Podcast
Leading Ableton to Success w/ Gerhard Behles (CEO, Ableton) | Ep 16
Ableton's CEO shares how naive curiosity and a Berlin playground of creative freedom sparked a music tech revolution built on human connection.
Gerhard Behles, CEO and co-founder of Ableton, traces the company's origins back to post-wall Berlin in the 1990s, a time of creative vacuum and opportunity. What began as a personal need to make music more improvisationally, unlike the tape-based paradigm of traditional DAWs, evolved into Ableton Live. Behles and his co-founder approached the challenge with what he calls "blissful naivety," focusing not on conquering markets but on serving musicians who needed tools for live, spontaneous performance.
The conversation reveals Behles' philosophy that great organizations are "miracles of communication." He emphasizes that programming is fundamentally about communicating intentions to other humans, not just machines, and that hiring decisions at Ableton prioritize collaborative abilities alongside technical skills. With over 400 employees, the company maintains its values through what Behles calls a vulnerable founder's role of continually asking "why are we doing this?" He advocates for work-life balance (working 32 hours himself), embraces political dialogue within the workplace, and credits pioneering individuals for helping build a more diverse team. For Behles, the key to sustainable growth lies in treating the founder's vision with care while fostering genuine dialogue that makes everyone "walk out smarter."
Originally recorded on Jul 22, 2021.
