How Mike Posner built a music empire from his dorm room

iTunesU Story (0s)

• Mike Posner's life can be described as a three-act story, consisting of his rise to fame, his career plummeting after a hit, and his rebirth as a successful artist, with one of Spotify's top 10 most streamed songs of all time (10s).
• Posner's initial success was driven by his unique blend of hip-hop and melody, which he showcased in his first hit song "Cooler Than Me" (2m5s).
• As a freshman at Duke, Posner started rapping and eventually began to sing, using complex rhyme schemes and polyrhythmic rhyme schemes in his music (1m46s).
• Posner's music gained traction on hip-hop blogs, including 2DopeBoyz and Kanye's blog, which were important platforms in the hip-hop scene at the time (2m36s).
• During his time at Duke, Posner understood that people were not paying for music due to piracy, so he focused on getting his music out there through free channels (3m0s).
• Posner's shy personality led him to spend most of his time in his dorm room working on his music, but he eventually connected with other students, including a kid named Xander who had a more robust social life (3m30s).
• Posner used iTunes U, a lesser-known section of iTunes, to his advantage by releasing his music there and eventually reaching the top of the iTunes U charts (1m25s).
• Posner's strategy of using iTunes U as a growth hack allowed him to gain visibility and credibility in the music industry (1m33s).
• Mike Posner met Xander, who told him that his song "Cooler Than Me" was played at a party and all the sorority girls knew the words, which was a new experience for Posner as he had been making music for 12 years without such a reaction (3m44s).
• Posner's mom also called him and mentioned that she liked the song, which was unusual because she had never expressed liking one of his songs before, and she had heard it from a friend who sent it to her through MySpace (4m20s).
• Posner's friend Big Sean, who had gotten a record deal with Kanye, also called him and said he thought "Cooler Than Me" could be a hit song, which made Posner realize that something unusual was happening with the song's popularity (4m39s).
• Posner realized that the way hip-hop blogs worked at the time made it difficult for people to download songs, especially for those who were not familiar with the process, such as sorority girls (5m27s).
• Posner understood that he needed to get his music on iTunes, which was a safe and user-friendly platform, but he also knew that people might not be willing to pay for his music (6m12s).
• Posner discovered iTunes U, a section of iTunes where professors could post their lectures, and saw an opportunity to distribute his music through this platform (7m27s).
• Mike Posner's music was initially available for free on iTunes through its educational arm, which he discovered while attending Duke University (7m43s).
• Posner found the contact information of Todd, the person in charge of iTunes for Duke, and reached out to him via email, eventually getting his music on iTunes (8m24s).
• Posner and Todd discovered they shared the same area code, 248, and that Todd was also from Southfield, Michigan, which helped establish a connection (8m33s).
• With his music on iTunes, Posner created a Facebook event with a link to his album and activated his communities, including friends from different colleges across the country (9m23s).
• Posner's fraternity brothers and friends helped promote his music by sending invitations to the Facebook event and changing their profile pictures to his album cover (10m9s).
• The promotion strategy was successful, and Posner's music eventually reached every college in the US, starting with small shows at colleges like Dayton, Ohio (11m8s).
• Posner's manager, Pat Klein, booked him for shows, and he was initially paid $500 per performance (11m31s).
• Posner's music gained popularity, and he started to get booked for more shows, with audiences knowing every word to his songs (11m42s).
• Mike Posner's music career started to gain traction when he performed at a venue with 300 people, where everyone knew the words to his song, and he was able to book more shows and expand his fanbase (11m47s).
• Posner's approach to his music career was unconventional, as he started performing shows and gaining fans before being signed to a record label, which made him a more attractive prospect to labels (12m12s).
• He would often perform at colleges, flying out every weekend to do shows and then returning to take tests, and at one point, he was doing two or three shows a weekend (12m36s).
• During his senior year, Posner had arranged his classes to be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, allowing him to leave on Thursday nights to perform shows on Friday and Saturday nights, and return on Sundays (12m48s).
• Posner's ability to perform multiple roles in the music creation process, including rapping, singing, and producing, allowed him to work independently and experiment with different styles (13m23s).
• He considers his writing skills to be his strongest asset, and believes that his ability to connect with people through his lyrics is a key factor in his success (13m46s).
• Despite his success, Posner has taken steps to improve his craft, including taking music and singing lessons, and enrolling in a college class, where he was humbled by being surrounded by talented students (14m19s).

