As a former musician, I was always interested in ideas. There was no software involved, no expensive gadgets, or even a single tool needed. One could whistle out a melody and be instantly inspired to see where the invisible thread flew. Perhaps it dropped suddenly, never to be whistled again as life got in the way and the cloud of inspiration burst forever. Other times, the melody could be so strong that one would keep repeating it over and over until it became a song within their mind. The melody would then have counter melodies and multiple layers to form a complete recipe with nothing but an idea and some talent. I was once approached to write a full record- 12 songs for domestic release and 2 songs to be released internationally. It was the chance of a lifetime to have full funding for an album based upon my songwriting abilities and to be flown to a list of multiple locations to record. I took the opportunity seriously and instantly wrote 21 songs in seven days- never seated at a piano. My songs would come with nothing more than my mind and a walk along the piers in Seattle. By the time I’d reach a cafe or a place to sit down, the songs would mostly be written. The guitar parts, the piano, some horns, the drums- they would all be filled within my mind. As someone who didn’t have money, I didn’t need to convince the world of my talent. I just needed to convince others who could see what I could see, (or hear) and when they caught the vision, then that’s all that was needed. We’d take the invisible notes floating in space and simply bring them down to earth by materializing them through sound. Talent recognizes talent in art. In business, it is not the same.

I grew up around jazz. My Grandfather owned a jazz club in Tokyo. I was a jazz piano major at a small arts school in Seattle, and though it ultimately wasn’t for me, my childhood was jazz. By the time I was 12, I playing with professional musicians at the Ballard Bait and Tackle live venue in Seattle. I sometimes ponder what would have happened had I not moved to Tokyo a year later that disrupted all of my lessons. That’s jazz is it not? By the age of 12-13, one might know the basic melody of life and my Tokyo years were playing off the melody. It wasn’t sheet music that was handed to everyone around me. It was a left hand built around scribbled chord progressions and the synergy from the room. Tokyo was “you learned enough about life, now go explore the world solo.” And speaking of solos, there were those too in jazz. Those were prompted by a simple look or nod. Jazz has a lot to do with risks and living in the moment. With music in general, so much is built around the room. If the audience is feeling it, you’re in for a wonderful night. If not, you very well may want to slink off stage to never appear again. There are plenty of articles on UX and startups, but many of them are like sheet music. I’m here to give another angle; that the successful startups are the ones who played off the melody, broke the rules, and were unafraid of experimentation.

Maybe it’s my upbringing in Japan that shaped my respect for all jobs. One may go into a sushi bar and instantly recognize that you’re in the house of a master. You aren’t merely a snooty customer that desires Sriracha dip with a side of mayonnaise. No, you will eat what the master serves because the master is showing YOU something. They are showing you something about culture and you are there to learn. No matter what the job- whether it be a hairstylist or in a mailroom, many people had a sense of respect for the occupation because of the amount of excellence they put in their trade. As I have built out Sun Road Co., a platform for artists of ALL backgrounds this past year, it has been a strange culture shock to build in the city of Tulsa. Over the past year, I have pitched or applied to dozens of accelerators, generators, VC’s, angels, and incubators and they have all said the same thing, (if they said anything at all) which is “excellent story” but they do not understand the problem. They don’t understand the problem because they are not creative. They are not creative but benefit from creatives. They benefit from creatives but don’t realize it. They don’t realize it because they don’t understand the problem.

Why culture matters and why, (a legitimate question) do investors not understand this?

I sit in a charming small town cafe in the middle of the country in Oklahoma. If I am a fly on the wall, I’ve been a fly for a couple years now. Sitting quietly in my corner, watching the slow development of condominiums being built. I’ve watched businesses come and go within that short stint of time. Next door was once a unique barbecue place, replaced by a franchise I’ve never heard of and one I’ve never seen anyone enter. The exciting news within the year was that a McDonald’s, an Arby’s, a Scooter’s, and a Chick Fil A would move in. The calvary has arrived. The copy and paste has come in to inject familiar brands into a budding town. This is good news if the same four a mere mile away was too far of a drive. I understand the economics of it all. Money first and then those artsy needy types can move in. Unfortunately for the economics department, this is all backwards. Unfortunately for the citizens, they get the stale cafeteria settings of a rest stop they never asked for. When they sell their homes, the description can say, “Just down the street from three McDonald’s! Your quaint oasis awaits you.” The truth is, that culture is the foundation of any town or city. Ignore this at your own peril.

The tiny gatekeepers holding the keys to giant doors.

I always see the words “apply” everywhere I go. Apply to a job. Apply to secure funding for a startup. Apply to this class that will help you towards your future. I must admit, I’m a late bloomer. I made all the select teams, the jazz programs, and anything I wanted to be a part of growing up. I applied myself and got in. I auditioned into a jazz program for college and it was no different. And then my 20’s hit and I’m not sure if I really applied to anything in particular. I applied myself in the arts, but arts are subjective and culture was shifting. Gone were the days of record labels and a cost to music. In were the cover bands, the instant clicks, and by that time I was a dying breed of musician. Now, in my mid 30’s I’ve bounced back on the application train and it’s been an interesting ride to say the least. After applying to a great deal of many things I’ve stopped to wonder… who are these people that I’m talking to? What makes them qualified to qualify me? If this was The Voice, the judges would be a distinguished panel of accomplished singers. They wouldn’t be judging a song, for example, because many of them do not write their own music. No, they’d specifically be judging most likely a cover song and honing in on the voice, (thus the aptly named title of the show). But what about jobs? What about start up funds? This now more so resembles The Masked Singer but the roles are reversed. They aren’t auditioning for the judges, they are the judge. But who are they?

How to follow success rather than chase it.

I am no Martha Stewart. I do not pretend to know the slightest thing about gardening, so if you’re looking for authentic tips on how to prune an avocado tree, then perhaps another site will do. What I can tell you is a set of truths learned by an eclectic array of skills collected over the years. I was a jazz piano major briefly before a real push into the music world. I have spent a good part of a decade attempting to get a start up off the ground. I have shifted over into the user experience universe. These might seem like completely different skills but they are all potential seeds in the garden of my own life. I’m going to attempt to combine these experiences to help you think about your own successes. What are the things that you should nurture? And what are the things that you should just let die?