At the end of the first quarter in 2025, now is a good time to reflect upon the recent updates from Amazon Web Services (AWS) to their services that provide data and AI capabilities to end customers. At the end of 2024, AWS hosted 60,000+ practitioners at their annual conference, re:Invent, in Las Vegas.

Hundreds of features and services were announced during the week; I’ve combined these with the announcements that have come since and curated five key data and AI innovations that you should take notice of. Let’s dive in.

The next generation of Amazon SageMaker

Amazon SageMaker has historically been seen as the center for everything AI in AWS. Services like Amazon Glue or Elastic MapReduce have taken care of data processing tasks, with Amazon Redshift picking up the task of SQL analytics. With an increasing number of organizations focusing efforts on data and AI, all-in-one platforms such as Databricks have understandably caught the eyes of those starting their journey.

The next generation of Amazon SageMaker is AWS’s answer to these services. SageMaker Unified Studio brings together SQL analytics, data processing, AI model development and generative AI application development under one roof. This is all built on top of the foundations of another new service — SageMaker Lakehouse — with data and AI governance integrated through what previously existed standalone as Amazon DataZone.

The promise of an AWS first-party solution for customers looking to get started with, increase the capability of, or gain better control of their data and AI workloads is exciting indeed.

Amazon Bedrock Marketplace

Sticking with the theme of AI workloads, I want to highlight Amazon Bedrock Marketplace. The world of generative AI is fast-moving, and new models are being developed all the time. Through Bedrock, customers can access the most popular models on a serverless basis — only paying for the input/output tokens that they use. To do this for every specialized industry model that customers may want to access is not scalable, however.

Amazon Bedrock Marketplace is the answer to this. Previously, customers could use Amazon SageMaker JumpStart to deploy LLMs to your AWS account in a managed way; this excluded them from the Bedrock features that were being actively developed (Agents, Flows, Knowledge Bases etc.), though. With Bedrock Marketplace, customers can select from 100+ (and growing) specialized models, including those from HuggingFace and DeepSeek, deploy them to a managed endpoint and access them through the standard Bedrock APIs.

This results in a more seamless experience and makes experimenting with different models significantly easier (including customers’ own fine-tuned models).

Amazon Bedrock Data Automation

Extracting insights from unstructured data (documents, audio, images, video) is something that LLMs have proven themselves to excel at. While the potential value borne from this is enormous, setting up performant, scalable, cost-effective and secure pipelines to extract this is something that can be complicated, and customers have historically struggled with it.

In recent days — at time of writing — Amazon Bedrock Data Automation reached General Availability (GA). This service sets out to solve the exact problem I’ve just described. Let’s focus on the document use case.

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) isn’t a new use case for AI — it existed long before GenAI was all the rage. IDP can unlock huge efficiencies for organizations that deal in paper-based forms when augmenting or replacing the manual processes that are performed by humans.

With Bedrock Data Automation, the heavy-lifting of building IDP pipelines is abstracted away from customers and provided as a managed service that’s easy to consume and subsequently integrate into legacy processes and systems.

Amazon Aurora DSQL

Databases are an example of a tool where the level of complexity exposed to those leveraging it is not necessarily correlated with how complex it is behind the scenes. Often, it’s an inverse relationship where the simpler and more “magic” a database is to use, the more complex it is in the areas that are unseen.

Amazon Aurora DSQL is a great example of such a tool where it’s as straightforward to use as AWS’s other managed database services, but the level of engineering complexity to make its feature set possible is huge. Speaking of its feature set, let’s look at that.

Aurora DSQL sets out to be the service of choice for workloads that need durable, strongly consistent, active-active databases across multiple regions or availability zones. Multi-region, or multi-AZ databases, are already well established in active-passive configurations (i.e., one writer and many read-replicas); active-active is a problem that’s much harder to solve while still being performant and retaining strong consistency.

If you’re interested in reading the deep technical details of challenges that were overcome in the building of this service, I’d recommend reading Marc Brooker’s (Distinguished Engineer at AWS) series of blog posts on the topic.

When announcing the service, AWS described it as providing “virtually unlimited horizontal scaling with the flexibility to independently scale reads, writes, compute, and storage. It automatically scales to meet any workload demand without database sharding or instance upgrades. Its active-active distributed architecture is designed for 99.99% single-Region and 99.999% multi-Region availability with no single point of failure, and automated failure recovery.”

