Today marks the 30th year since the death of Jerry Garcia – founding member of the Grateful Dead and one of the most revered guitarists of all time. The world is celebrating his impact on the culture and music of the 20th century, as well as his contributions to the American startup culture. FastTrack CEO, a consulting firm based in Winston-Salem, is taking this day to commemorate Jerry Garcia’s legacy as a musician and entrepreneur.
Matthew Owen, founder of FastTrack CEO and long-time Dead fan, recalled his many Grateful Dead experiences stretching back over 30 years, the most recent being the Dead and Company in Chicago with another FastTrack worker.
Jerry Garcia (born “Jerome John Garcia”) founded the Grateful Dead in 1965 alongside Bob Weir, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann. Their style quickly became improvisational, blending jazz, blues, rock and bluegrass–reflecting the experimental nature of the 60s. This, alongside their rigorous commitment to fan experience, propelled them to business success in San Francisco, where anti-war sentiment, psychedelic experimentation, and appreciation of the arts converged.
“Somehow, we’ve ended up successes… What can we do that’s more fun, more interesting?” said Garcia in 1973. His career was strange and winding, but massively impactful.
Like the startups of Silicon Valley, the Grateful Dead revolutionized their field. “They were the original startup,” says Matthew Owen, founder of FastTrack CEO. Both groups share an ethos of innovation fostered by the environment of San Francisco, a unique city due to its norms of divergence. The Grateful Dead didn’t simply sell music; they sold a community with unique beliefs and practices.
“Building startups is also a matter of building a network of people around it,” says Matthew Owen. He believes that Jerry Garcia’s example as an entrepreneur helped define the “American Dream”, and that upcoming entrepreneurs can benefit from learning his story. Half a century and the creation of the internet later, the Grateful Dead brand is still going strong.
About FastTrack CEO
FastTrack CEO is a consulting agency that specializes in implementing and developing AI for startups. Based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the firm offers services such as software development, marketing, workflow management and technology implementation to startup companies.
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FastTrack CEO Website: www.fasttrack.ceo
FastTrack CEO Number: 773-858-2854
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