Most entrepreneurs are still stuck treating AI like a writing assistant — pumping out blog posts, captions or emails and hoping it moves the needle. But OpenAI’s latest update just changed the game.

This isn’t another “AI tool.” It’s ChatGPT’s new Agent — a fully autonomous virtual worker that can predict trends, reverse-engineer your competitors and even scan your Instagram for untapped revenue hiding in forgotten DMs.

In this video, you’ll see exactly how solopreneurs are using it to run profitable one-person businesses on autopilot — replacing tasks that once took entire teams.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

• Viral trend prediction: How this Agent spots breakout topics before they hit the mainstream — helping you publish first and ride the wave.
• Competitor edge: A real-time playbook that reveals where your competitors are weak — and hands you the exact moves to outrank them.
• Free PR on demand: How the Agent finds podcasts, researches hosts and drafts custom pitches that actually get you booked.
• Revenue recovery: The hidden sales buried in your inbox and social DMs — and how this Agent brings them back to life.

The bottom line: this isn’t about saving time. It’s about building a business that grows without burning you out — one that works even when you’re not online.

The AI Success Kit is available to download for free, along with a chapter from my new book, The Wolf is at The Door.

In 2024, a scammer used deepfake audio and video to impersonate Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna and attempted to authorize a wire transfer, reportedly tied to an acquisition. Ferrari never confirmed the amount, which rumors placed in the millions of euros.

The scheme failed when an executive assistant stopped it by asking a security question only the real CEO could answer.

This isn’t sci-fi. Deepfakes have jumped from political misinformation to corporate fraud. Ferrari foiled this one — but other companies haven’t been so lucky.

Executive deepfake attacks are no longer rare outliers. They’re strategic, scalable and surging. If your company hasn’t faced one yet, odds are it’s only a matter of time.

Related: Hackers Targeted a $12 Billion Cybersecurity Company With a Deepfake of Its CEO. Here’s Why Small Details Made It Unsuccessful.

How AI empowers imposters

You need less than three minutes of a CEO’s public video — and under $15 worth of software — to make a convincing deepfake.

With just a short YouTube clip, AI software can recreate a person’s face and voice in real time. No studio. No Hollywood budget. Just a laptop and someone ready to use it.

In Q1  2025, deepfake fraud cost an estimated $200 million globally, according to Resemble AI’s Q1 2025 Deepfake Incident Report. These are not pranks — they’re targeted heists hitting C‑suite wallets.

The biggest liability isn’t technical infrastructure; it’s trust.

Why the C‑suite is a prime target

Executives make easy targets because:

• They share earnings calls, webinars and LinkedIn videos that feed training data

• Their words carry weight — teams obey with little pushback

• They approve big payments fast, often without red flags

In a Deloitte poll from May 2024, 26% of execs said someone had tried a deepfake scam on their financial data in the past year.

Behind the scenes, these attacks often begin with stolen credentials harvested from malware infections. One criminal group develops the malware, another scours leaks for promising targets — company names, exec titles and email patterns.

Multivector engagement follows: text, email, social media chats — building familiarity and trust before a live video or voice deepfake seals the deal. The final stage? A faked order from the top and a wire transfer to nowhere.

Common attack tactics

Voice cloning:

In 2024, the U.S. saw over 845,000 imposter scams, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission. This shows that seconds of audio can make a convincing clone.

Attackers hide by using encrypted chats — WhatsApp or personal phones — to skirt IT controls.

One notable case: In 2021, a UAE bank manager got a call mimicking the regional director’s voice. He wired $35 million to a fraudster.

Live video deepfakes:

AI now enables real-time video impersonation, as nearly happened in the Ferrari case. The attacker created a synthetic video call of CEO Benedetto Vigna that nearly fooled staff.

Staged, multi-channel social engineering:

Attackers often build pretexts over time — fake recruiter emails, LinkedIn chats, calendar invites — before a call.

These tactics echo other scams like counterfeit ads: Criminals duplicate legitimate brand campaigns, then trick users onto fake landing pages to steal data or sell knockoffs. Users blame the real brand, compounding reputational damage.

