I’ve had a few conversations with friends navigating through the industry about this lately. When it comes to advice, I genuinely believe most people mean well. Your friends want to help. Your parents want to help. Even your peers in the music scene, other musos etc, most of them have the best intentions.But here’s what I keep coming back to: only take advice from people who are doing or have done the thing you’re trying to do.Let’s run that back.For example, If you’re trying to build a career as an original artist, IMO the only advice that truly matters is from people who’ve lived in that world. People who’ve written, performed, released, and endured. Even further, they’ve achieved some level of success from it. Your friends might love you, and your family might cheer you on, but if they haven’t walked that path, their advice can only go so far.<p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(54, 55, 55); --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; font-family: Spectral, serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">You can listen to them, of course. But should that be your gospel? That’s where the filter comes in. Advice without experience is just opinion. And the world we’re creating and living in now moves at lightning speed. Platforms shift overnight. Audience habits change. Release strategies evolve every few months. What worked for someone five or ten years ago is not always the thing that works now. And opinion, especially from those who haven’t done the thing, can steer you further from your goal than you realise.<p style="text-align: start; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(54, 55, 55); --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; font-family: Spectral, serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iJ34!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9bef104-7196-4538-a5b4-12e27e67160d_2048x1072.jpeg" containerstyle="" wrapperstyle="display: flex"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(54, 55, 55); --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; font-family: Spectral, serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(54, 55, 55); --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; font-family: Spectral, serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Mentors, A Term I Didn’t Always LabelI think I’ve always naturally gravitated toward people with more experience. Even as a kid, I wanted to be around older cats and people who’d already been where I was trying to go.Were they mentors? I’m not sure I’d go that far. At the time, it didn’t feel formal or intentional. I just knew I wanted to learn more.Looking back, I can see what was really happening. I was searching for experience. I was drawn to people who’d figured things out or at least trying, even if I didn’t have the language for it yet.Just like people navigating the music industry for the first time today, the people ahead of you might have more experience and genuinely want to help. But are they your mentors? Maybe. Maybe not. Because mentorship isn’t just about willingness, it’s about alignment, experience, and the kind of guidance that comes from actually walking the path you’re on. (If you’re at the very start, you might wanna take what you can get, though)Experience Over OpinionThe creative industries are full of noise. Everyone’s got a take, an opinion, a “you should.” And most of it comes from a good place. But lately I’ve seen so many artists frustrated, not because of lack of talent, but because they’re taking cues from the wrong voices.And honestly, we’re in a weird era where some of the most entertaining creators and scroll stoppers have the least actual experience. The storytelling is incredible. The substance? Not always.If someone hasn’t done the thing you’re trying to do, they’re guessing. Would you take fitness advice from someone who’s never trained, or business advice from someone who’s never built one?It’s the same in music and creative work. Real mentorship comes from lived experience. The people who’ve stumbled, fallen, rebuilt, and kept going. The ones who understand the cost behind the highlight reel.But there’s another layer to it now. The industry has changed so much that even people who have done it might not always be the right guides for the future. Their stories still matter, experience always does, but the world we’re operating in today looks completely different. Algorithms, AI, audiences, access, it’s a more level playing field than ever.Attention spans are shorter, competition is global, and fans discover artists in completely different ways now. You’re not just competing with your local scene anymore, you’re competing with every creator on the planet. The gatekeepers changed too. A&amp;Rs aren’t breaking artists the way they used to. TikTok and streaming data often decide what gets pushed. Audiences want authenticity, consistency, and story, not just songs.We’re all navigating this new landscape together. And just because someone holds a big title or runs an institution doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve done the thing in the current context either. The best mentors today are the ones still in motion, still learning, adapting, and evolving with the times.That’s where real perspective lives now, in the overlap between experience and relevance.<img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7kS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ffa6658-966e-4d42-9680-1874c56376a8_4096x2145.jpeg" containerstyle="" wrapperstyle="display: flex">A Pivotal Mentor in SydneyHere’s a quick shoutout. When I first moved to Sydney, even before that, I hardly knew anyone in the music industry. One person changed that, Rosano, from the iconic Aussie R&amp;B and hip-hop groups Funk Train and Sound Unlimited Posse.He didn’t just give me advice, he gave me direction. He introduced me to people, helped me understand how the scene worked, and opened doors I didn’t even know existed. He didn’t do it for recognition, he did it because he believed in helping the next person up.That’s real mentorship. It’s not about status or titles, it’s about action, generosity, and time.Champions vs MentorsNot everyone you meet will be a mentor, but some will be champions, people who believe in your potential and advocate for you. Both are valuable, but they serve different roles.Champions open doors.Mentors help you walk through them.If you don’t have either yet, start looking. Be proactive. Seek out people doing what you want to do. Ask questions. Offer help. Most people are more open than you think, they just need to see that you’re serious.Paying It ForwardThe thing I’m seeing most with emerging artists now isn’t a talent problem. It’s a clarity problem. And it’s getting worse. Most people aren’t stuck because they’re not good enough. They’re stuck because they’re being pulled in twenty different directions. Should they do TikTok? Should they release monthly? Should they collaborate more? Should they tour? No one knows what to prioritise anymore. There’s too much noise and almost no personalised guidance.Today after 25 years deep I’m still navigating the industry myself, but I’m focused on giving back. I’ve had incredible mentors and champions who’ve shown up at pivotal points in my life. So many to mention here. That’s one of the main reasons I’m building Mentor Academy, to create a place where creatives can connect directly with people who’ve done the thing.Because mentorship isn’t about shiny titles or motivational quotes, it’s about action. It’s about sharing hard-earned experience so someone else can climb their own mountain a little faster, a little smarter, a little safer.<img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L2a4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff98e2759-22ed-432f-afef-463f0832962f_3024x1583.jpeg" containerstyle="" wrapperstyle="display: flex">Final ThoughtIf you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed by conflicting opinions, start filtering the voices around you. Ask yourself one question:“Has this person done what I’m trying to do?”If the answer’s no, thank them and keep moving with gratitude. If the answer’s yes, listen carefully.Because in the creative world, where everyone has something to say, it’s the voices of those who’ve done the work that will help you do yours. Especially now, when AI can mimic creativity, social media can distort reality, and everyone has something to say. Real guidance from someone who has lived it matters more than ever.You don’t need all the answers, just the right people who’ve walked the path before you. And maybe one day, you’ll be that person for someone else.If you want more - check out: <a target="_blank" href="https://ronharyanto.substack.com/p/hot-take-why-real-mentors-matter">https://ronharyanto.substack.com/p/hot-take-why-real-mentors-matter</a>

Only take advice from people who are doing or have done the thing you’re trying to do.

Let’s run that back.

Hot Take: Why Real Mentors Matter More Than Ever

Across multiple different short form content streams, our Founders and Industry Leaders explore their key takeaways from industry events, challenges that creatives face, and everything in-between.

Hot Take: Why Real Mentors Matter More Than Ever

Hot Take: Why Real Mentors Matter More Than Ever

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