Imagine if you could unlock each team member’s full potential — not by working harder, but by working smarter. What if, instead of trying to mold your team into a one-size-fits-all approach, you could tap into their natural strengths to create a workplace where everyone thrives?

By uncovering your employees’ unique traits, preferences and working styles, you can align their strengths with roles that set them — and your business — up for success. This isn’t just about getting more done; it’s about creating a culture where everyone feels valued, engaged and empowered to contribute their best work.

As the founder of ButterflyMX, an access control company with over 200 employees, I’ve learned how to do this to create teams that operate harmoniously. By leveraging individual strengths, workers are more productive, innovative and collaborative. When leaders take the time to know their people deeper, they build trust, reduce friction and unlock a synergy that transforms good teams into great ones.

Related: 3 Ways to Learn More About Your Team and How They Work

The science of personality types

Tools like Myers-Briggs (MBTI), DiSC or the Big Five personality traits aren’t just trendy buzzwords — they’re backed by decades of research into how personality influences behavior and performance. These frameworks offer a structured way to understand how people think, communicate and problem-solve.

So, why do they work? Personality assessments reveal much more than surface-level traits. They uncover communication preferences (detailed instructions vs. broad guidelines), problem-solving styles (those who dive into data vs. those who trust their instincts) and even work environment preferences (collaboration vs. solitude). With this knowledge, leaders can create an environment where everyone performs at their best.

However, let’s clear up a common misconception: Personality assessments are starting points, not rigid definitions. They’re not about shutting people into boxes but about opening doors. Everyone is unique, and these tools help you start the conversation about better understanding, motivating and supporting your team.

Identifying strengths through personality types

Once you understand personality types, the next step is identifying your team members’ strengths.

Each personality brings unique value to the table:

• Extroverts excel in client-facing roles, brainstorming sessions and group projects. They bring energy and enthusiasm that can galvanize a team.

• Detail-oriented individuals shine in areas like project management and quality assurance, where precision and organization are critical.

• Big-picture thinkers thrive in strategy and innovation, tackling abstract challenges and envisioning long-term goals.

For example, imagine a property management company needing help to meet tight deadlines. A savvy manager noticed that one team member, who loved structure and deadlines, excelled when given detailed project plans. Meanwhile, another, known for creative problem-solving, flourished when tasked with brainstorming solutions to roadblocks.

By aligning these tasks with their natural strengths, the manager boosted efficiency and improved team morale. Identifying strengths isn’t just about improving productivity — it’s about helping people feel seen, valued and capable of achieving their best work.

Related: How Leaders Can Use Myers-Briggs, DISC and FIRO-B Tests to Drive Corporate Culture

Leveraging personality types to maximize team performance

Tailored leadership:

Understanding personality types allows leaders to align tasks with individual preferences. If someone thrives in a structured environment, give them a detailed roadmap. But if they prefer creative freedom, provide a clear objective and let them run with it. By tailoring your leadership style, you ensure every team member feels supported and empowered.

Enhancing collaboration:

When leaders strategically pair teammates with complementary strengths, the results can be transformative. For instance, pairing a visionary with a detail-oriented planner can lead to balanced decision-making and flawless execution. By appreciating differences, you foster collaboration instead of conflict.

Motivation strategies:

Personality insights also help you motivate your team. Does an employee thrive on public recognition? Celebrate their wins in team meetings. Do they prefer quiet acknowledgment? Send them a personalized note of appreciation. When leaders motivate authentically, team members are more engaged and loyal.

The challenges of personality-based leadership

While personality-based leadership offers many benefits, it has its challenges.

• Avoiding pitfalls: Don’t pigeonhole employees into specific roles based solely on their personality type. People are multifaceted, and roles should evolve as their skills grow.

• Balancing strengths and growth: Encourage employees to leverage their strengths while stepping out of their comfort zones. For example, introverts who prefer solitary work can benefit from occasional group projects to build communication skills.

By using personality insights as a guide — not a rulebook — you’ll strike the right balance between leveraging strengths and fostering growth.

Actionable steps for leaders

To integrate personality-based strategies into your leadership style, follow these steps:

1. Choose the right tool: Whether it’s MBTI, DiSC or another framework, pick an assessment that aligns with your organization’s goals.

