Being An Overnight Success Is A Myth
Congratulations!
No one becomes successful overnight. Biz Stone, Co-Founder of Twitter, once said, “Timing, perseverance and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” Entrepreneurship is really f*cking hard and results from years of perseverance. Most never get to realize their potential. According to a three-year report, startups typically die approximately 20 months after their last financing round and after having raised $1.3 million.
The reality is that success isn’t defined by the entrepreneur, but rather by the market when it unexpectedly becomes aware of the value. The harder you work, the easier it appears to be from the outside looking in. This couldn’t have been communicated any better than in rapper Post Malone’s new single, “Congratulations,” featuring Quavo.
Post Malone may appear to be in a celebratory mood in his new single, but the Texas artist gives an account of how he’s been perceived of being an overnight success. Post Malone received major recognition with his hit song, “White Iverson,” in 2015 with over 250 million views. Many thought he just came on the scene out of nowhere or worse that he was just another one-hit wonder. But he’s actually been grinding for almost a decade.
Post Malone, who learned guitar by playing Guitar Hero at age 15, was cut repeatedly from bands in high school. It wasn’t until after years of unwavering practice and exposure to different genres of music in college that he was able to hone his craft to what it is today. His perseverance is graphically clear in the hook of “Congratulations.” Below are Post Malone’s lyrics interpreted by Genius.com:
Post Malone Hook:
My momma called, seen you on TV, son
Said sh*t done changed ever since we was on
I dreamed it all ever since I was young
They said I wouldn’t be nothing
Now they always say congratulations
Worked so hard, forgot how to vacation
They ain’t never had the dedication
People hatin’, say we changed and look, we made it
Yeah, we made it
Genius Annotation:
With the success of “White Iverson,” Malone was able to feature on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo, and spent time performing alongside Justin Bieber on his “Purpose” tour. He has set out to prove he wasn’t “done with Iverson.”
Malone has always had a burning passion for achieving great things. And people have told him in the past that he wouldn’t make it. But now, since he has, they praise him. “Worked so hard, forgot how to vacation.” Malone has been working so hard, he does not want to stop just yet.
Launching a startup has never been easier due to advances in technology, but optimizing growth on scale has never been more fatal. Sometimes the struggle is difficult for people on the outside to truly understand. Rap and entrepreneurship have many parallels to each other. With Post Malone as an example, his lyrics provide a lens into the hours and dedication entrepreneurs encounter on their journeys to being an overnight success.
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