Richard

In the early days of any business, most founders wear too many hats. You’re the product lead, marketer, customer service rep and ops manager — sometimes all in the same afternoon.

I’ve been there. When I was launching my first AI startup, I was writing code, answering support tickets, hacking on SEO and trying to figure out Google Ads at night. Every time I jumped from one thing to another, I paid a tax: ramp-up time, mental fatigue, missed details.

Eventually, I drew a line: if a function had a steep learning curve, wasn’t core to the product or customer experience, and could burn cash fast if I got it wrong, it had to go.

Here are the first three things I outsourced — what worked, what didn’t and how I make the decision now.

Related: How to Turn Big Business Moments Into Lasting Brand Momentum

1. Google Ads had to go first

I took a real swing at it. I set up campaigns, followed Google’s recommendations and even tried Performance Max. One day it would “work,” the next day I’d spend $90 to make a $24 sale.

Whether you’re running a SaaS tool, an ecommerce store, or a local service business, paid ads can become a black hole. The learning curve is steep, the platform is opaque by design and Google is always nudging you to spend more so the algorithm can “learn.”

I hired a specialist. Instantly, I stopped burning time trying to reverse engineer bidding strategies and keyword intent. I could focus on the roadmap, customers and the parts of marketing I actually understood. Worth every dollar.

My advice: Try it briefly so you understand the vocabulary and the levers. Then get out. Your money will disappear faster than your learning compounds.

2. Social media was next — and it blew up (in a bad way)

I outsourced content and channel management to someone who promised to “crush it.” I gave full access to my accounts. It devolved into drama, threats and low-quality work. I shut it down.

The lesson? Never give full control of a distribution channel to someone you don’t know, and never confuse enthusiasm with competence. Social media can be valuable for any business building in public — but only if it’s handled by someone you trust and can hold accountable.

Next time: I’ll only outsource to someone vetted by people I trust, with scoped access, clear deliverables and a kill switch.

3. PR was the third — and it worked

I’d watched competitors outrank me and land strong stories. I tried the DIY route (like HARO), but the ROI wasn’t there. So I brought in someone who could own the process — strategy, pitching, follow-through — and translate my product into narratives reporters actually want.

That freed me to focus on what I do best while the media engine ran in parallel. For businesses in crowded markets or emerging categories, this kind of PR support can be game-changing.

How I decide what to outsource now

I use a simple filter:

• Is this core to the product or user experience? If yes, I keep it.
• Is the learning curve steep enough that I’ll waste weeks for marginal improvement? If yes, I outsource.
• Could a mistake here be disproportionately expensive? (Ads and legal are great examples.) Outsource.
• Do I understand it well enough to evaluate the work? If not, I’ll do a quick self-guided crash course, then bring someone in.
• Can I structure a small, low-risk test? If yes, I do that before any retainer.

Handling the handoff while staying lean

I started with literal paper notes, then the Mac Notes app. Today, I still keep it simple: Trello boards when needed, email for most communication, and regular short check-ins. The point is clarity, not tooling.

One clear metric, one owner, one cadence.

Access-wise: role-based logins, password manager and instant revocation baked into the plan. That social media experience burned this into my process.

Related: How to Actually Get Returns in Your Marketing Efforts

About that “it’s faster if I do it myself” line…

It isn’t. It just feels faster because you don’t have to explain anything. In reality, you’re trading days of deep work for weeks of shallow thrash.

Do enough to understand it. Then move it off your plate — so you can focus on what only you can do.

You can’t do it all — not for long and not well. Start by outsourcing the work that burns cash when done poorly, has a steep learning curve, or pulls you furthest from the product or customer. Keep control of your infrastructure, build small, reversible contracts and measure everything.

The cost of trying to be superhuman is higher than the cost of a good specialist.

Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company with a market capitalization of $4.39 trillion at the time of writing, beat revenue expectations for its fiscal second quarter, reporting sales of $46.74 billion on Wednesday after market close.

Nvidia posted that data center revenue was up 56% from a year prior, reaching $41.1 billion.

