August 2025

Most entrepreneurs are still using AI like a basic assistant — plugging in prompts and hoping something sticks. But that’s not how today’s top creators are getting 50K views in 48 hours.

This video reveals how I used OpenAI’s brand-new ChatGPT Agent — a tool most entrepreneurs don’t even know exists — not for keyword research or guesswork, but to predict what to post next using real-time signals from Reddit, YouTube, and Substack.

The result? A viral video, top 2 media ranking, and a strategy you can replicate today.

What you’ll discover:

• The viral forecasting prompt I now run every Monday, so I never have to guess what to post again
• How to reverse-engineer your competitor’s entire funnel (without clicking their ads or hiring a consultant)
• The traffic play that helped me rank in Google’s AI-generated results in record time
• The secret to building a content calendar in 10 minutes flat — with emotional hooks and scroll-stopping titles that actually work

This isn’t just another AI hack. It’s a total shift in how smart solopreneurs are using ChatGPT’s new autonomous Agent to predict, build, and scale faster than most teams.

If you’re ready to build smarter, grow faster, and dominate your niche before everyone else catches on, this is the video to watch.

The AI Success Kit is available to download for free, along with a chapter from my new book, The Wolf is at The Door.

Last week, on Apple’s earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said he was looking to acquire companies.

“We’re very open to [mergers and acquisitions],” Cook said at the time. “We basically ask ourselves whether a company can help us accelerate a roadmap. If they do, then we’re interested.”

Related: She Was CEO of OpenAI for 2 Days. Now Her Secretive AI Startup Has Raised $12 Billion.

Cook noted that of the seven or so companies that Apple had acquired so far in 2025, several were not AI-focused and came from “all walks of life.” He also said the company was making deals fast — every few weeks.

^{Apple CEO Tim Cook BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP | Getty Images}

What is Apple looking for in a startup?

“We are not stuck on a certain size company,” Cook said.

Apple has about $133 billion of cash, so price isn’t the issue. Rather, the question would be how a startup can fit into the Apple ecosystem with consumer products.

Business Insider notes that Apple’s largest acquisition of all time was Beats Electronics in 2014 for $3 billion.

The outlet asked several experts in the field which companies Apple should consider buying, and many big names were thrown into the ring — including Perplexity, the popular AI-powered search engine.

Related: A Newly Acquired Startup Just Offered Its 200-Person Team a Choice — Work Weekends or Take a Buyout

Another notable suggestion was Thinking Machines Lab, the startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The company has raised $12 billion so far, though it has yet to launch any products. In July, Murati posted on X that the company would be sharing its first product “in the next couple of months.”

Still, Perplexity and Thinking Machines Lab could be too pricey (both could end up costing somewhere close to $20 billion, BI estimates, if they were even for sale at all), so smaller companies definitely have a shot.

Maybe it’s time to give your pitch deck a refresh.

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When it comes to raising capital, too many startup founders chase investors before building something worth investing in. I’ve been on both sides of the conversation, as an entrepreneur raising funds and as an advisor helping founders position themselves for growth. The venture capital world doesn’t reward effort. It rewards traction, clarity and risk mitigation.

The good news? Making your startup attractive to VCs isn’t about smoke and mirrors. It’s about being strategic from day one.

Related: 4 Ways to Prepare to Raise Venture Capital

1. VCs don’t buy ideas — they buy momentum

Every founder thinks their idea is brilliant. But VCs don’t fund ideas. They fund execution.

If you haven’t tested the market, generated early traction or proven demand, you’re not building a startup — you’re writing a thesis.

Momentum could look like early revenue, an active waitlist, a successful beta rollout or even partnerships that validate the product’s relevance. You don’t need millions in the bank to show movement. You need signals that your idea works in the real world.

Too often, I see founders spending months on pitch decks and branding before speaking to a single customer. Flip that. Build, test, refine, then pitch.

2. Get obsessively clear on the problem you’re solving

VCs invest in problems, not just products. The bigger and more urgent the problem, the more compelling the opportunity.

