Author: Editor

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lily Vittayarukskul, 30, cofounder and CEO of Waterlily. It has been edited for length and clarity.When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the universe and wanted to understand how the world worked. Science taught me that even the biggest, most intimidating questions could be broken down, understood, and eventually solved.I also grew up with limited resources, and working in my parents’ factory after school taught me how hard families work to create stability, and how much discipline and resourcefulness it takes to build something from very little.At 11, I…

Skip the theater system, throw in a Peloton, and make sure there’s a private space for Zooms.Mike Francis, the head of aircraft finance at Citi, said a new wave of private jet owners is fueling demand for new amenities.Before he’ll even talk about add-ons like those, Francis has a word of warning. If a private jet costs more than 10% of your net worth, think twice.At the low end, that translates to a net worth of $30 million. At the high end, closer to $1 billion.Sometimes that means figuring out the right combination of ownership and chartering, an option that…

Insecure CEOs may not recognize their own behavior — or realize how much it is hurting them.Jamie Dimon recently said a lack of self-confidence can sink a leader’s career by disconnecting them from what is happening inside their companies. Speaking on “The Master Investor Podcast with Wilfred Frost,” the JPMorgan Chase boss recalled a saying: “When some people get a big job, some grow into it, and some swell into it.”Insecurity, he explained, is what drives the swelling.Executive coaches and recruiters say recognizing insecure behavior can help leaders correct it before it damages their careers and companies. It can surface…

Chris Caldwell is more focused on tablets these days than AI tokens.The chief information officer of Chili’s parent company, Brinker International, has spent his 2½ years in the role figuring out how to overhaul WiFi systems at restaurants and replace thousands of handheld devices that waitstaff use to take customers’ orders, he told Business Insider.Many restaurants are adding AI to their operations. At Starbucks and Burger King, for instance, AI agents are listening to drive-thru orders and fetching recipes for baristas.Chili’s, meanwhile, has largely stayed away from such uses. Instead, it’s turned around its same-store sales in part by focusing…

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Oliver Browne, 44, who founded True Summit Adventures in 2022. He is based in Albania. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.A trek to Everest Base Camp with a helicopter return, heli-skiing in Albania, crossing Mongolia’s Altai Mountains and Gobi Desert by horseback and camel, and exploring Bhutan while staying at Six Senses.These are some of the adventures we’ve taken our ultrawealthy clients on, which cost an average of around $100,000 per trip.What I’ve learned over the years, however, is that you don’t need a billionaire budget to have…

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Manoj Aggarwal, a lead software engineer at a large software company who previously worked at Microsoft, Twitter, and Stripe. He’s in his 30s and lives in California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I’ve worked as a software engineer for 14 years at companies including Microsoft, Twitter, and Stripe — and I’ve seen how the job has changed.I think that in some ways, it’s a fun time to be a software engineer. There are so many tools available that you can pretty much build anything from scratch without your…

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Hali Mo, founder of Hali Home Bakes, a San Francisco microbakery specializing in laminated pastries. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.When I graduated from Stanford in 2018 with degrees in economics and computer science, I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I joined McKinsey as a business analyst, then moved into design consulting before becoming a product manager at a startup. On paper, everything looked right: good salary, clear career progression, prestigious companies.After five years in corporate America, I realized I was waking up every…

In “The Odyssey,” Odysseus and his men arrive on a beach in search of provisions and find an unpleasant surprise in the form of angry giants, who proceed to kill a bunch of the men.Much like the Greeks’ deadly surprise, a handful of unfortunate moviegoers are sailing blindly into treacherous waters with fateful consequences. Some people accidentally went to see “The Odyssey” in 4DX, not realizing that the chairs shake and water sprays at them throughout the nearly 3-hour film.I became aware that people were suffering through this mistaken adventure when a friend of mine told me it happened to…

TikTok is ripping a page from Amazon’s playbook.The social-video app is testing a Prime-style membership program for some US shoppers, according to screenshots of the offering viewed by Business Insider.The program, called TikTok Shop Plus, is built into Shop, its e-commerce platform. Like Amazon Prime, it offers members a mix of perks like free shipping, product discounts, and coupons.In one example of the service in action, a hair product normally sold on TikTok for around $57 was discounted to $47 for Plus members, along with free three-day shipping. In another, Plus members were offered a $5 discount on a beauty…

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesParamount Skydance has agreed to delay its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery to as late as June 2027 — a multi-month delay that will ultimately raise the deal price — as the tie-up faces a legal challenge.Last week, a group of state attorneys general led by California’s Rob Bonta sued to block the deal over antitrust concerns. On Monday, a judge reviewing the case issued a temporary restraining order, delivering a near-term delay. Paramount had repeatedly said it intended to complete the transaction by the end of September. The agreement announced Friday says…