The company’s longtime CEO, Jensen Huang, told Fox Business Network’s The Claman Countdown on Thursday that AI, which Nvidia is advancing, would cause “some jobs” to disappear but result in new jobs becoming “invented.”

Related: Nvidia Pulls Ahead of Apple and Microsoft to Become the World’s First $4 Trillion Public Company

“One thing for sure, every job will be changed as a result of AI,” Huang said.

^{Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Photo by Wan Quan/VCG via Getty Images}

Huang also told Fox Business that he expects the economy to be doing “very well” in the future due to AI and automation, and stated that the quality of life for humanity would improve.

Huang’s remarks add to what he said last month on an episode of The All-In Podcast. On the podcast, Huang stated that the “one thing we know for certain” is that people who use AI will replace those who don’t. He predicted that AI use will lead to more millionaires in the next five years than the Internet produced in two decades.

Related: How Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Transformed a Graphics Card Company Into an AI Giant: ‘One of the Most Remarkable Business Pivots in History’

Huang also called AI the “greatest technology equalizer of all time” because it allows anyone to program by simply using plain English prompts (a practice known as “vibe coding,” which even Google CEO Sundar Pichai has dabbled in).

“AI in my case is creating jobs,” Huang said on the podcast, adding that the technology enables people to “create things that other people would like to buy.”

AI allows creative people to act on their ideas by providing technical services. In turn, it enables technical people to use it for creative endeavors, Huang pointed out.

Nvidia held 92% of the market share for AI chips in the first quarter of the year. Its chips power ChatGPT, an AI chatbot with more than 700 million weekly users as of this month, up from 500 million users in March.

Related: Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang Says He’s ‘Created More Billionaires’ Than Anyone Else — Adding Two More This Week

Nvidia’s stock was up over 30% year-to-date at the time of writing.

Most entrepreneurs are getting YouTube completely wrong. They’re copying entertainment creators, chasing viral moments and treating their channel like a content graveyard instead of the powerful authority-building platform it actually is.

Here’s what they’re missing: YouTube now captures over 12% of total television viewing time, which is more than Netflix, Disney or any major network. When you upload a video, you’re not competing against other YouTubers. You’re competing against prime-time television.

This changes everything about how you should approach the platform.

Related: Turn YouTube Into a Business Growth Engine With These Easy Tactics

Why traditional YouTube advice doesn’t work for entrepreneurs

Most creators obsess over “beating the algorithm,” but here’s the truth: The algorithm isn’t your audience — it’s a mirror of your audience. YouTube’s AI simply predicts human behavior based on how real people interact with your content. When viewers click your videos, watch them completely and immediately watch another one, the algorithm notices. It’s pattern recognition, not magic.

Stop trying to hack the system. Start understanding your audience so deeply that the algorithm has no choice but to promote your content.

When growth stagnates, most entrepreneurs default to posting more frequently. This is backwards thinking. I’ve seen channels grow faster by reducing from daily uploads to once per week because they stopped treating YouTube like a hamster wheel and started treating it like a strategic media platform.

The real issue isn’t posting frequency; it’s resource allocation. When you’re rushing to meet arbitrary deadlines, you can’t invest the time needed for strategic thinking and quality execution.

How YouTube actually works in 2025

YouTube operates on a simple two-step psychology: someone sees your content, decides to click, then chooses whether to keep watching. But there’s now a third element to consider, where autoplay previews let viewers “sample” your content before committing to the full click.

This mirrors how our brains make decisions. We constantly evaluate whether something is worth our attention, and YouTube has evolved to support this natural decision-making process.

The platform also tracks “valued watch time,” not just how long someone watches, but how satisfied they felt with the experience. YouTube runs daily surveys asking millions of users whether videos were worth their time, and this data directly influences which content gets broader distribution.

Related: Ready to Get Off the Social Media Hamster Wheel? Discover the Platform That Actually Boosts Your Discoverability

The 3 strategies that actually build authority

1. Master the ideation process

Most creators spend 90% of their time editing and 10% on ideas. Successful entrepreneurs flip this ratio entirely. The idea sets the bar for every video’s potential. Even a perfect execution of a weak concept will always underperform a strong idea with average execution.

