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Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has changed the way people write emails, manage their social media accounts, and generate code. Now, a new report from ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is giving fresh insight into how people are really using the chatbot.

OpenAI’s researchers published a 64-page study on Monday with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) that found nearly 80% of all conversations with ChatGPT were concerned with three categories: practical guidance, seeking information, and writing help. The study, which was based on more than one-and-a-half million ChatGPT messages sent from May 2024 to July 2025 by 130,000 users, is the largest of its kind to date.

Here’s what it found:

Related: ChatGPT’s New Update Can Create PowerPoint Presentations and Excel Spreadsheets for You

What Are ChatGPT’s Demographics?

ChatGPT’s demographics have changed in the years since its launch.

The percentage of male users has declined from 80% in the first few months after the chatbot’s drop in late 2022 to 48% as of June 2025, which makes the chatbot’s primary user base now primarily female.

Meanwhile, nearly half of all messages sent to the chatbot since launch were sent by users under the age of 26. Gen Z is embracing AI, with a survey conducted by International Workplace Group earlier this year finding that close to two-thirds of Gen Z respondents were teaching their older colleagues how to use AI.

OpenAI also announced on Tuesday that it was creating a different version of ChatGPT for teen users under the age of 18 that prioritized teen safety.

How Are People Using ChatGPT?

The most common use case was “practical guidance,” which is defined in the report as encompassing activities, such as tutoring, teaching, how-to advice, and coming up with creative ideas.

The next most popular category involved “seeking information,” which is labeled as searching for information about people, products, and current events, like conducting a web search.

The final popular use case included writing tasks that automatically generate emails and documents, and editing text. Writing was the most common use case at work, with an average of 40% of work-related messages on ChatGPT stemming from writing queries. Most requests asked ChatGPT to look at text the user had already written instead of creating something new. In other words, two-thirds of writing messages asked ChatGPT to edit, translate, critique, or modify text instead of generating new text.

“Writing dominates work-related tasks, highlighting chatbots’ unique ability to generate digital outputs compared to traditional search engines,” the study read.

Related: ChatGPT’s Creators Are Worried We Could Get Emotionally Attached to the AI Bot, Changing ‘Social Norms’

The study also classified messages another way, using three categories based on the kind of output the user was looking for: Asking, Doing, or Expressing.

“Asking” applies to nearly half of all messages sent to the chatbot (49%), which occurs when a user seeks information about a subject or a solution to a problem. “Doing” refers to tasks where a user wants an output, especially writing activities, and applies to 40% of all messages. “Expressing,” which refers to 11% of all messages, happens when a user communicates their views or feelings without asking for any information or action.

Based on these classifications, users were more likely to use ChatGPT to find answers to questions rather than to carry out tasks or express opinions. ChatGPT users tapping into the chatbot at work were most likely to use it to seek information and find information.

“Overall, we find that information-seeking and decision support are the most common ChatGPT use cases in most jobs,” the study reads.

Related: Is Your ChatGPT Session Going On Too Long? The AI Bot Will Now Alert You to Take Breaks

Despite discussion from tech leaders like Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, it seems like vibe coding is still niche. The study found that comparatively few users were tapping into ChatGPT to code; only 4.2% of messages were related to computer programming, much less than 33% of all work-related conversations with competing chatbot Claude from Anthropic.

Also, only a small percentage of users were using ChatGPT for companionship or guidance on social issues. Less than 2% of ChatGPT messages were about relationships and personal reflection, per the study.

President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a TikTok deal on Tuesday for another 90 days, until December 16, according to an Executive Order. It is the fourth extension after Congress passed a law last year that requires TikTok to separate from its parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, or face a permanent ban in the U.S.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he had “a deal on TikTok” in the works. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the “framework” for a TikTok deal had finally been reached with China. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he would be meeting with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, on Friday to finalize the deal.

Related: Billionaire Investor Frank McCourt Jr. Wants to Do More Than Buy TikTok — He Wants to Transform the Entire Internet. Here’s How.

