Posner’s, and Pills, and (Black)bears, Oh My!

Mike Posner’s a fascinating guy. James Altucher and Ross Golan have interviewed him recently, and they both pull different parts of his backstory into the light. Here’s three highlights:

–          Posner’s association with Big Sean is what “made” him. Your network matters, and sometimes you’ll be surprised by what person in your network elevates the whole group. Tim Ferriss says, “you’re the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with.” Choose carefully, and think forward. He speaks of Sean with tremendous respect to this day.

–          The first time he was doing a royalty split with Blackbear, he told him that “big fish eat little fish.” He “made it right” not long after, but he said it kills him to know that he used leverage with a friend. Adam Grant says, “being a giver is not good for a 100-yard dash, but it’s valuable in a marathon.” Posner recognizing that the one track with Blackbear was not part of a sprint likely preserved what has become a very valuable relationship (both monetary, and non-monetary, see: Mansionz).

–          His hit, “I Took a Pill in Ibiza,” isn’t edge-y because he took the pill, its edge-y because of the transparency of what he’s singing about. That’s some soul-baring stuff for a pop hit. No quote needed to drive this point home, if there’s one thing Posner is keenly aware of, it’s being honest in his mode expression.

–           Words from the Posner: have a good network, be a giver, be authentic. Not bad for a guy who got his start gaming an iTunes loophole.