Use what I call the Creative Faucet Method: When you first turn on a faucet, dirty water comes out. But if you let it run, clear water eventually flows. Your brain works the same way.

Set aside time each week to generate 30-50 raw video ideas using this breakdown:

• 40% market research (analyze what’s working in your space)

• 40% audience mining (scan comments and customer feedback for pain points)

• 20% innovation (experiment with unexpected angles)

From those concepts, 3-5 genuinely compelling ideas will emerge.

2. Perfect your packaging

Your title and thumbnail aren’t just about getting clicks; they’re your first credibility test. Every element should signal authority and expertise while creating enough curiosity to stop the scroll.

Effective title frameworks for entrepreneurs:

• The Contradiction: “Why I Don’t Use Email Marketing (Despite $10M in Revenue)”

• The Insider Secret: “The Sales Tactic 99% of Entrepreneurs Get Wrong”

• The Time Constraint: “Building a $1M Business in 18 Months: What I Learned”

Limit yourself to three elements maximum: your face showing confidence or expertise, clear text that reinforces the title and one visual element that represents the outcome or result.

With autoplay previews now showing 1-2 seconds of your video without sound, your opening moments have become part of your packaging strategy. Start with movement, compelling facial expressions or visual elements that immediately validate why someone clicked.

3. Focus on metrics that predict success

Ignore vanity metrics like subscriber count. Focus on three numbers that actually matter:

• First 24-hour click-through rate: This predicts long-term performance better than any other metric. YouTube gives new videos an algorithmic boost during their first day, primarily showing them to your core audience. Strong early performance signals broader distribution potential.

• Retention stability: Look for where your audience retention graph stabilizes after the initial drop-off. This shows you’re delivering on your promise and maintaining interest.

• Catalog performance: 40-60% of your views should come from videos older than six months. This indicates you’re creating evergreen content with lasting value, not just riding temporary trends.

Your starting point

Don’t try to implement everything at once. Pick one area and master it:

Week 1-2: Fix your ideas. Spend one hour every Sunday generating video concepts. Use customer emails, competitor analysis, and industry forums to find recurring questions and pain points.

Week 3-4: Improve your packaging. Apply the “mobile glance test.” Shrink your thumbnail to 150 pixels wide (roughly mobile size) and see if you can understand it in one second. If not, simplify it.

Week 5-6: Track what matters. Check your first 24-hour click-through rate in YouTube Studio. Anything above 8% is strong; above 12% is exceptional. Use this data to understand what resonates with your audience.

Related: How Brands and Individuals Can Leverage YouTube to Scale Their Business

Platform algorithms change constantly, but human psychology remains stable. When you build your YouTube strategy around how people actually discover, evaluate and consume content, you’re designing for constants rather than variables.

The entrepreneurs who build lasting authority on YouTube don’t chase viral moments; they create systematic value that compounds over time. They understand that every video is both a standalone piece of content and a building block in their larger authority platform.

Master these fundamentals, and you’ll have a YouTube presence that grows your business regardless of what changes the platform makes next.

Amazon is completing its takeover of Whole Foods, eight years after buying the grocery brand for $13.7 billion.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that on Nov. 10, Amazon plans to give new job offers to U.S. Whole Foods corporate employees, complete with new titles, salaries, and benefits.

The affected employees work in positions ranging from merchandising to marketing, and will be offered a month to review the new compensation packages, according to the report.

Under the new job offers, corporate Whole Foods employees will gain Amazon discounts and healthcare benefits, but lose perks, including four weeks of remote work a year. Amazon implemented a return-to-office mandate requiring five days a week in the office beginning in January.

Related: Some Whole Foods Locations Are Experiencing Empty Shelves After a Main Distributor Was Hacked

Additionally, Whole Foods corporate workers will receive Amazon stock instead of an annual bonus, starting next year. Corporate employees will keep a 20% discount at Whole Foods stores for a year, but lose the perk in 2027.

Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017 and offers a discount to shoppers with Amazon Prime subscriptions. It has also implemented its technology to make stores available for Amazon package pickups and returns.

