Steven Bartlett's $100M rejection playbook

Who needs a streaming deal when you’ve got Pre-Watch squads and thumbnail data? Also: Zuck’s wild plan to reset Facebook, YouTube’s AI land grab, and Instagram’s CapCut clone.

Author

Hubert Trinkunas
April 23, 2025

What's up this week

Instagram just launched its video editing app "Edits" globally yesterday. Clearly aimed at challenging CapCut while TikTok's US future remains uncertain.

Steven Bartlett's $100M rejection playbook

The Diary of a CEO host turned down a massive streaming deal to build his own media empire:

Growth hacking over gatekeeping

Bartlett doesn't just record episodes—he optimizes everything. Those eyebrow raises in thumbnails? A/B tested. Episode titles? Tested. He even built a "Pre-Watch" system where 1,000 volunteers screen edits before anything goes live.

Video is the vehicle

His "podcast" is actually designed for screens—YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, wherever attention lives. Short clips drive virality, long-form builds the loyal base. That's how he reached 50M monthly listeners without traditional distribution.

Data runs the show

He's not just hosting—he's the studio head, showrunner, and chief analyst. Every decision comes from viewer feedback and performance metrics. He's now scaling that approach with Flight Story, building creator franchises with the same blueprint.

Independence = empire

While others signed $100M+ deals, Bartlett walked away. His bet: independence means faster growth and keeping all the upside.

AI that actually generates revenue

He launched an AI version of his podcast (with full disclosure) that still keeps 60% of listeners engaged. Unconventional move, but it's working—and he owns it entirely.

Now based in LA with NYC next, Bartlett isn't building a podcast. He's building a platform.

From our partner: maybe you?

Want to be in this spot next week?

Promote your brand to thousands of creatorpreneurs who read this newsletter every week. Our readers are YouTubers, TikTokers, solopreneurs, and digital creators building businesses online—and they trust the tools and platforms we feature.

Zuckerberg's "nuclear" plan to save facebook

As Facebook's cultural relevance was declining, Mark Zuckerberg considered wiping everyone's friend lists... annually.

Emails from 2022 (revealed in the FTC trial) show him floating this "potentially crazy idea" to reset connections around people you actually care about—not random connections from 2008.

His exact words: "Connect with who they care about in the moment."

Instead of going nuclear, he pivoted to:

  • Doubling down on Groups and private chats

  • Prioritizing followers over friends

  • Leaning into public posts and creators (especially during Twitter's upheaval)

The real concern wasn't competition—it was becoming irrelevant.

Now Facebook's offering creator bonuses for Reels, consulting with MrBeast and Mark Rober, and pushing Threads aggressively. But the challenge remains: regaining cultural relevance when your core user base has aged.

Quick updates

  • Roblox is rolling out regional pricing for creator items—automatically adjusting prices based on user location.

  • Instagram launched "Blend," creating custom Reels feeds between friends in DMs. Clearly aimed at boosting Reels discovery.

  • Captiv8 (influencer marketing platform) just launched virtual storefronts enabling creators and brands to sell directly.

YouTube at 20: Building AI on creator content

YouTube just turned 20 and is going all-in on AI. Promising creators scale while leveraging their content for AI development.

What YouTube's highlighting:

  • Upload once, dub in 8 languages with synchronized lip movement

  • AI editing tools, audience insights, and marketing features powered by Gemini

  • All "free" (for now) under the banner of "democratizing creativity"

What they're downplaying:

  • Google's Terms of Service permits using your videos to train AI—without explicit consent

  • Creators like Hank Green are raising concerns: "I didn't agree to train your AI back in 2008"

  • They're adding an opt-out flag for external AI training, but Google's exempting itself

Meanwhile, AI-generated videos are flooding the platform. YouTube's response: allow the content but limit monetization.

Strategic implications:

More reach, less control. Their AI tools can expand your audience but might dilute your brand—especially if CPMs decrease. And even if you don't use their tools, your content may still be training Gemini.

What we’re reading

Business Insider – This chart shows how much a TikTok ban could boost Instagram.

Forbes – When trade hits content: Tariffs and the creator economy.

Let us know how we are doing...