Hey a,
If I could go back and talk to myself 15 years ago, when I was just starting out as a producer...
What would I tell this guy?
I've been thinking about this because I know many of you are struggling with the same things I did.
So let me give you the lesson without the scar.
Here's what 15+ years of producing has taught me:
1. Obsession is your unfair advantage
If you can't stop thinking about producing music, that's not a problem. It's your superpower.
Everyone else talks about "balance" and "sustainable creativity."
Sure, burnout is real. But there's a specific type of obsession you shouldn't fight.
Some of the artists I mentor work full-time jobs and have little kids. But they make it work in little breaks during their workday. Some get up at 5 AM to sneak in an hour before everyone else wakes up.
Sounds crazy? Maybe to someone who doesn't have that level of passion for anything in their life.
But I get it. I've been exactly like that.
My mistake back then was that I tried to hide it behind a "normal" life for way too long.
Now? I don't hide it. When I'm obsessed with something, I own it.
So if you're mildly obsessed with music production, embrace it. Make it possible whenever you can. Don't hide it. It's a part of your identity.
It'll catapult you toward your goals faster than any plugin or technique ever will.
2. Sound design is the most underrated skill
Everyone obsesses over mixing and mastering.
But here's what nobody tells you: The best producers I know rarely need to fix their mixes.
Because their sound design and sample selection fit together like puzzle pieces from the start.
When your sounds are designed to complement each other, mixing becomes about enhancing what's already great. Not fixing what's broken.
Most producers are shocked when they realize how much room for improvement exists in their sound design.
Within a few weeks of deliberate practice, they can create unique-sounding patches and build a curated library of go-to samples.
Suddenly, their mixes stop being rescue missions, and they can focus on enhancing what's already there.
3. You can't get to quality without quantity. But quantity alone means nothing without a system
There's this popular myth: "You have to produce at least 100 tracks before you get any good."
Some truth to that. Early on, the more you finish, the better you get.
But here's the kicker: If you have no system for coming up with ideas and finishing tracks, you'll waste hours trying to finish material that's not even worth the effort.
This is why my Creative Funnel™ method exists. It was my personal antidote against perfectionism and fear of failure.
It combines the advantages of quantity at the top of the funnel to distill the quality material that comes out at the bottom.
You create more ideas. You finish fewer tracks.
But the ones you finish? They're actually worth releasing.
4. Get as much feedback as you can, but be ruthless about whose feedback you care about
If you don't share your music to get feedback, your chance of sabotaging your tracks without noticing exponentially increases.
But just because your partner and your best buddy don't like your track doesn't mean their feedback matters.
You should only care about feedback from two types of people:
Your ideal listener. Someone deeply immersed in your genre who loves similar artists, goes to these events, understands the culture.
Experienced producers and engineers who are well-versed in your genre. People who've already solved the problems you're facing.
Everyone else? Smile, nod, ignore.
5. Who you surround yourself with is the best predictor of success
No matter how you define success, your environment will have a massive impact on what you can or cannot achieve.
If your goal is to make real progress with your music, you need to surround yourself with artists who are just as ambitious.
The problem? This field is full of overblown egos and inferiority complexes. Finding a peer group that's a genuinely positive influence is rare.
So take a hard look at your peers right now.
Are they actually supportive of you and your goals? Are they pushing you forward? Can you safely share wins with them or do they get secretly jealous? Can you talk about your struggles without feeling shame?
If not, it's time to find move on.
The "rising tide lifts all boats" mentality is non-negotiable to me.
For example, inside our mentorship community, we only accept artists who truly subscribe to this mentality.
6. The people who make things happen are the ones who "get lucky"
Stop waiting for opportunities. Create them.
Don't wait for a label to sign you. Create your own.
Don't wait to get booked. Start a local showcase in your area from scratch.
Instead of hoping for viral success, learn how to predictably get results and systematize your release promotion.
It's not rocket science. You can do it in a way that's authentic and aligned with what you stand for.
Paul Conrad went from zero to hundreds of thousands of streams and got signed by Einmusika, his favorite label. This wasn't a lucky break. It was deliberate effort.
Vel C., another artist we've coached, launched his own label and set up a showcase that pulled in over 600 people. Huge success, both artistically and financially.
They didn't wait to get picked. They picked themselves.
This is what "Pick Yourself" stands for.
7. The best producers I know think in decades, not days
If you feel stuck right now, you might be about to break through a plateau and reach an entirely new level.
All you need is patience.
There are no shortcuts.
Building your critical listening skills takes years. I still get better each year.
Developing the right mindset is a lifelong journey.
Focus on what's in front of you right now. Stop obsessing about outcomes.
Focus on what you're putting in today to take the next step in the right direction.
The breakthrough comes when you stop forcing it.
Your music matters. Let's make it count.
Philip
PS: When I designed our mentorship program, I asked myself one question: What would have helped me 15 years ago?
The answer became these seven principles.
Lesson #1 (Obsession) → We create structure that channels your obsession productively, even if you only have 30 minutes a day.
Lesson #2 (Sound Design) → We train you in deliberate sound design practice so your tracks sound cohesive from the start, not after endless mixing fixes.
Lesson #3 (System + Quantity) → The Creative Funnel™ is the core of everything we teach. You learn to create strategically, not randomly.
Lesson #4 (Right Feedback) → You get critical, honest feedback from coaches who are full-time producers and mixing/mastering engineers, plus a community of peers in your genre.
Lesson #5 (Environment) → We're ruthless about who we let in. If someone doesn't embody the "rising tide lifts all boats" mentality, they're not a good fit. Your peer group will actually push you forward.
Lesson #6 (Pick Yourself) → We teach you how to create opportunities instead of waiting for them. Release strategy, label approach, building your own platform - all part of the program.
Lesson #7 (Long Game) → We focus on building sustainable skills and mindset that compound over years, not quick hacks that stop working next month.
If you're serious about finishing music you're proud of and want a mentor who's lived these lessons, not just taught them, book your free 60-minute discovery call here.
This isn't for everyone. But if these seven lessons resonate, we should talk.
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