343 Labs
Our inspiring interview with DJ, Producer and 343 Labs Co-Founder, Nacho Isa.
343 Labs was founded by multi-instrumentalist, educator, and Ableton Certified Trainer Max Wild and DJ and producer Nacho Isa (pictured).
THE RESILIENCE SERIES | 2 FEB 2021
By: Daniella Decker
Illustration by Angelica Reisch
Many small businesses made adjustments to the way they conduct their businesses — or have shifted their approaches entirely. In the face of a truly catastrophic financial environment, small businesses have used their creativity to spur them forward as entrepreneurs and adapt to a business environment no one could have predicted.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners have done these things under the stress of laying off employees, shutting down brick and mortar shops, or giving up on their dream entirely.
We chatted with Nacho Isa of 343 Labs, and learned his musical small business has navigated such unpredictable circumstances.
Tell us a little about 343 Labs and your mission.
343 Labs was founded in 2018 by multi-instrumentalist, educator, and Ableton Certified Trainer, Max Wild and DJ and (me) producer Nacho Isa. We had the idea of creating a community for producers, musicians, and artists to meet, share ideas, and learn from each other. We wanted to provide guidance and support by expert instructors.
Our mission: help producers achieve their potential, whether it is through education, access to collaborations and equipment or opening opportunities to perform and release music. We are 6 office staff and 15 instructors, and we have physical locations in NYC and Berlin.
Do something you love and then you will never work a day. What do you love about your 343?
We help people make music, and that in itself, is what we love. We help musicians realize their potential and bring them into a supportive community of artists and collaborators. We make a majority of our profit from our core classes, but we offer a lot of free community events to connect people from all walks of life. At 343, there is something for every producer, regardless of your financial situation. We wanted to create an open community where everyone could feel involved, supported and creative.
What's the most significant challenge 343 Labs faced in March 2020, at the start of COVID-19? Or throughout the pandemic? How are you dealing with it?
343 generated a lot business through our in person classes. We had to close both our NYC and Berlin location indefinitely. We moved everything online and we put a lot of effort in still offering an excellent product, despite it still being online. Every student we have leaves 343 Labs ecstatic and even more creative. It’s been difficult to completely pivot to our offering online, but we’ve learned a lot and we are very proud of that.
How have you pivoted your business or expect to as a result of the pandemic?
Other than moving classes to online, we put a huge focus in supporting our community and keeping the 343 family close. We launched 343TV - a free daily music streaming on our Youtube channel and we have lots of free online events. For example, we just had a beat battle completely online. We also wanted to support artists in a really rough year, so we launched the 343 Pro Sessions. We have some of our favorite artists in the world leading 2 day workshops on the weekends - our community loves those!
What inspires you and your company? What should other small businesses use for inspiration during this time?
Hearing from our community really inspires us. Seeing that people are making music at home, in their kitchen or bedroom, really inspire us. It makes what we are doing worth it. I think for small businesses, it is important to remember that this too shall pass, and if we survived this as a business, what is going to stop us in the future?
How can our community support your small business?
Have you ever considered making music? You would be surprised how easy it is to create your first beats and melodies when you are trained by expert instructors. We would love to get the global community involved and sample some of our virtual classes. What else have you got goin’ on from home? It’s a great way to get involved and stay busy.
What do you wish everyone knew about the struggles small businesses face?
Business are closing. You just have to walk the street in New York City and see how much retail space is for rent. If you were lucky enough to keep your job, go out there and grab a coffee at the local store or buy something at the small shop down the street. Every sale counts now. As an independent consumer, you have no idea how your dollar can push a small business an extra mile. Support small - think small. It helps in a big way.
ABOUT 343 LABS
At 343 Labs we like to think of our community as a music accelerator, a place where electronic musicians can find structure and guidance beyond the classroom, have access to an industry specific network, to faster achieve their goals. For this we provide free weekly events such as masterclasses, artist showcases, feedback sessions, the Ableton User Group meetup, and performance opportunities.
ABOUT MAX WILD
Max is an Ableton Certified Trainer who has been teaching music for over 15 years. A former instructor at Dubspot, you are as likely to find him playing the saxophone next to a DJ as you are to find him leading the Ableton User Groups in New York.
His degrees from renowned conservatories in London and NY didn’t stop him from following his real passion: Helping people channel their creativity to make music - aka teaching how to produce great music.
ABOUT NACHO ISA
343 Labs was founded by multi-instrumentalist, educator, and Ableton Certified Trainer Max Wild and Barcelona-born DJ Nacho Isa, with the idea of creating a community for producers, musicians, and artists to meet, share ideas, and learn from each other, guided and supported by expert instructors.
RESOURCES
