Steven Bartlett07 September 2023

Steven Bartlett: 9 Secret Habits of a Multi-Million Dollar Entrepreneur - Diary of a CEO

7Frameworks

13Insights

Episode overview

Ali Abdaal interviews Steven Bartlett about his path from an impoverished, unconventional childhood and university dropout experience to building companies and hosting The Diary of a CEO. Bartlett explains frameworks for quitting, discipline, filling knowledge and skills buckets, plan-A thinking, motivation, comparison, and allocating finite time. They also discuss creative work, entrepreneurship, relationships, public criticism, and replacing rigid work-life balance with personally sustainable harmony across changing seasons of life.

Key ideas

Quit when hardship is not worth its reward, or when a situation cannot be made worthwhile; otherwise stay and fight for it.
Discipline increases when a goal's subjective importance and enjoyment outweigh the psychological friction involved.
First-party experience changes stubborn beliefs more effectively than abstract knowledge or affirmations.
Fulfilling work combines challenge, progress, subjective meaning, autonomy, and a supportive community.
Fill knowledge and skills before pursuing resources, network, and reputation, because the first two survive professional setbacks.
Plan-B options can weaken motivation toward plan A, while focused commitments concentrate effort.
Comparison becomes constructive when admiration is separated from aspiration and another person's success is treated as information.
Work-life harmony is not equal time allocation; it is an evolving allocation that preserves contentment across different seasons of life.

Transcript available · source text is retained privately and is not published

Frameworks in this episode

Mindset5 steps

Plan A Thinking

Remove the safety net so all your energy goes into the main goal.

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Productivity5 steps

The 16 Chips Time Allocation

Spend your finite daily chips on purpose so you don't regret your life.

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Peak Performance5 steps

The Discipline Equation

Predict whether you'll actually do something before relying on willpower.

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Entrepreneurship5 steps

The Five Buckets of Life

Prioritise knowledge and skills first because no one can take them from you.

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Leadership5 steps

The Five Factors of Fulfilling Work

Engineer any job so it stays motivating instead of chasing the perfect role.

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Self-Mastery5 steps

The Quitting Framework

Turn a gut urge to quit into a clear stay-or-go decision.

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Productivity5 steps

The Three P's of Feel Good Productivity

Make work more productive by making it feel better: play, power, people.

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People & resources mentioned

Attributed to the moment in the episode. Timestamps are approximate.

People · 16

Steven BartlettMentionsSteve went from being a completely broke college dropout to founding a company called Social Chain
“The guest that we have today on the podcast is Steven Bartlett”
▶ Watch at ~0:00approx.
Ali AbdaalMentionsthe ongoing podcast where every week I get the chance to sit down with inspiring authors, entrepreneurs, creators, and other inspiring people.
“The guest that we have today on the podcast is Steven Bartlett”
▶ Watch at ~0:00approx.
Muhammad AliMentionsmentioned
“there's the Muhammad Ali quote”
▶ Watch at ~12:30approx.
Simon SinekMentionsmentioned
“I was speaking to Simon Sinek the other day and I was telling him about this discipline equation”
▶ Watch at ~15:00approx.
Tony RobbinsMentionsi know tony robbins says unleash the power within
“I was reading this on a flight to Florida to attend a Tony Robbins event”
▶ Watch at ~18:30approx.
Rich RollMentionsmentioned
“I was saying to Rich Roll earlier, I know meditation matters cuz every guest has told me”
▶ Watch at ~20:00approx.
Professor Steve PetersMentionsmentioned
“I did an interview with Professor Steve Peters this morning”
▶ Watch at ~28:00approx.
Daniel PinkMentionsmentioned
“Daniel Pink, his book is behind you, says this”
▶ Watch at ~35:00approx.
Richard FeynmanMentionsmentioned
“Nobel Prize winners, Richard Feynman, who was burnt out with doing physics”
▶ Watch at ~43:00approx.
MrBeastMentionsmentioned
“I look at what Mr. Beast has done and go I'm like studying this guy”
▶ Watch at ~53:30approx.
Joe RoganMentionsmentioned
“I look at Rogan and I go man, this guy just sits there and does no preparation”
▶ Watch at ~54:00approx.
Elon MuskMentionsmentioned
“But in reality it was Elon Musk”
▶ Watch at ~1:00:30approx.
Jay ShettyMentionsmentioned
“I was with Jay Shetty”
▶ Watch at ~1:01:00approx.
Fred again..Mentionsmentioned
“these geniuses you see like Fred again who's like and he's like a musical genius”
▶ Watch at ~1:22:30approx.
Mo GawdatMentionsmentioned
“That's what Mo Gawdat the thing that episode that I did with the first one with Mo Gawdat taught me”
▶ Watch at ~1:33:30approx.
GordonMentionsGordon, my videographer
“you came and joined me and Gordon, my videographer, for breakfast”
▶ Watch at ~1:42:00approx.

