Dragons’ Den investor and The Diary of a CEO podcaster Steven Bartlett has shared the career advice he wishes he’d received when he was starting out – and it won’t cost you a penny
He shared the advice with everyone, saying nobody can take away two things from you (file)(Image: NBC, Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett revealed the guidance he wishes someone had given him during his early career struggles. The 33-year-old entrepreneur, investor and podcaster insisted there are two investments worth their weight in gold, costing absolutely nothing to make – and you can begin right now.
Steven’s The Diary of a CEO podcast, which Spotify Wrapped placed second in its global rankings of most popular podcasts in 2025, has propelled him to household name status. However, without these personal investments, he likely wouldn’t have achieved his position as an exceptionally successful businessman today.
He explained that if you “fill these five buckets,” the world can become “your oyster”. Yet there are two buckets that matter most, which nobody can ever take from you.
1. Your knowledge
Steven emphasised initially that “you have to fill them in the right order because if you try and cheat the system, life will bring you back down to the level of your knowledge and skills”. The first bucket, though, is what you know.
This matters because you can discover anything you want through library books and the internet’s limitless resources.
2. What you can do
This represents the “application of your knowledge”. Therefore, the practical methods you can employ what you’ve discovered involve dedicating your time and effort to the learning process.
“When you learn something, and you apply it, it becomes a skill. These are the first two buckets that no professional earthquake can ever unfill. No one can ever take away your knowledge and skills,” he emphasised, suggesting these initial two categories are undoubtedly the most crucial ones to prioritise.
3. Your resources
He explained that resources are “typically what you get when you have advanced knowledge and skills”.
4. Your network
He simply described a network as “who you know,” with these connections spanning both personal and professional spheres, each carrying equal weight.
5. What the world thinks of you
The fifth and final category to develop is your “reputation,” essentially how others view you and discuss you in your absence.
However, Steven warned that the “last three buckets, the world can empty. They can decide to knock them over, take away your resources, take away your network, take away your reputation.
“[But] they can never unfill your knowledge and skills, and so the best investment any of us can make is in our knowledge and skills, and that’s why I’m the biggest fan in the world of education”.
In the comments section, followers applauded Steven, with one writing: “Keep talking please- I will always listen, you always inspire -I always apply your advice”.
Another revealed they were “44 and still cultivating the skills bucket,” proving there’s no age restriction on acquiring knowledge and putting it into practice.