The Shame of Firing 20 People: Graeme Barlow's Entrepreneurial Journey

Graeme Barlow learned entrepreneurship before he knew what the word meant. He just wanted to play more video games. So he gamed the system, sold digital goods, and accidentally built a business before he had a driver’s license.Scaling up meant teaching himself everything—building bots, dodging bans, hosting seven-figure gaming networks. Then the legal threats came. The team bailed out with a quick exit but never saw half the money, just a hard lesson. Later, he built Rocket Owl, rocketed up, blew up, blew through cash, and then had to face a room full of employees and tell them he’d messed up. Letting people go because you failed leaves a mark.This episode shows what it really takes to rebuild from zero, get back up after humiliation, and keep building—even when your whole identity is tied to something that just died. It’s blunt, ugly, and honest.If you are building a startup, trying to figure out what to do after failing hard, or want the real playbook for surviving the lowest moments in business, this conversation covers all of it honestly.Connect with Graeme Barlow: https://www.graemebarlow.com or https://founderlink.comLearn more about our episode partners and support the show:💼 Max Capital Hub: https://maxcapitalhub.com/🌊 Oceans Talent: https://hire.oceanstalent.com/dave_gulas#founderstories #entrepreneurship #startupfailures #resilience