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The latest wave of tech layoffs doesnt have to be a step backwardit can be a launchpad. If youve spent years shipping products, debugging systems, and partnering with go-to-market teams, you already have what many founders dont: domain insight and a network. Pair that with AI employees, (role-specific software agents trained on your companys data that can perform defined tasks like drafting on-brand content, qualifying leads, and updating CRMs) and your severance becomes seed capital for a lean, scalable company. Whats different now is that the traditional barriers to starting a business have collapsed. The math is transformative: What once required $500,000 in annual salaries can now be achieved for less than $500 a month. Beyond cost, theres leveragethose complex migrations you managed, the customer insights you unearthed, the systems you architectedthats IP AI can now operationalize at scale. The most successful builders arent just venture-backed startupstheyre experienced operators who realized AI employees can handle everything from customer research to financial analysis, all trained on their specific expertise and methods. Former Google engineers, Meta product managers, and Amazon developers are spinning up businesses with the capacity of a 10-person startup, run solo. Take Todd Krise, who launched Mercenary Marketing after two decades in agencies and now teaches others to run lean, AI-powered businesses without traditional overhead. Or Jenna Ahern of Guardian Owl Digital, who is transforming a decade-old agency into an AI-first marketing firm. Tech professionals have a unique edge here: You understand system architecture, data flows, and automation logic, and you know what good looks like from UX to code qualityknowledge that becomes exponentially more valuable when deployed through AI agents working 24/7. While I didnt lose my job, I did choose to leave my job at TikTok when changing inoffice requirements and a fading worklife balance told me it was time to rethink my path. I realized companies were being asked to deliver more with leaner teams, and AI was finally capable of helping. I started Parallel AI soon after with a simple goal to turn anxiety about headcount into AI tools that could help teams automate content, sales workflows, and operations without burning out. Building is messy and setbacks happen, even now. The steps below aim to reduce risk and improve your odds. Start with a real problem Write one sentence that states the outcome a buyer wants. Test it with 10 buyer conversations before you build. Ask: What have you tried? What did it cost? What would make this a yes in 30 days? A former marketing agency leader, Todd Krise, mapped out how artificial intelligence could replace the bloated, outdated agency model he worked in before launching Mercenary Marketing. He pressure-tested the plan with real clients and deadlines at the start of 2025 to prove that the systems, prices, and deliverables worked before he scaled. If you cannot find 10 people who would pay, change the outcome and try again. What to prioritize in the first 30 to 90 days Aim to land two or three paid pilots and validate one repeatable way to get customers. Divide your runway into two or three time blocks (for example, 30, 60, and 90 days) with clear milestones. Sell clear outcomes you can deliver in two to six weeks. Use them to confirm the right customers, the right price, and the value you create. Create a simple brand: Think a clear oneline promise, a basic landing page, and two or three proof pieces (short case example, short demonstration, testimonial). Building trust matters more than polish. Measurement: Pick one main goal (revenue or active pilots) to focus on, and three early signs (qualified talks each week, proposals sent, share of proposals that become sales). Careful spending: Cap monthly spending, and pay yourself a modest paycheck. Platform choice: Prefer a measurable, custom AI agent platform over many singlepurpose tools. Fewer vendors means lower cost, less setup, and a clearer view of what works. How to land and execute your first paid pilot Define a tight offer Who: one target customer with a clear problem (for example, software companies that sell to businesses but have a weak sales outreach, or agencies that need brandsafe content in larger amounts). What: a named pilot (for example, 30Day Artificial Intelligence Sales Outreach Boost or Content in Context Sprint) with three to five deliverables and success measures. Why now: a clear trigger (new product launch, missed sales target, hiring freeze, a backlog of content). Use your own relationships to find your first pilot clients Use a short, specific outreach Subject or opener: Quick pilot to achieve [outcome] in 30 daysBody (three lines): We help [customer type] achieve [outcome] without [main headache].Proposed fourweek pilot: [deliverables] success = [measure]. Price: [$X], 50% upfront, applied to ongoing work if it delivers.Worth a 20minute fit call next week? If not you, who is best? Include one proof point, a short case example, a short demonstration clip, or a measured personal example. Reduce friction Apply the pilot fee to a monthly agreement or offer a partial refund if success measures are not met. Keep paperwork simple with a onepage work plan with clear data rules and weekly cadence. Make onboarding quick with a startup checklist, access you will need, and a dayone plan. Execute to convert Measure everything! Record starting levels, send weekly updates with a simple measures checklist, and deliver early quick wins. At your midpoint review show progress, confirm success measures, and discuss the followon now. During the final week, present a short results deck and a onepage decision plan with a yes or no choice and a start date for the monthly agreement. This is the moment to turn your experience into a scalable business with artificial intelligence on your terms.
