Americans have filed more than 21 million new business applications in the past four years, per the latest U.S. Small Business Administration data. Entrepreneurs filed an average of more than 440,000 new applications every month.

But figuring out where to start new businesses can be daunting, as there are certian areas of the country that offer better entrepreneurship opportunities than others. Using data collected in January from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, business travel experts at Booking.com for Business examined which states were best suited for startups.

Related: Small Businesses Are Struggling in This Densely Populated U.S. State — and Thriving in These Others

When it comes to cities with the highest number of startups, San Francisco topped the list, with companies like OpenAI and Grammarly calling the city home. New York City, Mountain View, Boston, Redwood City, and Palo Alto were also among the top cities for startups.

However, even though California cities appear often on the top cities list, California was only ranked the tenth best state for startups. The state has a high number of startups, with 179,415, but the 10-year survival rate of these companies is 35%, which led to its lower ranking.

The researchers created a startup opportunity score out of 10 for each state, taking into account the total number of startups in the state, the number of startups per 100,000 people, and the 10-year survival rate of startups.

Montana, which was ranked the No. 1 state for startups, has a startup opportunity score of 9.55, the highest on the list, and a 10-year survival rate of 41%. Montana has a high number of startups compared to people in the state, or 422 startups per 100,000 people.

Vermont, which is ninth on the list, also has more than 400 startups per 100,000 people.

Here are the best states for startups, according to Booking.com.

1. Montana

^{Bozeman, Montana. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 4,800

Startups per 100,000 people: 422

10-year survival rate: 41%

Startup opportunity score: 9.55

2. Oregon

Total number of startups: 15,149

Startups per 100,000 people: 355

10-year survival rate: 36.4%

Startup opportunity score: 8.00

3. Nevada

Total number of startups: 12,034

Startups per 100,000 people: 368

10-year survival rate: 33.5%

Startup opportunity score: 7.20

4. Utah

^{Salt Lake City, Utah. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 13,384

Startups per 100,000 people: 382

10-year survival rate: 35%

Startup opportunity score: 7.15

5. Florida

Total number of startups: 86,692

Startups per 100,000 people: 371

10-year survival rate: 34.7%

Startup opportunity score: 7.10

6. Wyoming

Total number of startups: 2,782

Startups per 100,000 people: 473

10-year survival rate: 34.5%

Startup opportunity score: 7.10

7. Idaho

^{Boise, Idaho. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 8,548

Startups per 100,000 people: 427

10-year survival rate: 33.1%

Startup opportunity score: 7.05

8. Delaware

Total number of startups: 3,565

Startups per 100,000 people: 339

10-year survival rate: 32.8%

Startup opportunity score: 7.00

9. Vermont

Total number of startups: 2,843

Startups per 100,000 people: 438

10-year survival rate: 37%

Startup opportunity score: 6.85

10. California

^{San Francisco, California. Credit: Getty Images}

Total number of startups: 179,415

Startups per 100,000 people: 455

10-year survival rate: 35%

Startup opportunity score: 6.25

For the full study, click here.

Are you just using AI to save time, or are you ready to unlock its true money-making potential? Basic AI usage is like navigating a city with a street sign – you’re missing the map to seven-figure profits. The real game? It’s hidden in your data, and I’m about to show you how to exploit it. Forget surface-level metrics. We’re diving deep into the psychological triggers that drive buying decisions, using AI to uncover what I call the “conversion catalyst code.”

What you’ll discover:

• Cognitive dissonance exploitation: Learn how to use AI (specifically, FREE tools like Google AI Studio) to identify and leverage your audience’s deepest frustrations, turning them into massive sales boosts.
• Loss aversion loophole: Uncover the secret to analyzing your website’s visitor flow and pinpoint where you’re losing potential customers. Tweak your copy with AI-powered insights and watch your conversions skyrocket. Make more money with fewer visitors.
• ‘Mere exposure effect’ mastery: Discover how to create emotionally resonant micro-narratives that build instant trust and familiarity with your brand. Replicate the strategies that generated $2.3 million in revenue.
• ‘Von Restorff effect’ advantage: Stop blending in. Learn how to use AI to identify your competitors’ weaknesses and create content that stands out, grabs attention, and drives action.

