Steve Aoki and Growth Mindset

How can our brains be shaped by our mindset, and how has a growth mindset helped Steve Aoki become one of the most successful DJs and record producers in the world?

Know (knowledge):

• The ways to cultivate and develop a growth mindset
• The concept of neuroplasticity
• The career of Steve Aoki
• The definition of “D.I.Y.” (“Do-it-yourself”) and “D.I.T.” (“Doing-it-together”)

Mastery Objective:

• Students will be able to identify and practice strategies towards developing a growth mindset by watching clips of Steve Aoki and discussing how a growth mindset might have contributed to his success.

In this lesson, students will explore the growth mindset and the science of how our brains process and store experiences. To engage with these topics, students will examine interviews, music videos, and live performances by Steve Aoki, to see how the musician’s approach may exemplify the growth mindset. They’ll conclude with an activity that encourages them to embrace challenges.


To some, Steve Aoki is an internationally-known DJ who organizes and performs spectacular performances for thousands of fans. Others may know him from his many collaborations with artists such as will.i.am, LMFAO, Linkin Park, Lil Jon, blink-182, BTS, Rise Against, Lauren Jauregui, and Fall Out Boy. Still others may have seen Aoki from the record label he founded, Dim Mak, his Billboard-charting albums, or his appearances in films, television, and video games. The truth is that Steve Aoki is all of the above.

As a musician and entrepreneur who has relished challenges and pursued continual creative progress, Steve Aoki is a living example of the positive outcomes possible to one who embraces what psychologist Carol Dweck named the “growth mindset.” Dweck suggests, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work--brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”

Aoki developed a growth mindset early in his life, as a self-described teenage “skate punk.” With his small group of friends, he practiced a “D.I.T” (“Do it Together”) ethos: forming bands, organizing performances, and creating artistic products. These formative experiences instilled within him a perspective that anything was possible, and gave him experience working with other people towards creative pursuits. As Steve Aoki shows, you are never too young to begin developing a growth mindset.