celebrating that success on your own would have been a lonely endeavour.??

So, back then I already learned that being part of a team is both - more effective and more fun - than working on a project alone. It helps you stay focused by getting constant feedback on eye level. This is especially evident in my relationship with my co-founder, Carlo, as I wrote about in a previous piece . Of course, being in business isn’t a bed of roses. At AppLike Group we had very tough times. A few years ago we almost ran out of money and needed to work day and night to convince our shareholders to give us one more year to prove the strength of our business model. Looking at today's numbers, luckily they did. ;-)?

Having a friend on your side in these situations is much more than a nice to have, for me, it’s a necessity to survive.

Key #3 Passion: Motivation beats skill

Compared to most young musicians I knew, I started piano lessons quite late. So, while I loved piano, I was often in catch up mode. I remember an occasion where my piano teacher asked me what I wanted to play. I suggested a Beethoven sonata - the world famous No. 8 C-Minor “Pathétique” - which she said was way too hard for me. But I loved the piece and was motivated to prove her wrong. Well, I made it.?

Technique and skill is important and can be achieved through practice, but passion is what lets you go out of your comfort zone and make the really big, bold moves.?

At applike group , we have chosen one of the most dynamic and competitive markets globally, the app and mobile advertising market, where we’re operating in the same arena as some of the most powerful companies in the world, such as Google and Facebook. Our position as David against Goliath is a big part of my motivation. I believe that with the right people on my side and the right big goals we can achieve almost anything.?

Coda: Play Piano, or find your own secret super weapon!?

Of course playing the piano didn’t prepare me for every eventuality of my life as a business leader. For example, negotiations and operational management I learned in different ways.

But in the end, it all connects. Sometimes at night, when my brain is overloaded with information, I would sit and play for a while. In that way, the Piano has become my secret super weapon in very challenging situations to calm myself down, and decide about my next move.?

In that way, my love of music has not only led me to play pieces I would have never imagined to play in the first place, but has proven to be a great asset that helps me to succeed in business.?

Step by Step. Key by Key.

P.S. What is your secret super weapon?