Steven Bartlett
Steven Bartlett Ltd operates a diversified creator economy platform anchored by The Diary of a CEO podcast (UK's #1, 50M monthly downloads), with adjacent ventures in podcast production (Flight Studio), early-stage investment (Flight Fund), publishing (Flight Books), and speaking, serving entrepreneurs, business leaders, and content creators globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Steven Bartlett does
Steven Bartlett Ltd is a UK-incorporated private limited company headquartered in Manchester, operating a diversified portfolio of media, investment, and consumer ventures under the Flight Group umbrella and the Steven.com creator holding entity. Its core asset is The Diary of a CEO podcast — the UK's #1 podcast for three consecutive years and Europe's largest — which generates approximately $20M in annual revenue through advertising and sponsorships and reaches 50 million monthly downloads across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube (10M+ subscribers), and an exclusive Samsung TV Plus channel. Surrounding the podcast is a vertically integrated ecosystem: Flight Studio provides B2B podcast production services (with Davina McCall's 'Begin Again' as a flagship client); Flight Fund and FlightVentures deploy capital into early-stage companies including PerfectTed ($200M valuation, the most valuable Dragons' Den investment ever) and AI startups like Wondercraft.ai and Ivee; Flight Books operates a publishing imprint in partnership with Penguin Random House's Ebury Publishing; and Flight Speakers monetizes Steven Bartlett's keynote speaking engagements. Additional direct-to-consumer revenue comes from physical products (Conversation Cards, The Diary 12-week journal, books) sold through stevenbartlett.com. Bartlett separately co-founded thirdweb, a Web3 development platform (San Francisco, 2021) with institutional backing from Mark Cuban, Gary Vaynerchuk, Coinbase Ventures, and others.
The business model combines six distinct revenue streams — podcast advertising/sponsorships, speaking fees, merchandise/physical product sales, B2B production services, book publishing royalties, and investment returns — with a community-led, event-driven, and sales-led go-to-market motion that funnels audience engagement from the podcast into speaking engagements, investment deals (including Dragons' Den appearances), and product sales. The company's primary customer segments are entrepreneurs and business leaders (persona-based, served via podcast content), content creators and podcasters (served via Flight Studio B2B), startup founders (served via Flight Fund and Dragons' Den), and personal development consumers (served via merchandise). Geographic reach is global, with studio operations in London, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, alongside a thirdweb engineering presence in the US. The company is entirely founder-controlled by Steven Bartlett with no disclosed institutional, PE, or VC ownership of Steven Bartlett Ltd.
Steven Bartlett firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Steven Bartlett
- Legal name
- Steven Bartlett Ltd
- Website
- https://stevenbartlett.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Steven Bartlett Ltd operates a diversified creator economy platform anchored by The Diary of a CEO podcast (UK's #1, 50M monthly downloads), with adjacent ventures in podcast production (Flight Studio), early-stage investment (Flight Fund), publishing (Flight Books), and speaking, serving entrepreneurs, business leaders, and content creators globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Steven Bartlett industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Podcast Media & Personal Brand Entertainment
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Sound Recording Industries (5122), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Podcast Hosting & Enterprise Solutions (Private/Branded Podcasts) (MPACADAF), Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)
Keywords
Where Steven Bartlett is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Steven Bartlett business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Podcast Advertising and Sponsorships: The Diary of a CEO generates revenue through advertising, sponsorships, and brand partnerships. The show does approximately 50 million monthly downloads with episodes averaging 3 million downloads each.
- Product Sales (Merchandise): Sale of physical products including Conversation Cards (51 thought-provoking question cards), The Diary (12-week self-development journal), and books. Products sold through stevenbartlett.com shop.
- Speaking Engagements: Revenue from keynote speeches, motivational speaking at corporate events, and public appearances. Steven Bartlett is marketed as a speaker who redefines success.
- Investment Returns: Steven Bartlett generates returns through investments in startups via Dragons' Den deals and Flight Fund. Notable successful investments include PerfectTed which reached $200m valuation.
- Flight Studio Production Services: Media production company creating podcast brands and content for other creators. Services include production, distribution, and technology tools for podcasters.
- Book Publishing (Flight Books): Publishing venture launched by Flight Studio in collaboration with Ebury Publishing, covering self-development, wellness, business, and biography genres.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Conversation Cards - 51 thought-provoking question cards |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels12 records
Steven Bartlett product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Steven Bartlett Ltd fundamentally operates a personal-brand media and investment business centered on The Diary of a CEO podcast, Europe's biggest podcast. Revenue is generated through podcast advertising and sponsorships, direct-to-consumer merchandise (books, a 12-week self-development journal, Conversation Cards), premium keynote speaking for corporate events, an exclusive BBC Maestro online masterclass, B2B podcast production services through Flight Studio, and returns from startup investments made via BBC Dragons' Den and Flight Fund.