“A deal was also reached on a “certain” company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy! I will be speaking to President Xi on Friday,” Trump wrote Monday.

Now, CNBC’s David Faber is reporting that the deal includes new and existing investors. Oracle, which has been TikTok’s U.S. cloud provider since 2022, will keep its agreement with the company, sources told Faber. CBS reports that the private equity firm, Silver Lake, is also involved.

Other potential investors include the team of Kevin O’Leary, billionaire former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian for “The People’s Bid.” AI startup Perplexity, Amazon, and Applovin all submitted separate bids as well.

^{U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press as he departs the White House en route to the United Kingdom on September 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. MEHMET ESER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images}

Faber said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Tuesday: “I’m hearing it’s actually going to be relatively small in terms of the actual size of the checks that are written for the entity itself.”

Reuters reports that the deal keeps TikTok operating with controlled ownership in the U.S., though ByteDance will keep “single largest ownership stake” at 19.9%.

More information about the deal is expected to be released on Friday after Trump meets with Xi Jinping. Although Trump extended the deadline for 90 days, a deal is expected much sooner, within 45 days, according to reports.

“We were very focused on TikTok and making sure that it was a deal that is fair for the Chinese and completely respects U.S. national security concerns, and that’s the deal we reached,” Bessent said from Madrid on Monday. “It’s between two private parties, but the commercial terms have been agreed upon.”

Related: President Donald Trump Suggests Canceling Quarterly Reporting: ‘This Will Save Money’

Ethics in business has never been only about compliance. Regulations provide a baseline, but in a global marketplace, that baseline quickly becomes uneven. What is acceptable in one country may be unacceptable in another.

A company that treats ethics as a box-ticking exercise soon discovers the gaps between jurisdictions create inconsistency and mistrust. To protect credibility and maintain stakeholder confidence, organizations must set standards that travel across borders and remain steady as rules shift.

In other words, business ethics can’t just mean following rules. Laws differ worldwide, so companies need consistent global standards to build trust and protect credibility across shifting regulations.

Related: The Ethical Considerations of Digital Transformation

The foundation of global standards

A Code of Conduct isn’t just a document — it can be a powerful tool for shaping culture. Writing down principles is one thing, but people need to know how those values play out in real situations. What does fairness mean when you’re explaining a disclosure? How should you handle things when you recognize a vulnerable customer? Without that kind of clarity, values stay abstract and get applied inconsistently.

Once expectations are clear, credibility comes from reinforcement. When leaders recognize good decisions and address lapses, it shows the standards are real, not optional. Over time, those repeated actions turn into habits, and habits are what define culture.

Transparency is one of the clearest ways to bring these ideas to life. For instance, when a company explains payback terms in plain language or shares the reasoning behind a pricing strategy, it shows integrity is built into daily operations. These visible actions convince employees, customers and regulators that the standards are genuine — not just words on paper.

Choosing the highest common denominator

Global operations reveal just how uneven regulations can be. Some markets enforce detailed disclosure rules, while others offer minimal direction. Meeting only the minimum in each region exposes companies to uneven practices that can trigger regulatory penalties and erode trust.

Accepting the need for local normalization, the stronger path is to adopt the most stringent rules encountered and apply them everywhere. Debt recovery firms, for example, may align with aspects of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Regulation even in markets without comparable requirements. Being careful not to avoid regulatory conflict or overreach, others extend elements of GDPR-level privacy protections globally or adopt Europe’s “opt-in” consent for call recording as the standard.

This approach requires discipline, which also means committing resources to training, oversight and monitoring systems that may exceed local expectations. But the payoff is substantial. A single consistent playbook builds confidence among employees and demonstrates to both regulators and clients that the organization does not shift its standards depending on geography.

In practice, this prevents situations where one jurisdiction questions behavior that would never be acceptable at the home office headquarters.

Embedding ethics into daily decisions and leadership actions

Values matter only when they guide choices. From induction onward, employees should learn not only their responsibilities but also the reasoning behind them. Training and dialogue help principles take root, but leadership determines whether they endure.