Since the acquisition, Whole Foods has increased sales by more than 40% and expanded its footprint from 467 stores in 2017 to 535 stores in October 2024, per The Business Journals.

Amazon previously allowed Whole Foods staff to keep their job titles and their benefits. Whole Foods even had its own dedicated CEO, Jason Buechel, until January, when Amazon expanded his responsibilities to include Amazon Fresh grocery stores and Amazon Go convenience stores. Buechel is now Amazon’s vice president of worldwide grocery.

Related: ‘I Hate Bureaucracy’: Leaked Internal Amazon Document Reveals How the Tech Giant Is Cutting Down on Middle Management

In a leaked meeting in June for Amazon’s grocery team, Buechel said that internal bureaucracy slows down Amazon’s grocery business and holds the team back. He mentioned that it was “taking too long” for spending approvals and other decisions to occur.

“Ultimately, we’re wasting time,” Buechel said at the meeting. “It’s taking too long for decisions and approvals to take place, and it’s actually holding back some of our initiatives.”

Whole Foods falls under Amazon’s physical stores segment, which also includes Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores. During the second quarter of 2025, Amazon’s physical stores generated $5.6 billion in sales, a 7% increase from the same time last year.

Forget “digital native,” the term that refers to those who began interacting with digital technology at a young age. “AI native” is the new label getting entry-level college graduates six- or seven-figure salaries right out of school — and it’s all about capitalizing on young workers’ ability to use AI.

According to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal, though the unemployment rate for entry-level workers as a whole was 4.8% in June, higher than the 4% for all workers, companies are still hiring college graduates with AI experience.

Data analytics firm Databricks, for example, is hiring three times as many recent college graduates this year than last year because of their ability to use AI. The company’s CEO, Ali Ghodsi, told The Journal that some junior staff members having a “big impact” are getting paid a million dollars — and they’re under 25 years old.

Related: How Much Does Apple Pay Its Employees? Here Are the Exact Salaries of Staff Jobs, Including Developers, Engineers, and Consultants.

“They’re going to be all AI-native,” Ghodsi told the outlet, referring to the college graduate hires. “We definitely have people, quite junior people, [who] have a big impact, and they’re getting paid a lot. Under 25, you can be making a million.”

Databricks’ careers page shows that an entry-level AI research scientist working in New York City or San Francisco can make anywhere from $150,000 to $190,000 in base salary.

Ghodsi isn’t the only tech leader using the term “AI-native.” Scale AI, an AI training service that received a $14.3 billion investment from Meta in June, pays employees right out of college salaries of $200,000 per year, according to The Journal.

Scale AI’s Head of People, Ashli Shiftan, told the outlet that Scale AI was “eager to hire AI-native professionals, and many of those candidates are early in their careers.”

Meanwhile, at Roblox, a virtual gaming platform, machine learning engineers with little to no experience can earn more than $200,000 annually, according to salary site Levels.fyi.

Related: Here’s How Much a Typical Microsoft Employee Makes in a Year

The market for those with AI experience is divided into two categories, Stanford University Professor of Computer Science Jure Leskovec told The Journal. The first refers to some doctoral students who complete Ph.D. studies in machine learning and AI and receive large offers from companies without any experience.

The other category encompasses programmers who use AI to become more effective, increasing their value on the job market.

“It’s almost like a next generation of a software engineer,” Leskovec told the outlet.

At the recent Entrepreneur Level Up Conference, entrepreneurs from across the country gathered to gain strategies, inspiration and practical insights from a lineup of well-known successful entrepreneurs. I was honored to host the conference and partner with Entrepreneur.

One of the headliners, Robert Herjavec — investor, entrepreneur and star of Shark Tank — delivered a keynote packed with wisdom for founders navigating today’s unpredictable business landscape.

Herjavec’s insights were not abstract theories. They were hard-earned lessons forged in the trenches of entrepreneurship — lessons that spoke directly to the challenges and aspirations of the audience.

Here’s a breakdown of his most impactful takeaways.

Related: Want to Be a Better Leader? Show Employees You Care.

