Networking In Music

Africa’s biggest creative exit began with one phone call. In 2017, legendary Nigerian music producer Don Jazzy had a successful record label. But he knew something was missing. While Afrobeats was exploding globally, African labels were still operating like it was 2005 - no data analytics, no proper structure, no international distribution deals. Then came an unexpected call from Kupanda Capital, not your regular investor but a business-building platform focused on emerging markets. 🎯 Kupanda told Don Jazzy: "We see Afrobeats going global. Let's rebuild Mavin Records from the ground up to capture that opportunity." What happened next became the blueprint for scaling African creative businesses internationally. The transformation was radical: Kupanda moved two senior executives to Lagos to work alongside Don Jazzy's team (poke Mavin COO Peter Tega Oghenejobo). Together, they didn't just add capital - they rebuilt everything: 🎤 An artist development academy: Training talent for the digital age 📊 Data-driven A&R: Using analytics to predict hits before they happen 🌍 A global distribution network: International contracts from day one 🏢 A proper corporate structure: a 70-person team with defined roles and responsibilities Only THEN did Kupanda bring in TPG to invest $10M+ in Mavin. Then came the proof of concept... 🚀 Rema's "Calm Down" (featuring Selena Gomez) became the first song by an African artist to hit 1 billion Spotify streams. The numbers tell the rest of the story: - 60x growth in overall revenue over 5 years  - 100x growth in digital revenue 🔥 In 2024, Universal Music Group acquired a majority stake in Mavin at a $150-200M valuation, in the largest deal in African Creative Industries history. When I said that Mavin’s success had become the blueprint for scaling creative ventures in Africa, this is why: 1️⃣ Partnership beats pure capital. Creative companies often need a lot more than just cash. Operational expertise + local creative knowledge = magic 2️⃣ Structure unlocks creativity. You can’t grow on shaky foundations. Proper systems amplify business AND artistic potential. 3️⃣ Bet on data not gut feelings. Creative companies are yet to fully adopt digital tools, and that’s stifling their growth. Mavin shows how analytics can enable global success. Few investors are ready to be as hands-on as Kupanda, and few founders can be as collaborative as Don Jazzy and his team. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW IT WORKS. Think about that. Mavin Records is one of the 12 African companies profiled in my latest study for Proparco's CREA Fund. Read the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/diAwWrXe ------ Want more business insights on the African Creative and Sports space? Join the 9,500+ other professionals who subscribe to my monthly newsletter HUSTLE & FLOW: https://lnkd.in/drBY8jnz

If you are a brand or creator planning to grow your own community, save this post for your next brand strategy session – Follower counts are overrated. What truly matters for your brand is a community that talks back. In the last 5+ years of building my personal brand along with Like Mind Tribe, I’ve learned this the hard (and beautiful) way. We often chase vanity metrics, namely likes, views, followers. But the brands that actually grow focus on: + trust + conversations + creating spaces that people want to return to My top 3 learnings about community building that most people ignore are👇 1/ Stop broadcasting. Start involving. Don’t just talk to your audience, co-create with them. Ask for their input. Let them choose the next product, workshop, or event theme. Your content should feel like a conversation, not a monologue. 2/ Trust builds in silence. Show up even when it’s quiet. The real connection begins when no one’s clapping. Be consistent with your presence. Show your progress, not just your polished wins. 3/ Give them a space beyond social media. DMs, Zoom rooms, meetups, or even a close friend's story list; These micro-interactions are where loyalty is built. If you want retention, give them a room where they feel seen. ———— I’ve met: → strangers who are now collaborators → community members who became accountability partners → even businesses that were born from casual coffee chats at our meetups That’s what happens when you value: Impact >>>>> Followers Whether you're building a brand or just starting out as a creator – Don’t just aim for attention. Create belonging. What’s the biggest challenge you face in building your community? Let’s tackle it together! #drishtiispeaks #community #branding #strategy #growth #socialmedia #content

