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What Entrepreneurs Need to Learn From the Fyre Festival Disaster

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Fyre Festival 2017

By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the infamous Fyre Festival. This 2017 music festival turned disaster/international laughing stock has re-entered the public eye due to documentaries released by both Netflix and Hulu that detailed precisely what went down. If you haven’t watched either doc, let’s just say it’s somehow much worse than we all initially thought.

The good news is that entrepreneurs can learn some extremely valuable lessons from Billy McFarland, the leading man behind Fyre, was described as “either the smartest guy in the room or absolutely insane” by his team. He’s now facing 6 years in federal prison and yet started running scams when he was out from bail after the first fiasco.

Entrepreneurs need to pay attention to precisely what happened here, so they don’t repeat the same mistakes. Startup culture tends to idolize guys like McFarland who take significant risks. Sometimes, it works out, and genius truly is present. Sometimes, you turn into a laughing stock.

Here are some key takeaways to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes:

1. Backup fantasy with fact

This is where you need to start. It’s great to dream big and make plans; well over 50% of Americans want to be entrepreneurs, reports Forbes. However, in reality, only 4% of the population actually are entrepreneurs.

How is there such a massive difference between desires and the actual work of being an entrepreneur? The answer lies in execution. The reality of being your own boss is stressful, draining, and requires large quantities of talent, hard work, and luck in turn.

When the Fyre Festival trailer dropped, it was clearly selling a fantasy. It branded itself as “a quest to push beyond…the boundaries of impossible.” World class supermodels like Bella Hadid and Haley Baldwin swimming in crystal clear waters, beautiful crowds at large concerts, endless luxury, waterside cabanas: these were just a few of the promised teased by the trailer.

The reality of the event has been widely shared: leftover hurricane relief tents, soaking wet mattresses, limited food and water, no influencers in sight. Fyre Festival created the fantasy with absolutely no plan to back it up. After they sold 95% tickets within 48 hours of dropping the trailer, the plan stopped there.

A realistic timeline and solid plan are necessary for all entrepreneurial visions to become a reality. Don’t get caught up in the dream at the expense of the details! That’s what makes that 4% successful over any others.

2. Don’t surround yourself with yes men

Billy McFarland was the ideas guy, the dreamer, but certainly not the planner. He had a team of dozens of successful, artistic designers and organizers working under him. These people had no problem coming forward for interviews with each of the documentaries, but at the time, no one could voice their very reasonable concerns.

McFarland was reported over and over as having a ton of charisma and positivity, and would answer any issues with “We’re not a problems-focused group, we’re a solutions-oriented group, we need to have a positive attitude about this.”

These buzzwords probably sound familiar. While positivity is a great trait to have while dealing with stress, it can only get you so far. Certainly not all the way to the Bahamas. You need a team that will listen to you and support you, sure, but you need someone to tell you when you’re off the mark. “Leaders need to surround themselves with those who are willing to step in and prevent a disastrous decision from taking place,” says Art Rainer.

Mckinsey reports that 97% of employees and executives believe that lack of alignment impacts the outcome of a task or project. Build your team with humility in mind. You need to be checked sometimes, and admitting that is an enormous strength.

3. Know when to call it

Sometimes, your business idea just isn’t going to succeed. That’s just a reality of the entrepreneurial life. The key here is to know when to call it quits. There were a laughable amount of points throughout the “planning” process where admitting defeat would have saved the entire team time, money, stress, and jail time.

McFarland ignored all of it, and finally cracked “when all the guest arrived to the mess,” explains Complex. “After all the guests had left and locals who worked on the festival started demanding money, he was nowhere to be seen.”

The Fyre team could have postponed the festival, explained the issue, or just flat out cancelled, especially when the night before Day 1 the festival site was flooded with rain and the tents and mattresses were ruined, not to mention, the stages were half built and there wasn’t enough temporary housing for 2/3rds of the attendees. Bad press and financial blowback would have been better than the complete disaster of the actual event.

Make sure to begin with a bulletproof process for your entire business pitch, including a plan for failure. Cover your financial bases, make sure everyone involved gets paid appropriately, and learn for the future.

Not every idea will succeed, and that might actually be a good thing for your long term career. You just need to know when to call it. Learn from the worst, become the best. There’s a reason Fyre Festival has become so notorious. The power of influencers and social media as well as the manipulations of McFarland and the naivety of his team all combined into one of the most memorable events of the last few years.

Entrepreneurs just getting started as well as seasoned business people need to take note and make sure not to repeat these same mistakes. Have a solid plan, a reasonable and communicative team, and a realistic timeline, and you’ll be on the right track.

Parker Davis is the CEO of Nexa, a leader in the virtual receptionist and technology-enabled answering services industry. He believes that the application of data analytics, investment in technology, and fostering a positive company culture together create highly efficient and scalable growth companies. In 2016, Nexa achieved record revenues while also being awarded the Top Companies to Work For in Arizona award. Parker is also the Managing Partner of Annison Capital Partners, LLC, a private investment partnership. Follow him @callnexa and on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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The Entrepreneur’s Reading List That Transforms Ideas Into Empires

These must-read titles and writing insights reveal how entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into empire-level success.

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top entrepreneurship books for business growth
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Entrepreneurship is powered by stories—of accomplishment, failure, and decision moments that define businesses. Books are maps, providing insight from individuals who’ve traversed the road ahead. (more…)

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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs

Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

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Back in July 2017, I attended a business seminar on entrepreneurship in India. With my appetite for learning and meeting new people, I wanted to explore the latest developments in the entrepreneurial world. (more…)

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