The Punk Rocker's Approach to Starting in Business

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When was the last time you saw a boardroom full of Mohawks and liberty spikes? Probably never, unless those board meetings my bosses attend are way cooler than they let on. When it comes to the mavens of the modern business world, you’re more likely to see folks who look like this at the helm than folks who look like this. But what if someone told you that the line separating the values and skills of business leaders and punk rockers is much thinner than you’d expect? That’s the gist of an article up at Forbes right now by contributor Shane Robinson, who argues that starting in business requires a bit of brutish rebellion:

“What comes to mind when you picture a punk musician? They’re aggressive, imposing and perhaps a little crass (at least the ones I know are). But they’re also authentic. And they’re trendsetters—because they’re not afraid to stand out from the crowd to follow their passion or live their credo. Being a great startup leader requires a lot of the same gusto.”

Just to inject some necessary perspective, the typical punk rock creed veers about as anti-corporate as any, save your collective of local neighborhood Marxists. But I think Robinson’s point here is that the current state of startup culture draws on the same innovative, creative, DIY spirit you see fueling vans on the Warped Tour. After all — what are punks if not disruptive? There’s gotta be at least one dude at Uber who plays bass in a Circle Jerks tribute band.

Take a look at Robinson’s full piece (linked below) to read the nitty-gritty of his punk/business comparison. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments.