Daniel Haver - Native Instruments
Daniel Haver has taken Native Instruments from 6 to 600 people over the past two decades. He joined MTF Director Andrew Dubber for an in-depth conversation about his personal journey as well as his philosophies of business leadership, music technology and life in general.
Photo: Yvonne Hartmann
AI Transcription
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
native instruments, people, music, berlin, software, listened, musicians, build, hackathon, company, funny, electronic music, sound, idea, dj, joined, hardware, stephan, price performance ratio, reactor
SPEAKERS
Andrew Dubber, Daniel Haver
Andrew Dubber
Hi, I’m Dubber. I’m the director of Music Tech Fest, and welcome to the MTF podcast. I’m at Musikmesse in Frankfurt right now we’re running the MTF Labs, track athon, what we call the MTF pro labs, which is an innovation masterclass for industry leaders. And I’m also here making the podcast to get some amazing inventions going on around me people working with artificial intelligence and the human voice, traditional musical instruments and imaginative new creations as you might expect. But I was in Berlin just last week, where I met up with Daniel Haver, CEO of Native Instruments. He very kindly invited me to spend some time at the headquarters and we had coffee in one of the artists lounges at a chat. Of course, Native Instruments are industry leading pioneers and music software, as you know, musical instrument technologies and also innovation in accessibility in music performance. But I also wanted to talk to Daniel about his own journey, and also his philosophy as a business leader in the world of music tech, from Native Instruments. This is CEO Daniel Haver. Daniel Haver, thank you so much for joining us for The MTF podcast. Thanks for having me. Were you a music tech guy who became a businessman or a business guy became an Music Tech Fest?
Daniel Haver
Ah, I guess. I’m a business man who never became a tech guy. Uh huh. Because, you know, my, my job is not to engineer anything. My job is not even focused on product design, but it’s really focused on strategy. and building a company put a vision together and allow for us to all pursue certain goals. But I gotta admit, I was always and I’m still am I have great respect for all the engineers that work at Native Instruments speed on the software, or the hardware on the online services side. Because it’s something that I never really got into. I obviously understand what they do. I learned a lot in these 22 years. But, you know, I wouldn’t consider myself a tech guy. I’m just working in the tech industry as a business person more or less, right?
Andrew Dubber
Do you use your products?
Daniel Haver
Rarely, I’m really diligent guitar players. And so guitar, Rick made it onto my laptop. Yes. And I when I throw private parties, I play on tractor. Occasionally, that that isn’t, you know, I wouldn’t consider myself a DJ really. It’s more more more dislike there is a party. And may it may be my birthday, and maybe are going to play for my friends. Sure. It’s more of that kind of thing. So I’m literally not a musician, per definition. I just again, play a little bit the guitar, some AC/DC riffs, that kind of thing. And not an engineer. Uh huh.
Andrew Dubber
Okay, can I ask, What did your parents do? And how did that shape where you ended up?
Daniel Haver
I think that they had to do a lot, actually, with both aspects of it, of who I am here in this company. And the two aspects is music and business. Uh huh. Really? And Music My father used to be a clarinettist not an English Yeah. So he played played the clarinet actually really well. Okay, unfortunately, a music genre that I didn’t like too much Dixieland jazz, right. Yeah. Was was never really for me, but he was really, really good. So he knew what he was doing. So I grew up actually, with someone playing an instrument. We had also a piano at home my my brother would take piano lessons and I would take Guitar Lessons because that’s what I got into when I was young, you know, wanted to be another rock star. But so I got this influence and we listened to a tonne of music at home. So really always the radio on I got my first LPs with six are and I literally listened just to a lot of music and I listened to a lot of disco back then was what we played at home, but then also a rock a lot. So I had this music, environment, musical environment, I’d say. And then my father is an entrepreneur. Or was, he’s dead now. But he always taught me how it’s possible to turn ideas into a business reality. Okay, and so just combining these two things, I guess. Yes. My parents had probably quite an influence on where I am today.
Andrew Dubber
And where was this?
