How Mike Posner built a music empire from his dorm room
About This Episode
Shaan Puri interviews musician Mike Posner about his unconventional rise to fame, starting with a clever distribution hack on iTunes U while he was still a student at Duke University. The conversation explores Posner's evolution from a fame-driven pop star to a growth-oriented artist who finds fulfillment through extreme physical challenges like climbing Everest and walking across America.
Episode Description
Show Notes
- 0:00iTunesU Story
- 14:41Going back to school, famous
- 21:40Getting on the radio
- 26:40“I just do what's cool to me and sometimes the whole world agrees”
- 30:06One true sentence / Writing Process
- 39:50Money, fame and Survivor
- 46:52Advice to my younger self
- 48:10Missed flight story
- 58:00The making of a hit song
- 1:04:31Walking Across America
- 1:11:09"How cheap is your happiness?"
- 1:14:17Beautiful States v Suffering States
Links
Check Out Shaan's Stuff
Check Out Sam's Stuff
Key Takeaways
Identify and exploit 'gap' platforms for distribution, such as using the educational iTunes U portal to offer free music to a collegiate audience when traditional piracy sites were too convoluted.
Follow the 'one true sentence' rule in creative work by focusing on radical honesty and vulnerability, which creates a more universal connection than trying to reverse-engineer a commercial hit.
Practice 'Alchemical Growth' by responding to bad situations with the question 'What can I do to make this a great day?', deliberately shifting from a state of suffering to a state of service or self-improvement.