Andrew Mason is dropping an album. No srsly.

It's not a joke. Mason has recorded a 7-song album of "motivational business music"

So…there’s this…

…thing…

Hmm.

How do I put this?...

Andrew Mason is recording an album.

Of motivational business music.

It’s not a joke.

Really.

No. Really. It’s not. I know you think it is. But it’s not.

So…wow. I really can’t find my way out of this lede. Mason posted the news via his blog Friday morning, which was intended more or less to update everyone on his goings-on. After his ouster from Groupon three months ago (which he handled with surprising grace and good humor), Masons says he’s been up to the usual pursuits of the unemployed: traveling, losing weight, reading…and dropping an album.

Mason explains the need for the album thusly:

I managed over 12,000 people at Groupon, most under the age of 25. One thing that surprised me was that many would arrive at orientation with minimal understanding of basic business wisdom. "Haven't you read any business books? Good to Great? Winning? The One Minute Manager?" I'd ask. "Business books? Not really our thing," was the typical response. I came to realize that there was a real need to present business wisdom in a format that is more accessible to the younger generation.

And here we are.

Mason says that it was with this need in mind that he went to LA earlier this month to record a seven-song album of motivational business music targeted at people newly entering the workforce. The album is called "Hardly Workin'."

These songs will help young people understand some of the ideas that I've found to be a key part of becoming a productive and effective employee. 

Part of me wants to be really mean and be all, “yup. This is what went wrong with Groupon.” Because how many young people out there are thinking, “how can I be a more productive and effective cog in the machine? I could go buy a business book, but…meh. I’ll check iTunes and see if there’s some motivational business music that will sum it all up in quick 3-5 minute songs”?

But the other part of me remains optimistic. Who knows, maybe he’s onto something?...

Generally speaking, I’m a huge fan of Andrew Mason’s goofball, man-child antics. Like Grouspawn! Or that time he wore a shit ton of self-tanner to TechCrunch Disrupt (pictured above). Or my favorite—Monkey For a Week. It made me feel hopeful that you could be the CEO of a huge company and not be a humorless, self-important jerk.

But this isn’t a joke. Mason, who majored in music at Northwestern, has recorded a legitimate album of motivational business music. I can’t even. I just can’t even.

Mason also says that he will be starting a new company this fall. To that end, he and his wife will be relocating to San Francisco, though they plan to return to Chicago frequently, so they won’t be selling their home there. 

I leave you with Monkey For a Week:

Monkey for a Week from Greg on Vimeo.