I’ll show you how to use AI to create offers and marketing that truly resonate and generate seven-figure revenues.

Download the free “AI Success Kit” (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from Ben’s brand new book, “The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.”

As AI transforms the world at an unprecedented pace, it is up to each of us to use our critical thinking powers to be sure we use technology properly.

AI tools are a productivity enhancer. When it’s time for ideation, entering search strings into an AI platform generates a list of topics for managers to discuss with their teams in the next staff meeting. And entering a prompt to generate text for a presentation or a white paper saves time and money.

However, AI is no substitute for the human soft skills required in everyday business transactions. I’m talking about critical thinking and emotional intelligence.

Related: AI Is an Answer, But Not the Only Answer — Here’s Why It Can’t Replace Humans

The need for critical thinking

A couple of months ago, I was talking with a prospect who had been excited to use an AI tool provided by a new vendor. This vendor had sold them on the idea that AI could do all their research and even create their pitch deck.

They thought they would save time and money. Maybe the AI-generated research and pitch deck would be better than anything they’d previously developed in-house.

They took their first AI-generated dataset and slides to a medium-sized company and began to sell their product during the presentation. Then reality hit. The CEO attended the meeting and quickly made her opinion known, announcing, “This looks like something I could’ve pulled from ChatGPT! Were you even listening to us?”

The prospect and I touched base a few days later when he told me how embarrassed he was and wanted to know how they could salvage the situation. I helped him see that without real, verifiable insight and a human touch, they had arrived at the company’s office with a dead-on-arrival pitch deck. The details and recommendations had not been personalized to the target business. The research they quoted didn’t actually exist. Relying on AI, in this case, caused them to break a primary rule of sales — solve the problem, don’t pitch a product.

I advised him to use some of the proprietary data my company provides. The most valuable and insightful business information is often behind a firewall and is not available on the free internet. I also suggested they redo their deck, add a case study and connect with their prospect on a personal level. This time, they used AI as a tool, not a shortcut, and verified its output against reliable sources using their critical thinking skills.

They were able to snag a second chance to make a presentation. And they won the deal because they realized the promise of all the great things AI can do has not yet been fulfilled. They provided real value and insight to the account. And my prospect was so happy they asked for a proposal to put me on retainer.

This story holds an important lesson for business owners who believe artificial intelligence is a total replacement for critical thinking and emotional intelligence. It isn’t. In fact, Gartner predicts that roughly  30% of new sellers entering the workforce through 2028 will experience a reduction in critical analytical skills as well as social skills like relationship building, empathy and active listening due to an overreliance on AI technologies — much like my prospect did.

Related: Why We Need to Become More Emotionally Intelligent In An AI World

Emotional intelligence is your entrepreneurial superpower

Our soft skills are what separate humans from machines. We feel the raw emotions of a client who’s struggling to save their business, and we can assure them that we understand their situation. We can relate to the anxiety of a buyer with FOMU (fear of messing up). We are able to pivot quickly when our prospect throws us a curveball. In these situations, we can access our experiences and suggest an alternate solution.

AI must fake emotions and life experiences. Keep in mind that if you conduct business like a robot, you will be replaced by a robot. EI is your entrepreneurial superpower! Don’t forget to use it — and never surrender your humanity to technology.

There are many ways to end up on the wrong side of a business conversation with a prospect or an account. Closing deals and retaining customers is challenging. There is no reason to make the process unnecessarily difficult. By combining AI-generated data with critical thinking and emotional intelligence, we can demonstrate that we always have our clients’ best interests in mind.

Every successful business I’ve launched has had one important thing in common: They’ve solved a pain point.

Back in college, when I was building a website for an on-campus association, I needed a membership system that allowed people to create profiles and browse others. That’s how, long before social media became a thing, I created Profile Manager, essentially a proto-Facebook. It became a hit because so many other websites had the same needs.

Fast forward a few years, to when I was a developer at a New York media company, wasting hours at my desk building forms. I hated the task of building those forms — it was time-consuming and boring. My company, Jotform, exists today for two reasons: 1) Forms are incredibly useful, for a variety of things, and 2) I never wanted to waste time building one from scratch ever again.

