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What Every Entrepreneur Could Learn from Justin Bieber

123 points by thankuz 16y ago

larrik 16y ago
I don't know what was worse: 1) An article with "Justin Bieber" in the title hits HN, or 2) I click on it, or 3) I read the whole thing, or 4) It was actually worth reading. Not bad Mark Suster... not bad at all.
- arkitaip 16y ago
  This is actually an old link baiting title formula. What x can learn from y where x usually is outlandish or unusual in relation to y.
  - wisty 16y ago
    First 2 sentences: "I know what you’re thinking – link bait title, right? Wrong." Refuge in audacity. It's still a good article - be talented, work hard, get mentors, build an audience and engage with them. Like all business articles, it's not really hard facts. It's sloppy stories, that helps you learn through osmosis. You learn from stories, because you feel emotion, and they trigger the part of your brain that says "I can do that too!" (not totally scientific explanation). They aren't about hard facts though.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
jhuckestein 16y ago
I would have loved to see Bieber succeed without any help. With phenomenons like him I'm never sure if it's really them or if it's the puppeteers being smart (in this case Usher and his record label). The internet seems to have the power to bring anyone to superstardom, but most of the time that happens accidentally or is done clumsily. What if a talented programmer with a knack for marketing took a few years off to learn how to act, sing and dance (and to get few plastic surgeries ;)) and then promoted themselves on the internet? Next time I find myself without anything to do for a few years I'll make sure to try that :) And I'm only half-kidding. Please excuse me now, we're going on a company excursion to see this movie.
- sukuriant 16y ago
  "What if a talented programmer with a knack for marketing took a few years off to learn how to act, sing and dance (and to get few plastic surgeries ;)) and then promoted themselves on the internet?" You mean Jonathan Coulton?
- cheez 16y ago
  You succeed much faster with help.
- jarin 16y ago
  Masi Oka (Hiro on Heroes and Max on Hawaii Five-O, formerly a visual effects programmer at ILM) is an example of a programmer who taught himself how to act and became a successful actor, but he didn't self-promote on the Internet. He did it the hard way (commercials, guest roles, pilots, etc).
endlessvoid94 16y ago
I really dislike the idea of "talent". "You have to be talented." "It all starts from talent." I've seen people with seemingly NO talent for music or coding or whatever turn themselves into virtuosos because they WANTED it. It seems like saying "You need talent" is a way to tell people that "it's okay that you're not trying, because you might not be talented in this area". And that's bullshit.
- misterbwong 16y ago
  I've come to believe that many people (like the article author) confuse talent with passion and persistence. If you naturally have a talent for something, you are more likely to pursue it and spark a passion for it. It's much easier to get good at something you have a natural inclination towards. This does not mean that talent is a prerequisite for getting good at something. And besides, having talent is like having a small head start in a marathon. You may start faster but that doesn't mean you'll finish faster.
  - away 16y ago
    Certain things require more talent than others. It doesn't matter how hard you practice, you're not going to run faster than Usain Bolt.
    - wan23 16y ago
      Do you think no one ever told Usain Bolt "It doesn't matter how hard you practice, you're not going to run faster than $previous_record_holder"?
    - dezwald 16y ago
      I wouldn't say Usain Bolt is talented because he's the faster runner. Majority reason why he is so fast is because of the amount distance he can cover with his leg stretch over his opponents due to his height; not his talented ability to quickly move one foot in front of another (just like ever professional runner has)
6ren 16y ago
At first, it looks like twitter, youtube etc are disrupting incumbent publishers, but then you see they are being co-opted as just another talent-scouting venue. It's sad for social media, but impressive of publishers. Looks like they still have something to offer.
- forensic 16y ago
  Why is it sad for social media? Seems like a social media success story to me. Also, there's a big difference between a publisher and a coach or agent or manager or assistant or tutor.
  - 6ren 16y ago
    He's signed to Island Records (I have to admit I just assumed his was signed to a major label, because of how he is presented, and I looked it up just now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber). It would be cool if social media replaced published. "Co-opted" is a technical term in disruption, meaning that the incumbents absorb the new approach instead of being replaced (i.e. disrupted) by them. At one time, there was a lot of talk about "disintermediation", where publishers and other middlemen between producer and consumer would disappear. That hasn't happened. The closest is iTunes and amazon, which disrupted retailers. Although there is a long-tail, where it presumably is happening, it seems that we still need filters. Even more so, people often want whatever everybody else wants, just because they want it. They want to fit in, conform, be part of something greater than themselves, rather than be themselves. This is possibly (I have no idea) most true of Mr. Biebers' primary demographic, tween girls. This popularity for its own sake is where centralized music publishers are strongest, and disintermediated serving of the long-tail is weakest.
malcolmp 16y ago
It seems like Mark Suster is trying to get a tax deduction on his Justin Bieber fan gear! The message is: be super talented, be lucky, work your butt off, and then you're set. Pretty superficial article -- I am disappointed by the lack of irony...
hristov 16y ago
What an entrepreneur could learn from techcrunch: Be a completely absolutely shameless shill. If you think people will call you out, just make your shameless whoring sound like some kind of brave principled stand. For example, you can say something like this: "I know people will criticize me for writing obvious blatant advertising copy that has nothing to do with this site's subject matter, but I will write it nevertheless because I thought hard about this and made an idiotic banal and meaningless connection between the pop-culture crap I am supporting and blah blah blah." Also make sure you always include a list. This list will do for every occasion: 1. Be talented 2. Work hard 3. Be positive
dimitri_w 16y ago
I tried hard to resist commenting on this subject but obviously not hard enough. It's kind of a funny thing to read but nevertheless I stick to my opinion that Justing Bieber is the product of someone else. But this one succeeded in creating a new product for a new market. Still I hope that with enough effort I can succeed without having a 70s hairstyle, a choirboy's voice, or a busy childhood.
hanifvirani 16y ago
This has to be the best article I have read on TechCrunch in a while. There is no way I would have ever considered watching a Justin Bieber movie, but I feel like doing so after reading this.
henrikschroder 16y ago
I think the most interesting part of the Bieber story is that he gives away all his music for free. He started on YouTube, so all his music is on YouTube. Sure, if you want it in a different format you'll have to buy a CD or go to the iTunes store, but if you just want to listen to it, it's free. ...and then he makes up for it by selling concerts and merchandise and now this movie, and he seems to be doing just fine. But this business model is extremely disruptive, this is the exact opposite of what the recording industry wants and preaches. They want people to keep paying for the music again and again, and stop people from sharing. I hope that the 1.3 billion views on YouTube can make more artists reconsider, and start giving away their music for free, and move to a business model that doesn't rely on copyright. http://www.youtube.com/user/JustinBieberVEVO http://www.youtube.com/user/JustinBieberVEVO
scrrr 16y ago
Interestingly Bieber's movie has a rottentomatoes.com rating of 65% and an imdb rating of 1.1.
wazoox 16y ago
Once again the famous selection bias... For one Justin Bieber -- whose story so perfectly fit the good ol' American dream it isn't even funny, we've all seen 4564398 movies with this plot already, but I digress --, for one Bieber how many talented, hard working people who didn't success? What about giving some friggin' facts for a change, instead of same old tired, rehashed, syrupy story not even good enough for Cosmopolitan magazine?
redsparrow 16y ago
We can have some fun taking the Justin Bieber-is-a-startup metaphor a little too far. Like... he better hope that Microsoft doesn't acquire him for his intellectual property and then kill him off...