2. Facilitate open discussions: Share results with your team and invite them to discuss how these insights reflect their working style.

3. Align roles with strengths: Use the insights to assign tasks and responsibilities that fit each team member’s natural abilities.

4. Review and adapt: Reassess periodically. Teams evolve, and your strategies should, too.

Implementing these steps doesn’t require an overhaul — just a willingness to adapt and prioritize your team’s needs.

Related: How to Manage These 6 Different Workplace Personality Types

Your team’s greatest asset isn’t just their skill set; it’s the unique perspectives and energy each individual brings. By taking the time to understand their personality types, you’re not just building a more effective team — you’re creating a workplace where people feel valued, motivated and inspired to do their best.

Explore personality assessments, start the conversation, and watch your team transform into a powerhouse of collaboration, innovation and success.

Running a business often means staying connected no matter where you are, but handing out your personal phone number isn’t always ideal. Instead of lugging around a second bulky smartphone, why not go small? The NanoPhone is a fully functional smartphone about the size of a credit card. It’s a sleek, portable alternative to larger phones, and right now, it’s on sale for $89.97 (regularly $199). Check out now; no need to wait for Black Friday for this sale.

Low-cost, low-impact phone for professionals

The NanoPhone is designed for professionals who need a lightweight, low-cost option that doesn’t skimp on essentials. It’s small enough to fit in almost any pocket yet powerful enough to handle work and personal tasks. With dual SIM support, you can keep your business and personal contacts separate while staying connected with 4G for smooth browsing and uninterrupted communication. Despite its compact size, it delivers crystal-clear voice and video calls, so you’re always reachable.

While its design might remind you of a tiny iPhone, the NanoPhone runs on Android OS and comes equipped with front and rear cameras for snapshots or video meetings on the go. It even supports expandable storage, letting you save important files without a hitch.

If regular smartphones feel like an expensive distraction, the NanoPhone offers a simple, reliable alternative. It keeps you focused and connected, making it the perfect tool for professionals who value efficiency and portability.

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My company, Jotform, was not an overnight success. I didn’t wake up one day to find myself the darling of TechCrunch or attract massive funding rounds from VCs ravenous to get in on the form-building action.

I probably don’t have to tell you that a form-builder is not the world’s sexiest basis for a startup. But that doesn’t bother me one bit. Jotform became successful not because it’s flashy, but because our products work. And I believe they work because my employees and I strive every day to create the best experience for our customers.

Here’s the truth: Success is not about having the best or most original idea. It’s about being resilient. In my case, it was about getting up with the birds and spending time every morning before my full-time job to work on my startup, even when it was cold and dark, and it would have been easier to stay in bed. It was about not quitting when a major tech behemoth released a product similar to the one I was launching. Resilience helped me press on, even when I felt like quitting.

Resilience is an internal fire that keeps glowing, even in adverse conditions. Some people are born with it; others develop it over time. Here’s how to build your own resilience, even if it doesn’t come naturally to you.

Related: 8 Ways Successful People Master Resilience

Stay calm

I’m a proponent of the practical philosophy of Stoicism, the goals of which, as described by the philosopher Epictetus, are “to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals, not under my control, and which have to do with the choice I actually control.”

As a founder, there are so many things you can’t control — the “externals.” Maybe you’ve lost a client, received a bad review or experienced data corruption. These things may feel like the end of the world, but they’re not. The sun will rise again tomorrow.

It’s normal to be upset over a setback, but fretting excessively will only keep you from focusing on the things you do have power over — the “internals.” A huge part of building resilience is learning to set aside the externals and channel your efforts toward managing the internals instead.

I find it helpful to make a list — what are the things I’m worrying about that I can control? What are the things I’m worrying about that I can’t? Fold up the list of external worries and put them in a drawer. Then, move on to the internal list, using an Eisenhower matrix to help prioritize.

Be data-oriented

In times of turmoil, I always look to data. Not only do numbers never lie, but they’re crucial for making informed decisions based on concrete insights about everything from market trends to user habits to operations. I have always been vigilant about tracking our monthly active users — seeing that they’re consistently growing helps quiet the “what ifs” that might otherwise take over.