For organizations where global scale is an aspiration or requirement, building on top of a foundation of Aurora DSQL sets them up very nicely.

Expansion of zero-ETL features

AWS has been pushing the “zero-ETL” vision for a couple of years now, with the aspiration being to make moving data between purpose-built services as easy as possible. An example would be moving transactional data from a PostgreSQL database running on Amazon Aurora to a database designed for large-scale analytics like Amazon Redshift.

While there has been a relatively continuous flow of new announcements in this area, the end of 2024 and start of 2025 saw a flurry that accompanied the new AWS services released at re:Invent.

There are far too many to talk about here in any level of detail that’d provide value; to find out more about all of the available zero-ETL integrations between AWS services, please visit AWS’s dedicated zero-ETL page.

Wrapping this up, we’ve covered five areas relating to data and AI that AWS is innovating in to make building, growing and streamlining organizations easier. All of these areas are relevant to small and growing startups, as well as billion-dollar enterprises. AWS and other cloud service providers are there to abstract away the complexity and heavy lifting, leaving you to focus on building your business logic.

In today’s age, most professionals and business leaders understand the importance of backing up their devices—files, contracts, and documents are routinely stored in the cloud. However, one critical area is often overlooked: emails.

Email isn’t just communication, it’s your paper trail—your record of deals, invoices, approvals, strategy, and client history. A crash, deletion, or security breach could erase years of essential communication.

That’s why Mail Backup X has become the email backup software trusted by more than 42,000 businesses worldwide. For a one-time $49.99 payment, ensure your emails are backed up for life (reg. $179).

How Mail Backup X works

This powerful software makes it easy to back up, archive, and restore emails across platforms like Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Exchange, Office 365, and more. Choose whether to save backups locally or use your preferred cloud service.

All files are compressed to save about three times the usual space. Everything is also secured with AES 256-bit encryption, so nothing is vulnerable to prying eyes who want to get hold of your information, the company says.

When you eventually need to retrieve information, you can rest assured that you took precautions before disaster struck. Need to recover a lost thread from two years ago? Or keep tabs on multiple business accounts from one place? Mail Backup X offers a searchable archive that lets you manage and retrieve emails quickly.

Why this deal is worth it

In a world where clients expect instant answers and flawless records, saying, “I lost that email,” just doesn’t cut it. Mail Backup X is the kind of email protection software that serious professionals use—one that shows you’re organized, proactive, and prepared. It’s not just about recovering data—it’s about maintaining trust, control, and continuity.

Get your Mail Backup X lifetime subscription here for $49.99 (reg. $179).

Mail Backup X Individual Edition: Lifetime Subscription – $49.99

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Zoom is down for tens of thousands of people, according to Downdetector. Users have been reporting outages since 2:38 p.m. ET.

More than 60,000 Zoom customers had logged issues with the video conferencing service by 3:08 p.m. ET. Nearly half of users reporting problems (46%) experienced issues with the website, while 38% encountered problems with the app.

Zoom’s status page also appears to be down at the time of writing. The company previously indicated through the page that it was aware of the outage for Zoom meetings and was working to resolve it.

Zoom’s investors page also appears to be down at press time.

Related: Amazon Is Replacing Chime, Its Proprietary Video Conferencing Software, With… Zoom

Zoom has 300 million daily active users and 192,600 business customers as of the fourth quarter of 2024. Companies like Capital One, Glassdoor, and Dropbox all use the company’s videoconferencing service.

With Zoom down, users turned to social media. Some X users asked if Zoom was down for anyone else. Others expressed joy, frustration, and panic through GIFs.

Is Zoom down for anyone else? pic.twitter.com/G0ohPTb0ld

— Benji Hyam (@benjihyam) April 16, 2025

Zoom appears to be down? pic.twitter.com/K7tySTCcya

— Kristen Soltis Anderson (@KSoltisAnderson) April 16, 2025

Zoom’s down.

Remote employees everywhere: pic.twitter.com/As0Yx93oGH

— JSONP （╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ (@palmerj3) April 16, 2025

Universal is opening its long-awaited Epic Universe theme park to the public on May 22 in Orlando, Florida. The park was first announced in 2019 and cost around $7 billion to create, per CNBC.

Casandra Matej, CEO of Visit Orlando, told CNBC the new park is “the first major, entirely new theme park in the U.S. in 25 years.” Research seen by the outlet from Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting, found that within one year of opening, the new park could generate around $2 billion for Florida and create more than 17,500 new jobs across the country.