123 points by thankuz 16y ago

I don't know what was worse: 1) An article with "Justin Bieber" in the title hits HN, or 2) I click on it, or 3) I read the whole thing, or 4) It was actually worth reading. Not bad Mark Suster... not bad at all.

arkitaip 16y ago
This is actually an old link baiting title formula. What x can learn from y where x usually is outlandish or unusual in relation to y.
- wisty 16y ago
  First 2 sentences: "I know what you’re thinking – link bait title, right? Wrong." Refuge in audacity. It's still a good article - be talented, work hard, get mentors, build an audience and engage with them. Like all business articles, it's not really hard facts. It's sloppy stories, that helps you learn through osmosis. You learn from stories, because you feel emotion, and they trigger the part of your brain that says "I can do that too!" (not totally scientific explanation). They aren't about hard facts though.

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

jhuckestein 16y ago

I would have loved to see Bieber succeed without any help. With phenomenons like him I'm never sure if it's really them or if it's the puppeteers being smart (in this case Usher and his record label). The internet seems to have the power to bring anyone to superstardom, but most of the time that happens accidentally or is done clumsily. What if a talented programmer with a knack for marketing took a few years off to learn how to act, sing and dance (and to get few plastic surgeries ;)) and then promoted themselves on the internet? Next time I find myself without anything to do for a few years I'll make sure to try that :) And I'm only half-kidding. Please excuse me now, we're going on a company excursion to see this movie.

sukuriant 16y ago
"What if a talented programmer with a knack for marketing took a few years off to learn how to act, sing and dance (and to get few plastic surgeries ;)) and then promoted themselves on the internet?" You mean Jonathan Coulton?
cheez 16y ago
You succeed much faster with help.
jarin 16y ago
Masi Oka (Hiro on Heroes and Max on Hawaii Five-O, formerly a visual effects programmer at ILM) is an example of a programmer who taught himself how to act and became a successful actor, but he didn't self-promote on the Internet. He did it the hard way (commercials, guest roles, pilots, etc).

endlessvoid94 16y ago

I really dislike the idea of "talent". "You have to be talented." "It all starts from talent." I've seen people with seemingly NO talent for music or coding or whatever turn themselves into virtuosos because they WANTED it. It seems like saying "You need talent" is a way to tell people that "it's okay that you're not trying, because you might not be talented in this area". And that's bullshit.

