Michael Uy of ORIGIN: Why Competence Scales Faster Than Age in the Music Industry

As a part of our series called “My Life as a TwentySomething Founder”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Uy.

Michael Uy is an entertainment executive at the forefront of today’s cultural and digital landscape, shaping how artists and brands engage audiences around the world. At just 25 years old, the founder and CEO of ORIGIN has driven over 100 billion streams, 50 billion video views, and 30 Billboard №1 records, while leading viral campaigns that have shaped modern music marketing. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Michael is known for his instinct for digital storytelling and cultural trend-building, and continues to expand ORIGIN’s global footprint and define the landscape of digital and social media marketing for artists and brands alike.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”?

Thanks for having me. I got my start in digital marketing in high school by experimenting with early Instagram and Snapchat meme pages. I became fascinated by how content spreads at scale, and within a short time I was running multiple meme accounts with millions of followers.

That early experience carried into college, where I grew my personal account to over two million followers. Leveraging that growth, I reached out directly to 24kGoldn to run his social media and marketing. That outreach led me to leave school and join him on tour where I helped launch his first viral marketing campaign. He became one of the first artists to truly break through TikTok, with “Mood” spending eight weeks at №1 on Billboard.

After the tour, I moved to Los Angeles and co-founded Shluv House, which grew into the largest multicultural creator house at the time amassing over 10 million followers. Around the same period, I was brought on by a major record label to help build the music industry’s first viral marketing department.

That transition from content creation to working directly within music ultimately led me to launch ORIGIN in 2021. Since then, we’ve driven over 100 billion streams, 50 billion video views, and contributed to more than 30 Billboard №1 records by launching viral campaigns that have revolutionized modern music marketing on a global scale.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company? What lessons or takeaways idd you take out of that story?

One of the most defining moments came right before I started ORIGIN. I was 21, living in Los Angeles with only a few months of savings left. After helping build the music industry’s first viral marketing department, multiple major labels approached me to build and lead their own viral marketing teams — a brand-new role that was almost unheard of for someone my age. Everyone expected me to take one of those positions, but I decided to build ORIGIN instead. As the company grew, I shifted our focus toward international talent which at the time was being overlooked. This led us to expand into Asia, and I eventually relocated to Japan to understand the market firsthand. From the outside, these choices looked unconventional, but every one of them paid off. It taught me that what might not look logical on paper can end up being the most rewarding move when you trust your instincts.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

What makes ORIGIN stand out is our ability to stay ahead of culture and innovate the most effective marketing tactics before they become mainstream. My background has always been about spotting what’s next — running meme pages in high school before they were popular, building a personal brand on TikTok when it wasn’t ‘cool,’ co-founding one of the first TikTok houses, and creating one of the first viral blueprints for musicians on short-form video. The common thread across all of these chapters is speed and patterns. We identify gaps early and leverage them for the talent we work with. That mindset now runs through everyone at ORIGIN, and it’s why we consistently create cultural moments.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

Danny Kang (current manager of Zach Bryan). He took a chance on me and empowered me to assist him in building the music industry’s first viral marketing division at Columbia Records. Danny showed me two things: the power of being first, and the importance of pivoting. A lot of my business instincts and strategy today come from that chapter.

Are you working on any exciting projects now?

Yes, a ton. We’re expanding aggressively across Asia, working more closely with artists and brands in Japan, Korea, and China. At the same time, we’ve been developing VANTA, our unique digital distribution engine. It generates hundreds of millions of monthly views and allows us to create cultural moments and shape narratives at a scale that wasn’t possible before.

Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life? Can you share a story?

Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsh. This book made me realize God is always giving you guidance if you’re willing to pay attention — through people, thoughts, or moments.

Can you share 5 of the most difficult and most rewarding parts of being a “TwentySomething founder”. Please share an example or story for each.

1 . Being the youngest person in the room.

One of the hardest parts of my career early on was not being taken seriously. In my early twenties I was in rooms filled with executives twice my age. The only way around it was producing consistent results — Billboard #1s, countless viral moments, and innovative tactics that shaped the industry. Results replaced credentials. I learned that competence scales faster than age.

2 . Taking risks.

Dropping out of school to go on tour was the first big one, and it ended up becoming the foundation of my entire career. It taught me that uncomfortable decisions and betting on yourself often create the biggest breakthroughs.

3 . Not having a safety net.

A challenging part of my journey was building ORIGIN fully bootstrapped. For months, I was doing everything alone — sales, project management, accounting, execution until I could afford my first hire. Every dollar mattered and every decision had consequences. Operating with that level of pressure however, made me disciplined and extremely resourceful. It taught me how to build something without overly relying on funding or external help.

4 . Reinvention in a fast-moving industry.

Culture moves fast, and what works today won’t work six months from now. I’ve had to reinvent our strategy over and over — from running content-first meme pages, to remix-driven song campaigns, to scrappy influencer marketing, and now building VANTA, our one-of-a-kind distribution engine. The best strategy in this game is letting go of what used to work. Reinvention became a superpower of mine, and it keeps ORIGIN consistently ahead of the curve.

5 . Learning how to lead.

I had to lead people older than me and build structure without ever working in a traditional corporate environment. Figuring out how to become a consistent leader in real time was one of the steepest learning curves. It pushed me to grow up fast, and that level of personal growth has been one of the most fulfilling parts of the journey.

What are the main takeaways that you would advise a twenty year old who is looking to found a business?

I’d tell a twenty year old founder to focus on three things. First, build real skill before you build a company. For me, it was learning how to make things go viral from my own pages. Second, don’t be afraid to take the unconventional path — that’s where most innovative approaches come from. And third, stay adaptable. The people who win aren’t the ones who start with the most resources, they’re the ones who can reinvent themselves over and over again.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

Jerry Lorenzo. I admire how he builds with taste, intention, and timelessness. I enjoy how he ties his faith and values into his company.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

Instagram: @m1chaeluy / @withorigin TikTok: @m1chaeluy / @withorigin LinkedIn: @m1chaeluy / @withorigin

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!