One of the biggest red flags I see in startup decks is vague problem statements. “Our app makes life easier” isn’t compelling. “We reduce failed deliveries for ecommerce businesses by 30%” is.

I tell founders regularly that if a 10-second elevator pitch doesn’t make the investor’s eyebrows lift, you’re not close enough to the pain point.

Drill deep. Use data. Use emotion. Use lived experience. And then show how your product offers measurable relief.

3. Your team is half the pitch

At the early stage, VCs are betting more on people than products. That means your team, or at least your founding story, matters deeply.

I often ask, “Would I want to work for these people?” If the answer is no, why would someone want to back them?

What makes your team uniquely positioned to solve this problem? Is it domain expertise? Insider experience? Past success?

If your team looks like four college friends who thought up an app on a Friday night, that’s fine, but you need to prove you can execute like a seasoned unit. Highlight your operational discipline, your learning velocity and how you handle uncertainty together.

Related: What Venture Capitalists Look For When Investing In A Startup

4. Brand signals matter more than you think

This might sound odd coming from a founder of a digital PR company, but the truth is: Brand matters to VCs. A clean narrative, strong digital presence and earned media coverage all contribute to perceived credibility.

I’ve seen term sheets land faster for founders who looked investable online, even when the numbers were similar.

Investors are human. They Google you. They skim your LinkedIn. They check if you’ve been mentioned in relevant media or podcasts. Make sure what they find builds confidence, not confusion.

Invest early in your digital footprint. It doesn’t need to be perfect — it needs to be intentional.

5. Make it easy to say yes

VCs don’t just invest based on potential. They invest based on pattern recognition and risk management. Your job is to remove friction from the decision.

That means being transparent with your numbers, your roadmap and your current gaps. It means having your data room in order. It also means speaking the investor’s language.

I warn early-stage founders, “If your pitch sounds like an ad, not a strategy, you’re in trouble.”

Make it easy to see the opportunity, the upside and the plan for deploying capital wisely. The best founders don’t oversell. They clarify, document and invite collaboration.

6. VCs want to back founders, not fix them

One of the simplest and hardest truths in venture capital is this: VCs want to invest in people they trust to make good decisions without hand-holding.

That doesn’t mean you need to have all the answers. It means you need to have a learning mindset, the humility to take feedback and the strength to lead anyway.

I often look for founders who can be both teacher and student, confident in their vision, but curious enough to keep evolving.

In your pitch, show how you’ve adapted, improved and bounced back. VCs love grit, and they respect reflection.

Related: Seeking VC Funding? Make Sure You Have the Answers to These 5 Questions

Final thought: Think like an investor before you pitch one

The most investable founders are the ones who understand capital as a tool, not a trophy. They don’t pitch out of desperation. They pitch because they’ve done the work, built the momentum and are now ready to scale what already works.

Before you chase funding, build what a smart investor would want to buy into: clarity, traction, a credible team and a repeatable growth engine.

“A VC isn’t looking to rescue you — they’re looking to join you,” I remind every founder I mentor.

At the end of the day, you’re not just pitching a company. You’re inviting someone to help build it with you.

Make sure it’s a story worth joining.

Instagram unveiled its new “Instagram Map” feature this week, letting users share their most recent location when using the app. The feature is similar to Snapchat’s “Snap Map,” TechCrunch notes. Instagram had previously added location-sharing in November 2024, but it was for DMs only.

Of course, this has led to a flurry of posts on social media about safety issues. Meta told the New York Post in a statement that Instagram Map is “off by default, and your live location is never shared unless you choose to turn it on. If you do, only people you follow back—or a private, custom list you select—can see your location.”

Related: Instagram Is Paying Some Users Up to $20,000 to Bring New People to the Platform

Meanwhile, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri posted on the app Thursday to clarify: “Quick Friend Map clarification: your location will only be shared if you decide to share it, and if you do, it can only [be] shared with a limited group of people you choose. To start, location sharing is completely off.”