No matter how flashy a product, or how well-marketed, it’s never going to take off if it doesn’t solve a problem.

Related: Don’t Go Looking for Problems: Curing Your Own Pain Points Is a Good Way to Develop a New Product

The importance of pain points

Some founders believe that if they create something cool enough, customers will magically materialize. It never works. As a result, those founders release a product with exactly zero users. Remember Juicero, the $400 juicer whose sole function could easily be done by hand? It became the laughingstock of the internet, before quickly dying out. If you’ve ever watched the show Shark Tank, you know how often unique, quirky and wholly unnecessary products get funding (rarely).

To be clear, solving a pain point doesn’t necessarily mean developing a completely novel idea — it may just mean taking an existing product and making it better. I always think of Warby Parker, the glasses purveyor that changed the way we shop for new frames. It’s not that you couldn’t buy glasses before — it’s just that Warby Parker’s innovative home try-on program made it way easier and way more affordable.

Find the pain point

A small, wealthy subset of the population will pony up for flashy, untested products and services, a founder’s best bet is to target regular people.

The fact that the vast majority of Americans — 98%, in fact — use smartphones has opened up enormous potential for revolutionizing how services are delivered. Many companies succeeding in this space aren’t exactly sexy — take Remitly, which allows customers to send money internationally from their devices without having to travel to Western Union; or Cityblock, a tech-driven healthcare provider that offers care for underserved communities.

Finding the right pain point is an art — for me, my goal was to solve my own. But you can also look to people you know, within your community or the world at large. If you’re searching outside yourself or your immediate circle, it pays to go where people are venting. Forums like Reddit, Slack groups and Discord servers are rife with people sharing their frustrations. Your goal should be not to pitch, but to listen and see what people are saying.

If you have an inkling of an idea already, set a Google Alert for some keywords and phrases associated with it, or use BuzzSumo to see what discussions are happening around your topic.

Related: How to Identify the Pain Point in Your Customers To Skyrocket Sales

Get the facts

The above suggestions represent where you should start doing your research — but that’s just the beginning. “While gut feel or personal experience with a problem can be a strong signal there is a problem to solve, without proper product discovery work you won’t truly know if you have a winning solution,” says Julia Austin, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School.

A crucial question I ask all of my mentees is this: “If the product was ready right now, how would you get 100 people to use it in a short time?” This gets to the root of the important distinction between interest and problem validation. While interest can be measured in a number of ways — positive feedback, social media engagement, etc. — this is not the same as problem validation, which is the process of confirming that not only is there a problem worth solving, but how a product can most successfully solve it.

One good way to kick the tires on your idea is by testing your product manually, otherwise known as Wizard of Oz testing. This allows you to gather feedback while saving the effort of building a full prototype. Be sure to pay attention to the responses you’re getting — the reactions to your manual solution will be critical when you build the real thing.

Solving pain points isn’t just a path to business success — it’s the foundation. Whether you’re addressing your frustrations or tapping into the needs of others, the key is to listen, validate and innovate. When you focus on real problems, your product has the best chance of making an impact.

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You can get anything delivered nowadays, from groceries to shampoo to a new car. But cash? That’s usually reserved for people with special needs or especially high bank accounts.

But on Wednesday, at its second annual keynote event, “The Lost City of Gold,” Robinhood, a fintech platform for buying and selling stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies, announced a slew of new products and services, with one perk standing out: banking options with cash deliveries.

“With Robinhood Banking, we’re trying to solve many of the challenges presented by legacy banks,” said Deepak Rao, GM and VP of Robinhood Money, in a statement. “Robinhood Banking is thoughtfully designed to be as easy to use as possible, while still delivering cutting-edge features historically reserved for the ultra-wealthy.”

Robinhood’s Gold membership program ($5 monthly or $50 annually) gives users access to the company’s premium features and the new banking program, which will offer traditional checking accounts, high-yield savings accounts, and other private banking services for individuals and families.

Members will get exclusive tickets to events like the Met Gala, Oscars, F1 Monaco Grand Prix, and The Masters, plus discounts on private jet travel and members-only vacation clubs.