Daniel Haver
It was in Cologne. I’m actually from Cologne. I’ve been born in Cologne, Germany, and I lived there for the first 18 years of my life at with my parents and my brother, and then Hamburg. And then you know, then the university time. Uh huh. Yeah. There was a bit of Trier in there. Germany’s oldest city. Um, and then I went for you to Spain. okay to just take a sabbatical. I’m really just diving into the culture into the language. Has that made a difference? It changed everything. Actually. Tell me about that. Yeah, I’d say until I started management business. As I said, interior like them. And until then I’d say, I just did what one expected me to do. Yeah. So you go to school, and you finish college and you go to the university and you started studying management business, because you want to possibly become a businessman at some point. And so I was just doing things and it was okay. But I was just doing them for no particular reason. Not like I had any passion, right. And then the first time in my life that I decided I wanted to do something really, that I really want was when I went to Spain. Okay, so I just decided actually, with a friend Funny enough, the guy that’s later on would start Ableton. Uh huh. Really? Yeah, the two of us. We were just in love with Spain, we love to culture. And we said, Look, let’s live there for a year. And let’s see what happens. And when I arrived in Spain, and you know, had my little temporary apartment, I just felt so liberated. I felt like, Okay, this is the first time in your life that you really do what you want. And I got really bad marks for my English in my English and French classes in school, okay, are not bad, but you know, actually bad in French and reasonable in English. And then I learned Spanish, and I learned it overnight. Really? Just because I wanted Yeah. And so that’s why I got to know the power of free will, if you wish. I wanted to do something not because anyone said so because I wanted it. And then suddenly, I was really good at it. So I was actually the fastest learner in my class. And, you know, I was pretty fluent, very fast. And really just because I just loved it so much. And when going through that experience, and staying then Spain and I don’t want to get hung up on Spain. But when I then went back to Trier to university, I said, No, no, this is not for me. I’m not. academia is not for me. I’m adore. So I will do now. And last time I’ve chosen to live in Barcelona. So this time, what’s the nicest city because I wanted to come back to Germany. And I’ve said, What’s the nice city in Germany that I know? Hamburg? Okay, I moved to Hamburg. I didn’t have a job yet, but just moved there. And then, you know, I don’t want to go into more details. But ever since I’ve not done one thing in my life, big picture that I didn’t want to do
Andrew Dubber
is that your big advice that you give is for people is do the thing that was really drives you?
Daniel Haver
Yes, absolutely. I mean, it’s a cliche, listen to your heart. Yeah. Obviously, you need to have a certain I think you need a certain fire that really burns in in you. But if you feel that follow it, right. I know a lot of people that just never felt the fire that my advice is not great because it doesn’t work for them because they just don’t have this thing that they are so passionate about. Is
Andrew Dubber
it that you are passionate about this one thing that you do or is that that you have a fire to do something in the world and this happens to be what it is.
Daniel Haver
It’s a bit of both. I think in general I’m a rather passionate person I really want to do something in this life because I believe I have just this and there’s nothing after it should I’m absolutely certain about that part. But at the same time I was also always lucky to then find things that I’m just in love with and that get me fired up and Native Instruments was such a thing you know, I don’t want to I don’t know if I want to jump there I’m just saying when I when I see something that I get that gets this fire burning up and yeah, and and I’m all up for it and then I can do
Andrew Dubber
this these early is that We’ve been talking about well, these party years were you in the clubs? We I mean, you said you started listening to disco. I presume that took you to dance music. Were you a club?
Daniel Haver
Yes, I was a party person for sure. Since age of 14. Funny enough, I just talked to my nephew and he’s 18 and he’s barely partying and I go, like, what kind of life is that? I don’t even get it, you know? And no, but I’ve been been on many parties. Always love to dance. I’m a big dancer. I literally love dancing. For me. Music is all almost and moving your body. It’s belongs for me. That’s why I got into classic very, very late, because people just sitting there and listening. You know, that idea on its own was ridiculous to me for many, many years. Now. I’m getting older. I’m starting to understand that you can also dance in your head. But so yeah, I was I was really a clubber. But taking it to the extreme once I got into actual music, right, that was also a pivotal moment in my life.
Andrew Dubber
Because there’s something of an athlete as well. Aren’t you do motocross when you’re really young, and you’re snowboarding. Still? Yeah,
Daniel Haver
yeah, I am. I am actually just came back a couple of weeks ago, from a snowboard trip. But I wouldn’t consider myself an athlete. I just like sports. I’d like some kite surfing. I’d like snowboarding. I used to do motocross. That’s right. And first, when I was from, I guess, 16 to 20 something. But then it just was too expensive and hard to do besides whatever I did. But yeah, there is a sport of side and me, but I don’t think that um,
Andrew Dubber
comparatively speaking, you’re the athlete in this conversation. Right. So, so Around this time, you said, you know, when you started getting into electronic music, you started taking the clubbing thing seriously, when was that?