Employees watch how leaders act more closely than they listen to words. Fairness in negotiation, respect in daily interactions and clarity in contracts illustrate values in ways policies cannot. Research by the Ethics & Compliance Initiative found employees are 68% more likely to report misconduct when they see a strong ethical commitment from leadership, and organizations with robust ethics programs are 42% less likely to experience misconduct. These figures confirm that culture follows the example set by others.

Leaders establish credibility and set an example for others to follow when they explain the why and when they go above & beyond to explain their thinking and relate choices to shared principles. Ethics evolves from an ideal to a trustworthy framework that guides choices in stressful situations.

Related: How to Navigate Ethical Considerations In Your Decision-Making

Why global standards are a strategic advantage

Applying one standard worldwide creates benefits on multiple levels. Inside the organization, employees gain clarity, confidence and accountability. They know that decisions will be judged by a consistent set of expectations, not by shifting local rules. That predictability strengthens morale and lowers the risk of missteps.

Externally, the benefits are equally visible. Clients and consumers experience respectful and transparent interactions regardless of geography. Regulators reward businesses that behave responsibly without waiting for coercion. Investors and partners view stability and consistency as markers of reliability, making them more likely to build long-term relationships.

Maintaining higher standards does require investment. Training programs, audit systems and monitoring frameworks take time and resources. Yet these are far less costly than repairing the damage of a single ethical failure. Remember, one lapse can undo years of credibility. In contrast, steady openness builds trust that compounds over time.

Raising the bar for global business

The horizon for business ethics is expanding. Expectations now reach into environmental responsibility, workplace culture, data privacy and supply chain practices alongside regulatory compliance. Meeting this wider standard requires clarity of values, adoption of the highest available denominator, and leadership that demonstrates ethics in action.

While rules and customs differ from place to place, consistency in these choices demonstrates that values are genuine. When organizations carry their values into every interaction, ethics becomes more than an obligation. It becomes a framework that steadies decision-making, supports resilience and builds trust that endures well beyond any single reporting cycle.

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is now worth $3 trillion, a feat only achieved by three other tech giants: Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple.

Alphabet shares gained more than 4% in value on Monday, allowing the company to achieve a historic market capitalization of $3.03 trillion at the time of writing. Market capitalization measures the total value of a company by multiplying its share price by the number of outstanding shares.

Alphabet hit the $3 trillion mark just over two decades after Google first went public in 2004, and more than 10 years after its own creation as Google’s parent company.

Related: Amazon Is the Fifth Company in History to Join the Coveted $2 Trillion Tech Club

Alphabet’s market cap has grown tremendously, more than 70%, from a low of $1.8 trillion in April. The recent surge value is partially due to an antitrust ruling earlier this month in the case Department of Justice (DOJ) v. Google, which resulted in lighter penalties than initially suggested by the DOJ. The ruling caused Alphabet shares to rise by over 20% over the past month.

^{Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

In the week following the ruling, Alphabet gained $234 billion in market cap. The company’s stock is up more than 30% year-to-date. For context, the Nasdaq as a whole is up 15% for the year, per CNBC.

Related: Google Reportedly Told Its Staff to Use AI More or Risk Falling Behind: ‘It Seems Like a No-Brainer’

Wall Street generally views Alphabet stock favorably. More than 80% of Wall Street analysts recommend buying the stock as of Monday, per Bloomberg.

Alphabet joins other tech giants that have made it into the $3 trillion club — and beyond. Apple achieved the $3 trillion milestone in June 2023, while Nvidia and Microsoft have taken it a step further by passing the $4 trillion mark.

Nvidia achieved a $3 trillion market cap in June 2024 and later surpassed $4 trillion in early July, for a market cap of $4.3 trillion at the time of writing. Microsoft, meanwhile, hit the $3 trillion mark in January 2024 and passed the $4 trillion point in late July, though its market cap has dropped to $3.8 trillion at the time of writing.

