The Colin & Samir Show Live with Steven Bartlett

In a live episode of the Colin and Samir Show, Steven Bartlett, host of The Diary of a CEO, unpacked the philosophies, systems, and principles that have propelled his podcast to global success. From the concept of a “failure team” to the power of sweating the small stuff, Bartlett offered a masterclass in creator-led innovation, experimentation, and self-awareness. The conversation spanned AI disruption, personal growth, team building, and the psychology of success.

“ The best way to get answers to the questions that matter to you is to increase your rate of experimentation and failure.”

Bartlett’s core thesis is that success is a function of how quickly and rigorously you can fail. His company has a dedicated “failure team” led by a Head of Failure, whose job is to increase the rate of experimentation across all departments. This approach kills guesswork and accelerates learning—whether it’s optimizing thumbnails, testing podcast formats, or launching AI-generated episodes.

AI podcasts are already matching human ones in retention—and it may be hard to tell the difference.

Bartlett revealed that after nearly a year of testing, his team’s AI-generated podcast episodes now match human-hosted ones in viewer retention. “You wouldn’t be able to tell me which one was AI,” he said. This isn’t just a tech flex—it’s an indicator of what’s to come.

Bartlett explains that the reason people don’t pursue new technology like AI content creation is that it starts out much worse than what’s available, and none of your audience or customers are asking for it.  “But the thing you have to look for is basically the rate and how much headroom it has to improve.” In podcasting, Bartlett says content is going to be cheaper and faster to make with AI eventually. Creators who ignore AI’s potential may find themselves disrupted by it.

“Being right is your initial hypothesis validated. Winning is adapting to what works—even if it’s not your idea.”
Bartlett shared a story from his early startup days where clinging to his original vision led to failure. Letting go of ego and embracing what the audience actually wanted instead of what he wanted led to the creation of Social Chain, a multimillion-dollar company.

“Sometimes when you look at small stones and turn them over, you find really big prizes.”
From changing air fresheners to tweaking CO2 levels in the studio, Bartlett’s team celebrates micro-optimizations. One 10-second change to a podcast intro led to a 300% increase in subscribers. The principle? Small wins compound over time.

“ If you develop this principle of constantly checking if things are paper walls, I promise you'll make shockingly unique stuff.”

Bartlett encourages creators to ask themselves: Am I doing this because it’s convention, or because it works?” Whether it’s ad reads or production workflows, many practices persist simply because no one has questioned them.

“What if you could get that retention graph earlier so we knew what was boring before we published?”
Bartlett’s team built a tool that tracks viewer engagement pre-release using eye-tracking and feedback. This allows them to cut boring segments and optimize content before it goes live—turning subjective editing into data-driven decisions.

“If I look at your calendar and don’t see you spending 20 to 30 hours  this week on finding truly exceptional people join you, then you've misallocated your time.”
Bartlett emphasized that everything—from thumbnails to strategy—flows from human brains. His obsession with hiring and culture-building is what scales excellence across his growing media empire.

This session was a masterclass in creator-led innovation. Bartlett’s approach blends analytical rigor with emotional intelligence, showing that success isn’t just about talent—it’s about systems, principles, and people. For creators navigating a rapidly evolving landscape, the message is clear: disrupt yourself before someone else does. Build a culture of experimentation, question everything, and stay romantically attached to winning—not your ego.

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling a media brand, Bartlett’s insights offer a blueprint for sustainable, meaningful growth.