Category:
E-Commerce
Early in my career, a boss encouraged me to leave a stable operations role for a position in sales. They noticed my natural persuasiveness in communication and approach to problems, skills they believed could translate into success in a completely different discipline. It felt like a gamble. I was trading a steady income for compensation directly tied to performance and sales volume. And, I would be venturing into a role where I had no prior experience. But I ultimately took the leap, and that shift changed the entire trajectory of my career. That experience taught me to embrace discomfort and trust in my capacity to grow. It also revealed something fundamental about sales: success doesnt come from a single mold. Coming from an operations background, I spoke the language of operators, and that authenticity gave me instant credibility with the very people I was selling to. That experience didnt just redefine my career path; it reshaped how I lead. Today, I actively look for opportunities to help others pivot into roles they never would have considered on their own. With the right encouragement and adequate support, people can thrive in roles in which they have no prior experience. People want growth, but rarely make the first move Its tempting to keep strong performers exactly where they are. When someone excels in a specific function, moving them can feel like a loss, especially when resources are tight and hiring is competitive. But this mindset is shortsighted. Holding people in a specific track because they are performing well may feel efficient in the short term, but it can stagnate both the individual and the organization. One of the most effective ways to help people reach their full potential is to create pathways to grow outside their current functions. This isnt simply a leadership philosophy; its reflective of employee feedback. Overall, 42% of workers are interested in upskilling or looking for upskilling opportunities, according to a McKinsey report. For most, myself included, pursuing a career pivot is rarely self-induced. People tend to stay where they are comfortable, and taking on a role that requires a new skill set can be daunting and fear-inducing. Thats where leaders come in. Leaders have the power to soften that fear of the unknown. By showing belief in someones potential and backing it with support, theyre given the confidence to try something new. And more often than not, people rise to the occasion. When I first joined Fintech, we needed a new marketing lead. The natural instinct might have been to hire someone from the outside with a textbook marketing background. But instead, I looked inward. One of our operations team members had been with the company for several years. She had no formal marketing experience, but she understood our customers. She had a creative spark, strong communication skills, and a deep sense of ownership. I encouraged her to consider the role. Today, shes not only a capable marketing lead, shes also one of our strongest cross-functional thinkers, bridging the gap between product, ops, and customer success. Making career pivots work These kinds of internal transitions are entirely possible, but they require structure and attentiveness. Individuals with untapped potential who prioritize strong communication, think beyond their interests, go the extra mile, and take pride in their work are prime candidates. They often just need a nudge and someone to believe in their ability to succeed to take the leap. But encouragement alone isnt enough. Gaining buy-in from the team leader in the department where someone is transitioning is critical. Equally important is crafting a clear, detailed plan and communicating it transparently. Success must be defined in small, achievable milestones. For someone new to sales, that might mean setting a daily target of reaching out to 10 prospects, recording those conversations, and reviewing them with a supervisor to refine their pitch and delivery. In product development, early wins might come from reconnecting with a previous team to discuss a few targeted changes that could have immediate impact. Sometimes, the milestone is simply exposure. Giving someone the opportunity to present to an internal group can be transformativeespecially for younger professionals who may have had little experience speaking in front of others. Its surprising how often that skill is underdeveloped, yet its so critical to career progression. Early wins, no matter how minor, build confidence, and confidence is a powerful catalyst for long-term success. Creating a safety net is also essential. Provide reassurance that if the move doesnt work out, they still have a place within the company. People are far more willing to take risks when they know failure wont lead to free fall. Our operations lead was hesitant to pivot to marketing at first. Mentorship was central to making this transition successful. It began with short, focused 15-minute daily check-insjust her and mewhere wed walk through her goals for the day and how she planned to approach them. These conversations created structure, built momentum, and gave her a safe space to ask questions and reflect in real time. The key was setting goals that were both practical and confidence-building. We set early milestones, which included attending management meetings and offering insights from an operations lens that marketing could amplify, collaborating with leadership to understand stakeholder expectations, and delivering a competitive analysis to leadership using her operational expertise to surface gaps and opportunities. As her tactical foundation solidified, our daily meetings transitioned into weekly hourlong strategy sessions. She began to link execution with strategy, and that is where her operational background allowed her to gain trust in other departments. With a clear development plan, dedicated mentorship, and achievable early goals, she settled into the role and began to thrive. The cost of growth vs. the cost of staying still According to the World Economic Forum, employees will require new skills in the next five years, and six in 10 will require additional training before 2027. Companies that dont build internal opportunities now risk falling behind, both in talent retention and capability-building. Investing in people this way has always, in my experience, reaped a substantial return on investment. It rarely leads to loss. Both individuals and the company benefit: organizations that prioritize career development outpace others on key indicators of business success. A former boss once shared an anecdote thats stuck with me: A CFO asks the CEO, What if we invest in training our people and they leave? The CEO replies, What if we dontand they stay? Too ofte, leaders get caught up in costs. Whats far riskier is underinvesting in your team and watching great talent walk out the door, or worse, watching them stay and disengage. The leaders of tomorrow wont just be measured by their ability to drive results. Theyll be remembered for their ability to spot potential in unlikely places and to nurture it. Growth isnt just about upward movement. Sometimes, its about having the courage to take on something new and the encouragement to try.
