Tony Rolando – Founder of Make Noise Music
In this episode, Tim talks with Tony Rolando, musician, instrument designer, and founder of Make Noise Music, about building electronic musical instruments, growing a niche manufacturing business, and staying creatively grounded as success scales. Tony shares how his background as a musician shaped the unconventional design philosophy behind Make Noise’s modular synthesizers. They discuss the realities of scaling a creative business, including hiring, cash flow, and the tradeoffs between growth and personal freedom. The conversation also touches on Tony’s evolving relationship with money, health, and what it means to use success to support a meaningful life.
Tony's question for Tim: With the way the current administration is increasingly isolating the US from the global economy, I have had the thought that I should shift my investments to be heavier in European and emerging markets. Add to that, that my retirement portfolio is almost entirely SRI and I sometimes feel it makes even more sense to shift to the European market. Do you have thoughts on this?
Key Takeaways:
Tony's question for Tim: With the way the current administration is increasingly isolating the US from the global economy, I have had the thought that I should shift my investments to be heavier in European and emerging markets. Add to that, that my retirement portfolio is almost entirely SRI and I sometimes feel it makes even more sense to shift to the European market. Do you have thoughts on this?
Key Takeaways:
- Tony began Make Noise in 2008 after leaving a low-paying job at Moog Music, initially building modules by hand with no formal business plan.
- Early Make Noise designs emerged from Tony’s personal musical needs—creating modules that didn’t yet exist in the small modular synth market at the time.
- Tony approaches instrument design as a musician first, deliberately stacking functions into single controls to make instruments more expressive and playable.
- As Make Noise grew, Tony learned that hiring employees gave him his personal life back—but did not necessarily increase his income.
- Tony shares personal reflections on money, saving habits, health challenges, and the importance of actually using money to enjoy life.