At 750 acres, it’s the largest of all of Universal’s properties and features five themed worlds: Celestial Park, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk.

But don’t worry, Harry Potter fans: This is the third Harry Potter-related theme park Universal has in the area. Nearby, Explore Hogsmeade is still open at Universal Islands of Adventure, and Diagon Alley is also open at Universal Studios Florida.

Related: Disney World Is Adding New Attractions and Themed Lands in a Massive Expansion — Here’s What to Expect

^{In Super Nintendo World, guests with Power-Up Bands can hit the familiar question-mark boxes of the Mario universe, track their Mario Kart score and play drums like Donkey Kong to unveil hidden effects and Easter eggs. (Adrian Ruhi/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)}

Although Epic Universe is less than 10 miles down the road from Walt Disney World, industry experts expect the new park to lift up the entire area, from hotels to restaurants to even more attendance at Disney-branded parks.

“It’s a rising tide that lifts all boats,” Matej said.

There are multiple roller coasters, restaurants, and three new hotels. There are also several boat rides.

^{Guests ride Stardust Racers, a new dueling roller coaster ride in Celestial Park, during a preview day for Universal Epic Universe on April 5, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)}

^{The How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk area, at the Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Florida, US, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Photographer: Thomas Simonetti/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

^{Atlantic is a waterside, seafood-centric restaurant with a mostly glass exterior meant to resemble a giant aquarium. (Adrian Ruhi/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)}

Most founders have zero interest in becoming celebrity CEOs — in fact, many of us actively avoid it. Yet, the personal branding industry has been projecting the same message for years: Be the face of your industry, become the #1 name everyone recognizes, and build your personal platform above all else.

This advice is everywhere, and it’s become the dominant narrative.

But here’s what I’ve discovered working with high-level CEOs and founder-CEOs: Many of us want the exact opposite. We want our company to be the industry-dominating name, not ourselves. We’re building organizations designed to outlast our tenure, not personal platforms dependent on our presence.

The great news is that founder branding can effectively support business goals without requiring ego-driven visibility. There’s a more nuanced approach that serves both the leader’s comfort level of spotlight tolerance and the company’s strategic objectives.

Related: Why Personal Branding Is Crucial for CEOs in Today’s World

The CEO’s perspective: Why they don’t want to be “the face” of the business

For established business leaders, the resistance to becoming “the face” of their company isn’t about the imposter syndrome — it’s a reflection of their strategic mindset.

Many are building with an exit in mind, and they know that being too personally synonymous with the organization’s brand makes the business less “exitable.” Others have already “made it” both financially and professionally, and they don’t need the validation of being recognized everywhere they go. Their ego isn’t tied to fame; it’s tied to impact, longevity and legacy.

This stands in stark contrast to how personal branding is typically pitched. Most branding gurus conflate visibility with value, suggesting that more recognition automatically equals more business success. But seasoned founders prioritize business leverage, not spotlight. They’re looking for strategic ways to elevate their companies without putting themselves center stage.

The business goal: Making the company the industry leader

Arguably, every visionary CEO shares one fundamental objective: positioning their company as the most trusted name, the go-to provider and the undisputed industry authority. Most don’t see how executive branding connects to that goal. And yet, in today’s business landscape, leveraging your thought leadership — and the expertise of your leadership team — is the most powerful path to establishing your company as a category leader.

Related: The 3 Biggest Mistakes CEOs Make With Their Personal Brand (and How to Turn Those Mistakes Around)

Thought leadership as the bridge

The lever that transforms companies into industry-dominant leaders is strategic thought leadership, and it works for several compelling reasons:

• People trust people faster than they trust companies

• It’s easier to build a following around a person than a logo

• Human storytelling converts faster than corporate messaging

These principles remain true whether the person is seeking fame or simply sharing valuable insights.

This dynamic is even more pronounced now, in the age where AI Optimization (AIO) is replacing traditional SEO:

Search is shifting from keywords to questions — and AI engines pull from people with recognized expertise, not anonymous corporate pages. AIO increasingly favors named thought leaders with established digital authority. The credibility of a company is now tightly linked to the public contributions of its human leaders.

A company’s findability and trustworthiness are now connected to its leaders’ public contributions, whether those leaders seek personal recognition or not.

How executive branding elevates the company

The transfer of authority from executive to company happens through several key mechanisms:

Authority transfer: When a credible CEO speaks or publishes, the company’s credibility rises in tandem. The market recognizes the organization’s authority through the leader’s contributions, without necessarily focusing on the person themselves.