As important as a gut feeling can be, I strongly believe in making decisions driven by data.

Practice gratitude

It may sound a little woo-woo, but practicing gratitude has proven benefits on both mental and physical health, building a layer of resilience against hardship. Back in 2003, psychologist Robert A. Emmons produced a landmark study that opened the door for research on the myriad effects that a grateful mindset has on our well-being. Researchers have since found that those who experience gratitude in their daily lives have lower levels of depression and sleep better.

“What impresses me are the objective, biologically verifiable outcomes that go beyond self-report measures,” Dr. Emmons told the New York Times.

The best part? Being grateful requires very little time. Experts advise building it into your routine — while you’re brushing your teeth or as you open your laptop to start the day.

Related: I Thought I Was Resilient, Until a Devastating Loss Showed Me Resilience Is Not Something You Just ‘Have’

Keep going

One of the best ways to build resilience is simply to keep moving forward. World War II General George Patton, who led troops through nearly every major American conflict of the 20th century, put it best: “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”

At Jotform, we practice a hybrid launch strategy — we continuously improve our products while simultaneously planning big, public releases. For the latter, we strategize carefully — teams have their tasks mapped out before the big day to mitigate stress and unforeseen circumstances.

But even with careful planning, bugs happen. It’s just the reality of a product launch. And you know what? We deal with them. Our development team is notified daily about the open bugs, and we keep a scoreboard in which we handle the oldest tickets first. We even make it a little bit fun, with developers competing to see who can fix the most bugs each week.

No product is going to be perfect, but that doesn’t mean you stop moving forward. Of course, you want your product to be good, and you should do everything in your power to ensure that it is. But striving for an impossible ideal will only slow your momentum.

There are a lot of genius startup ideas that never get off the ground. That’s because the idea itself is only a fraction of what it takes to become successful. Resilience is key. Stay calm, analyze your data, be grateful and most importantly, keep going.

The holidays are upon us, and with the influx of shoppers and time-off requests from employees, this is often the busiest time of the year for businesses. It can be challenging for business owners to balance their sales priorities amidst preparing for the year ahead, but the season of giving also serves as the perfect opportunity for business owners to make a positive impact.

Investing in employees and the local community is a great way to strengthen your business to close out the year, as it can help improve workplace morale, boost customer loyalty and set your business up for success in the new year. As business owners look to get into the holiday spirit, here are a few ways they can give back through their business this season.

Related: 7 Simple Ways to Thank Your Employees This Holiday Season

Invest in your employees

According to the recent Bank of America Women and Minority Business Owner Spotlight, 63% of U.S. business owners are planning to expand their businesses in the year ahead, and more than half plan to hire over the next 12 months. Employees are an essential part of business operations, and it is up to business owners to ensure that their workplace culture and morale are supported during their expansion efforts. Evaluate your business’ existing culture and how employees’ needs are currently being met and prioritized alongside business needs. From there, outline potential strategies to close any gaps.

During the busy holiday season, consider ways to alleviate staff pressures by making small adjustments to scheduling. This can have a large impact for employees, particularly those who are parents and may be balancing childcare during winter breaks from school. Increasing communications, transparent scheduling and offering flexible work options, when possible, can reduce staff stressors significantly.

Beyond operational changes, 83% of business owners are investing in education, according to Bank of America, and recognize the value their employees see in programs like on-site training and mentorship. For employees interested in career growth, professional development opportunities are a great way to strengthen existing talent and increase retention.

Workplace culture programs such as employee resource groups can also reinforce a positive environment for employees — plus fostering a friendly staff improves customer interactions as an added benefit. There are numerous strategies that business owners can implement to improve the workplace; knowing your employees and recognizing their needs is key to ensuring your business is well-staffed and thriving.

Connect to your community

In addition to your employees, it’s important for business owners to appreciate the complementary relationship they have with their communities. When a community supports its local business owners, those businesses thrive, and in turn, they are able to reinvest in the community, provide jobs and boost the local economy. This creates a positive feedback loop of mutual support that’s crucial to the community’s long-term growth.