Daniel Haver
That was 94 relatively late. If you talk to Mate Galic, my my partner in crime here, you know, he’s been there many, many years before myself. I was listening to a lot of music style spec. And it was a real grunge guy actually, in the in the late 80s. And you know, with all the attributes long hair, I wish I would still have it. And
Andrew Dubber
again, you’re winning on the hair front as well.
Daniel Haver
But so, wasn’t in goth rock pop, you know, what have you. But then, I don’t know even where it happened. But in Hamburg in I guess, going into some clubs. I listened suddenly to electronic music at the pure techno tech house back then what they called hard house and yeah, and actually, it’s all started funny enough with with dub, right? So the electronic version of reggae? Uh huh. Because I was never I always like darker music and not the happy one. No reggae was not for me was too happy. Uh huh. But the DAP I loved it. And I also loved it for electronic stuff. So anyway, 9495 I was basically, it was the greatest shock of my life, the most positive shock. I learned about these music styles, and they did something to me, and I told you, I’m a dancer. So and this music is just so made for dancing. Uh huh. And then I was in the few great clubs that Hamburg had back in the day because Hamburg was r&b City, I guess to some degree, it still is. Okay. So not not that electronic music back then. But they had a few clubs and I knew them then all and then I listened to Evosonic Radio. Uh huh. The first electronic music station in satellite radio in Germany all day long during work and it was just
Andrew Dubber
mind blowing. Right? And work was you had to design agencies
Daniel Haver
and web and graphic design studio serving advertisement agencies. I was lucky to work with some of the best advertisement agencies in Germany back then. And basically taking their stuff and get it printed ready in the beginning and later on also some some web jobs.
Andrew Dubber
Right, right. So at some point along the journey, you’ve got this kind of design background, you got this business background, you’ve got this music background, and this passion for electronic music. Tell me the Native Instruments story. How did that start and where did you come into it?
Daniel Haver
The Native Instruments story starts, and I didn’t know back then that was the start when my friend Bernd again. The Ableton Bernd, Bernd Roggendorf, one of the two founders of Ableton, and he was my best friend back then. And he he said look, because he just got into synthesisers. Okay. He had a, I believe he caught a Yamaha workstation at home. Okay. And and, you know, he just got into that. And then he he read about the two founders of Native Instruments Stephan and Volker. You’ve read an interview with them. And he was and he was a software developer. So he thought like, wow, wait a second. My, my fresh passion for synthesis. Yeah. And I’m a software developer, he was a really good guy is it still is a great, great software developer. And so I can help these guys, I think I can, can can help them to create an even better software. So he approached them, offered his service moved from Hamburg to Berlin. And then he said, Sorry, three months back. So first, he said, Daniel, there’s the Musikmesse back in 96. And I read about these guys do you just come come just join me to Munich go to music mess in Frankfurt and and and visit their booth rent. So I visited Native Instruments not having any idea in March or April of 96 that I would actually join them in September of the same year, I had no idea I was just a friend of a friend joining him looking at this, this this crazy stuff that these guys were doing with a computer turning it into a musical instrument. I was fascinated but I didn’t see myself in there at all but didn’t get the idea. So now a jump to I guess August of the same year earned is by now working with the folks and then he would call basically every day because we’re really good friends and you know, then he says look Daniel we’re just engineers and musicians. Three of us now we start negotiating with certain parties. We really don’t know how to turn this into a business right? Why don’t you come and join us
Andrew Dubber
well wait a second
Daniel Haver
because I was actually really happy by all job and light hamburger like that. Honestly, I was really happy person back then. Are the CDs I was a CD guy early on all the electronic music CDs that are listened to Yeah, I can see how this software company will actually enable and power the musicians that I adore. To do even better music. And yeah, took me one one night and said yes. Travel to Berlin met with Stephan, Stephan. You want me? He said yes, but I cannot pay you said no problem. I’m going to bring some money give me some shares in the company. I’m going to be the managing director run it from here and I built everything that business the business structures that we need and I will also try together with the team to provide a vision to us
Andrew Dubber
it’s what it didn’t have to be Berlin or did it happen to be Berlin? I mean the people talk about Berlin as being the music
Daniel Haver
is from Berlin he he’s not not he’s not born Berlin he’s not a Berliner, if you wish but he has been living here for a long time back then already. And yes. I don’t believe in chances. There is a reason why Stephan lives in Berlin and does what he did you know, it is like it’s an environment of music culture and technology. At least back then it became more and more tech plays and yes so a Berlin was a natural environment for people like Stephan to prosper into Excel and and so I never challenged Berlin as a as a place for this because also a lot of our customers future customers, I must say we’re living in Berlin.