“Personally, I use the map to share what I’m up to with a handful of my closest friends, and I curate that list carefully,” he wrote.

Still, some users posted in the comments that their location was on by default without knowing. Several Reddit threads have noted the same. Here’s how to make sure it’s off (if you prefer).

Related: Instagram’s CEO Says He ‘Experienced a Sophisticated Phishing Attack’ With Google

How to turn off your location on Instagram Map

• Go to your DM inbox, and select the “Map” circle next to “Notes.”
• Open the map view (you’ll see your friends who are sharing locations, whether yours is off or on).
• In the top right corner, select “Settings.”
• You’ll see a prompt: “Who can see your location?” and then select “No one.”
• Hit “Done” to save.

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Take a closer look at “How to Train Your Dragon,” the live-action movie released in June. Embedded in the end credits of the movie is a warning: Universal Pictures, the major American film studio behind the film, will take legal action if any company or individual uses the film for AI training.

The end credit warning, which says that a movie “may not be used to train AI,” also appeared in “Jurassic World Rebirth,” released in July, and “The Bad Guys 2,” which came out in August, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Related: ‘Bottomless Pit of Plagiarism’: Disney, Universal File the First Major Hollywood Lawsuit Against an AI Startup

Alongside the message is a more standard one that states that the movie “is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries” and threatens “civil liability and criminal prosecution” if faced with “unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition.”

Universal recently joined Walt Disney Pictures in taking legal action against an AI image-generating startup called Midjourney. In June, Disney and Universal filed a complaint accusing Midjourney of duplicating iconic characters from their copyrighted works in its AI outputs.

Midjourney made $300 million last year, partly by generating media containing copyrighted characters created by the studios, the complaint alleges. The document goes on to list characters like Hiccup from “How to Train Your Dragon” and Po from “Kung Fu Panda” as examples of Universal creations that Midjourney allegedly reproduced.

Related: Netflix Co-CEO Says the Company Used AI on a TV Show for the First Time: ‘Completed 10 Times Faster’

Universal Pictures generated $1.88 billion in box office revenue in the U.S. and Canada in 2024, a 3% decline from the previous year. Meanwhile, Disney was the top studio globally in 2024, bringing in $5.46 billion at the box office.

Instead of taking legal action against AI, other Big Eight film studios have begun to incorporate the technology into their movies. For example, Netflix disclosed last month that it used AI to generate footage for one of its shows for the first time. The Argentine science fiction show, “El Eternauta,” or “The Eternaut,” featured an AI-created scene showing a collapsing building.

Netflix claims to have completed the AI-generated scene “10 times faster” than if it had used standard tools.

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OpenAI unveiled GPT-5 on Thursday, which the company is calling its “smartest, fastest, [and] most useful model yet.” In a press release, the company said the new model puts “expert-level intelligence in everyone’s hands” and is a “significant leap in intelligence over all our previous models.”

On Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called it a “major upgrade” and said that after the new model, using older versions felt “miserable.”

Related: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Says AI Agents Are Like a Team of ‘Junior Employees’

In addition to improvements in coding, math, health, and other areas, the new GPT-5 also lets users choose a “personality” in settings. The default personality is still available and noted to be “clear, neutral, and adaptable.” Other options include “cynic” (sarcastic and dry, blunt but witty); “robot” (precise, emotionless, direct answers without extra words); “listener” (warm, laid-back, and calm with “light wit”); and “nerd” (playful, curious, celebrates knowledge and discovery).

And while previous reports highlighted the sycophancy of past models, OpenAI says that GPT‑5 “is less effusively agreeable” and “uses fewer unnecessary emojis.”

“It should feel less like ‘talking to AI’ and more like chatting with a helpful friend with PhD‑level intelligence,” the company wrote.

