How To Blow Up a (Tech CEO to DJ) Pipeline

Randa and Harry investigate the strange connection between CEOs and DJs

It’s been two weeks since we shared The Good Hang Guide To Setting Your Friends Up and we’re hearing of some promising early results. GH reader Dina sent the guide to a few friends who followed our guidance to index fuckable co-eds, answering questions like, “Which of your past roommates always washed their dishes?” and “Who has low key unspoken rizz?” Rumor has it that Dina is going on a few dates this weekend… 

RS

I’m gonna say a sentence that might upset you: I saw Mark Zuckerberg’s sister DJ at Burning Man.

I have conflicting feelings about it. To start, I was at Burning Man myself, earnestly, checking out the vibes (for a second time). Also, I think it’s cool when anyone takes up a new creative endeavor, especially when they get vulnerable and put themselves out there. I love an open mic. I even read a few chapters of The Artist’s Way.

But I still shudder when I see a CEO DJing a company party, a startup buying out a club, or a former founder talking about how much he loves Berlin on Hinge. Startup founders are people too. I just think they shouldn’t be DJs?

What do you think?

HK 

Oh yea, the CEO to DJ pipeline is excruciating. I’m reminded of this iconic Drake bar

Clearly, there is some kindred overlap between the New Age tech billionaire class and a certain sect of DJs because they want to BE each other. 

There are the obvious armchair theories – the nerd who just wanted to party and be cool, the folks building the architecture that makes us lonely counterbalancing that with fits of collective hedonism and partying. There’s also the guys shaking hands meme of 

Djs 🤝 VC freaks

Designer drugs nobody’s ever heard of except a cabal of elites that’s like Molly mixed with ketamine mixed with blue chew mixed with the limitless drug called something like “Phanzlera” or “NeuRobix”

But I’ve got another theory that is maybe more of an Occam's razor

The same people who feel compelled to be the CEO of a billion-dollar company may also have the hubris it requires to believe that they, of all people, should be the vibe shaman of a given night. 

The role of the DJ is to impose their taste upon a group of people. It’s vibe imperialism. In this case, though, I welcome it. I want to be vibe-dommed at a bar…that's part of the appeal!!

RS

Totally. CEOs are Vibe Imperialists at a global level. They’re always trying to “change the world.”

When they become DJs, they might think they are taking up a cute little hobby or creative endeavor, but they don’t realize they are yet again revealing their desire for power and control. If they were serious about “letting go” and “chilling out” they would take up knitting or claymation. Also how did they manage to find the one hobby you can still do on your laptop???

HK: One good side effect of the tech DJ boom is you do get to say some of the funniest sentences ever. Sentences like “Toro Y Moi secret DJ set at the Bohemian club” or 

RS

One time I went to a crypto party at this house in the West Village and I walked into this atrium-esque area where people told me an NBA player was DJing… 

HK

Ok first of all on Baron Davis (my second favorite athlete of all time) I did recently see him at Rays in the lower east side where I happened to watch him ask the DJ to play Fancy by Drake. Make of all of that what you will. He’s still MY goat. 

And listen obviously most ‘tech people’ can’t get out of their own way when it comes to being cool. I’m even seeing a turn towards techno-christianity that is somehow going to ‘gentrify’ going to church. 

But heres the thing…I DO want more DJs! 

This meme is funny and not meant to be taken seriously…absolutely zero shots at tsu nami…but the sentiment that there are too many DJs (or too many podcasters or autofiction writers or literary fiction journals) is anti-creative and tired. 

I think we might be headed for a classic ‘both can be true’ situation. The urge to create and throw parties, to bring people together, to make music…those are all good things…

Plus id obviously take live mixing tropical house over like…freezing your semen and blasting to to mars