Andrew Dubber
So what was the vision back then from your perspective, well, what was the the big objective,
Daniel Haver
the very original thinking you may laugh now, but we basically had only one software called generator modular software synthesiser now reactor and we thought it’s so powerful that this is going to be basically the one and only software that anyone’s going to use right sound
Andrew Dubber
This is the the engine for the future of
Daniel Haver
the engine for any possible electronic synthetic sound right? And everyone will love it and everyone will use it. That was the was the idea back then, to
Andrew Dubber
be fair, you went so far off You could have been
Daniel Haver
your right, I guess, just the actual execution of that idea different than a lot. So yes, generator slash reactor became a platform for many. And also for us internally mulled prototypes of new instruments. We were built with reactor. Yeah. And but then we pretty soon realised people wanted a la carte. They want just this, and not all of that. And we then did our first try with the pro five, profit five emulation. And it worked amazingly well, then we did the organ and then we did more stuff, but we just reactor then became more of a sound designer tool, and a builder tool. And not the every musicians tool, right, much too complex and not straightforward enough for that.
Andrew Dubber
what point did it go from being a essentially a software company to a hardware company,
Daniel Haver
when we did not succeed to collaborate the way we wished to with the hardware manufacturers in our industry, because we had a certain idea of how the software should be integrating with the hardware, and also what hardware should look like. And then we had the MIDI protocol back then. And neither the protocol nor the, the way that the hardware manufacturers looked at at software, was the way we wanted it to be. And so it was really a mix of an opportunity and a necessity, we really felt to bring our great software to life, we need the right gear to steer it. And that’s why we created started crate hopper. And Funny enough, we started with the guitar with guitar rig and the foot controller. I’m now ignoring very small hopper projects that we had before that we had some actually from the beginning. And I may have said that before. Funny enough Native Instruments used to be from day one software and hardware company, right? Because the very first version of generator came with a monophonic sound card, of course, so we had a sound card at the start. So the first thing that I did enjoyed was killed that project because it was already clear that other manufacturers would build better sound cards and not monophonic. Yeah, and also with a good latency. And it was not our core competency. So we dropped that that hardware part. But then in 2004, with a foot controller, we really wanted that integration of Guitar Rig and you know, like guitarists like to steer their sounds with a with a foot. And that’s what we built. And then we took it from there. And we just had that done a couple of times, specifically in the DJ arena, change everything. We just didn’t like the DJ controllers around. So we build our own. And it was really integrating so closely with the software. And that was the experience that we wanted to provide to our users. And luckily, they liked it. And it was,
Andrew Dubber
it seems like a very billon thing to consider. If I’m making things for musicians, I must also make things for DJs. That that is part of the the music environment. And that’s therefore part of I mean, it seemed like a natural thing for Native Instruments to do. But I wonder the extent to which that was part of the culture of music at the time and the place?
Daniel Haver
Yeah, funny enough. If I wouldn’t have met Marta, who joined us in 99. We would never have gone into the DJ space. Marta was an international DJ at the time or had been. And I was living on the dance floor whenever I was not working. And so to me, the idea that we would also empower the DJs and not just the producers was very natural. But Funny enough, I was amongst the six founders of native that all joined in 97 I was the only one that was really listening day to night electronic music Brian, really everyone else would listen to either rock or jazz or So forca was a rock guy, Stefan, a jazz guy, Michael and Lawrence. I don’t even know exactly what they listen to but definitely not electronic music. And none of them had a club culture background. Okay, so it was I was literally the first one and then I needed a companion on this and when when Marty joined us artist relations manager Funny enough, that’s how I hired him. We started immediately thinking about Wait a second, you know, are we ready to build a DJ software and dun dun dun That’s hard.
Andrew Dubber
Okay, because it seems like the other thing, that the trajectory of Native Instruments has not just been to create tools for musicians, but also tools that enable people to become musicians that who might not otherwise have been able to become musicians. When did that kind of kick in? Do you think? From the beginning?