Multivector trust-building works the same way in executive impersonation: Familiarity opens the door, and AI walks right through it.

Related: The Deepfake Threat is Real. Here Are 3 Ways to Protect Your Business

What if someone deepfakes the C‑suite

Ferrari came close to wiring funds after a live deepfake of their CEO. Only an assistant’s quick challenge about a personal security question stopped it. While no money was lost in this case, the incident raised concerns about how AI-enabled fraud might exploit executive workflows.

Other companies weren’t so lucky. In the UAE case above, a deepfaked phone call and forged documents led to a $35 million loss. Only $400,000 was later traced to U.S. accounts — the rest vanished. Law enforcement never identified the perpetrators.

A 2023 case involved a Beazley-insured company, where a finance director received a deepfaked WhatsApp video of the CEO. Over two weeks, they transferred $6 million to a bogus account in Hong Kong. While insurance helped recover the financial loss, the incident still disrupted operations and exposed critical vulnerabilities.

The shift from passive misinformation to active manipulation changes the game entirely. Deepfake attacks aren’t just threats to reputation or financial survival anymore — they directly undermine trust and operational integrity.

How to protect the C‑suite

• Audit public executive content.

• Limit unnecessary executive exposure in video/audio formats.

• Ask: Does the CFO need to be in every public webinar?

• Enforce multi-factor verification.

• Always verify high-risk requests through secondary channels — not just email or video. Avoid putting full trust in any one medium.

• Adopt AI-powered detection tools.

• Use tools that fight fire with fire by leveraging AI features for AI-generated fake content detection:

  • Photo analysis: Detects AI-generated images by spotting facial irregularities, lighting issues or visual inconsistencies

  • Video analysis: Flags deepfakes by examining unnatural movements, frame glitches and facial syncing errors

  • Voice analysis: Identifies synthetic speech by analyzing tone, cadence and voice pattern mismatches

  • Ad monitoring: Detects deepfake ads featuring AI-generated executive likenesses, fake endorsements or manipulated video/audio clips

  • Impersonation detection: Spots deepfakes by identifying mismatched voice, face or behavior patterns used to mimic real people

  • Fake support line detection: Identifies fraudulent customer service channels — including cloned phone numbers, spoofed websites or AI-run chatbots designed to impersonate real brands

But beware: Criminals use AI too and often move faster. At the moment, criminals are using more advanced AI in their attacks than we are using in our defense systems.

Strategies that are all about preventative technology are likely to fail — attackers will always find ways in. Thorough personnel training is just as crucial as technology is to catch deepfakes and social engineering and to thwart attacks.

Train with realistic simulations:

Use simulated phishing and deepfake drills to test your team. For example, some security platforms now simulate deepfake-based attacks to train employees and flag vulnerabilities to AI-generated content.

Just as we train AI using the best data, the same applies to humans: Gather realistic samples, simulate real deepfake attacks and measure responses.

Develop an incident response playbook:

Create an incident response plan with clear roles and escalation steps. Test it regularly — don’t wait until you need it. Data leaks and AI-powered attacks can’t be fully prevented. But with the right tools and training, you can stop impersonation before it becomes infiltration.

Related: Jack Dorsey Says It Will Soon Be ‘Impossible to Tell’ if Deepfakes Are Real: ‘Like You’re in a Simulation’

Trust is the new attack vector

Deepfake fraud isn’t just clever code; it hits where it hurts — your trust.

When an attacker mimics the CEO’s face or voice, they don’t just wear a mask. They seize the very authority that keeps your company running. In an age where voice and video can be forged in seconds, trust must be earned — and verified — every time.

Don’t just upgrade your firewalls and test your systems. Train your people. Review your public-facing content. A trusted voice can still be a threat — pause and confirm.

Lucy Guo, 30, saw her net worth reach $1.3 billion in April. But the entrepreneur, who is now the world’s youngest female billionaire, is committed to finding the best deals — even if she can afford to pay full price.

Guo told CNBC on Wednesday that she remains “frugal,” admitting that she has done things like reserve flights at the airport and cancel them later so she could have a meal for free in the Amex lounge. She also rides UberX, the budget-friendly, low-cost version of Uber, and compares prices for food before buying something to eat. Her closet consists mainly of $10 pieces from stores like Shein.