Resources · 28

The Diary of a CEOCoinedpodcast · Steven Bartlett
“he's also the host of the ridiculously popular podcast The Diary of a CEO”
▶ Watch at ~0:00approx.
Shark TankMentionstv show
“the UK version of Shark Tank”
▶ Watch at ~0:00approx.
Dragon's DenMentionstv show
“He was the youngest ever dragon on BBC's Dragon's Den”
▶ Watch at ~0:00approx.
Social ChainCoinedcompany · Steven Bartlett
“founding a company called Social Chain which he then sold for like a ludicrous amount of money”
▶ Watch at ~0:00approx.
The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and LifeCoinedbook · Steven Bartlett
“he's just released his latest book The Diary of a CEO, The 33 Laws of Business and Life”
▶ Watch at ~0:30approx.
Happy Sexy MillionaireCoinedbook · Steven Bartlett
“He's written a book called Happy Sexy Millionaire”
▶ Watch at ~0:30approx.
BotswanaMentionsplace
“I moved to the UK when I was a baby from Botswana. I was born in Botswana in Africa.”
▶ Watch at ~2:00approx.
PlymouthMentionsplace
“We moved to Plymouth in the southwest”
▶ Watch at ~2:30approx.
Would I Lie to You?Mentionstv show
“He came on Would I Lie to You? walked down the stairs”
▶ Watch at ~4:00approx.
Pomodoro TechniqueMentionstool · Francesco Cirillo
“there's the Pomodoro technique and the ABCD da da da and the time blocking technique”
▶ Watch at ~13:30approx.
The 4-Hour WorkweekMentionsbook · Tim Ferriss
“when I read the Four-Hour Workweek, it was an intellectual knowing of like, oh, it would be nice to have a side business”
▶ Watch at ~22:00approx.
HuelUsesproduct · Julian Hearn
“I've been using Huel, I've been a paying customer of Huel since 2017”
▶ Watch at ~24:30approx.
The Chimp ParadoxMentionsbook · Steve Peters
“the chimp about the chimp paradox and we talked a lot about limiting beliefs”
▶ Watch at ~28:00approx.
Trading 212Mentionssoftware · Trading 212
“So thank you so much Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode”
▶ Watch at ~28:00approx.
Harvard Business ReviewMentionswebsite
“Harvard Business Review found it was when it was on days where people had a sense of progress”
▶ Watch at ~36:00approx.
British CyclingMentionscompany
“Sir David Brailsford who took over that down-and-out British cycling team and made them the best to ever do it”
▶ Watch at ~36:30approx.
Feel-Good ProductivityCoinedbook · Ali Abdaal
“mine is called Feel Good Productivity”
▶ Watch at ~41:00approx.
Start With WhyMentionsbook · Simon Sinek
“Initially, purpose was the very first chapter because it was like, well, it's starting with why”
▶ Watch at ~44:30approx.
McKinsey & CompanyMentionscompany
“There's a line I heard from a friend who works at McKinsey”
▶ Watch at ~49:00approx.
InstagramMentionssoftware · Meta Platforms
“I see this guy on Instagram with great muscles”
▶ Watch at ~53:00approx.
The Healing CompanyMentionscompany
“I'm on a couple of boards that matter to me. Healing company.”
▶ Watch at ~1:13:30approx.
atai Life SciencesMentionscompany
“I went into Atai Life Sciences and spent a year working on taking a psychedelics business public”
▶ Watch at ~1:15:00approx.
thirdwebCoinedcompany · Steven Bartlett and Furqan Rydhan
“with ThirdWeb, I was fascinated by fascinated by the blockchain. So, I built started a company there.”
▶ Watch at ~1:15:30approx.
British Red CrossMentionscompany
“I'm doing this initiative with the Red Cross at the moment called this cash card thing”
▶ Watch at ~1:18:30approx.
Business MasteryMentionsevent · Tony Robbins
“It was uh Business Mastery”
▶ Watch at ~1:19:00approx.
NotionUsessoftware · Notion Labs
“we have a notion page with a template”
▶ Watch at ~1:30:30approx.
SharjahMentionsplace
“you and I were both speaking in Sharjah in the UAE a few months ago”
▶ Watch at ~1:42:00approx.
YouTubeMentionswebsite · Google
“if you're watching this in full HD or 4K on YouTube, then you can leave a comment down below”
▶ Watch at ~1:45:30approx.