Going back to school, famous (14m41s)

• Mike Posner was in a cold spot in his career, so he decided to use that time to improve his skills, including learning to play guitar, sing, and play piano, as he didn't know how to do these things despite having a hit song (14m55s).
• He was inspired to learn guitar after a campfire experience where Tory Kelly sang a beautiful song, and Posner wanted to sing his own song but couldn't because he couldn't play the guitar (15m26s).
• Posner believes that being an artist is about growing and deepening one's relationship with music, and that it's a lifelong process (16m2s).
• He took a singing class at the Berkeley School of Music online, where he was in the bottom quartile, but realized that he had a unique ability to connect with people through his music and writing (16m41s).
• Posner thinks that music is not just about technical skills, but about vulnerability and sharing one's humanity with others (17m15s).
• He believes that if an artist can connect with others on a human level, they can be a great artist, regardless of their technical skills (18m5s).
• Posner's music and music videos are appreciated for their ability to connect with people on a deeper level (18m9s).
• Creating something that connects with others often involves following one's own curiosity and creativity, rather than trying to appeal to a specific audience or market (18m30s).
• Approaching art or content creation analytically, by mapping the market and identifying white space, may not be as effective as simply creating something authentic and true to oneself (19m0s).
• The concept of "white space" can refer to the unique perspective or approach that an individual brings to their work, and this is what can truly set them apart and attract an audience (19m11s).
• The idea that "the product is you" suggests that the most important thing an artist or creator can offer is their own unique perspective and personality (19m15s).
• By being true to oneself and creating content that resonates with one's own interests and passions, it's possible to attract an audience without needing to conduct market studies or try to appeal to a specific demographic (19m22s).
• The music industry has shifted in recent years, and record labels now often look for artists who already have an established audience, rather than trying to develop new talent from scratch (21m21s).
• The responsibility for building an audience and creating a successful career now falls more on the artist themselves, rather than on the record label (21m30s).
• The abundance of data available in the music industry has also changed the way artists approach their careers and connect with their audiences (21m37s).
• Mike Posner's approach to creating content, including his podcast, has been influenced by the idea of being true to oneself and sharing one's authentic interests and passions with others (19m40s).
• Posner's song lyrics, such as "I'm in the yoga class headband now, people say I'm offbrand, how I am the brand, therefore anything I do is on brand now," reflect his approach to embracing his individuality and being true to himself (20m13s).
• Posner has learned to value simplicity and clarity in his life and career, as reflected in his lyrics "twice as much money, half the possessions, no drugs, now the vision's clear" (20m41s).
• Posner's experiences and lessons learned have influenced his approach to creating music and connecting with his audience, and he has come to realize the importance of being true to oneself and embracing one's individuality (20m56s).

Getting on the radio (21m40s)

• After signing a record deal, Mike Posner started working with bigger producers, including Benny Blanco, to create new music for his first real album, expecting it to be a big hit (21m55s).
• The original version of "Cooler Than Me" included a line from Carly Simon's song "You're So Vain," but Posner had to change it after clearing the rights and being asked for 70-80% of the song's credit (22m35s).
• Posner's record label didn't think the new version of "Cooler Than Me" was as good, suggesting he use a different song as his first single, but his manager, Daniel Weiss, believed in the song's potential (23m26s).
• Posner's manager arranged a meeting with a radio promoter, Ian C, who could help get the song on the radio, despite the label's usual responsibility for this task, and Posner was initially hesitant to attend (23m48s).
• Ian C was hired for $5,000 to $10,000 to get the song on a few radio stations, with no guarantee of airplay, but he managed to get it on stations in Sacramento and Los Angeles, where it started gaining popularity (24m48s).
• The song's success on these stations led to the label taking notice and getting it played on more stations, eventually becoming a hit (25m29s).
• The label's efforts to promote the song were compared to adding gasoline to a fire, as they were good at amplifying existing success but not necessarily starting it (25m41s).
• At the time, getting on the radio was crucial for an artist's success, and Posner's experience showed that it could be achieved with the right promotion and support (25m53s).