Alphabet’s focus in recent years has been on artificial intelligence, as the company strives to compete with Meta, OpenAI, and other key players in the AI race. While announcing its second-quarter earnings in July, Alphabet mentioned that it was increasing its AI expenditures from $75 billion to $85 billion amid growing demand for its cloud and AI services.

“AI is positively impacting every part of the business, driving strong momentum,” Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated in the earnings report.

Related: This Is How Senior Leaders Are Using AI at Work, According to a Google Survey

AI is mainly automating work instead of enhancing it, which is leading the technology to be a catalyst for replacing jobs, according to a new study.

AI startup Anthropic, which was valued at $183 billion earlier this month, released a new report on Monday showing that more than three in four (77%) of the businesses using Claude did so to automate tasks. In comparison, only 12% of businesses used Claude to augment or enhance work.

“The 77% automation rate suggests enterprises use Claude to delegate tasks, rather than as a collaborative tool,” the report stated. “Given clear automation patterns in business deployment, this may also bring disruption in labor markets, potentially displacing those workers whose roles are most likely to face automation.”

Related: These Fields Are Losing the Most Entry-Level Jobs to AI, According to a New Stanford Study

The report found that, so far, businesses are mainly using Claude to write code and perform administrative tasks. Claude can generate code, similar to other tools like Replit and Cursor, that create blocks of code from text prompts. In fact, the tools are powerful enough to potentially take over coding for software engineers. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted at a Council on Foreign Relations event in March that AI would write every line of code for software engineers within a year.

“In 12 months, we may be in a world where AI is writing essentially all of the code,” Amodei said at the event.

^{Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for HubSpot}

Additionally, Anthropic emphasized in the report that AI risks causing mass layoffs and worker displacement due to automation. Amodei weighed in on this matter earlier this year, predicting in May that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level, white-collar jobs within the next five years, causing unemployment to reach 10% to 20%. AI could affect entry-level work in fields like law, technology, and finance, Amodei stated.

Related: Amazon CEO Tells Employees AI Will Replace Their Jobs ‘In the Next Few Years’

Anthropic’s Head of Economics, Peter McCrory, told Bloomberg that the researchers were not sure whether the reliance on automation found in the report was due to “new model capabilities” allowing AI to take on more duties, or due to “people being more comfortable” with AI and “more willing to delegate certain tasks to Claude.”

In other words, the researchers were uncertain whether high levels of automation were due to AI’s increased capabilities or more people being willing to use the technology.

Understanding the reason presents “an important area of research for the future,” McCrory told the outlet.

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I own a firm dedicated to business optimization. Since the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” or OBBBA, I’m now more inclined than ever to advise my larger and more growth-focused clients to consider the C corporation over other popular entity types such as LLCs and S corporations. That said, for smaller businesses and owners who rely year-by-year on their business profits for personal living expenses, the LLC or S corporation may still be the right fit for maximum tax savings.

A refresher on pass-through income

In order to understand the impact of the new law and what it means for your business, it’s important to understand “pass-through income.” If you have an LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or an S corporation that makes money this year, you can rest assured you will be taxed on that income. Your profits pass through from your business and are taxed as individual income. The C corporation, however, presents a different dynamic. Your business profits don’t automatically pass through to you individually but are taxed at the corporate level.

Now, if your C corporation issues a dividend or you sell your shares, then the money you receive counts as individual income and is taxed as such. But here’s the thing, no one can force you to issue a dividend or sell shares in your company. Plenty of C corporation owners reinvest most or all of their profits back into their business. And why shouldn’t they? Especially now, given that the OBBBA incentivizes you to do just that.

Related: Why New Tax Rules Could Be a Game Changer for Your Business

Corporate tax is way less expensive than individual income tax

To reiterate, C corporations must pay corporate tax on profits. Corporate tax is always less costly than individual income tax. Prior to 2018, the corporate tax rate could go as high as 35%, similar to the highest income tax bracket. This is no longer the case. Corporations have enjoyed a flat 21% tax rate for the past several years, “flat” meaning that regardless of whether your business profits $50,000 this year or $50 million, you pay 21%. The new law makes this 21% flat rate permanent.