Searchability boost: Search engines and AI platforms increasingly prioritize content with recognized thought leadership, creating a direct connection between executive insights and company visibility.

Media and partnership opportunities: Journalists, podcast hosts and event organizers want humans to interview and feature, not faceless brands. A CEO with a clear point of view opens doors for the entire organization.

Talent acquisition: Top talent is attracted to visionary leadership, not just job listings. Seeing the thinking behind the company makes A-players want to join the team.

Investor confidence: Executive visibility signals confidence, clarity and momentum — all crucial factors when securing funding or navigating acquisition talks.

I’ve watched transformation happen across multiple verticals. When a founder establishes subject matter expertise and thought leadership, it becomes a transformational marketing lever for their organization. Their ideas attract not only clients but also top-tier talent who want to be part of something intellectually substantial.

And this doesn’t require being “everywhere.” The narrative of creating content every single day on every single platform is completely impertinent to CEOs who are looking to grow their businesses rather than their fame. Instead, you need to build a strategic presence and consistent contribution in carefully selected channels. Naturally, for a company to be seen as a category leader, it starts with someone saying something worth hearing — and that voice often belongs to the CEO and his or her executive team.

Related: Why Harnessing the Power of Your Personal Brand Will Transform Your Business

Lead the industry — without the spotlight

The right kind of personal brand supports a company’s rise to the top without requiring ego-driven visibility. This shift in mindset will become apparent to your stakeholders vis-à-vis the type of topics you align yourself with (thought leadership vs. lifestyle), the platforms you choose to build visibility on (LinkedIn and industry events vs. TikTok) and the KPIs you choose to track (your organization’s industry ranking and conversations open vs. social media likes).

So, how do you actually do this? Here’s the strategy:

1. Selective visibility: Choose specific contexts where your expertise matters most — select industry publications, niche podcasts, targeted speaking engagements — rather than broad exposure.

2. Focus on ideas, not personality: Structure your content around concepts, frameworks and insights rather than personal stories exclusively. Humanizing content and storytelling are important, but they cannot be a standalone piece of your brand-building strategy.

3. Strategic delegation: As your content gains traction, selectively bring in other voices from your leadership team to further separate the company’s expertise from any one individual. This is a key and usually overlooked piece by CEOs. If you want to ensure that you do not inadvertently become your organization’s spokesperson, involve your key leaders in building their own thought leadership in tandem with you developing yours.

Founder branding isn’t a binary choice between invisibility and celebrity. It’s a strategic tool that, when leveraged with intention, builds your company’s authority. Approaching your brand building strategically is crucial to ensuring that you meet the goal of positioning your company as an industry leader, rather than having yourself be perceived as a spotlight-seeking influencer-in-the-making.

The most effective reframing of executive branding is understanding that your goal is not to become an influencer. It’s about becoming an instrument for your company’s growth and industry dominance.

I’m a chief marketing officer, I always seek strategies to give my campaigns an edge. Over the last few years, I’ve been diving into hypertargeting more and more, a term that’s buzzing around the digital marketing world lately. It promises precision, personalization and potentially higher returns — but is it worth integrating into my marketing plan?

To figure that out, I’ve broken it down: what hypertargeting is, how it can help and a step-by-step process I’ve developed to analyze whether it makes sense for my goals. Here’s what I’ve learned and some practical insights on platforms that could make it work for hypertargeting.

Related: 5 Strategies That Helped Me Achieve 10x Returns on My Marketing Efforts

What is hypertargeting?

Let me start with the basics. Hypertargeting is a marketing strategy that takes targeting to the next level. Unlike traditional broad-segment approaches — think “women aged 25-45” or “small business owners” — targeting zooms in on hyper-specific audience niches using detailed data. It’s about delivering tailored messages to individuals or small groups based on their behaviors, interests, demographics and even real-time actions, like where they are or what they’ve just searched online.

For example, instead of targeting all fitness enthusiasts, I could use hypertargeting to reach “30-35-year-old women in Seattle who run marathons and follow plant-based diets.” The granularity is what sets it apart. It leverages data from social media, browsing history, purchase patterns and even location-based tech to craft ads that feel almost eerily personal. The goal? Relevance. When my message hits the right person at the right time, engagement — and conversions — skyrocket.

How does it help?