“I just do what's cool to me and sometimes the whole world agrees” (26m40s)

• The mindset of creating something that is cool to oneself and sometimes the whole world agrees comes from the idea that an artist's job is to make something they think is beautiful, without considering what others think is beautiful (26m48s).
• This mindset is rooted in past experiences of trying to replicate success and seeking fame, which led to creating something that was hated, even if it had the potential to be liked by others (27m22s).
• The experience of trying to create a hit song to please others resulted in making something that didn't meet personal standards of aesthetics, and ultimately, not being liked by anyone (28m19s).
• The realization that success with something that wasn't truly liked would have been worse than not being successful at all, as it would have led to being trapped on a path that wasn't true to oneself (29m10s).
• The original plan for the episode was to tell the story of the rise to fame, the crash, and the rebirth, but the conversation took a different turn to explore the mindset and experiences that shaped the artist's approach to creating music (29m31s).

One true sentence / Writing Process (30m6s)

• Mike Posner's approach to creating music is to make something that's cool to him, and sometimes the world agrees, rather than focusing solely on making a hit (30m20s).
• Posner's writing process involves sitting down and writing one true sentence, which he finds to be a helpful technique in creating honest and vulnerable content (30m56s).
• He believes that writing a true song will automatically make it good, rather than trying to write a good song (31m57s).
• Posner started rapping at the age of eight and began considering a stage name at 13, but ultimately decided to use his real name, Mike Posner, as he felt that his music was a reflection of his real life (32m20s).
• Posner's decision to use his real name was influenced by his desire to be authentic and honest in his music, and he felt that using a stage name would be an act (32m46s).
• This approach to authenticity was reinforced when Posner wrote his song "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," which marked a shift in his career from upbeat party songs to more introspective and honest songwriting (33m9s).
• Mike Posner considered changing his name for a new project, thinking his fans wouldn't like the drastic change in his music, but ultimately decided to own his story and keep his name (34m5s).
• Posner has learned to recognize the signal that he's onto something when he's feeling scared to put it out, and he uses this as a barometer for what he should be writing (34m44s).
• He believes that writing about painful moments can be an entry point worth examining, but notes that not everything that causes pain should be written about (35m7s).
• Tim Ferriss was asked how he decides what's next, and he replied that he creates a menu of options, leaving room for the weirdest idea, and treats it as a viable option (35m45s).
• Posner decides where to apply his talents by using his internal compass, which guides him in both big and small decisions, such as choosing the right word when writing (36m58s).
• He is currently working on multiple projects, including writing a book and putting out an album, and acknowledges that choosing what not to do is the hardest part (36m34s).
• Posner quotes Mark Twain, saying that the difference between the almost right word and the right word is a big difference, highlighting the importance of making the right choices in his work (37m19s).
• Mike Posner's music career was influenced by the idea of creating what he wants, rather than trying to reverse-engineer what his audience might like, a concept inspired by a quote from Rick Ruben that says the best way to serve the audience is to ignore them and make what you want. (37m56s)
• Posner believes that when you hear something true, you know it, and the rest of your life is about coming to grips with that truth, which can be a difficult process. (38m14s)
• He has found that making music is easy for him now, and taking care of his finances has been a big part of that, as he is financially secure and doesn't need to make another dollar from his music. (38m38s)
• Being financially secure has allowed Posner to talk to the voice in his head and decide that he never needs to make a song he doesn't want to make or work with someone he's not a fan of, which has made him a better artist. (38m57s)
• Posner lives in Silicon Valley, where he sees people with a lot of money who still feel like they don't have enough and continue to chase more, but he has come to peace with having enough, although the process of getting there is not specified. (39m15s)
• The idea of having enough is not just about the amount of money, but also about being content with what you have and not constantly chasing more, as people's actions often reveal what they truly value. (39m35s)

Money, fame and Survivor (39m50s)

