Overnight success is a myth, and while important, raw talent eventually has its limits. Platinum-plus producer Vinylz (Drake's "Fake Love," Travis Scott and Young Thug's "Pick Up the Phone") knows this well, taking to Twitter to remind fellow creatives that talent, for better or worse, isn’t everything.

“It’s all about how bad you want it,” he wrote. “Did you reach out to everyone you could? Did you show up for every opportunity thrown at u?” 

If the answer is no, chances are your talent alone will not save you. Chasing your dreams is exciting and inspiring, but it’s also an immense amount of hard work. Just ask DJBooth contributor and GRAMMY-winning producer !llmind. The grind is essential, and those who work smart and hard will rise to the top.

As the Washington Heights, New York producer, born Anderson Hernandez, recounts his hardships and the importance of perseverance, he echoes another important sentiment: “no plan B.” Nothing will inform success quite like laser focus. That doesn’t mean quitting your day job on a whim, but it does mean that you need to prioritize the legwork of networking and failing upwards every chance you get. 

Focus will always reward the dreamer, but as Vinylz makes clear: you have to want it like mad.