Product overview
Steven Bartlett operates a portfolio of media, technology, and investment ventures. The core products include The Diary of a CEO podcast (Europe's #1 podcast generating 50M monthly downloads) and thirdweb (Web3 development platform with 55,000+ developers). His holding company Flight Group encompasses Flight Studio (podcast media company), Flight Fund (investment fund), and Flight Books (publishing venture). Supporting products include authored books ('The Diary of a CEO Book', 'Happy Sexy Millionaire'), a 12-week self-development journal ('The Diary'), and Conversation Cards. Steven Bartlett has also made significant investments in consumer brands including PerfectTed (matcha energy drink, $200M valuation), Wondercraft.ai (AI audio platform), and Ivee (AI upskilling platform).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Diary of a CEO Podcast Europe's #1 long-form interview podcast hosted by Steven Bartlett featuring unfiltered conversations with influential entrepreneurs, public figures, and thinkers (e.g., Simon Cowell, Richard Branson, Boris Johnson, Eric Schmidt). Generates approximately 50 million monthly downloads, ~3 million downloads per episode, over 1 billion lifetime streams, and 10 million YouTube subscribers; monetized through advertising and sponsorships and used as the central marketing engine for the broader Steven Bartlett brand and product portfolio.
- Flight Studio Podcast Production Services End-to-end B2B podcast production, brand creation, and distribution services for content creators, broadcasters, and brands. Flight Studio integrates cutting-edge production technology with innovative methodologies and has produced chart-topping shows including Davina McCall's 'Begin Again' podcast, which reached #1 across all major podcasting charts within its first week of launch.
- The Diary of a CEO Book A authored book by Steven Bartlett based on the themes and conversations of The Diary of a CEO podcast, sold directly through stevenbartlett.com.
- Happy Sexy Millionaire Book A authored book by Steven Bartlett exploring themes of success, happiness, and entrepreneurship, sold as physical merchandise through stevenbartlett.com.
- The Diary (12-Week Self-Development Journal) A 12-week guided self-development journal with QR codes linking to online coaching and materials from world-leading experts in work, finances, health, and relationships; sold direct-to-consumer through stevenbartlett.com.
- Conversation Cards A set of 51 thought-provoking question cards designed to build deeper connections through open communication, sold direct-to-consumer through stevenbartlett.com.
- BBC Maestro Masterclass Course An exclusive online masterclass course delivered on BBC Maestro titled 'The 16 Steps To Start And Scale A Multi-Million Pound Business', covering entrepreneurial mindset, leadership, securing investment, building a personal brand, leading teams, and driving disruptive innovation; targeted at aspiring entrepreneurs and business founders.
- Keynote Speaking Engagements Premium paid keynote speaking services for corporate events, conferences, and leadership offsites, marketed via stevenbartlett.com/enquiries and delivered under the Flight Speakers brand. Steven Bartlett is positioned as the youngest Dragon in BBC's history and a globally recognized motivational speaker on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the digital landscape.
Quantifiable outcome
- The Diary of a CEO generates $20m+ annual revenues with 50 million monthly downloads
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Steven Bartlett
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Steven Bartlett technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature2 records
Steven Bartlett partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Davina McCallcoreFlight Studio partnered with broadcaster Davina McCall to launch 'Begin Again' podcast, which charted #1 in all major podcasting charts within the first week. Collaboration between Bartlett's entrepreneurial background and McCall's broadcasting expertise.
- Ebury Publishing (Penguin Random House)coreFlight Books launched in collaboration with Ebury Publishing. Partnership enables publishing across self-development, wellness, business, biography, smart-thinking, and big-ideas genres.
- Samsung TV PlusflagshipExclusive partnership for dedicated 24/7 channel for The Diary of a CEO on Samsung Smart TVs and Galaxy devices. First vodcast to partner with Samsung's free streaming service. The partnership was exclusive with no other podcasts joining during the agreement period.
- BBC MaestrocoreSteven Bartlett partnered with BBC Maestro to deliver an exclusive masterclass course 'The 16 Steps To Start And Scale A Multi-Million Pound Business'. Course covers leadership, investment strategies, and disruptive innovation.
- Homewards (Prince William initiative)flagshipSteven Bartlett joined Prince William as Homewards Advocate to end homelessness in UK. Utilized platform to highlight business role in addressing homelessness. Partnered with Pret A Manger for Rising Stars employment programme supporting 500+ homeless individuals.
