1. Jay-Z
The integration and separation of domains, and
the process of experimentation, for success
by Neal Pancholi

2. Who is Jay-Z
Then
• Shawn Carter, born 1969
• Marcy Projects in Brooklyn
• Youngest of 4 children; father left home at age 11
• Sold marijuana, crack cocaine, bootleg CDs
• Shot his older brother for stealing from him
• Began rapping as an escape from poverty
o Integrated his home, work, and community: he rapped about what he knew

3. Who is Jay-Z?
Now
• Husband and father
• 50 million albums sold
• Net worth ~$500M
• Owner and CEO of Roc-a-fella records
• Former CEO of Def Jam
• Founder of Rocawear clothing line
• Minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets

4. The 4 Domains
Self Work
• Constantly experimenting
• Exercises daily at 5am
• Personal time of 1 hour per day
• Quickly recognizes when
something is wrong and makes
changes
• Workaholic
• Work is an integration of his self
and interests: raps about what
he knows
• All businesses are related to his
personal interests
Home Community
• Very private about personal
life, does not share
• Stated importance is family first
• While he raps about his
life, keeps his family separate
from his career
• Equal marriage
• Had friends at business partners
• Integrates work and
community by rapping about
his experiences
• Devoted to Brooklyn

5. How does it work
for Jay-Z?
Integration Separation
• Work, personal, commu
nity and self through
music
• His self interests are his
work pursuits
• Works with his family
and friends
• Family is very private –
no idea how his
personal life is aside
from what he tells the
world
• Rarely works with
wife, separate but
equal careers
• Removed
community/friends
from his business

6. Experimentation
• Was business partners with community/friends for
Roc-a-fella records
o Separated community and work in this regard because very different
visions combined with friendship difficulty
• Was CEO of Def Jam
o Resigned after 1-year because he claimed to be unhappy and unhealthy
• Retired on 2 different occasions from music
o Returned to music both times because it made him happy
• Starts lots of business to find out which he likes and
which he does not

7. Key Takeaways
• Try to integrate as many aspects of your self into
your work
o Integrate your friends and community too – it can make it more enjoyable
• Experiment often and make changes quickly. Don’t
be afraid to admit failure
• Find the right balance of integration and separation