1. Every answer opens a door to opportunity

Herjavec emphasized that opportunities rarely arrive neatly packaged. They often hide in conversations, questions or unexpected feedback.

“Every answer opens a door to opportunity,” he said.

The message was clear: curiosity is a growth engine. Entrepreneurs who remain curious — asking questions and seeking insights — often discover pathways others overlook. Instead of dismissing a “no” or a difficult response, Herjavec urged attendees to look for the opportunity behind it. Sometimes, the follow-up question or the willingness to listen more deeply is what transforms rejection into possibility.

2. Evolution, not revolution

The myth of entrepreneurship often celebrates the “big idea” that transforms an industry overnight. But Herjavec reminded the audience that this is rarely the case.

“Most businesses evolve — they’re rarely revolutions.”

He explained that while breakthrough innovations capture headlines, the majority of sustainable businesses are built on incremental improvements, better execution and adapting existing ideas to new markets.

For entrepreneurs, this means it’s okay if your business doesn’t feel revolutionary from day one. What matters is staying committed to evolving, improving and listening to the market.

3. Adaptability is non-negotiable

If there was a central theme in Herjavec’s talk, it was adaptability. He described winning businesses as those that thrive on adaptability — not just to survive shocks, but to seize growth in changing conditions.

“When knocked down, resilience plus adaptability equals survival.”

He acknowledged that setbacks are inevitable in entrepreneurship. The real test isn’t whether you’ll face challenges, but how you respond to them. Entrepreneurs who can adapt — whether by shifting strategy, reinventing a product or rethinking how they serve customers — are the ones who endure.

4. The founder sets the tone

Herjavec didn’t shy away from a sobering reality: when businesses struggle, the root cause often lies with leadership.

“Show me a business in trouble, and I’ll show you a founder who has lost their way.”

He explained that when leaders lose focus, passion or clarity, the organization inevitably follows. A founder’s vision and energy cascade down into the culture, decision-making and execution. If leaders drift, so does the company.

For entrepreneurs, this is a call to self-reflection. Protect your clarity of purpose. Revisit why you started. And remember that your team looks to you not just for direction, but for inspiration.

5. Success is never accidental

While luck can play a role in any journey, Herjavec stressed that sustainable success is never accidental.

Behind every thriving business is intentionality — clear strategy, deliberate choices and consistent effort. He encouraged entrepreneurs to resist the temptation of shortcuts and quick wins, instead focusing on building systems and cultures that create lasting value.

This doesn’t mean every decision will be perfect, but it does mean success comes to those who plan, prepare and execute with purpose.

Related: 5 Strategies for Leaders to Future-Proof Their Workforce

6. Rethinking sales

As an entrepreneur who built and scaled a successful cybersecurity firm before becoming a television investor, Herjavec has lived through countless sales conversations. His perspective on sales was refreshingly straightforward.

“Sales equals uncovering client needs plus communicating how you meet them.”

He stressed that sales isn’t about pushing a product, talking endlessly or forcing a solution. It’s about understanding — truly listening to what clients need — and then clearly showing how your business delivers value.

Equally important, he warned against the temptation to oversell.

“Don’t oversell. Selling should feel natural: Am I providing value?”

In Herjavec’s view, sales is not about persuasion, but about alignment. When entrepreneurs shift their mindset from “closing deals” to “creating value,” selling becomes easier, more authentic and ultimately more successful.

7. Resilience is the entrepreneur’s superpower

Beyond adaptability, Herjavec spoke passionately about resilience. Entrepreneurship, he reminded the audience, is a marathon, not a sprint. The journey is filled with failures, rejections and setbacks that would crush many people.

But successful entrepreneurs are defined not by how often they fall, but by how quickly and effectively they get back up. Resilience isn’t just about surviving adversity — it’s about using it as fuel to keep moving forward.

8. Putting it all together

When woven together, Herjavec’s insights form a practical framework for entrepreneurs:

• Stay curious. Every question or answer could unlock a new path.
• Focus on evolution. Businesses rarely transform the world overnight; they grow through steady improvement.
• Prioritize adaptability. Resilience plus the ability to adapt equals survival.
• Lead with clarity. A founder’s vision shapes the trajectory of the business.
• Be intentional. Success is the product of strategy, not accident.
• Sell by serving. Sales is about listening, uncovering needs and providing genuine value.
• Build resilience. Setbacks aren’t the end; they’re the training ground for growth.