Business owners can explore various ways to give back to their communities, such as donating to local non-profits, sponsoring community events and programs, and offering resident-specific discounts. Informational workshops, seasonal celebrations and employee volunteer initiatives are just a few examples of how business owners can foster community engagement to help people make personal connections to their business beyond the products or services it offers.

Try to connect and partner with other local businesses as well — not only can collective endorsement boost your presence in the community, but it can offer cost savings that can be reinvested into the business. For example, you could engage in cost-sharing to lower certain expenses for you and your neighboring business owners. Whether you partner to pay for healthcare plans, share supplies and resources or offer discounts for overlapping customers, working with other businesses can be highly rewarding, and the cost savings can help allow each business owner to keep prices fair for its customers.

Related: 4 Ways Your Company Benefits From Giving Back

Give and get back

Investing in your employees and your community is an investment in your business. Today’s consumers appreciate businesses that align with their values, so expressing care for your community is a powerful and mutually beneficial way to enhance brand reputation and increase customer loyalty.

By investing in your community, you can encourage employees to take pride in your company, knowing that it’s creating a positive impact on the community around them. This energy, coupled with enhancements to employee scheduling and training, will set your business up as a best place to work.

As you position your business for success in 2025, consider starting that momentum by supporting and empowering your employees and community. Giving back is a win-win, fostering both internal and external growth for long-term success.

What makes a good leader?

Ask any entrepreneur, and you’re likely to get different (albeit, pretty similar) answers. You might have heard that a good leader is strong, decisive, confident and honest. Or perhaps a “good” leader to you is optimistic, creative and forward-thinking.

After over 20 years as a CEO, I can tell you, my definition of “leader” has evolved over time. Facing challenges, resolving personnel conflicts, making mistakes and overcoming burnout will do that to you. So, while I don’t claim to have the textbook definition of leadership, I can share what I consider to be the essentials when it comes to being a positive, compassionate leader. And I’ve learned that entrepreneurial leadership crosses every sector of business.

Related: 50 Rules for Being a Great Leader

1. Set intentional habits

A leader is someone who is intentional with their habits. Whether you’re part of the “rise and grind” crowd or prefer a more leisurely pace, you’ve given thought to how you manage your day, your health and your business.

As an entrepreneur, my routine is everything — not because I require regimented time blocks, but because, if I didn’t set priorities, what’s important to me would go by the wayside. By setting intentional habits, I know I’ve created time for my physical health, mental health, family and leisure, in addition to the responsibilities of my business.

Without intention, we are at risk of falling victim to bad habits. Distraction and avoidance become our downfall. A great leader knows their priorities, directs energy to the activities likely to have the greatest impact and manages their time, not the other way around.

2. Practice radical honesty

I first learned about radical honesty in Brad Blanton’s book. And at the start, I really struggled with it. I realized how often I used “little white lie” excuses to ease my discomfort and avoid conflict. But this wasn’t doing me or my team any favors.

Through practice, I learned that radical honesty is about prioritizing transparency even when it’s uncomfortable. This doesn’t mean being brutally honest (you can tell the truth without hurting others), but keeping with open communication and vulnerability. Radical honesty leads to better conflict resolution and further refinement of your character as a leader. It also builds trust with your team.

Many business owners believe that you need to be direct or even harsh to be effective. In reality, a great leader speaks the truth with compassion, while seeking to understand the perspectives of those around them. To me, radical honesty is essential if you want to resolve conflict the right way, not the easy way.

Related: Stop Lying to Your Team — And Yourself. Try Radical Honesty Instead.

3. Generosity over personal gain

As business owners, many of us are drawn by the appeal of financial gain. And while this is not inherently bad, setting your tunnel vision on profit alone can make you blind to the more personally lucrative and soul-giving opportunities.

I truly believe that what you give is returned to you in dividends, not always as financial rewards but as personal development, friendships and life experiences. A great leader understands that generosity is more important and impactful than financial earnings alone.

Give to your community, your team, your friends and your family. Whether that’s through service, donations, sharing knowledge or providing career advancement, you’ll feel a stronger sense of purpose than being a profit-first entrepreneur.

