What does it actually take to build a culture where failure is a strategy?
Grace Miller is Head of Experimentation and Failure at Flight Story, the studio behind Stephen Bartlett and the world's second-biggest podcast. She's spent years at the intersection of bold creative risk and measurable growth - and she's here to share exactly what that's taught her.
In this episode, Hayley and Grace get into the real mechanics of failing well: why founders are already the biggest risk-takers in the room, why "building in public" is mostly performative, and why playing it safe might actually be the most dangerous move your business can make.
If you've ever wondered what it looks like inside one of the world's top podcast studios - and what working with Stephen Bartlett is actually like off-camera - this one's for you.
Here’s what we cover in this episode:
The three types of failure (basic, complex, and intelligent) - and how to tell which one you're in
Flight Story's experiment framework - and how to run one experiment a week as a solo founder with no team
Why safe is the new risky - what happens to your business when a competitor is testing and you're not
The employee personal brand debate - why founders who fear their team building a profile are already losing
Paid media red flags - what to ask any agency before you sign, and why a high ROAS guarantee is a reason to run
Stephen Bartlett, unfiltered - what Grace learned about her own value from working at the top, and the truth about what he's actually like
If you have a question you want answered:
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Follow along on your preferred channels:
Grace Miller on IG: https://www.instagram.com/graceexperiments
Grace Miller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-miller-linked-in/
Top of Mind on IG: https://www.instagram.com/topofmind.pod/
Top of Mind on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@topofmind.pod
Gambit Collective on IG: https://www.instagram.com/gambit.collective
Hayley on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hayleywestoby/
Hayley on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayleywestoby/
Hayley on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hayleywestoby