Daniel Haver
Yeah, yeah, from the beginning, because we, we just saw these big synthesiser workstations, very heavy, large, hard to navigate, you know, the menu structure and that, and expensive. So if you wanted that kind of sound, to produce with that you needed a very large home, or a studio, quite some money, and so forth. And we really, from day one, the idea was, wait a second, we can turn a computer, a standard device that anyone would have, into a powerful sound creation device, and bring down prices by 10 or more. So that was really part of the idea more power for less money, and buy that available to many more people. And because the internet was becoming stronger and stronger, also, from a distribution standpoint, obviously, in the beginning, specifically the crack distribution, it was really getting into the hands of so many more people that any other hardware synthesiser, could ever before. So it
Andrew Dubber
was really in the it’s in the DNA of native, you seem more than most music tech CEOs relaxed about the idea of cracked software existing in the world? That seems like something either you’ve come to terms with, or actually you had a philosophy about all along, what is your stance on that?
Daniel Haver
Actually, it was a lot harder to get to this place than it now sounds. We invested a lot of money in protecting our software. But you know, there wasn’t a time where we realised, you know, we can do what we want, maybe we can push out the crack by a month, maybe by two, maybe by four month. But is it worth it? Is it really worth all that effort, because we were a small company, we didn’t have that many developers, and then you have a substantial portion of your development time work on a frickin copy protection algorithm. Come on, you know, and we tried a lot of different things crazy. I remember where we had, we actually are DVDs we had, we manually drilled holes into the CDs, because it was part of the copy protection. I cannot recall how it worked from an engineering perspective. But we literally had had to drill in the office and manually address all DVDs. That was one of the first copy protection mechanisms that we we had back then. And but again, that was just the realisation at some point. And I don’t even really know, know, when exactly was early 2000s? Where’s where I just said, Look, guys, we invest so much money to copy protection. Why don’t we invest it into creating even better product. And let’s just work on product that comes with a price performance ratio, that enough people want to actually pay for it. At work, we actually just, you know, and then we just considered cracks a marketing vehicle with Yeah, certain downsides, but as long as enough people are willing to buy goods with us,
Andrew Dubber
the affordability side of things is one way in which you’ve sort of tried to get music making technology into the hands of more people. But also the accessibility side of things is something there’s a lot of talk at the moment about working with blind musicians working with disabled musicians. Was there a point at which that sort of became a revelation? Or as always part of the roadmap? or How did you approach this as an idea?
Daniel Haver
I will go back 23 years it is part of the DNA because again, I was mentioning the workstations where they’re awkward menus, and hard to actually modify anything. We wanted to provide access with generator back then to sound manipulation that otherwise was would be really hard to do really hard to find. So even back then, even though the customer that we had in mind was more of a sound designer than a regular musician. That was all about accessibility, you know, yes, also price. But But also, okay, I want to tweak those 10 parameters here they are right? No, and if you actually want them on the not In some back panel, but right in front of you, you just build an instrument that has, as I’m on it, and you could do that with generator. So accessibility was very important. And then the same about the hardware, you know, again, access the power of the software in a way that you as a musician or as a DJ want. So we get the right hardware in front of you. So it is a constant theme. Funny enough, the part that we failed so far, and I guess we only get away with it, because we’re not the only ones in the industry, to make the whole experience even much more easy. So I think what we really did achieve if you’re an expert, we have some amazing price performance ratio offers for you with great accessibility. But now to get into hands off even more, we need to make the software and the experience simpler, just simpler without diluting on the power of it, but really have much easier entry points. And this is a big theme for us these days, simplifying the experience simplifying the product, so that it’s that it’s not only for the people who know. And that won’t always dive deep, but that we can can embrace, also a beginner that just wants to do the first steps. And, you know, just get excited about the results
Andrew Dubber
show, Joe. So from a technology perspective, one of the things that I’ve noticed I was a judge at the South by Southwest hackathon just recently, and of course, Native Instruments was supportive that Native Instruments have supported the hackathon on Music Tech Fest, what do you think the sort of the the potential for innovation is in this kind of field at the moment.
Daniel Haver
I mean, just the power of AI is changing, obviously, a lot of opening up all new doors, you know, took tech and then London and these kind of guys. It’s amazing. But it’s also the convergence of the different technology blocks, you know, this whole embedded trend, you know, standalone, get rid of the computer. There’s so much to innovate, to make things again, getting back to the theme more accessible, I think there is tremendous potential, we actually going to run a hackathon here, all week hackathon. Anyone in the company can can participate, literally anyone, so can be accountant, folks, whatever. If you have an idea around in this hackathon is actually around integration.