For the entrepreneurs in the audience, these weren’t just abstract principles. They were reminders that the entrepreneurial journey — while hard — is navigable with the right mindset and tools.

Conclusion: The path forward

Robert Herjavec’s keynote at the Entrepreneur Level Up Conference reinforced a timeless truth: entrepreneurship is not just about great ideas, but about great execution, resilience and human connection.

His words served as both a challenge and an encouragement. The challenge: entrepreneurs must remain vigilant, adaptable and intentional in their leadership. The encouragement: success is within reach for those willing to evolve, listen and persist.

For every founder wondering how to navigate uncertainty, Herjavec’s playbook is simple but powerful: stay curious, adapt relentlessly, lead with clarity and always create value.

At the end of the day, business isn’t about luck or shortcuts — it’s about resilience, adaptability and the courage to keep showing up

Don’t miss out next year — Click here to add your name to the Level Up waitlist and secure early access to tickets & updates.

Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude.

For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well.

Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

Start by solving authentic problems

Sara Blakely launched Spanx in 2000 when she was under 30 years old and had $5,000 to her name. But her self-employment journey started with a simple notion: her personal frustration with not finding comfortable, flattering undergarments to wear. Even though her idea, which later turned out to be worth $1 billion, was rejected by multiple manufacturers, her conviction kept her persistent until she finally found someone willing to take a chance on her.

Her story tells me that entrepreneurs must start with a problem they’re actually familiar with and deeply understand. Authenticity resonates with your core audience; it builds trust from day one. When your product stems from your own experiences and frustrations, you create an immediate connection with your would-be buyers, leading to strong word-of-mouth.

Turn setbacks into stepping stones

Calling himself a lousy employee, Mark Cuban admits that keeping a steady job was difficult for him. But Cuban never quit on himself and ultimately founded and sold MicroSolutions for $6 million. What I learn from his example is that setbacks are inevitable — and necessary. What matters is how quickly you bounce back from failure and what lessons you learn from your past mistakes.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 20% of small businesses shut down in a year or so. But successful solopreneurs treat these setbacks as experiments. When you start treating obstacles as stepping stones, you can easily adapt after failure and launch a working product.

Launch small and use what you have

Fubu’s founder, Daymond John, started this fashion brand in the 1990s by sewing hats and shirts in his mother’s living room. He didn’t have big budgets or state-of-the-art facilities. But he relied on grassroots marketing and community support to end up selling $6 billion worth of products by 2024, turning a kitchen-based hustle into a global fashion powerhouse.

John’s story tells me that a lack of capital shouldn’t hold solopreneurs back. Instead, they should fall back on their skills, their immediate network and whatever resources are available at hand. Grit and creativity often outweigh money. This lesson speaks to me personally, since I built Selzy with a minimal viable product while relying on customer feedback for improvement.

Related: Building Your Business With Limited Resources? Here’s the Mindset You Need to Succeed.

Embrace digital-first and lean growth

Automation, social media and efficient scaling. That’s how anyone can launch on budgets under $10,000. Technology lets small businesses thrive and expand into other markets. You can use email marketing tools to reach out to potential leads and advertise your business. Syed Balkhi’s WPForms is a great example here. Balkhi’s WordPress tutorial blog led to the creation of a $1 billion software company, and he did all that without raising a single dollar of his own.

That’s how many modern-day solopreneurs are scaling past six figures. Technology allows founders to go global earlier than was possible a decade ago. Smart customer segmentation and personalized communication help them drive more engagement. And with the right tools, even small teams working remotely can achieve impressive growth with fewer resources.

Turn your mistakes into learning opportunities

Sophia Amoruso’s example teaches us to fuel our future successes with past failure. When her startup, Nasty Gal, became shaky after turning into a $100-million brand, she simply pivoted and launched another brand, Girlboss, a platform focused on redefining success for a new generation of women.

