What startups and corporates can learn from Coldplay's rise to fame

Sometimes the best way to find new inspiration is to watch a movie.

The documentary A Head Full of Dreams depicts the incredible career of the British band Coldplay over the last twenty years.

Coldplay started as a local school band that no one had ever heard of — and they became internationally acclaimed musicians with unheard-of success.

How did they accomplish this feat? And which lessons can be drawn from it for businesses?

Here are the Top 7 insights startups and corporates can gain from Coldplay's story!

#1 Be optimistic!

At one point in the documentary frontman Chris Martin makes a rather ambitious schedule which reads: “first gig – second gig – third gig – fourth gig – get signed!” At the end of his scribbling he adds a self-motivating “Yes! Marvellous!”

We can judge this as naïve, juvenile enthusiasm, which won't lead anyone anywhere. Pessimism has never been productive though. Entrepreneurs could rather see this positive and energetic spirit as a vehicle for enhancing everyone's performance (and personal well-being!) at work.

#2 Work, work, work, work, work!

That doesn't sound sexy, sure. But “no pain, no gain” is a timeless truth. Even musicians, who are said to be one of the most relaxed occupational groups, don't win international fame overnight.

Making progress is a constant struggle. Phil Harvey, the band's longtime manager, stresses that the band “never said no to hard work.” Reaching out for American audiences started with plenty of difficulties for the band. They had to play at festivals where hardly anybody knew their album.

People in the crowd would even throw projectiles onto the stage, Chris remembers.

Every new guitar riff, every new album, every new tour amounts to serious work. And the same holds true for new job skills, products, business transformations, or market exploitations.

#3 Be brave!

The most striking similarity between founding a company and forming a band (and trying to make a living from it!) is this: It's a venture—pun intended. Coldplay's drummer Will Champion explains that “although we did not know what was going to happen, we never gave up.” All ventures have their fill of uncertainty. Dare to fail! Many of the most successful businesspeople botched several projects up until they achieved their decisive breakthrough. The profile of a good entrepreneur fits Jonny's characterization of Chris: “He is a relentless experimenter, not afraid to sound silly or afraid to fail.” Every creative and brave mind fails from time to time. Errors, however, can be used as a productive source for future improvement. Therefore, smart rock musicians and entrepreneurs don't just make mistakes—they exploit them.

#4 Don't wall against innovations!

Music groups and companies alike constantly have to create something new.

Even the best melodies can become worn out after the 1000th repeat. And even if bands already have thousands of fans, they need to produce new albums to satisfy the addicted masses. In the same vein, companies have to offer novelty in order to retain their customers.

Will Champion highlights that especially if you're already successful, you need to compose new songs: “We are not under the impression that we have the right to play in these massive arenas and play the kind of numbers that we played to them on the last tour. We are starting again at rock bottom.” Chris adds, tongue-in-cheek: “I think everything we've done is shit. That's why I keep trying to do new stuff.” In businesses (especially the big ones) there are no timeless recipes for success either. Enact the winds of change—or you have to react to them!

#5 You can't please everybody!

Jonny Buckland, the lead-guitarist of Coldplay, captures probably one of the most fundamental truths about human beings when he experiences that “when you read something that is critical you always give it much more weight than anything you read that is kind.” It's just too easy to let criticism bring you down: “They can write a whole article that's nice and then one line that is a bit chippy—and that's the only line you remember.” So don't focus on the one-star reviews and the number of thumbs down! Not allowing the bad reviews to get you down is one side of the coin—the other is acknowledging the positive ones: “I spent quite a lot of years being anxious about the people that didn't like us without paying enough attention to the people that do,” reports Chris.

You can't please everyone—if it's your musical tunes or your company's product. It's enough to make a lot of people happy.

#6 Unleash the power of teams!

Four musicians are not the same thing as one band. The unit is something special and stronger, Chris explains: “It's like when bacon and eggs and mushrooms and chips are put on the same plate, becoming something greater than those individual parts. It becomes a cohesive whole that is tasty!

Our sound is tasty!”

Teams in startups and corporates can also, through the combination of everyone's specialist skills and different talents, tackle intriguing problems that an individual could not solve. Teamwork is quite challenging though. The first comment in the band's discussion about the track list of the album Parachutes was: “We all agree that we will not be in agreement.”

The same open-minded opinion about pluralism holds for their characters. While acknowledging that each band member is quite different, they feel like this is the actual reason they fit together.

Diversity is key: Four Chrises or Jonnys or Guys or Wills wouldn't make a tasty band.

#7 Keep your head full of dreams!

The seventeen-year-old Chris Martin once had a dream: “I'm gonna play in this band forever!” The people around him were very sceptical and made jokes about it: “Sure, and why don't you reanimate the dinosaurs while you're on the way?”

After having achieved his adolescent dream, Chris reflects that “if you really have the idea that you're supposed to do something, do it!”

Dare to dream big! In 1998 before a gig at school Chris exclaims with considerable excitement: “This will be on national television within four years. Coldplay will be known all over.” And indeed, in 2002, Coldplay already headlined the Glastonbury Festival. Follow your business goals relentlessly! And don't permit others to destroy your vision. Coldplay's frontman had a very clear idea where he wanted to go and what was next to do. He definitely had “A Head Full of Dreams.” That has certainly helped him to be brave. A head full of dreams, after all, has no space for fears!

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Which of the insights do you deem most useful? Would you add further ones?

What's your favourite inspirational source for creating a better work life?

With which dreams is your head full of?

What is your best advice for reaching one's dreams?

Share your thoughts in the comments!