C corporations are the only business entity type that, when profitable, doesn’t automatically trigger individual income tax at the end of the year. So, a good strategy for a business owner with a C corporation is to maximize the amount of profits taxed at 21%, and only 21%.

The OBBBA makes it easier than ever to defer individual income tax

The trick is to retain as much of your earnings as possible within the corporation. The new law provides ample means for doing just that. There’s a kind of cascade of incentives in place in the OBBBA that encourages higher levels of corporate earnings retention. Consider, for instance, the bill’s making legal the immediate expensing of Research and Experimentation costs. In the past, it was required that such costs be expensed in accordance with a specific schedule over several years.

Research and Experimentation costs can now be deducted in full in the same year they’re incurred. If you were looking for a reason to retain more of your business’s earnings and benefit from the ensuing tax savings, then deploying more R&E funds to quickly reduce your overall tax liability may be a brilliant move.

Pass-through entities still benefit

Don’t get the wrong idea. The OBBBA is by no means hostile towards pass-through entity types. In fact, the bill provides pass-throughs with a nice and exclusive perk in the form of the now permanent 20% QBI (Qualified Business Income) deduction. C corporations don’t get this.

Here are the specs: Though subject to income limits and other restrictions, for most businesses, the QBI deduction flat out erases the tax liability for 20% of your pass-through entity’s taxable income. The benefit begins to phase out at $165,000 for single status tax filers, and $330,000 for married filing jointly.

How should I weigh the QBI deduction for pass-throughs against C corp benefits?

For starters, if your income is lower than the aforementioned thresholds ($165,000 for single, $330,000 for married) then the 20% QBI deduction afforded by your pass-through entity will be hard to pass up. Once your business earns above these thresholds, a pass-through can end up costing more in taxes than a C corporation, since C corps can retain profits without immediately triggering personal income tax.

Related: Here’s What the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ Means for the Franchise Industry

What else should I know about the OBBBA?

The new law extends other existing business perks that can benefit C corporations and pass-throughs alike. The 100% Bonus Depreciation provision will no longer phase out but is now made permanent. This allows businesses to immediately deduct the full costs of qualified tangible property rather than deduct those same costs incrementally year after year.

Similarly, the bill’s increased expensing cap provides tax savings — particularly for small- and medium-sized businesses — by increasing the maximum amount a business owner is able to write off in Section 179 expenses (machines, equipment, office furniture, computers, etc.) The bill’s $2.5 million expensing cap is time and a half more than the previous cap of $1 million.

While these incentives benefit both corporations and pass-throughs by reducing overall taxable income, they also uniquely expand opportunities for C corporations to retain earnings, fueling reinvestment and long-term growth.

The effects of the OBBBA will be felt for decades to come, a wave of growth and tax savings for businesses of all types and sizes. If you’re looking to reinvest your earnings in growth, innovation and expansion, talk to your attorney about the benefits of moving into a C corporation or contact a business formation services provider for more information.

Tough economic times are scary for businesses and consumers, but the solution isn’t to take your foot off the gas. I opened the first Roof Maxx dealership in 2019, just one year before the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, it’s a nationally recognized residential roof restoration brand with an annual revenue of nearly $200 million in 2025.

Here are five key principles I used to guide my business decisions during those difficult years.

Related: How Great Entrepreneurs Find Ways to Win During Economic Downturns

1. Essential problems are more important than aspirational ones

A lot of founders focus on flashy, dramatic solutions that dominate headlines, like getting humanity to Mars or being the first to create AGI. But sometimes, those are solutions to problems that don’t really exist — or at least, that don’t exist urgently for everyday people.

Most people aren’t worried about whether they’ll ever set foot on the surface of the red planet. They’re worried about what will happen to this planet in their lifetimes, because they’re worried about their homes.