• Mike Posner had to come to terms with the financial aspect of his life, using logic and analysis to determine how much he needed and how much he had, and also finding peace with the concept of money through a more spiritual or illogical part of himself (39m50s).
• He realized that true wealth or abundance is not just about money, but also about health, joy in the present moment, and gratitude for what one has (40m42s).
• There is a perception in the business world that having a "chip on your shoulder" or being driven by past pain or struggles can lead to success, but Mike Posner questions whether this is truly the case (41m7s).
• He believes that the best art and success can come from people who are in a happy place, rather than those who are driven by pain or a desire for revenge (41m31s).
• Mike Posner's goal is to architect a more beautiful life, one that is balanced across different areas such as work, passionate intimacy, faith, spiritual growth, friendships, fun, physical health, and giving back (41m50s).
• He measures his life across multiple verticals, including work and mission, but also recognizes the importance of other areas such as relationships, health, and personal growth (42m26s).
• Mike Posner acknowledges that he made mistakes in his 20s by focusing too much on his career and neglecting other areas of his life, such as relationships and personal growth (42m33s).
• He believes that winning the game of life requires playing on multiple verticals and developing different skill sets, rather than just focusing on one area such as work or finance (43m36s).
• Mike Posner's mission is to find balance in life, doing his best job, and being proud of himself, despite not being perfect (43m58s).
• A YouTube clip of Jim Carrey giving a speech after receiving an award is mentioned, where he talks about being a Golden Globe winner and how it's not the answer to happiness (44m8s).
• Jim Carrey's quote "I wish the whole world could be rich and famous so they would know that's not the answer" is referenced, highlighting that fame and wealth are not the key to happiness (44m40s).
• An analogy from the TV show Survivor is used to describe life, where the immunity idol represents the thing everyone wants, but a twist called the "beware idol" comes with disadvantages, and players still choose to take it (45m16s).
• The "beware idol" is compared to fame in life, which people desire despite knowing it comes with disadvantages, and it's suggested that people who become pop stars at a young age are not the happiest (46m1s).
• Mike Posner is asked what advice he would give to his 21-year-old self, and the importance of having sovereignty over one's emotions and responding to situations in a positive way is emphasized (46m45s).
• A quote from the beginning of the interview is referenced, "My Smiles don't result from Good Things. They result in good things," highlighting the importance of one's mindset and emotions (46m41s).

Advice to my younger self (46m52s)

• Life is a one-player game, and it's essential to exercise and practice sovereignty by developing rituals that give you the best chance of enjoying life to the fullest and being the joy in life, rather than waiting for something good to happen to feel happy (46m55s).
• This approach involves not waiting for someone to do something nice for you to feel good, but instead doing something nice for someone else to make them feel good, which in turn makes you feel good by default (47m17s).
• A relatable example of this approach is when someone experienced a flight delay or missed a flight, and instead of reacting with stress, they chose a different response, which is a more constructive way to handle situations that feel out of control (47m32s).
• This example is significant because it's a common experience that many people can relate to, and it illustrates the importance of choosing how to respond to challenging situations, rather than simply reacting to them (48m1s).
• The idea is to take control of one's life and emotions, rather than waiting for external events or people to dictate how one feels, and to cultivate a sense of joy and happiness from within (47m4s).
• Rakan's quote, "life is a one-player game," emphasizes the importance of individual agency and responsibility in creating a fulfilling life (46m55s).

Missed flight story (48m10s)