Spot an error or want something removed? Request a correction or removal.

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Hot Take· 1

Hot Take1:27:00

Work-life balance is nonsense; aim for harmony and seasons

Bartlett rejects work-life balance as an unhelpful frame that implies weighing equal grams on each side of a scale. What you actually want is harmony, where you feel good about your life and are not sacrificing anything integral to your contentment. He adds that life comes in seasons: you may over-index on one goal now and shift when you become a parent, and a genuinely happy workaholic should ignore the world's demonising and listen to their own signal.

Balance implies equal 50/50 weighting, which is the wrong goal.
Harmony means feeling good and not sacrificing what is integral to you.
You have seasons of life, not permanent balance.
A genuinely happy workaholic is fine; the North Star is the word 'happy'.

“you don't have work-life balance, you have seasons of life.”
Steven Bartlett · 1:28:00

#work-life-balance#harmony#seasons#well-being

Explainer· 4

Explainer06:00

The internal 'signal' that stops you overstaying your welcome

Bartlett describes a bodily signal, like hunger or thirst, telling you how you actually feel. Most people bury it beneath their mother's opinion, social expectation and Instagram comparison. When that signal sits at the bottom of the priority stack, you overstay your welcome in jobs and relationships you were never meant to be in.

Your obsession with things you love and inability to do things you hate is an important trait.
There is an internal barometer in your chest signalling how you feel.
Most people rank others' opinions above their own signal.
Tuning into the signal is what lets you quit with ease and peace.

“My superpower is quitting with such ease and conviction and peace because the signal that matters the most is how do I feel right now?”
Steven Bartlett · 06:30

#self-awareness#intuition#quitting#authenticity

Explainer22:30

Why knowledge doesn't change you but first-party evidence does

Bartlett distinguishes knowledge from belief. You can show a flat-earther all the information you like; only taking them to space to see the earth with their own eyes changes the belief. Stubborn self-beliefs work the same way: affirmations in the mirror cannot beat the ingrained evidence of what someone said to you as a child, so you must step into growth zones for real first-party experience.

Knowledge and information rarely shift a strong, stubborn belief.
Belief change comes from first-party evidence, experienced with your own eyes or vicariously through someone you trust.
Change happens when the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of changing.
To counter a limiting self-belief, put yourself in growth zones where it will be disproven.

“first-party evidence that we experience with our own eyes... is the path to belief change.”
Steven Bartlett · 23:00

“change happens when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of staying the same, as they say.”
Steven Bartlett · 21:30

#belief#self-esteem#growth#psychology

Explainer51:00

Your body is on your side: why comparison, sugar and status feel so strong

Bartlett reframes cravings and comparison as survival mechanisms misaligned with the modern world. Sugar cravings kept you alive when you found berries on the Serengeti; belly fat correlated with survival time, so the body defends your weight. Comparison is a hardwired shortcut to judge value quickly, and the need for status kept you inside the tribe. The instincts are not against you; the world simply changed faster than the body.

Sugar cravings and fat retention are ancient survival adaptations.
Cardio often fails for weight loss because the body overcompensates with hunger.
Comparison is a hardwired shortcut for judging value fast.
It is not normal to see 7,000 people a day on a glass screen, which the brain cannot compute.

“The body is on your side... It's just a case the world has changed and the body hasn't evolved to deal with it.”
Steven Bartlett · 53:00

#evolutionary-psychology#comparison#self-compassion#health

Explainer54:30

Holding the dissonance instead of diminishing the other side

When someone else's success creates cognitive dissonance, the easy move is to diminish it ('yeah, but he has a team of 30'). Bartlett points to the harder, rarer skill of holding two facts apart, illustrated by the Israeli leader who, when his friend Reagan visited a site where Nazis were buried, said a friend making a mistake remains a friend and the mistake remains a mistake. Holding the dissonance creates space for nuance and learning.

