What Startups Can Learn from Ringo: Back Drummers not Lead Guitarists

For most of my life, I’d heard and even believed Beatles drummer Ringo Starr wasn’t that good. I saw him as a goofball, the silly Beatle, and just a so-so drummer — or worse. But, the older I get, and the closer I listen to music and to the Beatles, the more I’ve come to realize — he’s not just good — he’s incredible.

What does Ringo have to do with VC investing and startup companies? A ton, in fact.

You might know this Harry Truman quote: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

It’s a profound statement about service leadership and caring about the end result of an undertaking instead of attribution — and, of course, about humility. The core job of a founder in a tech company is to get results, build a product, get and serve customers, and succeed in the market.

The core job of a great drummer is to serve the song and the band

Drumming is much the same. The core job of a great drummer is to serve the song and the band, to hold the group together so the music works, and they are the spine and structure of a group. Doing this with skill is called being in the “pocket,” and drummers who do this are called pocket drummers. Similarly, being in the pocket is a vital and underappreciated characteristic of great leaders and startup founders.

The epitome of service in your startup

Ringo is the epitome of service drumming. His playing fits the songs and does so about as well as any drummer ever has. Listen to the hi hat on Getting Better — how he swings on All My Loving, the snare shuffle on Get Back, the toms and ride cymbal rhythms on Let It Be. These all fit the Lennon/McCartney songwriting perfectly. You may not even realize the songs don’t work without Ringo’s structure and feel.

Successful startups can find a Ringo who listens and is tuned in for high impact

I recently watched the Peter Jackson documentary Get Back and saw how Ringo hovers, watches, lets the songwriting process unfold, and then slots in when he’s ready. It’s uncanny how he produces interesting grooves and patterns for the song that’s just being formed. He makes it exciting and just feel right, not because he starts with the genius idea, but because he listens intently before deciding what actually adds to the song to make it better.

My biggest takeaway from watching Ringo in action was how he’s always listening, engaged, and tuned in. And when he plays, it’s truly high impact.

The big-listening superpower

This same kind of “big listening” and additive superpower is what I’ve observed in the very best leaders. One of the core jobs of a CEO is to create the culture and feel of an organization. The best CEOs know it deeply so the team can get the guidance it needs — and the security and structure from someone in charge who cares.

This isn’t the only thing that matters, of course, but it matters a lot and can be overlooked by founders and CEOs who have a tendency to be directive, micromanage, and especially to those who hog attention and credit.

Aspire to be the leader who is in the pocket

Tempo and Dynamics

Someone needs to set the pace and cadence for a team’s work, and in well-led companies, this is the CEO/founder. A leader must set deadlines, know when to push and back off, and when to emphasize vital moments — like a product launch or customer go-live.

When this is clear to teams, they know the code–deadlines matter, preparation matters, and quality matters.

We’ve all heard weak drummers who rush or drag or play with no change in volume or emphasis (called “dynamics”). It’s unsettling on a primitive level. And we’ve all seen weak leaders who either fail to set standards, change them whimsically, or operate at full throttle all the time. This is very unsettling for teams. These shortcomings kill performance, whereas pocket leaders drive it.

Structure

Just as the drummer starts and ends songs and marks section changes — like the transition to a song’s chorus (which is also known as the “drop” in EDM) — so must a leader.

Every business differs in how it manages processes and projects, but stronger organizations set standards. For example, no project (or meeting) starts without clear goals, there are milestones and checkpoints, as well as check-ins, checklists, and gates for advancement.

Great leaders establish these cultural norms, needing to read the organization, so they are useful without being bureaucratic or burdensome. I used to advocate for 30-minute meetings as the norm instead of a full hour as I felt most topics didn’t require more than that. I still think that’s the right length for most teams, just as I think most guitar solos go on too long (don’t get me started on lead guitarists…)!

Situational Awareness

Even in the best, most polished, and rehearsed bands, things can go awry, and a song goes sideways. The keyboardist is in the bridge, and the bass player is in the second verse. Yikes. In those moments, it’s the drummer’s job to take over and call an audible for how the band comes together. This isn’t always easy, but it’s vital to make eye contact — see who’s with you, and then mouth “to the bridge on four” or something similar.

The best bands all know to look up and find their structure leader, and someone has to play that role. So it is with companies — without the structure of the fine-tuned ability of the company leadership to call an audible — the shit hits the fan — and chaos reigns.

This is particularly important right now when capital and customer markets are shifting, and companies need to move in lockstep to a new place — and quickly. The CEO should be the first to make this call, with input from the board and management team, of course. But the best companies have a leader who sees a change or broken situation and acts to pull everyone in a new direction.

Feel and Groove

Along with the bass player, drummers are responsible for the feeling of a song. There are lots of ways to play blues-rock, but John Bonham’s patient, then explosive style, made Led Zeppelin powerful and emotive. Pocket drummers find a pattern that creates a feeling and holds that — so the band can quickly readjust — and be on top of it.

Great organizations also have to have feeling, a sense that their work is a human undertaking with real people and real emotions. Pocket leaders find ways to let their teams be people by celebrating wins not just as business achievements but also with personal triumphs for the people who deliver them.

These pocket leaders honor sad moments and losses, expressing their feelings in a way that is real while also keeping it safe for everyone. They care about the well-being of their teams as people, not just labor input. This is akin to the groove of an organization, and it really matters.

Startups need more than just work to make it. They need intensity and sacrifice, and people are willing to bring the team together for work with meaning, — and leaders who can create the feeling with finesse and authority. True pocket leaders cultivate this ability in themselves.

If You Can’t Drum, At Least Be a Pocket Leader

I was an entrepreneur and co-founded two tech companies before becoming a VC. I’ve also played in countless bands. I sometimes think of my original rock band as my first true startup, given the strong similarities in business. A band has to create a product from a group effort — refining it and promoting it. There are lots of ways to lead a team, but I think one of the most effective is from the pocket — as great drummers do.

I’m sure there are great keyboard-playing founders — and the world is awash with lead guitarist founders seeking and needing attention. Many (most?) leave the pack-up and load-out after a show to others (you know it’s true, guitarists…). That is why I choose Ringo-style, team-sensing, service-oriented founders.

Be the pocket leader who is aware at all times of the situation that exists with your team and step up, unafraid, when needed.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Alena Darmel; Pexels; Thank you!