Founders Future

Building Top Hat and Headless Hostman: Ben Butler on Grit, Failure, and Growth

Closers.io

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with serial entrepreneur Benjamin Butler, founder of Top Hat, a branding and development agency, and Headless Hostman, a game-changing SaaS platform for WordPress hosting. Ben shares his rollercoaster 12-year journey—from launching a business in college to weathering multiple failures and refocusing on his strengths in design, development, and SaaS.

Discover how Ben built Top Hat into a strategic partner for clients with budgets over $10K, evolved lead generation beyond SEO, and created Headless Hostman to solve a critical hosting pain point, attracting Fortune 50 clients and government institutions. He also reveals his unique hiring approach, scaling challenges, and vision for sustainable growth.

Packed with hard-earned lessons, Ben’s advice is simple but powerful: “Just start somewhere,” embrace failure, and trust your gut. Tune in for a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and entrepreneurial grit.