Cognitive dissonance is discomfort when something clashes with your self-identity.
Diminishing the other side ('yeah, but...') eases the discomfort but blocks learning.
The harder path is holding two conflicting truths separately without collapsing either.
Low self-esteem makes diminishing more likely because the dissonance hits too close to home.

“when a friend makes a mistake, the friend remains a friend and the mistake remains a mistake.”
Steven Bartlett · 55:30

#cognitive-dissonance#nuance#psychology#learning

Story· 3

Story02:00

Expelled twice, dropped out, and cut off by his mother

Bartlett tells his unconventional path: the poorest and only black family in Plymouth, running school business deals, being expelled and 'unexpelled' because he made the school money, then expelled again for attendance. He dropped out of university after one lecture, and when he told his mother she said if he did she would never speak to him again.

Only black and poorest family in his Plymouth school; huge insecurity and shame.
Ran vending-machine deals, parties and school trips as a teenager.
Expelled, then reinstated by a teacher because he made the school money, then expelled again for attendance.
Dropped out after one university lecture; his mother stopped speaking to him for years.

“Call my mom, Mom I'm dropping out. She says if you do I'll never speak to you again. I say I love you too. I…”
Steven Bartlett · 04:30

#backstory#entrepreneurship#education#resilience

Story1:14:00

The 'disease of entrepreneurship', the someday shelf, and ikigai

Bartlett names three 'diseases' that spawn new companies: entrepreneurship, self-belief and curiosity. His antidote is focus, saying no, and a 'someday shelf' where a compelling idea sits; if it keeps jumping off the shelf for a year, it becomes a priority. Asked what he would do with an extra fortune and a blank slate, he says he would run a global media company because the podcast is his ikigai, the Japanese idea of work you are good at, that pays you, that you enjoy, and that serves others.

Three drivers collide: the diseases of entrepreneurship, self-belief and curiosity.
The 'someday shelf' parks tempting ideas until they repeatedly demand attention.
Ikigai combines being good at it, being paid, enjoying it, and serving others.
Bartlett says the podcast is the first thing that truly completes his ikigai.

“I have the disease of entrepreneurship... the disease of self-belief... and the disease of curiosity.”
Steven Bartlett · 1:14:30

#entrepreneurship#focus#ikigai#prioritisation

Story1:33:30

Happiness is met expectations: the airplane gratitude story

Drawing on Mo Gawdat, Bartlett says we are happy when our expectations of life are met and unhappy when they are not, so the objective situation matters less than the subjective meeting of expectations. He tells of flying to Thailand in economy at 21, captivated and joyful, versus flying first class years later, joyless and rushing for wi-fi. Nothing changed but his expectations. Now he touches the top of the plane before boarding to reset his gratitude.

Happiness equals expectations met; unhappiness equals expectations unmet.
A Wagyu steak served wrong beats a bowl of rice served as expected, for unhappiness.
Rising expectations quietly evict joy even as circumstances improve.
Gratitude works as a deliberate downward adjustment of expectations.

“we're happy when our expectations of how our life is supposed to be going are met.”
Steven Bartlett · 1:33:30

“nothing has changed in my life other than my expectations have increased. And with that out the door has gone my joy.”
Steven Bartlett · 1:36:00

#happiness#expectations#gratitude#mo-gawdat

Q&A· 1

Q&A1:36:30

Handling criticism as a public figure: anchor to your values

Asked how he copes with constant criticism, Bartlett says the key is staying true to yourself so you are anchored to your own certainty in your intentions and values regardless of feedback. He has built systems so criticism cannot infiltrate his peace: he does not read or search comments, and has not searched his own name anywhere in about a year. The gap between seeing something and reacting has shrunk, letting him note a false story, accept there is nothing he can do, and carry on doing what he loves.

Anchoring to your values makes any feedback, positive or negative, easier to hold.
Systems matter: don't read it, don't search it, friends don't send it.
He has not searched his own name in about a year.
The choice is to remove yourself from the world or carry on doing what you love; he chooses the latter.

“I need to put systems and processes in place... which for me means don't read stuff. Don't search stuff. Friends don't send me stuff.”
Steven Bartlett · 1:39:00

#criticism#resilience#public-figure#values

Tool· 1

Tool1:30:30

Ali's relationship review: a Notion template for couples

Ali Abdaal shares the check-in system he and his girlfriend have run for two years using a shared Notion template. Roughly every couple of weeks they answer prompts: what made you feel loved this week, what did I do that felt bad, however minor. They log major disagreements as named 'gates' to look back on, and write action points, such as aligning on expectations before every holiday after a 'work holiday' meant very different things to each of them.

