The Audio Tech Behind F1’s World Champion with CEO of IRIS, Jacobi Anstruther #43
Until recently, Formula 1 teams relied predominantly on physical boards to communicate with drivers. Enter IRIS’ pairing of technology and psychology, reinventing team comms and maximising performance.
Developing the tech to revolutionise team radio is just one of the strings to Jacobi Anstruther’s incredibly diverse bow, among other endeavours in polo, music production, record label ownership and much more.
Join us for an absolutely fascinating journey into the mind of a business leader who seeks success, fails fast, and never ceases to learn and innovate.
Lee and Jacobi discuss:
Early entrepreneurial ventures, finding inspiration to lead a business at 16
Entry into the audio space through record label ownership, festival plans and EDM music production
IRIS’ partnership with Red Bull Racing to revamp the technical approach to team communications
Psychology, biomechanics and utilising audio to maximise flow state
AI’s role in our future, and how Jacobi perpetually seeks to learn & innovate
Links & references
Lee Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/
Jacobi Anstruther: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobia/
Iris: https://www.linkedin.com/company/irisaudiotech/
Get in touch: lee@extrology.com
Episode highlights:
“I saw an opportunity to bulk buy utilities, insurance, stationary, not a sexy business but one that I thought we could make some money out of. I started chasing that dream, it snowballed and built some momentum, and it stopped me going to university and made me continue down this path of being a serial entrepreneur.” - 2:40 - Jacobi Anstruther
“Generally speaking, I haven't learned a huge amount from the success that brought me here today. I've learned a hell of a lot more from the challenges and - I don't like the word failures, because they all teach you a lesson - but the challenges.” - 4:30 - Jacobi Anstruther
“We were doing a publicity stunt for the event, which was the largest ever collected meditation session for 10,000 people on the desert floor. I started really researching sound and technologies that could enhance that, and went down the rabbit hole of understanding our inherent reactions to music.” - 13:35 - Jacobi Anstruther
“It was inevitable to me that the primary source of information for us was going to become audio, simply because we can multitask. We can listen to something and drive the car or do the washing up or whatever it may be. So that was the thesis and the basis of IRIS, what we started to think about, and really look at sound from a neurological and physiological perspective.” - 15:45 - Jacobi Anstruther
“Our first product to market for us to really get behind is the Clarity product, which is a communications tool that we actually originally developed with our partnership with the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula One team.” - 17:25 - Jacobi Anstruther
“You have eureka moments where you've solved a problem, but it's not just solving a problem, it has to be a big problem. It has to be a big problem that lots of people have.” - 22:55 - Jacobi Anstruther
“I think the misconception with meditation specifically is that you're quietening down the mind. You're not, you're actually quieting down the ego, but you're increasing neurological activity, and it's a very healthy thing for your brain to do.” - 26:15 - Jacobi Anstruther
“Our technologies are proven neurologically to be good for you. But also, they have real value in terms of what they can do on a Formula One track or a NASCAR track or in emergency services communications, where information is so vital to be heard correctly.” - 30:45 - Jacobi Anstruther
“What we're trying to do is build a business that is sustainable from a business perspective, so that it can be sustainable and can create change. You have to get the first one right first, otherwise everyone will just be unemployed, and you don't succeed. So the first thing is to find what is your cut through product, what is the one that is going to win, and give you the luxury to do everything else you want to do.” - 35:50 - Jacobi Anstruther
“Faster than we can change human behaviour, we can innovate. So if we look at the major issues around sustainability, what is going to be the real solution that gets us out of the woods? It's going to be innovation.” - 38:45 - Jacobi Anstruther
“Be fearless in making mistakes - it’s better to make a mistake quickly than take a long time to work it out. The thing that holds us back more than anything is fear, and I think whether it goes right or wrong, you're either successful or you're learning from it.” - 48:15 - Jacobi Anstruther
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