So when my brother Todd and I started our business, we didn’t shoot for the moon — or Mars. We focused on helping people extend the lifespan of their asphalt shingle rooftops and avoid the waste created by replacing them prematurely. It was a simple problem, but one we saw impacting homeowners all over America. That meant we had a nation full of target customers from the start.

2. Affordable alternatives to big-ticket items can create new markets

One of the biggest challenges we faced during those early years was that no market existed for our product. Roof restoration already existed in commercial roofing, but it was for metal and flat roofs only. Everyone in the residential space was selling replacements at the time, and there was no alternative for asphalt shingles until we invented one.

Even in the best of times, creating a brand new niche is a tall order. But the economic uncertainty of the pandemic actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When homeowners heard that our treatments cost up to 80% less than the cost of fully replacing their shingles, it no longer mattered that we were doing something previously unheard of in the residential space. The cost savings alone were enough to convince many people to opt in.

Related: 5 Tips to Create Affordable Products Without Compromising on Quality

3. Controlling your operating costs reduces your risk

Scaling any business comes with a certain amount of unavoidable risk, which is why many companies tend to be more careful about pursuing growth during times of economic upheaval. But stagnation is an even bigger risk.

Think of it this way: If you’re climbing a volcano and it erupts, your first instinct might be to freeze. But if you stay on your current ledge, you’re probably not going to make it. As scary as it is, you have to move.

The key is to stay agile. If you were the climber, you’d probably ditch your backpack and any non-essential items so that they wouldn’t slow you down. As a business in an uncertain economy, the same principle applies: You want to become financially lean so you can scale with less risk.

For us, that meant setting up a national network of dealers instead of opening and managing new locations ourselves. It didn’t just help us expand into new markets with less overhead; it also allowed us to invest more heavily in providing each dealer with the training resources and materials they needed to succeed. At a time when many Americans were looking for new ways to earn but were nervous about starting their own businesses, this gave everyone a leg up.

We couldn’t afford to take on that kind of risk during a pandemic, but by providing comprehensive training resources and remote support to our partners, we gave them everything they needed to bring the brand across North America.

4. Aging systems and infrastructure are an overlooked but essential market

Time impacts everyone and everything. Even when budgets are tight, things still get old and need maintenance to stay functional.

For some of those things — like rooftops — putting off the work isn’t an option. 29% of asphalt shingle roofs have less than four years of usable life left, and that clock keeps ticking regardless of market conditions.

If you can build your business around servicing assets that are both necessary and depreciating, you can always count on a steady stream of customers. We knew people might defer their landscaping plans during a pandemic, but they wouldn’t let the roofs over their heads degrade to the point where they put their properties at risk.

5. Green solutions can be profitable as well as planet-saving

Last but not least, we have to talk about the value of offering eco-friendly products and services. It’s a mistake to view green solutions as luxuries that people will only want to purchase during times of financial comfort.

During rocky economic periods, the last thing people want to do is waste resources. If they can save money by maintaining something instead of throwing it away, they will. And since many green solutions focus on reducing waste, these services have more appeal when the economy suffers, not less.

With Roof Maxx, we offered homeowners a way to keep their current asphalt shingles in good condition instead of having to pay for a full roof replacement. Not only did it save an average of 3.8 tons of landfill waste per home, but it also cost up to 80% less. The fact that we were eco-friendly wasn’t a bonus; it was a key part of the value we were offering at a time when every saved shingle (and dollar) mattered.

Related: Build a Business That Helps People Feel Good About Doing the Right Thing

Make your business recession-resistant

The principles that helped my business grow during one of the worst recessions in our lifetimes weren’t rocket science. They were simple:

• Focus on an essential problem

• Offer an affordable alternative to something expensive

• Keep operating costs in check

• Focus on aging systems or infrastructure

• Help customers stay lean and green

You can use these to insulate your business as well. Here’s to sustainable growth, no matter what the future holds.

For the world’s busiest DJ, staying energized is essential. That’s why Grammy-nominated artist Steve Aoki partnered with Neuro, a functional gum and mints company founded in 2015 that helps boost energy, focus, calm and even sleep.