Related: Robinhood Is Offering a Credit Card for the First Time — and It’s Available in 10-Karat Gold

Other perks include getting “cash delivered on-demand right to your doorstep, eliminating the need for an ATM,” the statement reads.

There’s no word yet on how the cash deliveries will take place, what identification will be required, or how the company will ensure the safety of its drivers.

The fine print only adds: “Cash delivery service coverage varies based on geographic location.”

The program also offers instant transfers and wire services.

“Our goal is for Robinhood to give you a world-class financial team in your pocket, with cutting-edge tools you can’t find elsewhere,” said Vlad Tenev, chairman and CEO of Robinhood, in the statement.

Related: Robinhood CEO Says Big Banks Are Taking Advantage of Americans. Now His Company Wants to Put More Money Into Your Wallet — No Investing Required.

^{Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to Money Makers, our free newsletter packed with creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here.}

Your YouTube Shorts content could soon be racking up much more views.

YouTube announced that starting Monday, it is changing how it counts views on YouTube Shorts, its short-form video section that has a 60 second or less format. Previously, a view only counted if someone watched a Short for a certain number of seconds. Starting on March 31, a view counts instantly when someone plays or replays a Short video.

“Views may be higher moving forward,” YouTube wrote in a statement.

That means that even if a user scrolls past a video within a few seconds of it playing, it still counts as a view. This is also how Instagram and TikTok calculate views for short-form videos.

Related: ‘I’ve Never Regretted Leaving the Corporate World Behind’: This Former Lawyer Now Makes Six Figures on YouTube — Here’s How

YouTube stated that it was making the update in response to feedback from creators who expressed that they wanted to know how often their Shorts were seen, not just how many people watched a substantial portion of a Short.

“We hope that this deeper understanding of your Shorts performance will help you inform your content strategy,” YouTube said in the statement.

YouTube is still keeping track of how many people choose to keep watching a Short under a new metric called “engaged views,” which pinpoints the number of views from people who watch a Short for a certain length of time. YouTube will base earnings and eligibility for its monetization path, the YouTube Partner Program, on engaged views.

More engaged views could also mean more earnings for entrepreneurs.

Since YouTube Shorts launched in 2021, it has allowed more than one in four creators in the YouTube Partner Program to earn money through the platform. The average earnings are between $0.03 and $0.07 per 1,000 views on a Short, or between $30 and $70 for one million views, per the social media toolkit site Buffer.

Related: YouTube Takes on TikTok With New Tools: ‘You Can Build a Business’

Attorney and personal finance expert Erika Kullberg has over 21 million followers on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. She noted in May that her top 10 YouTube Shorts received a range of 6.3 million to 48 million views but far less pay than her longer-form YouTube videos with comparable views.

^{Erika Kullberg}

For example, her 48-second Short on negotiating medical bills with over four million views generated $106.85, while her 12-minute longer YouTube video on how she quit her job got slightly fewer clicks, at 3.9 million views, but yielded $45,639.14.

Kullberg says that for her, YouTube is the platform with the biggest payout and that she has made $353,000 from YouTube from 2019 to 2024.

YouTube Shorts draws an average of 70 billion daily views.

In my journey as a venture investor and CEO, I’ve built, acquired and sold multiple businesses. While many decisions were made independently, the opportunity to collaborate with mentors has been invaluable. Engaging with CEO coaching and mentors I’ve found through venture investment communities has profoundly impacted my growth.

The reality is that successful entrepreneurship isn’t just about having the right idea — it’s about having the right guidance. The best entrepreneurs understand that mentorship is an accelerant, helping them sidestep pitfalls, refine their vision and execute at the highest level.

Here are ten mentors whose insights and leadership have shaped today’s entrepreneurs and will continue to influence the next generation.

Related: 5 Reasons Why You Need a Business Mentor

Simon Sinek

Why he was chosen: Sinek is one of the most recognized thought leaders in leadership and motivation, best known for his “Start With Why” philosophy.

How he brings value: His insights on leadership and company culture have transformed how businesses operate, emphasizing purpose over profit.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Founders and business owners can take inspiration from his work to build organizations that inspire loyalty, trust and long-term impact rather than just focusing on short-term gains.