• Mike Posner shares that when writing lyrics, he focuses on the universal emotions underneath the surface, even if the specific experience may not be relatable to others, citing his own experience of taking a pill in a bet to appear cool as an example of doing something untrue to oneself to gain attention from others (48m10s).
• Posner explains that he has built a unique life by doing things that inspire him, such as walking across a continent and climbing Everest, driven in part by ego but also a desire to have a life that is cool and unique to him (48m48s).
• He shares a story about having a horrible travel day, feeling sorry for himself, and missing a flight, but then remembering a piece of advice from a Tony Robbins conference to ask himself what he could do to make the day great (49m40s).
• Posner decided to use his bad day as an opportunity to do something nice for others, so he called his assistant to find a place where he could volunteer, and ended up serving food at a establishment that helps people getting off drugs (51m2s).
• He reflects that even though he was still physically and emotionally struggling, he was proud of himself for using his suffering as an excuse to do something good for someone else, rather than giving in to negative emotions (52m11s).
• Mike Posner turned his suffering into service and connection, which gave him pride and happiness, and he believes true happiness comes from growth, not external validation or material success (52m27s).
• He realized that engaging in activities that promote personal growth can give him unlimited energy, even if they seem to require effort, much like going to the gym can increase energy levels despite initial tiredness (53m33s).
• Sometimes, doing more or setting harder goals can be easier than doing less or setting easy goals, as it can provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation (54m13s).
• A trainer shared a story about overcoming procrastination by taking action, in this case, going to the DMV to renew an expired license, which had been causing anxiety and stress (54m22s).
• The trainer's approach is to "do it differently" than in the past, rather than trying to do things perfectly, and to take action despite initial reluctance or fear (55m2s).
• By taking action and doing things differently, one can end up getting close to perfect and achieving their goals, as the trainer did by finally going to the DMV and resolving the issue (55m12s).
• The trainer's mindset is one of self-empowerment, as he views himself as a "sovereign being" who can take control of his life and overcome challenges (55m50s).
• Mike Posner's approach to life is inspired by a story about a man who had a five-star experience at the DMV by being a five-star customer, meaning he walked in with a positive attitude and helped others, which led to him receiving special treatment and getting his license in under 30 minutes (55m53s).
• This story emphasizes the importance of choosing one's own experience and not relying on others to provide it, and Mike Posner has always held onto this message (57m1s).
• The conversation shifts to Benny Blanco, a songwriter and producer who has worked with many successful artists, and the host is fascinated by his ability to unlock creativity in others and have a high hit rate (57m24s).
• Benny Blanco's approach to creating a safe space for creativity involves kicking people out of the room, lighting candles, and reading to create a conducive environment (57m46s).
• Mike Posner attributes Benny Blanco's success to intangible factors, rather than specific skills or techniques (57m56s).

The making of a hit song (58m0s)

• Mike Posner has a gift for making artists feel comfortable and bringing out the best in them, much like how some people can make others feel at ease, whether it's family or friends (58m1s).
• Posner's superpower is his great taste, and he's also fun to be around, which helps artists collaborate and create music (58m56s).
• Benny Blanco, a collaborator of Posner, taught him how to collaborate and not stress too much about making a song, instead focusing on being present and letting the song come naturally (59m7s).
• Blanco's approach to collaboration is playful and allows artists to be themselves and have fun, which can lead to great lines and songs (1h0m20s).
• Ed Sheeran believes that rooms and instruments have songs, and he often rents unique spaces, like farmhouses, to build a mobile studio and find inspiration for his music (1h0m56s).
• Sheeran's approach is to prioritize the comfort and inspiration of the space over the technical quality of the studio, finding that the right environment can lead to better music (1h1m10s).
• Mike Posner's creative process involves working in immersive environments, such as his home studio, where he records himself using a laptop and a nice microphone, allowing him to record whenever he wants without needing another person (1h1m40s).
• He also enjoys working in immersive settings with other talented people, going to a nice place, and living and breeding art for a week or two, then taking a break before repeating the process (1h2m11s).
• Posner's songs come from various sources, including airplanes, morning and night sessions, and starting with different elements like piano licks, lyrics, or melodies (1h2m39s).
• He appreciates stories of success that come after years of hard work and perseverance, and he believes in taking steps to engineer one's own success rather than relying on luck (1h3m36s).
• Posner's philosophy is centered around doing hard things, which drives him to take on challenging endeavors like climbing Everest, walking across America, and silent meditations (1h4m5s).
• He believes that doing hard things is essential because when life becomes too easy, it can feel unfulfilling, and he seeks to challenge himself to find a sense of purpose and satisfaction (1h4m27s).