Related: Here’s What ‘Terrifies’ OpenAI’s CEO About Financial Institutions Today

GPT-5 is available for all users. OpenAI recommends these prompts to get started:

Create your own video game

• Create a single-page app in a single HTML file with the following requirements:
• Name: Jumping Ball Runner
• Goal: Jump over obstacles to survive as long as possible.
• Features: Increasing speed, high score tracking, retry button, and funny sounds for actions and events.
• The UI should be colorful, with parallax scrolling backgrounds.
• The characters should look cartoonish and be fun to watch.
• The game should be enjoyable for everyone.

Create your own drum simulator

• Create a single-page app in a single HTML file with the following requirements:
• Name: Virtual Drum Kit
• Goal: Play a drum kit using keyboard or clicks.
• Features: Multiple drum sounds, record and playback mode.
• The UI should be music-studio themed, polished, modern. Make it as beautiful as possible.

You can try GPT-5 free here.

Never have I been more grateful to be a business owner than when I recently caught up with a close friend and former colleague from my corporate days. This man is the definition of dependable. He’s hardworking, always prioritizing work and rarely complains or asks for anything.

Recently, he suffered a major hardship and needed to step back temporarily to focus on his family. Initially, his company was sympathetic and accommodating. In the end, however, he lost the job he had dedicated so much of his time and energy to.

Related: Winning Includes Putting People First in Your Business. This is How You Do It.

Corporations are not people…

As his friend, I am heartbroken. As a business owner, I am appalled. While I understand that businesses answer to their shareholders, what I struggle to reconcile is the decision to overlook loyalty and dedication of service for a minuscule amount of money. Learning how little regard the company had for my friend’s hardship only reaffirmed the promise I made when I started my company and vowed never to put profit before people.

Not long after my friend told me his story, one of my team members experienced a traumatic event. Instead of taking the “corporate” approach, citing policy, discussing FMLA and generally making a terrible situation more stressful, my business partner and I leaned in to support them. We made it clear that their well-being comes first. Never did it occur to either of us to let them go during a difficult time in their life because they couldn’t show up and make money for the company. My only thought was to help in any way I could.

…They’re only powered by people

The corporate world is famously unkind, but to find out that your years of service count for nothing at a time of personal hardship is nothing short of cruel. I am sure that had my friend been granted the flexibility he needed, he would have made it up to the company tenfold once he was able to return to work, but that can never happen because his company did not see it that way.

When team members know they will have support at work, especially during their most challenging moments, they are not just motivated; they are inspired. They will freely give you more of their time and attention, and they will care more about their work. Loyalty to your people breeds loyalty in return.

“Culture” and “assets”

What the corporate world has so tragically dismissed is the role of human kindness in cultivating human capital. Many large companies make a big deal about their team members being their most valuable asset, but what they really mean is that they value their team members for the revenue they generate.

As soon as that is no longer the case, they cut ties and find someone else to fill the spot. That kind of culture breeds resentment and fosters corruption because, when companies fail to protect their “most valuable asset,” those assets are less keen to protect the company.

Related: Why Kindness Is A Crucial Quality For Leaders

True human capital is measured in respect, not dollars

My people are my company. Without them, I would fail as an entrepreneur. I’ve worked hard to find the right people, train them, nurture their skills and create an environment that fosters creativity, because when they are happy, it shines through in their work. While this leadership style may not always be the most profitable in the short term, it has been a key factor in my company’s long-term success.

So, when something unexpected happens, I will be there to offer my support. My people know that, and I have every confidence that they would step up for me if ever I needed them to.

Venture investors are adapting to the times, and are increasingly open to working with Al technologies and investing in both new and emerging sectors such as longevity and wellness, areas of the global economy which have seen over 75% more funding in 2023 and projected to reach $8 trillion by 2030 according to a recent UBS report.

Trends are showing that venture investors are also becoming more conscientious in choosing their startups. With Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors rising to importance among investors worldwide, according to an article written by an expert from EY, it is increasingly apparent that purpose-led investors are gaining traction in the VC space too.

An article written on BusinessCloud summarises that one of the main reasons why investors are betting on purpose in 2025 is that purpose-led companies “deliver profits, are transparent and, more importantly, resilient.” A study conducted by B Lab Global showed that B Corp companies, which operated on principles on sustainability, outperformed ordinary businesses in revenues.