Brené Brown

Why she was chosen: A research professor and author, Brown has redefined how leaders approach vulnerability, courage and authenticity in business.

How she brings value: Her work emphasizes that vulnerability is not a weakness but a crucial leadership trait.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Brown teaches entrepreneurs that showing up authentically in leadership fosters trust and stronger relationships within teams, which is essential for long-term success.

Eric Ries

Why he was chosen: As the author of The Lean Startup, Ries revolutionized how startups approach product development.

How he brings value: He teaches businesses to iterate quickly, fail fast and refine based on market feedback rather than wasting years developing something untested.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Entrepreneurs who embrace his methodology can scale more efficiently while reducing wasted time and resources.

Sheryl Sandberg

Why she was chosen: Sandberg, the former COO of Meta (Facebook), is a champion of leadership, resilience and the importance of mentorship.

How she brings value: Her book Lean In encourages business leaders, especially women, to take charge of their careers and not shy away from leadership roles.

What entrepreneurs can learn: From her corporate leadership experience, entrepreneurs can learn how to navigate challenging business environments while maintaining a strong company culture and growth.

Tony Robbins

Why he was chosen: Robbins is one of the most well-known personal development and business strategists in the world.

How he brings value: His high-energy coaching helps entrepreneurs build unshakable confidence and mental resilience, two of the most critical traits for long-term success.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Entrepreneurs can leverage Robbins’ goal-setting and peak performance techniques to maintain motivation and push through difficult times.

Related: 4 Lessons I Gained from Mentorship That Elevated My Startup Journey

Guy Kawasaki

Why he was chosen: As an early Apple evangelist, Kawasaki has been an influential marketing strategist and advisor for decades.

How he brings value: He has helped companies understand the importance of branding, positioning and standing out in competitive markets.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Entrepreneurs can gain practical insights on building strong brand loyalty and leveraging storytelling to enhance customer engagement.

Reid Hoffman

Why he was chosen: As the co-founder of LinkedIn and a venture capitalist, Hoffman has deep expertise in startup scaling and network effects.

How he brings value: His book Blitzscaling offers invaluable insights into growing businesses rapidly in an increasingly connected world.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Founders looking to scale quickly can use Hoffman’s principles to navigate hypergrowth, raise venture capital and expand strategically.

Naval Ravikant

Why he was chosen: A successful entrepreneur and angel investor, Naval has gained a cult following for his unconventional but highly effective business and life philosophy.

How he brings value: His views on leverage, wealth-building and decision-making are critical for entrepreneurs looking to build long-term value.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Entrepreneurs can gain wisdom on how to approach success in a way that is both financially rewarding and personally fulfilling.

Barbara Corcoran

Why she was chosen: A real estate mogul and investor on Shark Tank, Corcoran is an inspiration to entrepreneurs looking to build businesses from scratch.

How she brings value: She exemplifies grit and resourcefulness, having turned a $1,000 loan into a billion-dollar real estate empire.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Corcoran teaches entrepreneurs how to think big, negotiate effectively and build a strong personal brand.

Peter Thiel

Why he was chosen: As a co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook, Thiel is one of the most successful and contrarian thinkers in tech investing.

How he brings value: His book Zero to One challenges conventional wisdom on innovation and competition.

What entrepreneurs can learn: Thiel’s framework teaches entrepreneurs to seek monopolistic advantages rather than competing in crowded markets, making their businesses truly unique.

Related: You Can’t Always Do It Alone: 6 Top Executives Who Credit Other Powerful People for Helping Them Succeed

The power of mentorship cannot be overstated. The best entrepreneurs recognize that learning from others who have already paved the way can mean the difference between success and failure. Each of these ten mentors offers distinct insights, and while their approaches may differ, the common thread is their ability to inspire, challenge and guide entrepreneurs toward achieving greatness.

For founders navigating the complexities of launching and scaling businesses, investing in mentorship — whether through books, networking or direct coaching — is one of the most valuable decisions they can make. The insights gained from leaders like these can provide the strategic advantage needed to build resilient, innovative and highly successful ventures.