4. Tackle challenges with compassion

A leader is someone who does not shy away from challenges. At the same time, a leader does not tackle challenges with aggressive tenacity, but a compassionate, thoughtful approach that considers multiple factors and points of view. Resolving conflicts in this way is difficult, but that is the measure of an intentional, self-aware leader.

For one, a great leader does not bulldoze other people’s perspectives. They take the time to listen to input, consider the information and proceed with what’s right for the organization as a whole. Sometimes, it means knowing when to say “no” — even to yourself.

At the same time, a leader does not beat themselves up for past failures. They consider each challenge to be an opportunity to learn, overcome and grow. It’s much more productive to channel optimistic energy into furniture endeavors than to fixate on the past.

Leadership means having compassion for others and yourself, even when making decisions is difficult and mistakes are inevitable.

Related: 5 Common Personnel Problems and How to Address Them

5. Know your limits

A leader is not infallible. You have skills, but you also have limits. A great leader can recognize the aptitudes in others and know when to step away from activities that no longer serve them.

This does not mean delegating just for the sake of lightening your workload but knowing your limits and identifying your complement in others. Very often, there are people in your mindset ready and able to step up and prove their chops.

As a CEO, I needed to find my “no person.” This is the person who tells me when I’ve gotten in my own way and when it’s time to assign responsibility to more equipped team members. He prevents me from getting pulled into the weeds rather than focusing on the priorities that matter most for my company at a high level.

A leader knows what they’re good at, what they’re not so good at and when it’s time to allow space for others to step in.

Every leader is different. And while the essentials of honesty, integrity and team management come into play, the exact skills will vary from one person to the next. I encourage every entrepreneur to explore their leadership style and define their own “essentials” — the non-negotiables, if you will. Recognize that these may shift over time, but leading with intention is always the path forward to maximizing your impact.

AI could transform healthcare, the workplace, filmmaking and education — but its power could also be destructive in the wrong hands.

Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt elaborated on the risks of AI in a Monday episode of The Prof G Pod podcast with NYU professor, entrepreneur and author Scott Galloway. Though Schmidt highlighted that AI improves productivity for nearly everyone, he also acknowledged that the technology could be used to hurt human beings in the future.

“The most obvious one is their use in biology,” Schmidt stated. “Can these systems, at some point in the future, generate biological pathogens that could harm many, many, many, many humans?”

Related: Worried About AI Stealing Your Job? A New Report Calls These 10 Careers ‘AI-Proof’

Today they can’t, but there are “a lot of people” who believe that AI will be able to create harmful biological materials in the future, per Schmidt. These people are working on preventing AI from being used as a biological weapon, he said.

^{Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Photo by Shahar Azran/Getty Images}

Schmidt also pointed out that AI opens the door to widespread cyberattacks that could take down the entire financial system of a country, for example.

“[AI] systems are so powerful that we are quite concerned that in addition to democracies using them for gains, dictators will use them to aggregate power,” Schmidt stated.

Schmidt was Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011. In August, he made headlines for stating that remote work was the reason Google fell behind the AI race at a Stanford University talk. He later apologized for misspeaking; Stanford took down the video of the talk, which garnered over 40,000 views in less than a day.

Schmidt isn’t the only executive raising concerns about AI. Sahil Agarwal, a Yale PhD in applied mathematics who co-founded and currently runs AI safety startup Enkrypt, told Entrepreneur earlier this year that as AI systems get more complex, the possibility that they contain implicit bias and toxic content also increases.

Related: Ex-Google CEO Says the Company Fell Behind AI Rivals Because of Remote Work. Now He’s Taking It Back.

As a Founder and CEO in the marketing space for nearly a decade, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work with all kinds of cybersecurity and high-growth brands. Every day, I get new insights into the cybersecurity industry and the best marketing practices that are actually working.

I can’t wait to share some key trends I’ve noticed recently that aren’t just crushing it right now but are set to change the game in the next few years. In my opinion, these trends are must-knows for any cybersecurity company looking to capture or dominate market share as we head into 2025.

Related: What the Future of Marketing Means for Your Business

1. Embracing experts in the “New Media”

In cybersecurity, sales come down to trust. If your prospects trust you and your product, they will buy from you. However, trust isn’t something you can buy with more content, advertising or eyeballs — just because more people see your brand doesn’t mean they trust it whatsoever. This is where experts in “new media” come in.