As an entrepreneur and a venture investor myself, I am also driven by a deep sense of purpose: to help more people achieve a longer health span across the globe. I carefully select to support other entrepreneurs and brands who share my vision. The more aligned my values are with a startup entrepreneur’s, the more likely we are to begin a partnership together to achieve our common goals.

This is how venture investors are increasingly thinking about their future endeavours. I am keen to help others in the community understand the five key factors that entrepreneurs need to possess to capture the attention of a purpose-led venture investor.

Related: Doing Well by Doing Good — How Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurs Are Changing the World

1. A leader with a strong vision

Regardless of whether investors share the values exuded by a business venture or not, it is crucial for an entrepreneur to exhibit a strong and clear vision for their startup from the get-go.

A visionary entrepreneur would have a strong sense of purpose and direction for their business, and this will also be a trait shared with the purpose-led venture investor themself.

An entrepreneur’s eloquently communicated vision for their startup, together with an honest picture of the business’s current framework, strengths and opportunities, will help the investor visualize the future that they could help create by investing in the business themselves.

It is common knowledge in the VC world that although investors rarely accept deals, they almost never budge away from the entrepreneurs they believe in. And these entrepreneurs often begin their pitch with a powerful vision statement that investors can’t stop thinking about.

2. A business built on trust

One of my most important beliefs is that trust is like a mirror — once broken, it simply can’t be pieced together again.

A purpose-led investor operates on trust and therefore will expect the entrepreneur standing in front of them to think the same way. An entrepreneur will have to show the investor that the start-up thus far has been successful because of the meaningful relationships it has built on, whether these are with employees, contractors or most importantly, the customer base.

A business built on trust is one that is constructed with precision and a lot of care. It also indicates long-term growth and longevity for the entity, as opposed to it being one that burns bridges with overly risky transactions and bad decisions. In a nutshell, trust is the main driver of success for a business.

Related: Purpose-Driven Companies Grow 3 Times Faster — So Here’s How to Become One Without Sacrificing Profit.

3. Understanding the servant leadership style

Purpose-led investors look to partner with individuals with strong conviction, not only in terms of business ideas but also in terms of the leadership style they practice. An entrepreneur who embraces the servant leadership style is one who focuses on serving the greater good, who prioritizes the health, well-being and success of people and the communities they serve.

I have practiced the servant leadership style in my career, and it is a humbling experience, as it is all about being a leader who leads without prioritizing their own ego. There are three Cs to becoming a servant leader, and that is about: compassion, character and competence.

While it is not compulsory for entrepreneurs to exhibit this leadership style, I believe that at least understanding its philosophy will be beneficial. This is especially for when entrepreneurs deal with purpose-led investors who will be attracted to qualities such as authenticity, integrity and a desire to support others in an entrepreneur, especially when they pursue a business with a purpose.

4. Commitment to measuring social impact

A startup wanting to create a social impact is an attractive prospect, but what’s more important is whether it can sustain itself financially in the long term without compromising its ideals. This is where entrepreneurs need to include in their pitch a way to measure the impact they will be creating and how that will effectively translate into ROI for the investor.

Showing a commitment to measuring the impact a company has created means that the entrepreneur is dedicated to learning from any mistakes that might occur and ensuring that the original intent of the business is not lost.

Purpose should also not be taken for granted, as without methods to measure impact, companies can later on be privy to public accusations of impact washing. So you’ve also got to walk the walk. Research shows that 60% of brands with purpose-driven initiatives are not measuring their impact on society. It’s best to be wary of statistics like these and stand out as a startup that not only has a vision but also has the framework to produce tangible results.

Related: Most Startups Ignore This One Asset That Makes or Breaks Their Success

5. Good market knowledge

This goes without saying, but most types of investors will expect entrepreneurs to know their target market, understand their competition and have a good grasp of the trends that are dominating the sector they are interested in.