No audience. No connections. No one cares who you are. What do you do? When we were coming up in music, we had nothing but hustle. We were ruthless with remixes, cold emails, and saying yes to anything that might get our music heard. Nobody handed us a megaphone, so we built one. Now the world’s noisier. More platforms, more content, more competition. On one hand, it’s harder. On the other, the core hasn’t changed: do whatever it takes to connect and show people what makes you different. John Summit said recently in an interview you’ve got to be willing to do things that feel a little cringe. He’s right. If you hold back because something feels awkward or unpolished, you’ll never find your people. It’s the raw, at-home performances. The daily grind of posting when no one’s watching. Chappell Roan singing in empty rooms for years before anyone noticed. The busker who goes from five fans to five million. That stuff looks small until it isn’t. Most “overnight” success stories are just years of trial, error, and showing up in places that don’t feel comfortable. Platforms change, but the foundation stays the same: be unreasonably obsessed with your own growth, and let your audience grow with you. Whether you’re dropping your first track, launching a product, or starting over in a completely new space, meet your people where they are. And if you build that connection, you’ll still have an audience when the landscape shifts again, because it always does.

Meaningful relationships and a good reputation don’t come via shortcuts. It takes a steady, long path in the same direction over many years. You won’t earn it in one coffee or one email. You earn it through consistent work, doing what you say you’re going to do, honesty and kindness. Be wary of “partnerships” that are just transactions in a nicer outfit. If nobody’s asking what the talent actually wants, or what success looks like for them three years out, that’s the tell. It’s all deliverables and deck pages and a tight little bow on top. The deals that have actually mattered in my career didn’t start with a deck. They started with a real conversation. Sometimes about the work, sometimes about kids, sometimes about an idea or creative someone was obsessed with that week. It’s why I’ve loved working with athletes across the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, soccer stars, Olympians and beyond. You get to hear their dreams as creative expression. Thats the real stuff!! The trust you build in those moments is what makes the hard moments survivable later. When something goes sideways, and it always does, people stick around for the relationship more than the contract. Real relationships get built when you lose a deal because you told someone the truth instead of selling them what they wanted to hear.

Over the past two months, I've had in-depth conversations with over 30 music-tech founders, and reviewed nearly an equal number of pitch decks. After a decade of tracking this landscape, several patterns have emerged — fundamental insights that I think a significant portion of music-tech founders are overlooking when positioning their products and businesses. Here is a longer article with four of the most common patterns I've noticed, which I'm sharing openly in hopes of helping founders build more thoughtfully in this market. tl;dr — 💡 Please... PLEASE... talk to your actual customers. Building cool tech isn't enough; you need to solve real problems for real people. Deeply understand your customers — whether they're artists, industry professionals, or fans. Don't make assumptions without testing them. 💡 Get real about your market size. Avoid overestimating the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for music-tech by relying solely on top-down stats. Complement this with more bottom-up user behavior, to understand your true market potential and ensure sustainable growth. (This might means ditching the VC fundraising race — and that's OK!) 💡 Don't bury the lede. Pitch deck templates are helpful, but don't let them obscure what makes your company unique. Strategically deviating from the norm can be really effective in differentiating yourself and highlighting your most compelling insights upfront. 💡 Build relationships as seriously as you build software. Technical features are important, but in the music industry, relationships are equally if not more critical for success. Trust, timing, and social proof from industry champions can make or break your adoption. By focusing on these fundamentals — deep customer understanding, realistic market sizing, clear competitive advantages, and strong industry relationships — you can build a music-tech company that not only survives, but helps move the industry forward. #musictech #musicstartups #musicbusiness #startups #musicindustry #pitchdecks