If you’re not aware, there’s been a massive shift happening, and individual content creators are gaining huge audiences via newsletters, blog posts and podcasts. These are niche experts, influencers or whatever you want to call them, who’ve built industry credibility by consistently sharing valuable, actionable content. What’s key here is that they already have a deep level of trust from their audience, meaning if they were to recommend your product, their audience would automatically trust you too. If you’ve ever gotten a referral from a friend or someone you look up to, you know what this is like.

I remember chatting with a recent prospect who was fed up with their advertising approach, complaining it was too expensive and generating the wrong type of leads. We helped them switch up their strategy from advertising to teaming up with a well-known cybersecurity blogger to recommend them to their on-target audience.

By reaching an audience that was already engaged, trusting, and looking for a specific solution, our client’s ROI dominated their prior advertising efforts. What’s even better is that since our platform, Presspool.ai, has dozens of similar experts in our network, we could replicate this success for them again and again on a cost-per-click basis.

Successful expert collaborations can take many forms. Here are some examples:

• Detailed blog articles that demystify how specific security solutions address emerging threats, focusing on educating rather than selling.
• Podcasts where industry veterans discuss the impact of new regulations, providing listeners with diverse insights and practical advice.
• Engaging social media threads that can make complex security topics easier to understand, reaching a wider audience.

Leveraging these thought-leader media channels will explode even more in 2025, in my opinion. These collaborations build near-immediate credibility and help form genuine connections with audiences who appreciate authenticity and transparency.

2. Company-wide thought leadership

One of the most rewarding trends I’ve observed is the expansion of thought leadership beyond just the founder or executive team. In cybersecurity, showcasing the collective expertise of engineers, marketers and analysts provides a comprehensive view of a company’s commitment to innovation and security. This approach also makes the company appear more relatable and human, which is crucial in a tech-centric industry.

I recall a project where we encouraged team members from every department to contribute. Engineers shared their experiences and solutions on our platform, offering insights that resonated uniquely with our audience. This strategy allowed other engineers to connect with us in a new way, leading them to refer us to their marketing decision-makers, which resulted in new business opportunities.

While visible executives remain important for conveying the company’s mission and vision, contributions from employees at all levels add considerable depth. It’s like a well-rehearsed orchestra, where each member brings their unique touch to create a powerful performance, rather than a solo act. This collaborative approach to thought leadership positions the company as a well-rounded authority in the cybersecurity field, making the brand feel more human, relatable and trustworthy.

3. Crafting technical content for conversion

I often chat with clients about the challenge of transforming complex technical jargon into language that non-experts can easily understand. The key is to simplify without losing the essence of the message and to use the language your target customers use — not the language you use. You might be amazed at how many terms you use that your audience doesn’t understand.

I like to compare this to a radio station: if the messaging doesn’t resonate, your prospects will just hear static, as if the dial is on the wrong station. But if your messaging is clear and concise, and your market connects with it immediately, it’s like tuning the dial perfectly to their favorite song, loud and clear.

When writing technical content, always relate it back to the core problem your prospects face and demonstrate how your technology provides a solution. Remember, people aren’t interested in you or your technology — they care about their own problems.

Always ask, “Does this content clearly illustrate the problem we solve and position us as technical experts to address it?”

Related: 3 Reasons to Increase Your Cybersecurity Protocols in 2024

Working with dozens of cybersecurity brands and seeing their results in my marketing platform has shown me just how powerful these trends are and their potential. By leveraging expert-led media, expanding thought leadership to the entire organization and crafting technical content that resonates, companies can build trust and establish themselves as industry leaders very, very quickly.

A new study shows that the highest-paid tech job differs widely from state to state.

AI education platform DataCamp drew from 2023 salary data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the tech jobs with the best average compensation by state. Though New Jersey’s top role was database architect, with an average annual salary of $158,930, the highest-paying position for its neighbor, New York, was software developer, with an average salary of $150,020.

California, too, had software development as the best-paying job on average, with a mean salary of $173,780.