So, why should I care? Hypertargeting offers some compelling benefits that align with my pursuit of efficiency and impact. First, it boosts relevance. If I’m selling premium running shoes, I’d rather talk directly to marathon runners than blast a generic ad to anyone who’s ever stepped into a gym. This precision cuts through the noise of today’s overcrowded digital landscape.

Second, it improves ROI. I’m not wasting dollars on people who’d never buy by focusing my budget on a smaller, highly qualified audience. I’ve seen campaigns where broad targeting eats up ad spend with minimal returns — hypertargeting flips that script. It’s like switching from a shotgun to a sniper rifle.

Third, it drives personalization, which customers crave. Studies show that 80% of consumers are more likely to buy when brands offer personalized experiences. Hypertargeting lets me craft resonating messages — like offering a discount on vegan protein powder to that Seattle runner right after she finishes a race. That’s not just marketing; it’s a conversation.

But it’s not all sunshine. There’s a flip side: hypertargeting requires robust data, technical know-how and sometimes a higher upfront cost. Plus, I might miss out on broader growth opportunities if I get too narrow. So, how do I decide if it’s right for my plan? Here’s the step-by-step process I use to analyze it.

Related: The Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Your Niche and Target Market

Step-by-step: Analyzing if hypertargeting makes sense

Step 1: Define my goals

Before I jump in, I clarify what I’m aiming for. Am I launching a new product and need early adopters? Boosting brand awareness? Driving sales for a niche offering? Hypertargeting shines for specific, conversion-driven goals — like selling to a small, defined group with a clear need. If my goal is broad reach, say for a mass-market product like soda, it might not be the best fit. I jot down my KPIs: conversions, click-through rates or cost-per-acquisition. These will guide my decision.

Step 2: Assess my audience data

Next, I dig into the data I have. Hypertargeting thrives on specifics — demographics, purchase history and online behavior. I check my CRM, website analytics and social media insights. Do I know enough about my customers to segment them into tight niches? For instance, if I’m marketing a luxury skincare line, can I identify “40+ women in urban areas who’ve bought anti-aging products in the last six months?” If my data is thin or generic, I might need to invest in collection tools, like surveys or a pixel on my site, before hypertargeting works.

Step 3: Evaluate my product or service

I ask: Is my offering niche or broad? Hypertargeting excels for specialized products with distinct audiences — high-end tech gadgets or boutique fitness classes. If I push something universal, like toothpaste, casting a wider net might make more sense. I also consider the customer journey. For high-consideration purchases (e.g. a car), hypertargeting can precisely retarget interested prospects. For impulse buys, it might overcomplicate things.

Step 4: Analyze past campaign performance

I pull up my last few campaigns. Where did I see success? If broad ads underperformed — low engagement, high bounce rates — it’s a sign my audience wasn’t connecting. But if I’ve got a campaign that nailed a specific segment (say, a 20% conversion rate from an email to loyal customers), that’s a green light for hypertargeting. I compare cost-per-click and conversion rates across segments to spot patterns. Data doesn’t lie — it tells me where precision could pay off.

Step 5: Test my budget and resources

Here’s the reality check: hypertargeting can get pricey and complex. I look at my budget — can I afford platforms with advanced targeting options? Do I have the team or tools to manage it? Small campaigns might not justify the effort, but if I’ve got a decent ad spend (say, $5,000+ monthly), I can test it. I also assess my tech stack. Platforms like Google Ads or Meta Ads Manager require setup and monitoring — am I equipped for that?

Step 6: Run a small test

If I’m leaning toward yes, I don’t go all-in. I start small. I pick one product, define a hyper-specific audience (e.g. “25-30-year-old remote workers who’ve searched for ergonomic chairs”), and launch a $500 campaign. I track results over two weeks — clicks, conversions and cost-per-acquisition. If it outperforms my baseline metrics by 20% or more, I’ve got proof of concept. If it flops, I tweak the segment or reconsider.

Step 7: Scale or pivot

Based on the test, I decided. If hyper targeting delivers, I scale it — more segments, bigger budgets, refined messaging. If it’s a bust, I pivot back to broader tactics or shore up my data first. It’s all about iteration. Marketing’s a living thing — I adapt as I learn.