For Aoki, Neuro has been a game-changer, offering a more natural alternative to endless shots of espresso.

“It’s about being mindful of staying healthy while still maximizing my output, especially when I’m in my creative zone,” Aoki tells Entrepreneur. “You want to bring high energy so you can create high impact in whatever you do. If you’re moving through the day like a zombie, just giving the bare minimum, it’s embarrassing when you look back on it.”

He continues, “Nobody wants to give a weak interview, a half-hearted answer or put out a song they didn’t fully commit to. You have to give 1000%. That’s why I believe the highest quality of life is tied to your energy level.”

Related: How This Grammy-Nominated DJ and Entrepreneur Draws Inspiration from Every Day Life

Potential in a plastic bag

Aoki first met the Neuro founders nearly a decade before he started working with them.

“I still remember when they came into the office and presented this caffeine gum to me”, he recalls. “They brought it in a plain plastic bag — no branding, no packaging. Just, ‘here’s this stuff that works.’

He laughs. “You look at it and think, what is this, some kind of drug?“

Luckily for Neuro, Aoki loved it.

“It’s more exciting for me to see indie startups with brilliant ideas than something incubated by a big company with a huge team behind it,” he shares. ” I’d rather see two guys in their college dorm saying, ‘Hey, this is a great idea that could really help people or become something a lot of people will actually use.'”

Still, the shrewd DJ wasn’t ready to commit right away. He and his team took their time with due diligence while keeping a friendly relationship with the founders.

“It’s important for me to see that this works before I get involved,” Aoki explains.

For Neuro, working means giving consumers the caffeine boost they need without triggering their anxiety — or their bladders.

“I’m a big coffee drinker, and I love energy drinks,” Aoki admits. “But you can’t be pounding beverages all the time.”

Neuro products, on the other hand, are designed for consistent use throughout the day and are formulated to mitigate side effects while providing a crucial boost.

“Over the years, it’s become one of my staples,” Aoki professes. “I always have it in my pocket or backpack. If I’m doing a long set, it’s right there with my earplugs. After a couple of hours, if I start to feel tired, I just pop a piece, and I get that little boost I need.”

Related: Elon Musk Lost His World’s Richest Title, But Only for a Few Hours. Here’s Who Took His Spot.

Every drop needs a story

Steve Aoki has never been the type to just slap his name on something and walk away. He throws himself into every project, obsessing over the details until it feels true to him. He had a hand in everything with Neuro. He helped pick out flavors, shape the vibe of the brand and even found a way to work in one of his personal passions, HiROQUEST, the trading card project he’s been building.

Instead of a standard product launch, Aoki wanted it to feel like an experience. That’s why certain Neuro releases come with collectible cards, turning an everyday item into something fans can get excited about.

“I’m a card guy,” Aoki says. “I love ripping open packs, chasing the rare hit. I wanted to bring that same feeling to something you’d never expect — like a tin of Neuro mints.”

By adding in HiROQUEST, Aoki boosts awareness for his own brand and adds an experiential layer to the Neuro collaboration. This has long been central to his success.

“I’m always thinking about how we can create a better, more unique experience,” Aoki says. “Something that gets people excited for the next drop or the next collaboration, and helps build the story within the world we’re creating. That’s why I love caking people. Whether you’re the one getting cake in your face or watching it happen, you’ll never forget that moment.”

Contrary to what you see in pop culture, sales is all about building lasting relationships that create customers for life. Whether you’re just starting out or have been running your small business for years, the road to success can often feel like navigating an uncharted path. But here’s the good news: With the right map, you can make the journey smooth, predictable, and, most importantly, sustainable.

In this article, we’ll walk through the essential strategies every entrepreneur needs to win opportunities and build lasting, profitable customer relationships. Think of this as your sales blueprint — the guide for turning potential leads into loyal customers, while optimizing your time and efforts to focus on what truly matters.