Walking Across America (1h4m31s)

• Mike Posner's life changed after his father died from brain cancer, and six months later, his friend Aichi passed away, which made him realize he wasn't living the life he wanted and was instead living the life his manager thought he should live (1h6m3s).
• This realization led to Posner deciding to walk across America, a goal he had mentioned four years earlier after hearing about a friend who had done it, and the idea lingered in his mind (1h5m11s).
• Posner's decision to walk across America was also influenced by the death of his friend Ronnie, which made him think about his own mortality and the life he truly wanted to live (1h7m50s).
• Posner was 30 years old at the time and felt he was living the life his 20-year-old self had set up, which was causing him pain and leading him to seek a different way of living (1h8m15s).
• Posner's motivations for walking across America were not just about achieving a goal, but also about finding a new way of living and dealing with the pain and loss he was experiencing (1h8m26s).
• Posner notes that sometimes the reason he does something isn't the reason he gets out of it, and he often comes out with a different outcome or realization than he initially expected (1h8m35s).
• Mike Posner's experience of going to Chuck-E-Cheese as a child and playing games to win prizes taught him about the concept of working towards rewards (1h8m44s).
• He discovered a stronger part of himself after being bitten by a poisonous rattlesnake, spending three nights in the ICU, and being airlifted, which made him realize he was capable of overcoming adversity (1h9m14s).
• Despite being told by doctors that it might take eight months to heal and that he might lose his foot, Mike Posner decided to keep going and not use the injury as an excuse to do less (1h9m25s).
• He chose to do the opposite and become a "five-star walker," using the injury as an excuse to do more and push himself beyond his limits (1h9m51s).
• This experience transformed him into a new person, and he became someone different, discovering a strength within himself that he hadn't known existed before (1h10m14s).
• Mike Posner mentions the concept of "misogi," which he had discussed previously, and credits Jesse Itler, a friend and someone he looks up to, with introducing him to this idea (1h10m38s).
• Jesse Itler is someone Mike Posner admires and considers a "blueprint" for living an interesting life, and he tries to learn from people like him who have overcome challenges and achieved success (1h10m57s).

How cheap is your happiness? (1h11m9s)

• Kevin's Rule and the concept of Misogi, which involves taking on one grand, ambitious, and hard challenge per year, whether physical or otherwise, is discussed as a way to push oneself to new heights (1h11m26s).
• The idea of Misogi is applied personally, with the goal of going 24 hours straight without a complaint in one's head, which is considered a harder task than physical challenges like an Iron Man (1h11m37s).
• Tony Robbins is mentioned as someone who has talked about the importance of being mindful of one's internal state, and how easily it can be disrupted by small inconveniences (1h12m2s).
• A story is shared about Tony Robbins meeting a man in India who asked him about suffering, and how Robbins realized that he had been losing his state due to small moments of frustration throughout the day (1h12m10s).
• The concept of "how cheap is your happiness" is introduced, which refers to how easily one's happiness can be disrupted by small inconveniences, and how important it is to cultivate a state that is not easily knocked off balance (1h12m50s).
• The idea that people often spend their lives chasing after things they think they want, only to realize that they didn't want them in the first place, is discussed as a common phenomenon (1h13m26s).
• The philosophy of Krishna G and his wife PR G is mentioned, which teaches that there are only two kinds of states: beautiful states and suffering states, and that what people really want is to cultivate beautiful states (1h13m48s).

Beautiful States v Suffering States (1h14m17s)

• The goal is to have more beautiful states and less suffering states, and to achieve this, one needs to focus on the tools that can help get there (1h14m18s).
• People often convince themselves that they want the middleman, such as promotion or achievement, to give them a beautiful state, but the trick is to feel it now and not wait for something external to happen (1h14m27s).
• The key to winning the game of life is to feel the desired state right now, and if one can achieve this, they have won (1h14m44s).
• Nobody is perfect, and even teachers and gurus are not 100% in a beautiful state, but one can work towards achieving it (1h14m52s).
• External goals are necessary, but one also needs to set internal goals that focus on how they want to feel while achieving their external goals (1h15m16s).
• The internal goal should be aligned with the external goal, and most people forget to set this internal goal, which can lead to losing in life (1h15m40s).
• The goal is to win on all three axes: vertical, horizontal, and depth, and to achieve this, one needs to focus on both external and internal goals (1h15m49s).
• The tips, tools, and stories shared are all aimed at helping one win the game of achieving a beautiful state (1h16m2s).
• Victor Frankl's concept of searching for meaning and having something to look forward to in the future is also important in achieving a beautiful state (1h15m21s).