Related: Your Marketing Strategy Needs an Overhaul — This Approach Is What Separates Successful Campaigns From the Rest

Platforms that can help

If I decide to go for it, I’ve got options. Here are the platforms I lean on:

• Google Ads: With its keyword targeting, location-based options and remarketing, I can target users based on search intent or past site visits. This is perfect for catching people in decision mode.
• Facebook/Instagram Ads: Meta’s ad platform is a goldmine of interests, behaviors and lookalike audiences. I can target “dog owners who like hiking” with frightening accuracy.
• LinkedIn Ads: Are unmatched for B2B. I can zero in on job titles, industries and even company size — ideal if I’m pitching to “marketing directors at tech startups.”
• Amazon DSP: If I’m in ecommerce, this lets me target shoppers based on their browsing and buying habits, even off Amazon’s site.
• Programmatic ad networks: Tools like The Trade Desk offer real-time bidding and cross-channel precision. They are pricey but powerful for big campaigns.

Should I use it?

After walking through this, I see hypertargeting as a tool — not a silver bullet. It’s perfect when I have a clear niche, solid data and a goal for conversions or loyalty. For my luxury skincare line, it’s a no-brainer — I’ll target affluent women with proven interest. But I’d stick to broader strokes for a mass-market product launch until I refine my audience.

The real question is balance. Hypertargeting can supercharge my plan, but I won’t let it box me in. I’ll keep testing, blending it with other tactics and watching the data. As a marketing exec, my job is to stay agile, and hypertargeting is just one weapon in my arsenal. If it fits your goals, give it a shot. The results might surprise you.

Starbucks wants the green apron to be the star of the show.

Starting May 12, Starbucks is “evolving” its dress code in all stores that will allow its “iconic green apron to shine,” the company announced on its blog.

The new “simplified color options” will “create a sense of familiarity for our customers, no matter which store they visit across North America,” the company wrote.

Related: ‘We’re Not Effective’: Starbucks CEO Tells Corporate Employees to ‘Own Whether or Not This Place Grows’

Since taking over as CEO in September 2024, Chief Executive Brian Niccol has implemented a slew of changes to improve lagging sales. This includes cutting 30% of its menu, adding new directives like making coffee in under four minutes, and writing customers’ names down with Sharpies on their cups.

What Is the New Starbucks Barista Dress Code?

Starbucks is calling the new dress code a “more defined color palette,” which means a solid black (only) crewneck, collared, or button-up shirt in either short and long-sleeves.

For bottoms, crewmembers can wear “any shade” of khaki, black, or blue denim. The company said it is also making a new line of company-branded T-shirts that will be “available to partners, who will receive two at no cost.”

The AP notes that in 2019, Starbucks began allowing one facial piercing for its front-facing employees, and that still stands with the new dress code.

Starbucks has more than 40,000 stores worldwide, with 16,941 in the U.S. The company has used the green apron as its symbol since 1987.

Related: Starbucks Is Limiting Mobile Orders to Reclaim the Coffeehouse’s ‘Connection’ With Customers

Big Tech companies may not say outright that AI is replacing people, but one tech investor is — and he says two professions, in particular, should watch out.

“Big companies talk about, like, ‘AI isn’t replacing people, it’s augmenting them,'” said Victor Lazarte, general partner at venture capital firm Benchmark, on a recent episode of the podcast “The Twenty Minute VC.”

“It’s bulls—t,” Lazarte said. “It’s fully replacing people.”

Lazarte said that two professions should be especially wary of AI: lawyers and recruiters.

He explained that within the next three years, AI will be able to take over the busy work in law, which often falls to recent law school graduates. On the recruiting side, Lazarte predicted that AI would take over interviewing candidates.

“There’s not going to be that many things” that AI can’t do, Lazarte said.

Related: A 74-Year-Old Needed a Lawyer, So He Used an AI Avatar in Court. It Didn’t Go Well.

The legal industry is already using AI tools. Earlier this week, legal tech startup Libra, which supports more than 3,000 lawyers and 150 law firms, updated its AI to help with every step of daily legal work, from research to review. Last July, the American Bar Association listed Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot as its top four tools for AI professionals.

AI has noticeably improved the quality of legal work, too. A March study from researchers at the University of Michigan Law School discovered that AI can improve how well law students put together legal analyses. Study participants found that the quality of their legal work improved by up to 28% with AI.

Meanwhile, law firms are racing to adopt AI. A Thomson Reuters study from July 2024 surveyed 2,200 professionals and C-Suite executives globally and found that law firms listed AI as their top strategic priority.