A good knowledge of the regional cultures associated with their intended markets is also an important factor for an entrepreneur, as purpose-led investors often favour an internationalist outlook.

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features 35-year-old New York City-based entrepreneur Mehek Khera. Khera is the founder and CEO of Niramaya Foods, a snack brand “rooted in wellness and inspired by Indian heritage.”

At the age of 24, Khera left New Delhi, India and immigrated to the U.S., where she landed a job at Walmart. Then burnout and health issues motivated her to start a health-forward side hustle.

Niramaya is hitting $1 million in revenue for the first time in 2025. Learn how Khera transformed Niramaya into the successful business behind Naan pretzels and dips, here. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Niramaya Foods. Mehek Khera.}

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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I was working in retail at Walmart ecommerce, managing the category and supply chain for beauty and apparel. It was fast-paced, high-pressure and fulfilling in many ways — but over time, the long hours, lack of real food and stress began to take a toll on my body and mind.

Related: This 26-Year-Old’s Side Hustle Turned Full-Time Business Led to $100,000 in 2.5 Months and Is On Track for $2.5 Million in 2025

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
Niramaya began to form in 2020, during a season of burnout and health struggles. I was dealing with chronic, undiagnosed autoimmune conditions and couldn’t find answers. I left my job and turned to nutrition school — and through that, rediscovered the healing power of the foods I grew up with: vibrant dals, functional spices, sabzis made from fresh vegetables. I realized those recipes, passed down through generations, were medicine in themselves, and yet, I couldn’t find them on any shelf in a way that felt clean, convenient or modern. That gap between culture and convenience, tradition and today, became the foundation for Niramaya.

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
I started in my kitchen, playing with recipes, taking feedback seriously and testing early versions at local markets. I knew I couldn’t do this casually, so I saved up about $50,000 over two years to afford the minimum order quantities for our first co-manufacturer. I researched tirelessly, made hundreds of phone calls and eventually found a partner that aligned with our mission. We developed early packaging, launched a small website and put real products into people’s hands. That’s when the magic started.

Related: This 29-Year-Old’s Side Hustle Brought People ‘to the Dark Green Side.’ It Made $10,000 Within 2 Days and Sees 6 Figures a Month.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Niramaya Foods}

Are there any free or paid resources that were especially helpful?
Founder networks like Startup CPG, Naturally Network and SKU Accelerator made a world of difference. Slack groups for CPG founders were fast, brutally honest and incredibly supportive. On the tools side: Notion for tracking everything, Canva for design, QuickBooks for finances. But the most valuable resource by far? Talking to consumers face-to-face during demos. No software can replace that.

If you could go back and change one process or approach, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change the path — every challenge taught me something I needed. But I would better prepare for the sheer resource drain. Budget twice the money and give yourself twice the time. Everything takes longer and costs more than you think — and that’s not a flaw: It’s just the nature of the game.

Related: They Started a Side Hustle Producing an ‘Obvious’ Food Item. It Hit $300,000 Monthly Revenue Fast — On Track for Over $20 Million in 2025.

What’s something about this side hustle turned business that surprised or challenged you the most?
How capital-intensive retail really is. Getting onto shelves is just the start — then comes the real work of driving velocity, educating the shopper and staying top-of-mind. Another challenge was re-educating people about Indian food. So many assume it’s just “heavy curry.” But our cuisine is so much more: vibrant, clean, gut-friendly, plant-forward. Translating that truth through packaging, product and language has been both a challenge and a privilege.

Can you recall a specific moment when something went wrong — how did you handle it?
At one of our early retail partners, our dips were priced too high and placed on the very top shelf — almost invisible to the consumer. Rather than panic, I calmly reached out to the buyer with sales data and shelf psychology insights and offered to support with demos and social posts if they would consider revisiting price and placement. They agreed. That moment reminded me that being proactive, respectful and solutions-oriented goes a long way in retail.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Niramaya Foods}

How long did it take to see consistent revenue?
We started seeing steady traction around nine months in. We began with smaller independents, a few regional stores and a lot of in-person events. It was grassroots, but it taught me how to listen, adapt and scale responsibly.