Business partnerships can be a double-edged sword. At their best, they create dynamic, inspiring opportunities for two people to combine their strengths and resources — achieving more together than they could alone. However, not all partnerships are created equal. The wrong collaboration can be costly, derailing even the most promising ventures.

Red flags such as a lack of professionalism, a questionable track record or lofty promises can all signal trouble down the road. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it’s critical to find collaborators who are not only compatible but also trustworthy. Here are three strategies to guide you when evaluating potential partners before making a commitment.

Related: 8 Critical Considerations for Choosing the Right Business Partner

1. Vet their track record

Before partnering with someone, take the time to understand their work history, including their professional achievements and any challenges they’ve faced. Their past can offer vital insights into their reliability and consistency.

Start with references — think of this process like a job interview. Verify their professional background and ask for examples of past collaborations. Then, connect directly with their former business partners to gather honest feedback about their working style. Be upfront about your intentions, explaining that you’re doing due diligence to build a strong foundation.

Be sure to ask the right questions. I always ask, “Why did your previous partnerships end?” Often, I hear reasonable explanations, but sometimes I notice patterns of blame-shifting or deflection. Be wary of vague responses, as they can indicate future issues.

Document these conversations and look for patterns. Are they consistently professional when discussing past partners? Do they take ownership of their role in both successes and failures? When they can openly discuss past experiences, acknowledge mistakes and explain lessons learned, this often demonstrates the kind of self-awareness and professionalism that you want to have moving forward.

Additionally, investigate their digital footprint. Search for reviews, public records or any mentions of unethical behavior. A solid online presence can validate a partner’s claims, while gaps may warrant further investigation. A lack of information isn’t always a dealbreaker, but it’s worth investigating further.

Sometimes, the search comes up short. In those cases, I lean on my intuition. Trusting your gut can be just as important as factual research when vetting a potential partner.

Related: 5 Characteristics to Look for in a Business Partner

2. Observe their actions

While past performance offers crucial insights, equally telling is how potential partners conduct themselves in current interactions. After all, their everyday behaviors provide a real-time preview of what working together might look like. Observe how they handle text and email channels, meet deadlines and handle requests. This will give you an idea of their priorities and reliability.

When evaluating communication styles, look for alignment between yours and their methods. I once worked with someone who used rapid-fire, brief text messages to communicate. These were one to three words long, and they would sometimes send 10 notifications in a row. As someone who prefers detailed emails, I found their messaging style cryptic. Despite efforts to adapt, our varied styles led to confusion and frustration.

Additionally, pay attention to their response times and attention to detail. Many professionals prioritize timely communication, whether through messages or calls. If you’re observing consistent delays or incomplete answers, consider whether your professional standards align.

I find it helpful to set clear expectations. To avoid miscommunication, I include specific calls to action in my messages, such as “Please confirm” or “Reply by the end of the day.” Another strategy I find effective is numbering each request or discussion point in my messages. When points are grouped into a single block of text, important requests can get lost. This structured approach ensures nothing gets overlooked and makes it easier for partners to provide focused responses to each item.

Related: 3 Rules We Broke to Establish Trust in Our Business Partnerships

3. Evaluate verbal cues

Beyond observing their professional habits, I’ve found that the way potential partners communicate — particularly their choice of words and responses to direct questions — reveals volumes about their trustworthiness and commitment level. Watch for those who make lofty promises or dodge direct questions. Do they walk their talk? Observe reliability patterns by assessing how their words align with actions. If their statements sound more like fantasies than grounded plans, consider it a warning sign that they might not deliver on their commitments.

Document your conversations carefully to track these patterns. As someone who is legally blind, I use a recorder to capture discussions and catch details that might be unclear in the moment. Whether through recordings (with permission) or detailed meeting notes followed by email recaps, maintaining clear records helps ensure accountability and prevents misunderstandings about what was discussed or promised.

Pay special attention to how potential partners handle direct questions. Rather than filling awkward silences or accepting vague responses, let them lead the conversation. I avoid yes-or-no questions, instead asking open-ended ones like “Why do you want to collaborate?” Their ability — or inability — to provide clear, thoughtful answers often determines whether I move forward. Evasive responses or consistently unrealistic projections typically signal that it’s better to step back from the collaboration.