Related: 5 Ways to Master Sales

Step 1: Focus on winnable opportunities

The first step in any successful sales process is knowing where to focus your energy. Not every prospect is an equal fit for your business, and spending too much time chasing leads that aren’t a good fit can waste your time and lead to burnout. That’s why it’s critical to identify and prioritize opportunities that you can actually win.

You might already be familiar with the idea of evaluating prospects based on their needs, but there’s more to it. It’s about assessing the fit between what you offer and what the prospect truly values. A good way to approach this is by regularly reassessing your opportunities, particularly as circumstances change. Sales cycles can evolve, and so can a prospect’s priorities. By staying flexible and adapting to those changes, you can spot red flags early and recalibrate your approach.

For example, maybe you’ve been talking to the manager of a small company who seems interested, but after a few conversations, you realize the decision-maker is absent from the table. Or perhaps you don’t have enough information to quantify the impact of solving their business challenges, or there’s no clear plan in place for moving forward. These are warning signs that something may be missing from the equation — and that’s your cue to re-engage and realign the conversation. If you can’t make progress in key areas like these, it might be time to move on.

Step 2: Use tools to refine what is and isn’t a winnable deal

Once you’ve identified promising prospects, the next step is to assess where you stand. Are there any gaps in your current understanding? Is there something that still needs to be clarified or revisited before you can close the deal?

This is where a proven opportunity assessment tool can work wonders. Think of it like a rearview mirror — an opportunity to look back and assess where you are in the sales process. By reviewing your past interactions and evaluating what’s still needed, you can uncover potential missed opportunities or areas where your pitch may need refinement.

Tools like this allow you to step back, ask yourself the tough questions and make sure you’re not leaving anything to chance. For instance, you might ask:

• Should they buy? (What is the problem they need to solve, and how will you do it?)

• Is it worth it? (Is the problem worth solving? What is the ROI?)

• Can they buy? (Are you talking to the final decision-maker?)

• When will the purchase happen? (Are you clear on all the steps that need to happen?)

By asking these kinds of questions, you’ll be able to address any gaps and adjust your strategy accordingly. Don’t hesitate to revisit earlier parts of the conversation as needed. Ask open, probing and confirming questions — what we call O-P-C questions — to truly understand your buyer. The more clarity you can provide at this stage, the more likely you are to close the deal.

Related: 7 Bulletproof Strategies to Increase Sales and Make More Money

Step 3: Create a plan with your prospect

To make sure both you and your prospect are on the same page, it’s important to establish a clear and actionable plan. This mutual plan should align both parties around what needs to be done and when.

A solid plan is built around the prospect’s timeline. By setting expectations for when and how decisions will be made, both you and your prospect can work towards a shared goal without any confusion. It’s essential that this plan is flexible, allowing for adjustments, but also structured enough to maintain momentum.

Remember, the plan should not only focus on closing the deal but on ensuring a successful partnership beyond the sale. What steps need to be taken to deliver value after the agreement? How will you maintain communication moving forward? These are all crucial aspects of building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.

Step 4: Manage yourself for success

Finally, don’t forget to manage yourself throughout the process. Successful entrepreneurs know that it’s all about how you approach your day, your mindset and how you stay focused on your goals. Staying organized and maintaining a clear vision of what success looks like will help you navigate challenges more effectively.

Being proactive, setting realistic goals and continually reflecting on your progress are all key to keeping momentum. Sales can be a rollercoaster ride with plenty of highs and lows, but by keeping yourself grounded and organized, you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever comes your way.

Related: No Sales Experience? No Problem. Here’s How to Confidently Turn Conversations Into Revenue.

Following your blueprint for successful sales

Take the guesswork out of selling: By following a clear, structured process — from identifying winnable opportunities to closing deals and managing ongoing relationships — you’ll not only win more business, but you’ll also build a reputation for delivering real value. Keep your eyes open for gaps, revisit your opportunities regularly, and don’t shy away from creating a detailed plan that aligns both you and your prospect toward mutual success.

Building customers for life means creating meaningful connections and delivering solutions that truly make a difference. So, take these steps to heart, create your sales blueprint, and watch your entrepreneurial journey thrive.