misterbwong 16y ago
I've come to believe that many people (like the article author) confuse talent with passion and persistence. If you naturally have a talent for something, you are more likely to pursue it and spark a passion for it. It's much easier to get good at something you have a natural inclination towards. This does not mean that talent is a prerequisite for getting good at something. And besides, having talent is like having a small head start in a marathon. You may start faster but that doesn't mean you'll finish faster.
- away 16y ago
  Certain things require more talent than others. It doesn't matter how hard you practice, you're not going to run faster than Usain Bolt.
  - wan23 16y ago
    Do you think no one ever told Usain Bolt "It doesn't matter how hard you practice, you're not going to run faster than $previous_record_holder"?
  - dezwald 16y ago
    I wouldn't say Usain Bolt is talented because he's the faster runner. Majority reason why he is so fast is because of the amount distance he can cover with his leg stretch over his opponents due to his height; not his talented ability to quickly move one foot in front of another (just like ever professional runner has)

6ren 16y ago

At first, it looks like twitter, youtube etc are disrupting incumbent publishers, but then you see they are being co-opted as just another talent-scouting venue. It's sad for social media, but impressive of publishers. Looks like they still have something to offer.

forensic 16y ago
Why is it sad for social media? Seems like a social media success story to me. Also, there's a big difference between a publisher and a coach or agent or manager or assistant or tutor.
- 6ren 16y ago
  He's signed to Island Records (I have to admit I just assumed his was signed to a major label, because of how he is presented, and I looked it up just now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber). It would be cool if social media replaced published. "Co-opted" is a technical term in disruption, meaning that the incumbents absorb the new approach instead of being replaced (i.e. disrupted) by them. At one time, there was a lot of talk about "disintermediation", where publishers and other middlemen between producer and consumer would disappear. That hasn't happened. The closest is iTunes and amazon, which disrupted retailers. Although there is a long-tail, where it presumably is happening, it seems that we still need filters. Even more so, people often want whatever everybody else wants, just because they want it. They want to fit in, conform, be part of something greater than themselves, rather than be themselves. This is possibly (I have no idea) most true of Mr. Biebers' primary demographic, tween girls. This popularity for its own sake is where centralized music publishers are strongest, and disintermediated serving of the long-tail is weakest.

malcolmp 16y ago

It seems like Mark Suster is trying to get a tax deduction on his Justin Bieber fan gear! The message is: be super talented, be lucky, work your butt off, and then you're set. Pretty superficial article -- I am disappointed by the lack of irony...

hristov 16y ago

What an entrepreneur could learn from techcrunch: Be a completely absolutely shameless shill. If you think people will call you out, just make your shameless whoring sound like some kind of brave principled stand. For example, you can say something like this: "I know people will criticize me for writing obvious blatant advertising copy that has nothing to do with this site's subject matter, but I will write it nevertheless because I thought hard about this and made an idiotic banal and meaningless connection between the pop-culture crap I am supporting and blah blah blah." Also make sure you always include a list. This list will do for every occasion: 1. Be talented 2. Work hard 3. Be positive

dimitri_w 16y ago

I tried hard to resist commenting on this subject but obviously not hard enough. It's kind of a funny thing to read but nevertheless I stick to my opinion that Justing Bieber is the product of someone else. But this one succeeded in creating a new product for a new market. Still I hope that with enough effort I can succeed without having a 70s hairstyle, a choirboy's voice, or a busy childhood.

hanifvirani 16y ago

This has to be the best article I have read on TechCrunch in a while. There is no way I would have ever considered watching a Justin Bieber movie, but I feel like doing so after reading this.

henrikschroder 16y ago

I think the most interesting part of the Bieber story is that he gives away all his music for free. He started on YouTube, so all his music is on YouTube. Sure, if you want it in a different format you'll have to buy a CD or go to the iTunes store, but if you just want to listen to it, it's free. ...and then he makes up for it by selling concerts and merchandise and now this movie, and he seems to be doing just fine. But this business model is extremely disruptive, this is the exact opposite of what the recording industry wants and preaches. They want people to keep paying for the music again and again, and stop people from sharing. I hope that the 1.3 billion views on YouTube can make more artists reconsider, and start giving away their music for free, and move to a business model that doesn't rely on copyright. http://www.youtube.com/user/JustinBieberVEVO http://www.youtube.com/user/JustinBieberVEVO

scrrr 16y ago

Interestingly Bieber's movie has a rottentomatoes.com rating of 65% and an imdb rating of 1.1.

wazoox 16y ago

Once again the famous selection bias... For one Justin Bieber -- whose story so perfectly fit the good ol' American dream it isn't even funny, we've all seen 4564398 movies with this plot already, but I digress --, for one Bieber how many talented, hard working people who didn't success? What about giving some friggin' facts for a change, instead of same old tired, rehashed, syrupy story not even good enough for Cosmopolitan magazine?

redsparrow 16y ago

We can have some fun taking the Justin Bieber-is-a-startup metaphor a little too far. Like... he better hope that Microsoft doesn't acquire him for his intellectual property and then kill him off...