“The tech industry is rapidly changing every day, and the diversity in the highest-paid roles across states reflects the different needs and priorities of businesses in various regions,” DataCamp co-founder Martijn Theuwissen stated. “From this, states like California, which are home to many tech startups, are pumping more money into the software development field, likely to increase productivity and quality.”

Related: Looking for a Remote Job? Here Are the Most In-Demand Skills to Have on Your Resume, According to Employers.

The highest-paid job that came up the most frequently, with 19 states featuring it, wasn’t software development but database architect. Fifteen states had computer network architect as the top-paying role, while only 12 had software development as the best-compensated tech job.

The researchers behind the list caution that the jobs on this list may change in a few years.

“As businesses increasingly rely on data-driven solutions and tools, the demand for experts who can maintain these things will also increase, and completely new job titles will likely pop up,” Theuwissen predicted.

Related: Worried About AI Stealing Your Job? A New Report Calls These 10 Careers ‘AI-Proof’

Here are the highest-paying tech jobs by state.

Alabama

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $126,860

Alaska

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $145,630

Arizona

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $128,040

Arkansas

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $112,890

California

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $173,780

Colorado

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $145,420

Connecticut

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $140,610

Delaware

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $153,570

Florida

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $125,730

Georgia

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $147,250

Hawaii

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $137,690

Idaho

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $142,600

Illinois

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $135,690

Indiana

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $112,560

Iowa

Highest-paid tech job: Information Security Analysts

Annual state mean salary: $143,960

Kansas

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $161,820

Kentucky

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $109,030

Louisiana

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $128,980

Maine

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $118,990

Maryland

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $151,840

Massachusetts

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $152,850

Michigan

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $116,130

Minnesota

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $128,380

Mississippi

Highest-paid tech job: Information Security Analysts

Annual state mean salary: $95,580

Missouri

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $115,800

Montana

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $131,380

Nebraska

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $130,230

Nevada

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $133,490

New Hampshire

Highest-paid tech job: Information Security Analysts

Annual state mean salary: $139,050

New Jersey

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $158,930

New Mexico

Highest-paid tech job: Information Security Analysts

Annual state mean salary: $127,860

New York

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $150,020

North Carolina

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $130,970

North Dakota

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $117,860

Ohio

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $123,290

Oklahoma

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $119,940

Oregon

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $132,460

Pennsylvania

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $121,960

Rhode Island

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $135,030

South Carolina

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $126,340

South Dakota

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $154,370

Tennessee

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $119,530

Texas

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $139,570

Utah

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $151,320

Vermont

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $152,540

Virginia

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $143,300

Washington

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $159,990

West Virginia

Highest-paid tech job: Computer Network Architects

Annual state mean salary: $104,250

Wisconsin

Highest-paid tech job: Database Architects

Annual state mean salary: $130,180

Wyoming

Highest-paid tech job: Software Developers

Annual state mean salary: $127,790

A key to business success is the strength and prevalence of the company’s core values across all arms of its operations. These principles help shape the company, drive performance and boost employee engagement and retention, ensuring its sustainability well into the future.

A smooth sailing ship will endure volatile times, especially during black swan events such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic, which challenged the very fabric of business landscapes across the globe.

Customer loyalty is possibly the most important factor in a company’s growth and sustainability, but what creates this sort of dedication to a particular company or brand?

This is a crucial question to answer since data is clearly showing that many, if not most, businesses across the world, particularly in the U.S., struggle to survive within the first five years of founding. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 20% of businesses fail during the first two years, 45% fail in the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years — a trend that has been fairly consistent since the 1990s.

Related: Want a Company That Lasts Forever? This Simple Business Strategy is the Secret to Longevity

Despite statistics like these, some businesses are longstanding. And interestingly, many of the oldest companies in the world are family businesses. Family businesses tend to be better survivors during challenging times, as shown by those who managed to survive the 2008 recession in the UK.

The Kowloon Motor Bus Company is also a fourth-generation family business. Currently under the umbrella of the Transport International Group, it is the largest and oldest transportation company in Hong Kong. Since my grandfather William Louey Sui-Tak founded the company in 1921, it has survived the Japanese occupation during World War 2, economic crises and more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic.