Building successful business partnerships is an art and a science. While thorough vetting provides the foundation, watching for consistent professionalism in day-to-day interactions reveals a potential partner’s true nature. As someone who relies heavily on verbal communication, I’ve learned that how people express their vision and handle direct questions often predicts their long-term reliability. The key is maintaining a balanced perspective: remain open to opportunities while conducting proper due diligence.

Remember, finding the right business partner goes beyond complementary skills — it’s about aligning with someone who shares your standards for transparency, communication and mutual respect. When you evaluate potential partners through these three lenses — past performance, present behavior and verbal consistency — you can protect yourself from costly missteps while setting the stage for truly transformative partnerships. Approach each potential collaboration with both optimism and discernment and, with the right partner, your business can achieve extraordinary growth and create lasting value.

Are you looking for a franchise opportunity in the food category with a well-established brand? Look no further than Schlotzsky’s, a pioneering fast-casual restaurant franchise renowned for its unique, freshly baked sandwiches and robust business model.

What makes Schlotzsky’s stand out?

• Established Brand: Founded in 1971, Schlotzsky’s has built a loyal customer base across the U.S. with over 320 locations.

• Innovative Menu: Enjoy a diverse menu featuring oven-baked sandwiches, specialty pizzas, and fresh salads, all made with bold flavors and fresh ingredients.

• Comprehensive Support: As part of Focus Brands, you’ll benefit from extensive marketing, operational support, and strategic supply chain management.

Key Facts:

• Net Worth Requirement: $1 million

• Cash Requirement: $300,000

• Minimum Initial Investment: $634,165

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis’s AI journey had an unexpected start: his early mastery of chess.

Years before Hassabis would receive the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating an AI program that predicted protein structures, he was a child chess champion who started playing the game at the age of four. By age 13, he was a chess master competing against adults in international competitions.

In a lecture earlier this month at the University of Cambridge, Hassabis, now 48, explained that chess got him “thinking about thinking itself” or exploring the mental processes behind complex thoughts.

“How does our mind come up with these plans, these ideas?” Hassabis asked. “Perhaps more fascinating to me than the games I was playing was the actual mental process behind it.”

Related: Google Is Paying $2.7 Billion to Reportedly Rehire an Early Employee Who Built an AI Chatbot Before ChatGPT

Hassabis’ first exposure to programming as a child was through an electronic chess computer, a physical board capable of playing chess against a human player. Though Hassabis was meant to test out different chess strategies on the computer, he was more interested in how the computer worked and how someone had programmed it to play chess.

“I remember being fascinated by the fact that someone had programmed this lump of inanimate plastic to play chess really well against you,” Hassabis said. “I was really fascinated by how that was done and how someone could program something like that.”

In his early teens, Hassabis began trying to build AI programs himself on an early home computer, the Amiga 500. From then on, he “was hooked” on AI and decided to spend his entire career making advances in the field.

^{Demis Hassabis. Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

Hassabis co-founded AI company DeepMind in 2010, and it was acquired by Google in 2014 for more than $500 million. He later invented AlphaZero in 2017, an AI algorithm that needed only the rules of chess and four hours of playing against itself to become the strongest chess player ever, beating human chess masters.

Hassabis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024 with fellow laureate and DeepMind director John Jumper for creating an AI model, AlphaFold2, that accurately predicted the complex structures of almost all 200 million proteins, each within minutes. The AlphaFold Protein Structure Database, which makes these protein structures freely available, has reached over two million users in 190 countries, helping pave the way for advanced research in areas like Parkinson’s treatments and antibiotic resistance.

Related: Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Is Back at the Company ‘Pretty Much Every Day.’ Here’s What He’s Working On.

Hassabis pointed out in his Cambridge lecture that it takes an average of 10 years, plus billions of dollars, to create a new drug. According to the London School of Economics and Political Science, the average cost of developing a drug ranges from $314 million to $2.8 billion.

In the lecture, Hassabis touched on the possibility of developing drugs more quickly and cheaply using AI, “from potentially years down to minutes and seconds.”

Hassabis told DeepMind employees in London earlier this month that he thinks artificial intelligence will become more intelligent than human beings within the next decade.