Jaroslav Beck talks to Maverick Thinkers. See where your creativity, your passion and beliefs will take you … making his future truly his own and surrounding himself with like-minded souls, Jaroslav Beck talks to Maverick Thinkers’.
What is key to your success?
I literally just enjoy creating things – there is no magic pill or shortcut of how to do anything. It’s just that I enjoy what I do. Of course, you need to have some skills, which you gain along the way. I love to learn and if there’s something new that I’m interested in, then I’ll research it from every angle possible. I think it’s important to remember that you’re not born super skilled, it’s about finding out what you enjoy and also what you will sit with when it’s hard because you love it so much and not give up on.
What made you break free of what was expected and do your own thing?
For me personally, it was that I was in the Czech Republic, I was studying mechanical engineering, and, it sounds so simple, but honestly I just didn’t like it. So I decided to follow my passion and move to the UK to study how to make music in the studio.
It was an extreme risk at the time because I was about to end my current university study a few exams before the end and I’d never studied music before, but I knew that I would rather do that when I didn’t have any other commitments, than regret not doing it for the rest of my life. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t try. So, I left and I spent 24/7 in lectures and the music studio to teach myself how to make music and it was so good. I didn’t know anybody there, I had no distractions, so I was just making music all day, every day. It was an incredible feeling.
How did you get your first major break?
Whilst I was in college in the UK, a friend of mine who was a visual effects artist, needed some music for his demo. He asked me if I could make music for his portfolio and I said ‘of course’ and after he uploaded them to YouTube and LinkedIn, it spread like crazy. Neither of us had a big following at all, it was just really original work which people enjoyed. The next thing I know, I got contacted by a person who was doing trailers for EA Games and their big blockbuster releases and they wanted to work with me.
Beat Saber is still the most popular VR app on Playstation and Oculus as well, how did that switch from EA Games occur?
Well I was working with EA Games and creating music soundtracks for their titles which I loved, however, in that environment there’s always creative directors above you, leading the brand forward so the freedom to create is not truly present. Creative direction is great, but the freedom to choose what you create is just as powerful.
I wanted to build something completely by myself and be responsible for all of the success and failures it may have, so I was actually looking for something to be my project.
I happened to see an early prototype of Beat Saber, I think it may have been on Twitter, I’m not sure, either way, I immediately wrote to the team and was completely surprised to find out that they are from the same country as I am, the Czech Republic, so I flew there from LA and asked them if they wanted me to make music for the game. The timing was perfect as they were looking for it. I created two songs for the game and they put together a teaser for it with my music, and it blew up on Twitter. We worked hard on the concept and released the game a few months later and the rest is history …
With the acquisition of Beat Saber completed in 2019, you’re in an incredible position to design your own future. What guides you now?
I told myself that I just want to do things that I believe are useful or which can change things for the better. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a complicated product, just useful with a positive outcome. I love being creative and bringing new concepts to the world – to succeed and see people love your creation brings such a buzz.
What was the motivation behind CANS?
Honestly, it was really simple: I didn’t have anything to drink here in Czech Republic, that was not super sweet or alcoholic. Every drink in the Czech Republic is full of sugar, so if you’re in a restaurant and want something that is not sweet, they give you water, which of course you’re drinking all day long, and if you want to have something more elevated than that, you are offered beer. So I designed CANS to have something to drink in restaurants that wasn’t sugary sweet and it’s made without chemicals too.
I’m so glad that I’ve started it, especially since having a family, I’m concerned about the affects of sugar consumption, which is rising every year. I didn’t do any other consumer research, I just wanted it for myself and my family. Because now I have small kids, and I was thinking: ‘what are they going to drink in school’?
So what would your advice be to someone who’s confused about what to do next with their life?
You just need to find out what you like. That’s probably the most important thing.
Try as many things as possible, as early as possible. So, for example: if you want to go to Japan, or if you want to start riding bicycles or whatever, just try every single thing you can even imagine, without thinking that you need to be successful in it, just try, try, try. And there will be a few things, you will actually enjoy more than others. You’ll want to do them again so you can feel how you felt or maybe feel even better. It could be cooking, it could be biking, making music right? It could be whatever. But find out … [read JB’s advice for taking your diagnosis and having the best life with it here]
Quote: Everything starts and ends there. No matter how old you are or what your beliefs are, or what you do, you need to build on some fundamentals. And fundamental number one is find out what you actually enjoy and then build on top of it.
Who inspires you?
I don’t think that there is one particular person that I look up to, but I have spent years reading biographies of many people. From Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs and many other big minds who were creating things. It’s so inspiring, because you actually see that they started like anyone else. It’s also been valuable to read their biographies because they’re so honest and you can learn from their mistakes and not make them yourself. Look up ‘Walter Isaacson’ and see whose stories he’s captured and start reading or listening to them, you can’t help but be inspired or learn something.
You’re very self-motivated, where does that come from?
The end feeling of creating something that I’m passionate about is so rewarding. I want to experience more of that.
I believe that you should follow your passion, set a standard for yourself and see where it leads …