Growth doesn’t always come from chasing new leads—it comes from nurturing relationships with those who already trust you. Many business owners overlook a goldmine of opportunity sitting right in front of them: past clients, colleagues, and connections who know your value but haven’t worked with you recently. Instead of spending all your time on cold outreach, create a Dream 20 list—a curated group of business owners who fit your ideal client profile. A simple conversation with the right person can be the key to your next big deal. - Your best clients are often the ones you’ve already worked with. It’s easier to reignite a relationship with someone who already knows your expertise than to convince a brand-new prospect to trust you. Reconnecting with past clients and colleagues can lead to high-value deals faster than cold outreach. - Successful business owners invest in relationships, not just marketing. The best opportunities often come from your network, not paid ads or cold emails. A warm conversation with the right person can open doors that tactics alone never will. The more you engage with trusted connections, the more naturally referrals and collaborations will follow. #BusinessGrowth #MarketingStrategy #Networking #RelationshipMarketing #Dream20 #LeadGeneration #SalesSuccess

What if the people blocking your path don't actually know what your audience wants? A friend said something that crystallized this for me: "The gatekeepers told me I wasn't qualified. But my clients disagree." She's built a thriving practice doing exactly what the experts said she couldn't. Earlier this week I wrote about Fleetwood Mac's willingness to experiment when success patterns stopped working. But there's another lesson in their story that's just as powerful. ➡️ What if the gatekeepers are wrong about what matters? When Fleetwood Mac hired Lindsey Buckingham as guitarist, Stevie Nicks came as a package deal. The band was hesitant: "Do we need another girl singer?" She became the iconic voice that defined their sound. Inside the band, she was sometimes dismissed because she didn't play an instrument. Her bandmates valued technical skill. But audiences didn't care about her musical training. They loved her lyrics, her stage presence, and her energy. Her branding was unconventional too. A Welsh witch persona. Scarves draped over hotel lampshades. "Sisters of the Moon" necklaces for fans. The music industry experts thought it was too much and too weird. But it was authentic, and it resonated. Here's what Nicks understood that the gatekeepers missed: Experts and audiences don't always value the same things. The band cared about instrumental proficiency. Fans cared about emotional connection. She had a non-traditional talent stack - storytelling, visual branding, community building. Industry insiders overlooked it but audiences craved that combination. The practical framework for when gatekeepers are wrong: 1️⃣ Map what gatekeepers value vs. what your audience actually needs Write it down. Industry experts often prize credentials, years of experience, technical certifications. Your audience typically cares about clarity, results, and feeling understood. 2️⃣ Identify your unconventional strengths What do you bring that doesn't fit the typical mold? Maybe you explain complex topics simply. Maybe you have cross-industry experience. Maybe you're more accessible than the established experts. 3️⃣ Test directly with your audience Stop asking permission from gatekeepers. Create content, offer free workshops, start new conversations. See what resonates before you perfect your credentials. 4️⃣ Double down on elements that feel "too much" If industry insiders think your approach is too personal, too direct, too unconventional - that might be exactly what sets you apart. Nicks' mystical persona seemed excessive to music executives but became her trademark. The key insight: Success isn't measured by what gatekeepers think. It's measured by the audience you build. What unconventional strength have gatekeepers told you doesn't matter? 🔄 Share this for someone who's been told they don't have the "right" credentials ➕ Follow Dorie Clark for insights on building influence and standing out on your own terms

𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲: I started in this industry at 14 years old. I’ve seen firsthand how young individuals are far too often taken advantage of, manipulated, and coerced. That’s exactly why my personal ethos has always been to champion protection and freedom for young talent. Time and time again, the perpetrators of these harms are individuals who have never really worked in the entertainment industry but see it as a shortcut to monetary success. They imagine there’s a secret playbook: that someone can wave a magic wand and turn their child or their client into an A-list celebrity overnight. Here’s the wake-up call: 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺. There is no cheat code, no guaranteed path to overnight stardom. The entertainment industry is complex, demanding, and brutally honest about what it takes to succeed. It takes years of hard work, learning, and resilience; and even then, there are no guarantees. "Managers" have come and gone after realizing it is harder than it seems. Parents have had entire documentaries made about them because they tried to exploit situations they didn’t fully understand, harming the very talent they claimed to protect. 👉 𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲? ✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: Managers should actively educate talent (and families) on contracts, payments, rights, and protections. No gatekeeping! Transparency is the best safeguard against exploitation. ✅ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦: No manager can do it all alone. Surround talent with reputable lawyers, accountants, and mental health professionals to create a protective support network. ✅ 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭: Beyond clicks and followers, a client’s well-being must come first. Know when they’re exhausted or uncomfortable, and protect their humanity over short-term gain. If you truly care about young artists, protect them. Listen to them. Empower them. The industry will only get better if we support their freedom to thrive, not treat them as a quick ticket to profit.

By now, you already know: the best roles are rarely filled through job boards. They’re filled through relationships. Over the years, I’ve refined a method I call the “Strategic Access Framework.” Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Identify the right people inside your target company Don’t just think about recruiters. Instead, ask: Who has insights about the team, culture, and challenges I want to be part of? These are the leaders and decision-makers worth building a connection with. 2️⃣ Initiate a conversation to learn, not to pitch Set up meetings with genuine curiosity. Ask about the company’s direction, leadership priorities, and what success looks like in their roles. When you focus on learning, you naturally leave a stronger impression. 3️⃣ Position yourself for a referral Referrals don’t happen by accident. They come from thoughtful conversations. By asking the right questions and sharing relevant experiences, you’ll naturally open the door for them to connect you to the right opportunity. 4️⃣ Nurture the relationship long-term A single meeting isn’t the end. It’s the beginning. Stay in touch, share insights, and keep the dialogue going. That way, when opportunities arise (and they will), your name is already top of mind. I’ve seen professionals land interviews and offers within weeks by applying this approach. The key is to stop relying on online applications and start investing in the relationships that drive hiring decisions.

When Doja Cat took the stage in Pretoria, the crowd began chanting a different name: Zandile, her South African birth name. It was her first performance on the continent tied to her heritage. The moment carried symbolic weight. But the deeper story was not unfolding onstage. Move Afrika, a concert series created by Global Citizen in partnership with Kendrick Lamar, is now in its third year. Its premise is both cultural and economic: Africa has long been excluded from the global touring circuit, and that absence has had structural consequences. The logic is that without regular tour stops, there is no sustained market. Without a market, there is no production ecosystem. Without that ecosystem, there are limited pathways to employment. Since 2023, the initiative has generated more than 3,000 jobs across Kigali, Lagos, and Pretoria. The more telling shift, however, is in how those jobs are being filled. In Kigali, local participation in production roles has grown from about 75% in the first year to nearly full localization today. The model goes beyond hiring. In South Africa, the latest edition was executed entirely with local crews and suppliers. Some of those workers came through a training pipeline built into the project itself. Ten young participants received hands-on instruction in lighting, audiovisual systems, and stage rigging, then worked directly on the live production. In Rwanda, a similar approach has taken hold. Around 120 young people have moved through training programs that connect technical skills to immediate work in logistics, hospitality, and event production. The underlying diagnosis is not new, but it is often overlooked. Africa does not lack talent or audiences. What it lacks is the technical, financial, and institutional infrastructure required to sustain large-scale creative industries. According to the African development Development Bank, the continent’s cultural and creative sectors could generate up to $20 billion annually and create more than 20 million jobs. The gap is in systems. Move Afrika is, in effect, an attempt to build those systems in real time. Each event functions as a repeatable model: local sourcing, workforce training, external investment, and then iteration. The next phase is expansion. The goal is to reach five cities annually, each delivered primarily by local production teams. If the model holds, the long-term impact will not be measured by tickets or headline acts. It will be measured by what remains after the stage is dismantled: skills, infrastructure, and a workforce capable of sustaining an industry that, until recently, largely passed the continent by.