Related: Jack Dorsey Says Intellectual Property Law Shouldn’t Exist, and Elon Musk Agrees: ‘Delete All IP Law’

On the recruiting side, firms are using AI to automate hiring. While Jobscan research notes that 99% of the Fortune 500 companies use AI to filter applicants, its influence reaches farther than just the initial stage of applications. A Resume Builder survey found that in 2024, over 40% of companies used AI to conduct interviews and “talk” to candidates. The AI screenings have taken some candidates by surprise.

Meanwhile, startups are busy exploring the AI recruiting market. OptimHire, an AI recruiting startup that finds candidates, conducts interviews, and schedules calls, raised $5 million in seed funding last month.

Another small AI recruiting startup, ConverzAI, raised $16 million in a Series A round in January to create virtual recruiters. Bigger startup Mercor, which uses AI to screen resumes and match candidates, raised $100 million in a Series B round in February. Mercor counts OpenAI as part of its client base.

Lazarte said that AI might replace jobs, but it also has the potential to help start new companies.

“You’re going to have these trillion-dollar companies being done by very small teams,” he predicted.

Benchmark has backed companies including Asana, Snap, and Uber.

When you ask someone about their career and job, they can easily explain what they do and how they do it, but if you ask them why they do it, many struggle with the answer. Knowing your “why” should serve as the foundation and be clearly defined, as it provides a powerful purpose.

Embracing your “why” can have a tremendous impact on your life, business and success as it not only helps attract the right clients but also can boost company culture and lead you on the path to sustainable growth.

Related: The Power Of Finding Your Why

Attracting the right clients

Many businesses and leaders feel they should serve and be open to every interested person or client who presents themselves. However, not every client is the right fit for your business. When you keep your purpose and “why” front of mind, it helps naturally attract clients who align with your values and beliefs, while discouraging others who aren’t a right fit. This alignment saves time and efforts spent on meaningless meetings, proposals, etc., which allows you and your team to focus on delivering top results to the right clients.

Think back about difficult clients you’ve experienced — maybe they question your costs, approach and methods, or push the limits when it comes to your defined scope. They may not see or appreciate the true value in the services you provide, and oftentimes, it’s because they do not align with your company’s “why.” You want to work with clients who align and resonate with your purpose, as they will be the ones who will trust, value and appreciate your expertise and services, often becoming long-term partners.

Avoiding misalignment and scope creep

If you do not have a defined “why,” it opens the door to confusion and future issues such as miscommunication or client asks outside of your determined scope of work. By defining your “why,” you reduce the chances of misalignment happening in the client relationship, which can cause frustration on both sides.

It’s also important to set boundaries and expectations from the beginning in order to make sure everyone is aligned on objectives and to prevent misunderstandings. This helps develop a more productive and fulfilling relationship for both parties. Your “why” should serve as a guiding principle to keep your business on track and focused on its mission.

Reinforcing your market position and brand

In order to build your brand and establish your position in the marketplace, you need to set your business apart from the competition. A defined and clear “why” can not only make your business more memorable, but by showing your investment in the greater good and something other than just earning a profit, it can help attract both loyal clients and employees. Sharing your “why” along with your company story, mission and values makes your company more relatable and authentic. Think of this as another tool to build trust and loyalty, which contributes to long-term growth.

Related: An Inspiring Discussion With Simon Sinek About Learning Your ‘Why’

Developing a unified team

Beyond your client relationships, a well-defined “why” plays a critical role in building a solid, unified team. If you hire employees based on just skill and experience, you may have a high-functioning workforce, but they may lack passion, loyalty and commitment. You want your team members to believe in your “why,” so they are invested in your vision.

Employees who align with your purpose don’t work solely for the paycheck — they are dedicated, innovative and take a sense of ownership and pride in their work. Those team members become a driving force delivering top-tier customer service that has an impact on the long-term success of your business. A team that shares a collective “why” is more motivated, resilient and can overcome adversity.

Your “why” is more than a simple mission statement — it is the core of your business. It impacts the clients you attract, your company culture and the long-term success of your business. Leading with a purpose draws you to the right people, including clients and employees, who share the same beliefs about what you stand for. It helps foster a profitable, fulfilling and sustainable business environment. I encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself: Why do you do what you do? The more clearly you can define your answer, the stronger your business will be.