Solopreneurs must always be ready to reinvent and adapt to changing consumer demands to position their business for long-term relevancy and success. Accepting that my idea didn’t work helps you thrive in a competitive industry.

Related: How to Turn Your Mistakes Into Opportunities

Put all these real-life lessons into action

Growth is about your vision, resilience and continuous learning — the sign of a solopreneur who is ready to bend to fluctuating market standards and customer expectations. In fact, my experience with digital marketing and AI-powered growth tells me that these principles are universally applicable.

Starting small isn’t a limitation for future-ready solopreneurs; it’s an opportunity to build strong foundations. It’s not how big you start (some of the world’s biggest brands were started by their founders in garages), but you keep learning and moving forward. I’ve tasted defeat and I’ve met setbacks — I recommend adaptability.

Apple’s next big launch event will be held on September 9.

On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed the date on X, writing: “Get ready for an awe-dropping Apple Event on Tuesday, September 9!”

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that the event will announce a “once-in-a-generation iPhone overhaul.”

Related: Apple’s Working on a Foldable iPhone, According to a JPMorgan Investor Letter

The event, which begins at 10 a.m. PT, can be livestreamed on Apple’s YouTube channel and is expected to reveal the thinner iPhone 17.

Bloomberg managing editor Mark Gurman, who has an Apple-rumors reporting 86.5% accuracy rate, reported on Sunday that the September event will feature the iPhone Air — “a skinny new model that will replace the iPhone 16 Plus.”

There will also be other improvements to the iPhone 17 lineup, including upgraded cameras, processors, and displays. But Apple could also mention the rumored, upcoming foldable iPhone, which is expected in 2026, and the iPhone 20 curved glass design, expected in 2027, Gurman wrote.

Related: Apple Is Reportedly Working on Prototypes for at Least 2 Foldable iPhones

AI is cutting into entry-level jobs, according to a new Stanford University study, released on Tuesday.

Stanford researchers analyzed ADP payroll data, which included monthly payroll information for millions of workers at thousands of companies, to find how AI impacts employment for people ages 22 to 25 compared to other age groups.

The study found that the professions most exposed to automation with AI were operations managers, accountants, auditors, general managers, software developers, customer service representatives, receptionists, and information clerks. In those AI-impacted jobs, which lost the most entry-level positions to the technology, employment for young workers has declined by 13% over the past three years.

Related: These 3 Professions Are Most Likely to Vanish in the Next 20 Years Due to AI, According to a New Report

“There’s definitely evidence that AI is beginning to have a big effect,” Erik Brynjolfsson, Stanford professor, economist, and first author on the study, told Axios. He called the trend of reduced entry-level hiring “the fastest, broadest change” that he had ever seen in the workplace, second only to the shift to remote work during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the study determined that since late 2022, when ChatGPT was released, employment for more experienced workers has remained steady or even improved in AI-impacted fields.

In software engineering and customer service, for example, the study found that “employment for the youngest workers declines considerably after 2022, while employment for other age groups continues to grow.”

Brynjolfsson explained that more experienced workers gain an advantage from on-the-job experience, which AI does not possess and has not yet been able to learn. However, he warned that industries might have difficulty finding the next generation of experienced hires if entry-level workers do not have opportunities to get started.

Related: Here’s Why Companies Shouldn’t Replace Entry-Level Workers With AI, According to the CEO of Amazon Web Services

When it comes to employers, Brynjolfsson noted that the way companies view AI affects whether they have open jobs available. Firms that want to use AI to augment their workforce are hiring more human workers, as those who see AI as a replacement for human labor are hiring fewer employees, he stated.

The study supports another one released earlier this year by SignalFire, a venture capital firm that tracks the job changes of over 650 million people on LinkedIn. In a May report, SignalFire found that big tech companies have reduced entry-level hiring by 25% from 2023 to 2024 while simultaneously increasing hiring of experienced professionals.

SignalFire’s Head of Research, Asher Bantock, told TechCrunch that there was “convincing evidence” that AI was to blame for the reduction in entry-level hiring, because AI can handle routine tasks well. AI can code, conduct research, and even generate web applications, reducing the need for junior employees to handle those tasks.

