January 09, 2025

Espresso: BrewDog Founder: Why Fast Startups Always Win (and How They Do It)

12 minutes

James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, delivers a masterclass in startup growth, brand innovation, and scaling a global beer brand. He reveals how BrewDog's meteoric rise was fueled by speed over perfection, customer feedback, and learning from mistakes.

He shares stories of risky pivots, customer-driven innovation, and the painful lessons of scaling too quickly, including the hiring missteps that led to a complete culture overhaul. James believes being wrong faster is better, customer feedback is the ultimate barometer for success, and he shares some unconventional tactics that propelled BrewDog to become one of the most valuable beer brands on the planet.

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ON THE MENU
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- Why speed always trumps perfection in business
- The power of failing fast and pivoting hard
- How BrewDog kept its edge while scaling globally
- Customer-centricity: BrewDog's not-so-secret superpower
- Lessons from costly mistakes (and how to bounce back stronger)

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