Whether you’re looking to run a side business from home or turn a passion into a full-time career, these brands stand out in the 2025 Franchise 500 as the top franchises you can start for under $5,000. They’re ranked across a variety of industries — from commercial cleaning to travel planning to fitness — and offer entry points for nearly every budget.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

1. Stratus Building Solutions

• Founded: 2004
• Franchising since: 2006
• Overall Rank: 23
• Number of units: 4,182
• Change in units: +73% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $4,450 – $79,750
• Leadership: Doug Flaig, CEO
• Parent company: SBS Franchising LLC

With commercial cleaning in high demand, Stratus Building Solutions offers a low-cost entry point into a recession-resistant industry. Franchisees receive green-certified tools, branded marketing materials and ongoing support to build a scalable business from day one. The brand’s unit growth of 73% over three years signals strong momentum, especially for those seeking a part-time start that can grow into a full-time operation.

Related: This Travel Franchise Turns Your Passion for Vacations Into a Money-Making Opportunity

2. Dream Vacations

• Founded: 1991
• Franchising since: 1992
• Overall Rank: 41
• Number of units: 2,078
• Change in units: +39.7% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $2,590 – $21,870
• Leadership: Brad and Jeff Tolkin, co-CEOs/chairmen
• Parent company: World Travel Holdings

Dream Vacations gives aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to sell travel from anywhere — no storefront required. As a home-based business, it’s perfect for those looking to turn a passion for travel into extra income or a full-time career. Franchisees benefit from industry-leading training, a robust support system and access to exclusive deals for clients. Plus, the brand often offers discounts for military veterans and first responders.

Related: 64 Million U.S. Households Have a Pet. Here’s How This Top-Ranked Franchise Is Making Busy Owners’ Lives Easier.

3. Cruise Planners

• Founded: 1994
• Franchising since: 1999
• Overall Rank: 70
• Number of units: 2,961
• Change in units: +11.4% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $1,945 – $20,465
• Leadership: Michelle Fee, CEO
• Parent company: CP Franchising LLC

Cruise Planners specializes in more than just cruises — it empowers franchisees to sell all types of travel, from all-inclusive resorts to custom trips and excursions. With a flexible, work-from-anywhere model and a comprehensive suite of marketing and booking tools, it’s a great option for those seeking supplemental income or a lifestyle-based business. No travel industry experience is needed to get started.

Related: How a Police Officer Started a Pet Care Business Making $3 Million a Year

4. Jan-Pro Cleaning & Disinfecting

• Founded: 1991
• Franchising since: 1992
• Overall Rank: 77
• Number of units: 11,266
• Change in units: +7.5% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $4,830 – $58,070
• Leadership: Gary Bauer, brand president
• Parent company: Empower Brands

If you’re looking to tap into the booming commercial cleaning sector, Jan-Pro Cleaning & Disinfecting offers franchisees recurring revenue, flexible hours and a turnkey business model. With more than 11,000 units and steady growth, it’s ideal for entrepreneurs seeking a proven, scalable opportunity. Franchisees receive training, equipment and client contracts, making it a strong choice for beginners and part-time operators alike.

Related: No Experience? No Problem. How This First-Time Franchisee Built a $3 Million Business.

5. Buildingstars

• Founded: 1994
• Franchising since: 2000
• Overall Rank: 269
• Number of units: 1,201
• Change in units: +24.6% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $2,445 – $53,200
• Leadership: Chris Blase, president
• Parent company: Facility Brands Inc.

Buildingstars lets franchisees ease into the commercial cleaning world at their own pace, with tiered investment options ranging from part-time to full-time. The brand focuses on office cleaning, which tends to have predictable, repeat clients and flexible scheduling. With 1,200 units and strong multi-year growth, it’s a smart pick for entrepreneurs who want to keep their day job while building a reliable income stream.

Related: Explore the full 2025 Franchise 500 list, complete with category rankings.

6. Jazzercise

• Founded: 1969
• Franchising since: 1982
• Overall Rank: 392
• Number of units: 7,141
• Change in units: -10% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $2,140 – $40,735
• Leadership: Judi Sheppard Missett, founder & executive chair
• Parent company: Jazzercise Inc.

Jazzercise blends fitness with fun and flexibility, giving franchisees the chance to teach dance-based workout classes without needing to lease their own studio. Many instructors partner with local gyms or community spaces, keeping costs low. Ideal for fitness enthusiasts looking to inspire others, the brand also offers multiple revenue streams — from classes to branded merchandise.

Related: At 80, Jazzercise’s Founder Is Thriving. She Credits Lean Protein, Weightlifting, and Treating Herself to a Daily Dr Pepper.