A shared Notion template run roughly every two to three weeks.
Start with appreciation questions, then move to gentle constructive ones.
Small grievances too minor to raise day-to-day get aired in the light of day.
Each item ends in an action point; big arguments are logged as named 'gates'.

“we have a notion page with a template... it's like you know what's one thing I did that made you feel loved, appreciated, or respected?”
Ali Abdaal · 1:30:30

#relationships#systems#communication#notion

Takeaway· 3

Takeaway53:30

Turning comparison into inspiration: separate admiration from aspiration

Bartlett says he has never sat with someone and felt jealous, but often thinks he will never be as good as them, yet can separate admiration from aspiration. He studies MrBeast and Rogan with awe without turning it back on himself. The key is interpretation: with high self-esteem you can admire someone fully without it becoming evidence that you are not enough.

Admiration and aspiration are two different things people wrongly conflate.
You can call someone the best ever without needing to become them.
Most people 'lean out' and diminish others' success to ease their own discomfort.
How you interpret comparison, not comparison itself, determines whether it inspires or corrodes.

“I'm able to separate out my admiration and my aspiration. They are two different things which we often conflate.”
Steven Bartlett · 57:30

#comparison#self-esteem#inspiration#mindset

Takeaway1:11:00

As a leader, only do the biggest and the smallest things

Struggling with overextension, Bartlett argues a CEO should spend time only on the things where they uniquely add value: the very big (strategy, vision, marketing, team philosophy) and the very small (walking to a colleague's desk to wish her happy birthday, which only he can do meaningfully). Everything in the middle can be done by someone else. He is comfortable being bad at maths, operations, process and finance and simply not doing them.

Only you can do the big strategic work and the small human moments.
Everything in the middle can and should be delegated.
A birthday greeting from the founder carries impact no one else can replicate.
Bartlett openly avoids maths, organisation, operations and finance rather than forcing them.

“So, I do the really big things, and then I do the really small things.”
Steven Bartlett · 1:12:00

#leadership#delegation#focus#ceo

Takeaway1:43:30

Every person you meet, you're meeting everyone they know

Closing the episode, Bartlett reflects on graciousness after Ali's videographer praised how Steven talked to the team as much as to the host. Bartlett frames it as a new responsibility that came with reach: when he meets someone, he is effectively meeting everyone they know, so being patient and making people feel heard matters. He admits he is human and sometimes falls short, but treats leaving people with a good feeling as a privilege and a duty.

Graciousness to everyone in the room, not just the important person, leaves a lasting impression.
With reach comes a new responsibility that did not exist ten years ago.
Meeting one person means indirectly meeting everyone they know.
Bartlett admits he is human and sometimes falls short, but tries his best.

“everyone I meet I'm meeting everyone they know.”
Steven Bartlett · 1:43:30

#character#influence#responsibility#kindness

Key ideas

Frameworks in this episode

Plan A Thinking

The 16 Chips Time Allocation

The Discipline Equation

The Five Buckets of Life

The Five Factors of Fulfilling Work

The Quitting Framework

The Three P's of Feel Good Productivity

People & resources mentioned

People · 16

Resources · 28

Insights & moments

◆Hot Take· 1

Work-life balance is nonsense; aim for harmony and seasons

✶Explainer· 4

The internal 'signal' that stops you overstaying your welcome

Why knowledge doesn't change you but first-party evidence does

Your body is on your side: why comparison, sugar and status feel so strong

Holding the dissonance instead of diminishing the other side

❝Story· 3

Expelled twice, dropped out, and cut off by his mother

The 'disease of entrepreneurship', the someday shelf, and ikigai

Happiness is met expectations: the airplane gratitude story

?Q&A· 1

Handling criticism as a public figure: anchor to your values

✦Tool· 1

Ali's relationship review: a Notion template for couples

▲Takeaway· 3

Turning comparison into inspiration: separate admiration from aspiration

As a leader, only do the biggest and the smallest things

Every person you meet, you're meeting everyone they know

Hot Take· 1

Explainer· 4

Story· 3

Q&A· 1

Tool· 1

Takeaway· 3