So many things get in the way of the artistic process, whether writing music, painting or creating new products and business models.

Amazing things happen when you connect unique perspectives and ideas from seemingly unrelated areas in order to see the world through a different lens and solve problems people didn’t even know they had.

I decided to bring the unique perspectives and ideas of one of the world’s most accomplished music producers, Rick Rubin, to this post on creativity and innovation in the enterprise.

Rick has worked with perhaps the most eclectic roster of artists, spanning hip hop, heavy metal, punk, country and pop. His production discography includes names like Jay-Z, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, Slayer, Metallica, Run-DMC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Nine Inch Nails, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Macy Gray, Aerosmith, Kanye West, Ed Sheeran, U2, Black Sabbath, Eminem and more...so yes, accomplished.

On a recent appearance on The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, Rick was asked what usually gets in the way of the artistic process which is not at all dissimilar to the inhibitors at large organisations. His answers are something that corporate executives, innovation managers and intrapreneurs should take note of.

Rick Rubin on Creativity and Innovation Blockers

1 - Commercial Considerations

In music:

Most contemporary artists write to get onto the charts, sell countless albums, tour the world and so on which usually results in safe, formulaic music. While some of it might find its way to the charts, the success is far too often a reflection of political power plays, smart product positioning, flashy marketing campaigns and poor consumer choice than it is quality of music. Often, such music fails to stand the test of time, just like poor quality products backed by flashy  marketing campaigns.

In the enterprise:

Shareholder concerns, short term growth targets and KPIs such as NPV and IRR as well as individual performance bonuses all result in investing in formulaic, incremental and safe innovation, no different to the investment in safe, formulaic music by many contemporary artists.

However, when we think about the history of music we think about the gamechangers - Elvis Presley, Little RIchard, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Nirvana, Eminem, Lady Gaga and so on. We remember the iPhone and iPad, we don’t remember the countless knock-offs which often fade into obscurity quick, just like the companies that produced them.

2 - Caring About What People Think

In music:

Successful artists are often indebted to a legion of loyal fans who expect a certain calibre or style of music from them. As such, it’s difficult for artists to simply change their direction completely without suffering the wrath of their fans who pay their wages - this is especially true of harder edge music with loyal followings (in the business world this is Apple). On the flipside, if they fail to change direction or experiment they’re often brandished as ‘stale’ by critics - so bands find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

In the enterprise:

Large organisations fans’ are essentially their existing customers and revenue generators - basically their business models. Changing tact at the mercy of existing business models, could be suicide, given that this is where money is made today. However, not keeping an eye on the future and investing in it is a recipe for disruption. The greatest risk is in standing still.

Beyond this, there’s reputational risk on an organisational front (not wanting to release half baked prototypes under the company’s brand) and on a personal front (not wanting to invest in risky projects due to fear of failure and damage to one’s personal brand, position, earning power and status).

3 - Competition

In music:

If rival artists are getting success doing one thing, we feel a need to keep up by doing that same thing. Whatever band has trailed a blaze, there’s been countless others that followed that looked, sounded and acted the same. In the 80s Motley Crue was followed by hundreds of hair bands, in the 90s Nirvana gave birth to an era of flannel shirt wearing grunge bands before Limp Bizkit closed the decade out with a new generation of crossover rap-rockers in baggy jeans and baseball caps.

If the tide of music is changing, bands feel pressure both from within and from their record labels to keep up. As a lifelong rock and metal fan, I took offence, like most Metallica fans did, when the band transitioned from being thrash metal titans to a more accessible alternative rock sound and image in the late 90s due to a change in the music climate (for backlash from fans, see #2 caring what people think). To their credit, at least the albums were commercially successful (see #1).