Steven Bartlett has become a social media supernova. The Diary of a CEO is one of the fastest growing podcasts in the world, with tens of millions of subscribers across YouTube and Spotify. And Bartlett’s posts to 3 million followers on Linkedin regularly generate tens of thousands of responses.
For entrepreneurs, career-seekers, and anyone eager to make more than just money, Steven Bartlett’s insights offer both challenge and direction.
As the founder of media and investment company Flight Story, an investor on Dragon’s Den, speaker, and author of bestseller The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life, Bartlett draws on real wins, failure, ambition, and reflection. On his 33rd birthday, he posted 33 lessons he’s learned this year – lessons that speak not just to business strategy, but how to show up, endure, and carry purpose through everything.
As part of our series, The Influencers, BlueSky Thinking has put together some of Bartlett’s most insightful and applicable ideas for anyone graduating, starting a business, switching careers, or just trying to live well. His “laws” and lessons may feel big, but applying them is about small consistent shifts that build something lasting.
1. Build the “Self” First – Foundations, Identity, & Mindset
Bartlett insists that much of growth begins with inner work – knowing who you are, what you believe, and how you respond under pressure. In The Diary of a CEO, the first pillar, The Self, covers laws such as Fill Your Five Buckets in the Right Order (knowledge; skills; network; resources; reputation) and Never Compromise Your Self-Story, your internal narrative.
Takeaways for you:
- Before chasing prestige, income, or recognition, invest in skills and knowledge. These are harder to take away.
- Reflect regularly on your self-story. Are there beliefs about yourself that hold you back? Can you rewrite them?
- Prioritise your first foundation: your health, your mental wellbeing and clarity. Without those, all other progress is fragile.
2. Tell Better Stories – Storytelling & Branding as Tools of Influence
Bartlett emphasizes that business and personal branding today aren’t just about what you do, they’re shaped powerfully by how you tell your story. Within Story, the laws include Useless Absurdity Will Define You More Than Useful Practicalities, Avoid Wallpaper at All Costs, The Frame Matters More Than the Picture, etc.. His advice is all about standing out, framing your value, and communicating in ways that resonate.
Takeaways:
- Don’t try to be bland or “safe.” Memorable ideas, oddity, and personality can set you apart.
- When you share your ideas – on resumes, social media, in interviews – think about the frame (how you present), not just content.
- Presence matters: how you show up, how you talk about failures, how you craft your narrative.
3. Philosophy – The Mental Models & Principles That Sustain You
Success built only on hustle can burn out. Bartlett’s Philosophy pillar includes lessons like You Must Out-Fail the Competition, The Discipline Equation: Death, Time, and Discipline, Make Pressure Your Privilege, etc.. These are principles that shape resilience, decision-making, and long-term direction.
Takeaways:
- Embrace failure as feedback. Trying and failing is part of building what lasts.
- Use Bartlett’s discipline equation: weigh goal value + reward vs cost. If what you’re doing isn’t worth the cost, change course.
- Make pressure meaningful. See stress as a signal you care deeply, and use it to grow rather than shrink.
4. Team & Relationships: Scale Through Others
No successful founder, business, or meaningful career is made alone. Bartlett’s fourth pillar, Team, includes laws such as Ask “Who?”, Not “How?”, Create a Cult Mentality, Leverage the Power of Progress, You Must Be an Inconsistent Leader. These teach about who you surround yourself with, how you delegate, and how culture and momentum are built.
Takeaways:
- When deciding what to do, don’t always ask how can I do this alone? Ask who can help. Collaborators, mentors, partners can amplify what you do.
- Culture is not trivial. Even in small early roles or teams, what you tolerate defines what you become.
- Progress and momentum (visible wins, small markers of growth) are powerful motivators for you and those around you.
5. Lessons From Turning 33: Specific Wisdom to Apply Early
Bartlett’s post for his 33rd birthday is peppered with lessons that are candid, specific, and often counterintuitive. Some especially resonant ones:
- “Failure isn’t the opposite of success – it’s the tuition fee.” Don’t fear mistakes.
- “Your biggest opportunities will show up dressed as problems.” Problems are signals of growth.
- “Success is rarely about doing more – it’s about deleting what doesn’t matter.” Focus is more powerful than volume.
- “The people you love will always be your best investment.” Relationships matter for wellbeing and longevity.
Takeaways:
- When you start out, you’ll wear many hats. But filter what you do. Prioritise what matters.
- See problems and setbacks as gateways, not deterrents.
- Show up every day. Be consistent, not perfect.
- Invest in people – mentors, friends, family. They give you stability, perspective, joy.
6. Applying Bartlett’s Laws – A Practical Plan
Here’s how someone graduating, early in their career or thinking of starting a business could turn Bartlett’s ideas into action:
| Focus Area | Action Steps |
| Build Self-Foundations | Set a weekly learning budget (books, courses). Establish a reflective habit – journals, prompts, or a mentor check-in. |
| Shape Your Narrative | Start writing or speaking: blogs, LinkedIn posts. Practice releasing imperfect work rather than waiting for perfect. |
| Adopt Philosophy & Resilience | Build small failures into your goals: try things even if you might fail; measure what you learn. Use the discipline equation to evaluate tasks. |
| Cultivate Team & Network | Reach out to peers, find mentors. Accept help. Join communities. Offer help where you can. |
| Prioritize What Matters | Review how you spend time: eliminate distractions. Say No more often. Choose depth over breadth. |
Life is Won in the Margins
Steven Bartlett offers something many of us want but don’t always get: a mix of bold vision with self-awareness; high ambition balanced with humanity; lessons drawn from success and failure. His 33 Laws, his birthday reflections, his podcast discussions, and public posts don’t promise a shortcut. Rather, they offer guardrails, perspective, and permission to build a career and life in line with your values-and real potential.
If you’re graduating, or pivoting, or building something new – even quietly – Bartlett’s work reminds you that becoming your best self is a process. Start with inner clarity; tell a story worth telling; embed philosophy that supports long days; gather a team; and care deeply about what matters. Do that, and your 33rd year – and every year after – can bring meaning, growth, and impact.
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