Category:
E-Commerce
A few years ago, I read an article that changed how I think about bourbon. It wasnt about distilling or aging. It was about bread. Bread Is Broken by Ferris Jabr explores how modern industrial farming stripped grains of their flavor and nutritional value in exchange for higher yield, longer shelf life, and cost efficiency. As I read, I kept wondering if flavor has been lost in wheat; what does that mean for the wheat in our whisky? So, I called Dr. David Van Sanford, a wheat breeder at the University of Kentucky, to ask if anyone had studied how farming practices impact flavor. He paused and said, Youre the first person whos ever asked me that. That one question, nearly a decade ago, reenergized our pursuit of flavor. In that time, we expanded our farm operations, benchmarked our sustainability efforts, and doubled down on new regenerative processes: no-till farming, cover cropping, and crop rotation, which we knew would create healthier soil and therefore better flavor in our bourbon, and launched Star Hill Farm Whisky. As we approach Climate Week in New York City, where regenerative agriculture is gaining attention, I want to share three lessons Ive learned over the past 10 years that continue to guide our work. 1. Cultivate an infinite mindset When new leaders join our team, I often hand them a copy of Simon Sineks The Infinite Game. What really struck me about Sineks book is the idea that an infinite mindset isnt about winning in the traditional sense; its about ensuring the game continues. For me, that means stewardship over short-term gains: How do we leave the land, our bourbon, our culture, and our industry stronger than we found it? That perspective has shaped the way I lead, and it directly connects to regenerative agriculture, which is all about investing in farmland to become more nutrient-dense, flavorful, and resilient for the future. Bourbon is, after all, an agricultural product. If we want bourbon to have a future every bit as rich as its past, we have to be thinking about the long game. Increasingly, distillers are. 2. Dont go at it alone When our team unlocked the deep connection between soil health and flavor, we knew we couldnt do this alone so we sought out scientists, farmers, researchers, and thinkers like Gabe Brown, whose work on regenerative systems helped shape our approach. We quickly found our tribe. Weve built a lasting partnership with Regenified and its CEO, Salar Shemirani, working alongside their team to recognize and certify farmers, ranchers, and communities for their dedication to biodiversity, soil health, water quality, and ecosystem resilience. To amplify their work and the work of Gabe Browns Understanding Ag, we launched the Makers Mark Regenerative Alliance this year, which provides education and technical support to build healthy farm ecosystemsbeginning in the greater Kentucky, New York, and London areas. Weve already begun onboarding (and continue to invite) farms, bars, and restaurants to adopt regenerative practices in their sourcing, operations, and menu storytelling. You can nominate a farm or restaurant that is already practicing regenerative agriculture to join our alliance and help amplify their work. 3. Be uncompromising about what matters When my grandparents, Margie and Bill Samuels Sr., founded Makers Mark, they chose outlying land in Loretto, Ky, because of its natural water source and proximity to growers. They challenged convention to create a balanced handmade spirit rooted in the land. Now more than ever, people want the products they enjoy and brands they buy to have a higher purpose, be transparent, and authentic to who they are. For us, that translates to an unreasonable commitment to quality made with respect for the land. And its encouraging to see distilleries adopting practices that go beyond business as usual, pursuing certifications like B Corp and Regenified and collaborating through initiatives like the Estate Whiskey Alliance (EWA). As a founding member of the EWA, were working alongside whiskey producers, farmers, academic institutions, and suppliers who believe transparency and traceability in ingredient sourcing and production methods are essential for both business and consumers. In just one year, EWA has nearly tripled its membership, certified its first products, and funded groundbreaking research. These are all important steps toward making regenerative farming the expectation rather than the exception. For businesses ready to take similar steps, B Corp offers a clear framework and pathway to embed social and environmental responsibility into the heart of operations. Getting involved begins by completing the B Impact Assessment to measure your current impact and chart a course toward certification. Like joining the EWA, its an opportunity to be part of a broader movement where collective action accelerates change. These efforts demonstrate that the industry can create a more resilient and sustainable future for bourbon, agriculture, and future generations. So, what does bourbon have to do with the future of farming? More than you might think. Rob Samuels is managing director and 8th-generation whisky maker at Star Hill Farm.
Category:
E-Commerce
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