Related: ‘Fully Replacing People’: A Tech Investor Says These Two Professions Should Be the Most Wary of AI Taking Their Jobs

AI leaders have been warning about the technology’s impact on hiring for months. In June, Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, who is often called the “Godfather of AI” due to his pioneering work on AI, predicted that AI “is just going to replace everybody” in white-collar jobs. He said paralegals and call center representatives were most at risk in the immediate present of losing their jobs to AI.

Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated in May that AI could take over half of all entry-level, white-collar jobs within the next one to five years. The move could cause mass joblessness, resulting in unemployment rising to up to 20%, he predicted.

Over the past 10 years, when do you think was the best time to sell a business?

Believe it or not, it was just after the pandemic. In June 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported that American business investment had exceeded expectations, outperforming pre-pandemic projections by $430 billion. “The outlook for future business investment growth is encouraging,” the report stated. “Firms are observing persistently high returns to their capital, and founders are starting new businesses at historic rates.”

Across industries, 2020–2022 outperformed even 2019 in many metrics. Manufacturing, for example, “surged back” in Q3 2020 with record gains in output and hours worked, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The real lesson: It’s not about timing the market

You don’t sell based on headlines. You sell based on your business, your industry, and your momentum.

Company valuations have stayed remarkably consistent over the past 25 to 30 years — even during recessions like 2008–2009. Waiting for the “perfect” economic moment to exit is a common mistake that often leads to missed opportunities.

One of our software clients was nearly ready to sell last year. But their industry began heating up so fast, we advised them to hold off. They now have a 10-year growth runway — and a chance to exit at a significantly higher valuation. On the other hand, we had a client in the print-and-postage business who waited too long. They ignored clear signs of declining demand. By the time they were ready to exit, their window had closed — and so had their leverage.

The point: There’s no universal “right time” to sell. There’s only the right time for your business, in your industry.

Related: When Should You Get Your Business Ready to Sell? The Best Time to Start Is Now — Here’s Why.

Three steps to build value in uncertain markets

Economic volatility causes many owners to second-guess their exit plan. Should I move faster? Should I take the first good offer?

In most cases, the answer is no. Instead, refine your original plan with three key adjustments:

1. Prioritize profitability over revenue

Buyers don’t pay for top-line growth — they pay for what drops to the bottom line.

One of our marketing clients was bringing in $5 million in revenue but losing $200,000 annually. After focusing on profitability, they trimmed revenue to $3 million but turned a $220,000 profit. That leaner, more profitable business was ultimately worth more — and attracted better buyers.

2. Build operational efficiency

A well-run business is more attractive, more resilient, and easier to sell. Aim for:

• Fewer people delivering the same output
• Documented, replicable systems
• A team that can run the business without you

Buyers want to see a machine that works — and still has room to grow.

3. Stay realistic about valuation

Remember Quibi? The mobile streaming platform launched with $1.75 billion in funding — and folded in six months. Or any Shark Tank episode where founders get laughed out of the room for unrealistic projections.

Valuation isn’t about hype. It’s about performance, predictability and market reality.

So when is the right time to sell?

Here are two signs we see consistently:

• Growth takes more effort for less return.
• You start thinking, “I’ve got a couple good years left in me.”

Those thoughts are signals. Don’t ignore them. They’re often the earliest signs that it’s time to plan your exit.

The market moves, but your strategy shouldn’t

Selling a business takes time — sometimes years — especially if you want to maximize value. Public markets fluctuate daily. But private business sales operate on a different timeline and follow different rules.

The buyers are different. The financing is different. The valuation metrics are different.

So don’t rush. Don’t panic. And don’t let headlines distract you from your long-term strategy.

Related: Sell Your Company When You Least Expect It — How to Properly Scale and Sell Your Business

Final thought: Focus on what you can control

The best time to sell isn’t about market timing — it’s about business readiness.

Ignore the noise. Focus on profitability, operational health, and what’s actually happening in your sector. That’s where real value lives — and where the best exits are made.

Stay strategic. Stay grounded. And don’t sell your business short.