Andrew Dubber
Meaning
Daniel Haver
can mean anything, you know, integrate hardware with software, integrate DJing with music production, you know, I’m just high level, you know, yeah, but it can also be integrated education. modules with products, you know, what have you. And actually, it can be anything the last hackathon was was incredible, you know, we had the documentation team coming up with all new ways to allow people to learn about how software works with an online component that they built during that hackathon. So it can be anything. And again, this one at this time is integration. And I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of innovative new ideas of how to do things, but there’s not one north star in terms of this is the area of innovation that will change it all. Besides maybe AI it’s a lot of different trends in our and other industries, that that influenced the way that innovation goes. But again, can be I can
Andrew Dubber
not name the one thing that I believe it’s going to are going to revolutionise everything, it’s a lot of different things that together may have a revolutionary expert, because people put it all on 5g or blockchain or AI or you know, augmented reality, or whatever it might be you think it’s, there’s something in the combination of those.
Daniel Haver
Absolutely. And as I said, AI is maybe the only exception, right, you know, data, they don’t AI, specifically music will have a tremendous influence on on the future of music making, and empower a lot more again, accessibility, you know, having a system that helps you to build the track that you actually always wanted, but couldn’t. I think there is a tremendous potential there. But yeah, it’s gonna I’m looking forward to all the crazy new ideas that people can come up with and that also we hear a build upon. But again, I don’t think it’s this one revolutionary thing. It’s really connecting the cloud with embedded devices and simplify things and you know, yes, of course a massive x will maybe push the envelope of synthesis again, are quite a bit, but I wouldn’t consider that on its own a revolution. It’s just another big step forward.
Andrew Dubber
Joe, let’s talk about the company you built just just briefly, because you talk about started with sort of four or five, six people. Where are we at now?
Daniel Haver
We are at almost 600 people, I think, I wouldn’t know today. But something like 575 80, across seven offices, the the heart of the organisation remains to be in Berlin with 450 people are so. So yeah, we came a long way from these six folks that joined back in 97.
Andrew Dubber
I’ve talked to a few people while I’ve been here. And there’s one of the things that comes up again, is the culture of the place, the social aspect of it, particularly in the last couple of years, where they’ve been sort of spaces designed for people to hang out together better than eight of spades. I haven’t yet no, no,
Daniel Haver
no, you have to go there. We let’s, let’s go there. Later. It’s Tell me about that. Yeah, that the native space was a very important thing to do. Because, you know, the listeners can now not that haven’t been here, I can maybe not envision how our native ads set up. But basically, we’ve grown on this premises, or actually, it’s by now four different houses. from two floors to some 20 floors, what did this used to be? They had a lot of different manufacturing,
Andrew Dubber
it looks very factory kind of Yeah, it’s
Daniel Haver
an old, it’s built in the early 20th century, I think, actually 1899 or so you know, typical warehouse style, manufacturing a facility with, you know, the typical Berlin, three courtyards, one after another, you know, it has depth that you don’t see from the street. Yeah. And, and we basically, as we were growing, we always grabbed another floor from the landlord wherever it became available. And that’s why we basically spread out across back then two buildings, and then by now for four different buildings, and again, something like 2022 floors. And, and the problem about that is, it’s really beautiful. Here, we’re in the, let’s say, in a very creative environment of Berlin, close to the riverspray. And it’s some good restaurants here. So it’s really cool. The neighbourhood is great. But we never see each other, right, everyone goes to their floor, right? And you work on that building, and they work in that building, and you’re on that floor and the whatever, fifth story and one other one on the ground floor, and you just don’t naturally run into each other, which was one of the powers back then I honestly, I like to tell that story. You know, I met everyone at the coffee machine. Yeah, we had from the beginning, a cappuccino and a proper Italian cappuccino machine, right? Yeah. And I met everyone there. And by now actually, we just changed it. But anyway, we have I don’t know how many coffee machines and you It’s impossible to meet everyone. So we we came up with this idea that we need this one place where people can get together again, and for whatever purpose they can meet there. They can work there. I know. Like they’re going to cafe. Uh huh. They can cook their lunch because we have a couple of stoves, and, you know, just or just hang out and or have visitors and that really changed a lot. Suddenly, Native Instruments becomes again, tangible. Ah, this is the people that work here, you know, and Oh, wow. Okay, that’s the vibe and that made a made a big difference.
