Alex Pall, one half of The Chainsmokers, discusses his dual career as a Grammy-winning electronic music producer and venture capitalist with Mantis VC. The conversation explores the creative process behind hit songs like Something Just Like This with Coldplay, "Closer," and Don't Let Me Down, revealing the spontaneous and collaborative nature of music creation.

Pall shares insights on balancing artistic integrity with commercial success, the role of substances in creativity, and how music industry lessons translate to venture investing. He explains Mantis VC's strategy of focusing on enterprise software and deep tech rather than consumer products, leveraging relationships with industry leaders as limited partners to provide unique value to portfolio companies.

The Magic Behind Coldplay's "Something Just Like This"

The collaboration began when Coldplay was listening to "Closer" backstage and Chris Martin expressed interest in working together, leading to a studio session at The Woodshed in Malibu.

After four hours of false starts, Martin left to put his kids to sleep while The Chainsmokers found the core chord progression that became the song's foundation.

"Give me a mic" - Chris Martin grabbed a microphone upon returning and laid down 80% of the song while dancing around the studio, with lyrics pouring out naturally over the course of an hour.

"Closer" Born on a Tour Bus and Rebuilt from Memory

The song originated during their Friend Zone tour in 2015, created in a makeshift production room on their tour bus with Lewis The Child after shows.

Drew had carried the core chord progression in his head for 2-3 years - "certain chords your hands just gravitate toward when you sit down" at the piano.

Drew's computer crashed after completion, forcing them to rebuild the entire song from memory, which producer Sean Frank said resulted in a better version with only essential elements.

Drew had never sung on a track before "Closer" - it was originally meant as a scratch demo until people responded positively to his vocals.

Creativity, Substances, and the Flow State

Alcohol and drugs can "loosen your inhibitions" and enable risk-taking in creativity, but create dependency where artists think they "can't write unless tipsy or drunk."

During COVID, they rented a house in Hawaii for four weeks to write an album, spending time surfing, doing mushrooms, and writing music "literally every minute of the day."

"There's something changes when a song becomes promiscuous" - Drew's expression for when too many opinions erode the magic before a song is complete.

Their studio door has literal rules posted asking people to consider if interruptions are necessary, protecting the flow state essential for creation.

Albums vs Singles and the Context Problem

"Singles are like hallways that lead to nowhere" - Jack Antonoff's quote emphasizing that albums provide necessary context and storytelling for lasting impact.

TikTok music discovery lacks context - users hear catchy clips without learning about the artist, missing the depth that creates long-term fan relationships.

"Don't Let Me Down" and Sick Boy are the only two songs they've ever finished feeling like "those are done" - every other track has something they'd still adjust.

From Music to Venture Capital

Jimmy Buffett's philosophy inspired their business approach: "I'm always serving my fans and thinking about businesses that are extensions of who I am," including Margaritaville retirement communities.

Mantis VC focuses on enterprise software, cybersecurity, AI, and deep tech rather than consumer products, despite having less natural expertise in these areas.

"We're trying to be the sixth man of the year on every championship team" - preferring to be part of great companies rather than leading mediocre ones.

Their LP base consists of industry leaders who provide advice and potential partnerships, turning investors into allies for portfolio companies.

Pattern Recognition and Learning from Failure

"Most of your investments are going to go to zero" - venture investing parallels music where most songs don't succeed, but each failure builds pattern recognition.

Music taught them that "losing games" require persistence - you learn from every song and investment, building character and experience even from failures.

AI music tools help maintain creative flow by handling technical tasks like drum programming, keeping artists "in the zone" rather than breaking concentration.