My own experience and passion for family businesses has helped me to identify the application of family values to a company’s core values is the secret to success. Below are five values that make a healthy family dynamic, according to data provided by WebMD. I believe these key family values instilled into the core values of a company are highly important in ensuring the survival and sustainability of a business well into the future.

1. Empathy is good for business

Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of others, and this is a key personality trait that is important to nurture family relationships as well as longstanding business relationships, especially those within the company itself. This skill can be improved through conscientious training and practice and should be implemented as a core value.

Being empathetic within a company’s context means listening to the needs of staff and customers, which creates mutual trust that will help the business survive challenging times and thrive. According to the World Economic Forum, it is also a vital tool to ensure an organization’s sustainability, as it has the power to create a better environment for work. Empathy has also been identified as a key competency element for the future by the European Council.

Related: 4 Reasons Why Empathy in the Workplace Makes Business Sense

2. Honesty is the best policy

In any case, honesty and transparency are highly prized family values that can also be applied to your company’s core values. While honesty is often touted as an important value in the business environment, economists can argue that dishonesty can also bring in profits, in some cases more often than honesty itself. However, a Harvard Business Review article argues that there is a rationale for honesty, even if it doesn’t pay.

Business longevity can be linked to possessing a trustworthy reputation, and it shows in the example of the Exxon case study, where the oil giant persuaded the town of Valdez in Alaska to accept a tanker terminal by promising that a spill was highly unlikely and that it would be controlled within hours. When 240,000 barrels of oil were spilled, the cleanup promised didn’t turn up. Till now, the costs of this broken promise are estimated to exceed $2 billion, and due to Exxon’s actions, the oil and gas industry is restricted in Alaska.

3. Respect can help us move in unison

It often goes without saying that respect is hugely important in business, particularly when it comes to internal collaborations in the workplace. Respect reduces the probability of a conflictual workplace and creates cohesion among staff members and managers. This creates a harmonious work environment that is more likely to encourage staff to remain in the company and help the business grow and prosper.

4. Loyalty ensures longevity

Staff loyalty ensures workforce retention, which stabilizes a company and increases its chances of future survival. More importantly, what truly drives a company is the loyalty of its customers, which brings in consistent revenue streams and profits, which is the very essence of business longevity. Ways to build customer loyalty include providing high-quality services, creating memorable experiences, introducing attractive loyalty programs and communicating effectively with customers.

Related: You Need Loyal Customers For Long-Lasting Success — and Finding Them Is Easier Than You Think With These Tips

5. Perseverance ensures success

Perseverance predicts entrepreneurial success and longevity, according to research by MyCompanyWorks. While this trait is also an important family value, in business, it acts as a powerful mindset that can help you face market competition and economic uncertainty and solve problems by being resilient, adaptable, determined and focused.

Perseverance also helps businesses achieve long-term goals, and applying this trait as a core value will help a company build strategies that are suitably future-proofed and prepared for risks. This is one of my favorite traits, as I am a firm believer in learning from mistakes and finding ways to move forward despite setbacks.

Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki died in August from lung cancer at age 56. She was Google’s 16th employee and reportedly rented out her garage to Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page in the late 1990s when they were forming the company.

On Monday, YouTube shared a letter they titled, “From Susan,” that Wojcicki wrote before she died. It was to be a blog post she created for Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

“Susan wrote a post in the final weeks of her life that she planned to publish this fall,” Neal Mohan, the current CEO of YouTube, writes of Wojcicki.

Related: Silicon Valley Pioneer and Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Dies at 56 — Here’s How She Transformed the Tech Industry

Wojcicki fought lung cancer for two years and spent the time educating people on the disease and advocating for research funding.

“Through Susan, I learned that lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in women,” Mohan said. “She wanted to change those odds.”

In the letter, Wojcicki said that she was “totally shocked with this diagnosis” because she never smoked and was running a few miles a day.

The ‘Most Important Lesson’ I Have Learned

In the letter, Wojcicki, who was CEO of YouTube for almost a decade (2014 to 2023) said that “the most important lesson” she learned “is just to focus and enjoy the present!”

“Life is unpredictable for everyone, with many unknowns, but there is a lot of beauty in everyday life,” she added. “My goals going forward are to enjoy the present as much as possible and fight for better understanding and cures for this disease.”

Read the full letter, here.