- Pret A MangerminorPret A Manger partnered with Homewards initiative to expand Rising Stars programme, supporting at least 500 individuals experiencing homelessness into employment over five years.
- PerfectTed Co-FoundersflagshipSteven Bartlett invested in PerfectTed matcha energy drink brand co-founded by Marisa Poster and brothers Teddie and Levi Levenfiche. Followed up with £1m additional investment through Flight Fund. Bartlett has roughly double-digit equity percentage.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Steven Bartlett competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- iHeartPodcasts: Podcast division of iHeartMedia, one of the largest US podcast publishers and ad-sales networks. Overlaps with Flight Story on ad-supported podcast monetization and multi-show portfolio strategy, but at vastly larger scale and with incumbent radio infrastructure.
- BBC Studios: UK-based public broadcaster's commercial arm, distributor of Dragons' Den and major podcast/audio IP. Comparable as the incumbent UK media institution whose IP, distribution and talent relationships shape Steven Bartlett's market position.
- Spotify Podcasts: Spotify's owned-and-operated podcast division (including The Joe Rogan Experience, Call Her Daddy, Gimlet). Most relevant as the platform-distribution incumbent that aggregates audio creators like The Diary of a CEO and competes for premium podcast ad dollars.
Direct peers
- Gimlet Media: Spotify-owned narrative and interview podcast studio (Reply All, Science Vs, The Journal). Comparable as a premium podcast studio with strong brand IP and platform distribution partnership dynamics analogous to the Flight Studio / Samsung TV Plus model.
- Wondery: Amazon-owned podcast network that creates and distributes multi-show brands at scale. Most directly comparable to Flight Story/Flight Studio as both operate branded podcast IP portfolios anchored by hit shows, monetizing via advertising and exclusive distribution.
- TheSoul Publishing: Global creator-driven media company producing multi-channel video and audio IP at scale across YouTube and podcasts. Comparable as a vertically-integrated, multi-brand creator holding company — the closest non-UK analog to the 'Disney of the Creator Economy' thesis underpinning Steven.com.
- Pushkin Industries: Crooked Media co-founder Malcolm Gladwell's podcast production company producing premium interview and narrative shows (Revisionist History, Against the Rules). Highly comparable business model — host-driven premium audio IP — and similar scale of flagship show impact.
- Lemonada Media: Independent podcast network focused on lifestyle, wellness and personal-development content with a strong female-skewing audience. Comparable to Flight Story as a multi-show indie network that packages branded podcasts around high-profile talent and lifestyle IP.
- Acast: Swedish podcast hosting and monetization platform serving independent podcasters globally. Comparable as the monetization infrastructure layer that podcasts like The Diary of a CEO sit on, and as a fellow non-incumbent podcast business built around creator-economy dynamics.
- Jellysmack: Creator-economy content company that helps video and podcast creators distribute, monetize and scale content across platforms. Directly comparable to the multi-platform content-distribution engine that drives Steven Bartlett's YouTube, podcast and Samsung TV Plus flywheel.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Steven Bartlett social profiles
Digital presenceSteven Bartlett financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Steven Bartlett leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Steven Bartlett subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Steven Bartlett funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Steven Bartlett M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Steven Bartlett
What does Steven Bartlett do?
Steven Bartlett Ltd fundamentally operates a personal-brand media and investment business centered on The Diary of a CEO podcast, Europe's biggest podcast. Revenue is generated through podcast advertising and sponsorships, direct-to-consumer merchandise (books, a 12-week self-development journal, Conversation Cards), premium keynote speaking for corporate events, an exclusive BBC Maestro online masterclass, B2B podcast production services through Flight Studio, and returns from startup investments made via BBC Dragons' Den and Flight Fund.
Is Steven Bartlett a public or private company?
Steven Bartlett is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Steven Bartlett founded?
Steven Bartlett was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Steven Bartlett based?
Steven Bartlett is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Steven Bartlett make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Podcast Advertising and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are product Sales (Merchandise), speaking Engagements, investment Returns, flight Studio Production Services and book Publishing (Flight Books).
Who are Steven Bartlett's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are iHeartPodcasts, BBC Studios and Spotify Podcasts. Direct peers are Gimlet Media, Wondery, TheSoul Publishing, Pushkin Industries, Lemonada Media, Acast and Jellysmack.
Does Steven Bartlett have an API?
No public API is recorded for Steven Bartlett.
What industry is Steven Bartlett in?
Steven Bartlett's product category is Podcast Media & Personal Brand Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAB, Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers, with a secondary code of MPACADAF, Podcast Hosting & Enterprise Solutions (Private/Branded Podcasts). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.