Andrew Dubber
Can I ask what are you listening to now?
Daniel Haver
I’m much more diverse, much more eclectic. As probably many people these days. I’d say 50% remains to be electronic music. Um, but I even got into neoclassic at some point, which I’d never thought I would but no, I I got there. So Neil’s from
Andrew Dubber
Yeah, there’s a lot more overlap as well.
Daniel Haver
Yeah, absolutely. And, and, but I also Funny enough, believe it or not, I stopped listening to AC/DC probably in. Let me say 87 because I was embarrassed before that was my favourite band. Uh huh. Yeah. I listened to them. Now. Again, I love it. You know, it’s just amazing what those guys did back then, you know, and nostalgia is wonderful. So it tells you absolutely. So I get a lot of input from from my colleagues and friends on new tracks. And at the same time, I dig into my old grades and pull out a lot and when I say old grades I still means I mean Spotify. No, it’s to say records but on Spotify because I want it convenient. I’m a very digital person when it comes to that. So I there’s not one thing that I could could mention right now because it’s just All over the place. But I
Andrew Dubber
would say, in my music ecosystem, it’s it’s rock, and electronic these two other strongholds, and then a lot of little things surrounding it. This is, you know, on a high level, the spice and variety, you know, sprinkle around. I’ve got one last question. And actually, it comes from one of your staff. Because when I came here, I was at the reception, and I spoke to the guy there. And I said, Look, if you were me, what would you ask? Daniel, however? And it was such a fantastic question, I have to ask it to, he said, almost right away. What’s the biggest asset that Native Instruments has that will keep it going for the next 10 to 20 years?
Daniel Haver
It may sound again, cliche, but it’s our people. It’s really we have some of the most talented people in this company, specifically when it comes to digital signal processing, engineering. But also, we have a strong legacy in marketing, and all other areas of the company and quite frankly, I’m working right now with with my executive team, on fostering much more from our people, because they have to actually what what happened over time, you know, you become a large organisation, and then everyone is a specialist on something. And that’s what’s your request from them. But we have so wonderful and talented people that really know much more than what they were specifically hired for. And we want to foster that a lot more. So honestly, believe we have grown just an amazing team of over these 20 years. And that together with, obviously the product and brand history, you know, but products and brands, wonderful, they got us here. But in order to master the future, we need the best people in this company. And I’m lucky to say we have some of the best people in the world. Literally, I actually just shared with the team and the last team meeting, we increased in the last 20 years, the nationalities from 30, something to 43. Now, different nations just working here in Berlin, coming from everywhere, around the globe. And yeah, it’s that it really does what makes what allows us to do what we do, because we have these great people.
Andrew Dubber
And just quick supplementary question is that your approach as a leader,
Daniel Haver
to build on the people? It is, because that’s what I always did. And I have to admit, I not always did it. Great. And especially the last three years, the company was really challenged with the growth and the new goals we took on. And I think I as a leader, and the company as a whole didn’t always deliver on that idea. But in the end, I told you, I’m not an engineer, I’m not a musician. But what you actually do is built products built upon technology for musicians. So what role can someone like me play other than be a facilitator that works with great people. And that’s, by the way, last word here to my former industry. I always worked there with great art directors, I was never great art director myself. But I was always facilitating services to make other people better. And so this is the my history. So because again, I couldn’t programme, any of what we do here, wouldn’t be able to build any of what we do here. And I wouldn’t even be able to properly play what we do build here. So yes, it gets back to find the right people put them together and allow them to just use their creativity and their talents to the highest degree obviously aligned on a joint vision. But again, I will be honest, the last two years were tough on that end. But I’m very happy that right now we bring it out of them again and build structures and and a more transparent company culture that will allow us to again, foster to the degree that we always did, our people.
Andrew Dubber
That Daniel Haver. Thanks very much for your time.
Daniel Haver
Thank you, Andrew, was a pleasure.
Andrew Dubber
And that’s the MTF podcast. We’re wrapping things up here at MTF Frankfurt today. We’ve had an amazing experience as part of Musikmesse next up we’re going to be hitting to Pula in Croatia. I’m gonna be telling you more about that one in the weeks to come. If you enjoyed this podcast found it interesting or at the very least can think of someone else who might feel free to share, like rate, review and subscribe. We’ll talk soon and in the meantime, have a great week. Cheers.