“I’m frugal at some things, and I spend more on other things,” Guo told CNBC.

^{Lucy Guo. Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Passes}

Guo’s fortune was built via Scale AI, the AI data labeling startup she co-founded with Alexandr Wang in 2016. Meta made a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI in June, acquiring 49% of the startup and allowing the company to achieve a $29 billion valuation.

Related: These Are the AI Skills You Should Learn Right Now, According to the World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaire

Though Guo left Scale AI in 2018, she has held onto a nearly 5% stake in the company, which has grown to be worth $1.25 billion. Despite her billionaire status, Guo says that her life has remained the same.

“My life pre-money and post-money, it hasn’t really changed that much,” Guo told CNBC Make It earlier this month.

While Guo may be frugal when it comes to her closet, her food, and her rides to work, she still has the means to spend lavishly in key areas without thinking about the cost.

For example, when it comes to homes, Guo bought a newly constructed mansion in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills for $29.5 million earlier this year. She got it at a discount: The 5-bedroom, 13,500-square-foot mansion was first listed for $43 million in January 2024.

Related: Sam Altman’s Mansion Was Once the Most Expensive Home Listing in San Francisco. A New Lawsuit Says It’s a ‘Lemon.’

Guo is also the owner of a $6.7 million condo in Florida, which she purchased in 2021, as well as another L.A. home, which she bought for $4.2 million last year.

Guo additionally owns a Ferrari in a vintage rose color, which she admits was a “splurge.” A Ferrari can cost upwards of $230,950. When it comes to transportation, she also sometimes flies via private jet to skip the lines at the airport.

Guo is a college dropout who studied computer science and human-computer interactions for two years at Carnegie Mellon University, per her LinkedIn. She left to pursue a Thiel Fellowship, which rewards young entrepreneurs for following non-traditional paths and choosing to build a business over going to college. Thiel Fellows receive a $200,000 grant and access to a network of founders to grow their companies.

Related: ‘We Don’t Believe in Work-Life Balance’: A Newly Acquired Startup Just Offered Its 200-Person Team a Choice — Work Weekends or Take a Buyout

Guo still puts in long hours at her startup, the creator commerce and monetization platform Passes, which she founded in 2022. Passes has raised a total of $66 million across three funding rounds. She says that the normal working day for her stretches twelve hours, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“9 a.m. to 9 p.m., to me, that’s still work-life balance,” Guo told CNBC.

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

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

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

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

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

1. Google Ads had to go first

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. PR was the third — and it worked

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

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

How I decide what to outsource now

I use a simple filter:

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

Handling the handoff while staying lean

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

One clear metric, one owner, one cadence.

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

Related: How to Actually Get Returns in Your Marketing Efforts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This changes everything about how you should approach the platform.

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

Why traditional YouTube advice doesn’t work for entrepreneurs

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

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

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

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

How YouTube actually works in 2025

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

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

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

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

The 3 strategies that actually build authority

1. Master the ideation process

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

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

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

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

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

• 20% innovation (experiment with unexpected angles)

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

2. Perfect your packaging

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

Effective title frameworks for entrepreneurs:

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

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

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

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

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

3. Focus on metrics that predict success

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

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

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

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

Your starting point

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a breakdown of his most impactful takeaways.

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

1. Every answer opens a door to opportunity

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

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

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

2. Evolution, not revolution

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

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

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

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

3. Adaptability is non-negotiable

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

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

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

4. The founder sets the tone

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

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

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

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

5. Success is never accidental

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

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

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

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

6. Rethinking sales

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

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

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

Equally important, he warned against the temptation to oversell.

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

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

7. Resilience is the entrepreneur’s superpower

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

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

8. Putting it all together

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

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

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

Conclusion: The path forward

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

Start by solving authentic problems

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

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

Turn setbacks into stepping stones

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

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

Launch small and use what you have

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

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

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

Embrace digital-first and lean growth

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

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

Turn your mistakes into learning opportunities

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

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

Related: How to Turn Your Mistakes Into Opportunities

Put all these real-life lessons into action

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

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