What does growth and revenue look like today?
Today, Niramaya is available in over 1,200 retail doors across the country, including Sprouts, Albertsons and a strong base of New York City independents. This will be our first year in seven figures. We’re launching new SKUs and doubling down on retailers who believe in what we’re building.

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
The deep creative satisfaction of building something that feels true and seeing it touch people. When someone says, “I’ve never tasted anything so clean and bold at once,” I know we’re doing something meaningful. We’re not just selling food: We’re shifting the perception of Indian flavors and bringing more people into the fold.

Related: Tired of ‘Culturally Obtuse’ Products, This 27-Year-Old Took His Side Hustle From $1,000 a Month to 7-Figure Revenue: ‘Pick the Right Opportunity to Pursue’

What’s your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
Start before you feel “ready.” But don’t build in a bubble. Get feedback constantly, especially from your customers. Stay lean. Build trust with your partners. Don’t be afraid to ask dumb questions. And remember — relationships will carry you farther than any marketing campaign. Be generous, be honest and follow through.

Ready to break through your revenue ceiling? Join us at Level Up, a conference for ambitious business leaders to unlock new growth opportunities.

Microsoft is planning to implement a stricter return-to-office mandate as soon as next year, sources told Business Insider.

Since the pandemic, Microsoft has had a flexible work arrangement, allowing remote work as much as half of the time. According to the BI report, Microsoft is considering increasing the requirement for in-person work for employees based in its Redmond, Washington, headquarters to at least three days a week starting in January.

Microsoft is still working out the details of the plan and intends to announce it in September, the sources said. A Microsoft spokesperson told BI that the company was considering revising its flexible work schedule, but had yet to finalize any changes.

Related: Microsoft Just Became the Second Company in History to Achieve a $4 Trillion Valuation — Here’s How

A return-to-office mandate could impact tens of thousands of Microsoft employees. As of June 30, Microsoft employed 228,000 workers, with 125,000 located in the U.S.

If Microsoft implements a stricter return-to-office policy, it would join a slew of other companies that have tightened the limits on remote work recently — or eliminated it altogether.

In 2025, both AT&T and Sweetgreen revised their stances on remote work, with AT&T asking U.S. staff to work all five days from the office while Sweetgreen mandated four days. Both companies previously required staff to work in person three days a week.

Meanwhile, Amazon announced a sweeping return-to-office mandate in September, requiring employees to work from the office five days a week starting in January instead of adhering to a hybrid schedule. Though the move met with pushback from staff — and inspired 500 employees to sign a letter in protest — Amazon persisted with the move.

Related: Amazon Tells Thousands of Employees to Relocate or Resign

According to a study conducted last year by Bamboo HR, return-to-office mandates were often layoffs in disguise, designed to pare down a workforce without conducting official job cuts. About a quarter of C-Suite executives surveyed wanted to inspire “voluntary turnover” with stricter return-to-office policies.

Mass Layoffs Despite Stellar Earnings

Microsoft recently conducted mass layoffs, eliminating 9,000 roles in July, or nearly 4% of its workforce. Two months earlier, in May, Microsoft laid off over 6,000 employees, or 3% of its workforce.

At the same time, Microsoft has reported stellar earnings, greater than analyst expectations. Last month, Microsoft announced that for the quarter ending June 30, revenue was up 18% from the previous year, reaching $76.4 billion, while net income was $27.2 billion, a 24% increase.

Related: Microsoft’s CEO Says the Company’s Mass Layoffs, Despite Financial Success, Are ‘Weighing Heavily on Me’ in an Internal Memo

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella explained the job cuts in a memo to staff released on Microsoft’s corporate blog last month. Nadella acknowledged the discrepancy between Microsoft’s “thriving” financials and his decision to still lay off staff.

“This is the enigma of success in an industry that has no franchise value,” Nadella wrote, without explaining further.

Microsoft stock is up over 24% year-to-date at the time of writing.

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