WILL.I.AM: LESSONS IN RESILIENCE, INNOVATION, AND BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

Was anyone else a huge fan of the Black Eyed Peas growing up?

My buddies and I listened to their music all the time in high school. I was stoked for the chance to interview Will.I.Am on my podcast (one of the lead singers).

Will.I.Am is more than just a brilliant songwriter and producer—he’s an incredible businessman as well, who has done a lot of work in the tech industry and with AI.

Here are just a few of his insane business accomplishments:

— Getting to do a commercial for Apple right when iTunes launched.

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— Got connected with the Napster founders (before it got shut down) and was able to get connected with the Facebook group early.

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— Through various connections, he became friends with the founders of Youtube.

— Met with the founders of Tesla and bought the stock super early.

Not only that, but he did all of these things while building his incredibly successful music career. 

What a legend. 

I first met Will.I.Am during our time at Harvard Business School together. A trait of his that I admire is how quick he is at identifying a need someone has and quickly coming up with a solution to help fill that need. He finds ways to deliver value quickly.