🦅 Steven Bartlett’s Rules for Successful Creators

In this issue, you’ll find:

• Steven Bartlett’s rules for successful creators

• News creators should know

• A step-by-step system to become a cold DM machine

Steven Bartlett’s Rules for Successful Creators

99% of entrepreneurs fail because they follow advice from professors who’ve never built anything.

On the other hand, Steven Bartlett knows firsthand what it takes to be successful. At 30, he's built multiple 8-figure companies, hosts Europe's #1 business podcast, and sits on Dragons' Den.

Here are three lessons he considers crucial for any entrepreneur.

1. Quitting Fast Is a Superpower

Everyone talks about persistence, but Steven emphasizes strategic quitting:

Many creators stick to projects too long, draining energy and resources.

Instead, set clear checkpoints (e.g., 30 days) for evaluating new projects:

• Am I learning something valuable?

• Am I enjoying the process?

• Is this truly the right direction?

If not, pivot early without guilt. More often than not, it can be a game changer 👇

2. Build Self-Belief Through Experience

For solo creators, this means consistently shipping and gathering real feedback.

• Publish Regularly: Set a fixed schedule (daily tweet, weekly newsletter, monthly product update). Consistency builds habit and audience trust.

• Feedback Loops: Actively seek and implement audience feedback. Use surveys, social media polls, or personal outreach to improve your next iteration.

• Celebrate Small Wins: Keep a visible log or a Notion board highlighting measurable progress like follower growth, revenue milestones, or notable testimonials.

3. Aim for Harmony, Not Balance

Steven rejects the rigid idea of achieving a perfect ‘work-life balance’:

Solo creators should embrace fluid boundaries between life and work, ensuring tasks energize rather than drain.

• Flexible Scheduling: Identify your highest-energy periods during the day and schedule your most demanding tasks then. Reserve low-energy times for administrative tasks or rest.

• Design Buffer Time: Include intentional breaks or "buffer" periods daily and weekly to handle unexpected tasks or simply recharge.

• Integrate Personal Activities: Blend enjoyable personal routines with your workflow. Listen to podcasts while exercising, or combine brainstorming sessions with relaxing walks.

AI Search Is Coming for SEO—And It's More Valuable

By 2028, AI search traffic could overtake traditional search, and each AI visitor is worth 4.4x more thanks to higher conversions. ChatGPT and Google AI don’t care about rankings—they pull from relevant sources, often citing Quora, Reddit, and business sites. The game is shifting fast.

→ Find out more

Reddit Isn’t Just Buzz—It Drives Sales

88% of users go to Reddit to research purchases, and the impact lasts: over a third of posts still get views a year later. Just one brand post a week can boost positive mentions by 3.5%. Add a few comments, and the lift grows. Even better, pair Reddit with paid search and ROAS jumps by 13.7%.

→ Find out more

Chasing Traffic? You’re Playing the Wrong Game

Clicks are disappearing. Platforms like Google, Reddit, and TikTok keep users on-site, killing referral traffic. In this zero-click world, traffic is a vanity metric. What matters now: visibility, trust, and actions that actually drive business—like leads, conversions, and product engagement.

→ Find out more

A Step-By-Step System to Become a Cold DM Machine

Let’s say you’re starting from scratch.

No audience.
No warm leads.
No inbound traffic.
No cash to run ads.

What do you do?

You send cold DMs.

That’s exactly what Clifton Sellers did.

He's a Hypefury user, and I had the chance to talk with him during a recent masterclass he hosted for our subscribers.

When he started, he had a full-time job, two kids, and zero runway.
But he made time to send around 100 cold DMs on 𝕏—every day.

No hacks. No fluff. Just focus and consistency.

At first, he got ghosted.

Then one replied. Then another. Customer after customer, the revenue piled up till he was making $30,000/month — just from cold DMs.

This was a couple of years ago. Today, he runs his content agency, and you can rely on AI and other tools to make the process way more effective.

Find out more in the latest issue of 🧲 The Lead Magnet:

Last poll: What should we cover next?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Growing an audience from scratch (53.13%)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Building with AI

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Launching your MVP the smart way

That’s it for now, everyone! We’ll meet again next week to discuss some more of this!

Don’t forget to try Hypefury (for free) if you haven’t yet.

Feel free to reply to this email. It goes directly to me.

Cheers,

Yannick Veys
Co-founder and CMO of Hypefury