How to Spot a Toxic Investor

How to Spot a Toxic Investor

Not all funding fuels success—some investors can slow down innovation, create conflicts, and erode company culture. Spotting the warning signs early can help safeguard a startup’s long-term vision.

Key insights include:

✅ Thorough due diligence on investors is as crucial as hiring top talent.
✅ Conversations with portfolio companies can reveal hidden investor behaviors.
✅ Deal terms should support growth, not create unnecessary pressure.
✅ Trusting instincts is vital—if something feels off, investigate further.

Strong investor-founder relationships are built on trust and alignment. Read the full guide to uncover 30 red flags every founder should watch for.

The Future of Startup Hiring: Efficiency Meets Global Talent

The hiring game for startups is changing. With a sharper focus on profitability and resilience, companies are prioritizing efficiency over rapid scaling. According to Carta.com’s latest report, hiring has slowed, salaries are rising while equity shrinks, and sales roles are gaining traction. The era of unchecked expansion is over—today, every hire counts.

But what if the right talent isn’t local? As startups rethink hiring strategies, global hiring emerges as a powerful solution. Deel’s International Hiring Guide breaks down how companies can access top talent worldwide while staying compliant. Whether you’re scaling smartly or filling skill gaps, this guide has the insights you need.

Download "How to Build Your Best Global Team" now and future-proof your hiring strategy! ⬇️ 

You found global talent. Deel’s here to help you onboard them

Deel’s simplified a whole planet’s worth of information. It’s time you got your hands on our international compliance handbook where you’ll learn about:

With 150+ countries right at your fingertips, growing your team with Deel is easier than ever.

Get the guide

How Wiz Went from Zero to $32B in Just Five Years

Wiz’s record-breaking $32 billion acquisition by Google underscores a masterclass in strategic growth. Launched in 2020, the cybersecurity startup made bold moves early on—focusing on enterprise-grade solutions, building an intuitive yet powerful product, and leveraging a graph-based database for scalability. By balancing agility with rapid execution, Wiz skyrocketed to $500M ARR last year, now set to cross $1B.

Discover how these key decisions fueled Wiz’s unprecedented success. Read the full story here.

Why Second-Time Founders Have a Secret Startup Advantage

Experience transforms the startup journey. Data shows that second-time founders—whether they previously succeeded or failed—have a higher chance of building a successful business. Their edge comes from:

✅ Problem-solving: Lessons learned drive smarter decisions.
✅ Resilience: Setbacks are stepping stones, not roadblocks.
✅ Stronger networks: Access to better capital, talent, and mentorship.
✅ Sharper execution: Focus stays on high-impact priorities.

While success is never guaranteed, experience shifts the odds. What key lessons did your first startup teach you? Share your thoughts!

How AI Agents from Adobe & Microsoft Do the Heavy Lifting

At Adobe Summit 2025, Adobe and Microsoft unveiled Adobe Marketing Agent and Adobe Express Agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot, revolutionizing how marketers create, personalize, and manage campaigns. These AI-driven tools seamlessly integrate into PowerPoint, Word, and Teams, enabling:

✅ Effortless audience targeting with Adobe Experience Platform
✅ Instant insights from Adobe Customer Journey Analytics
✅ Smarter cross-team collaboration via Adobe Workfront
✅ AI-powered asset creation directly in Microsoft 365 apps

With LinkedIn Ads and Microsoft Advertising integrations, campaign execution is now faster and more efficient. The future of marketing is AI-powered—how will your team adapt?

The Most Innovative AI Companies of 2025

The race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) took a major leap in 2024, shifting focus from scaling models to real-time reasoning. OpenAI’s o1 model set the stage, followed by breakthroughs from Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and DeepSeek.

Nvidia fueled the AI boom with its Blackwell architecture, while companies like Mistral and Microsoft pushed compact AI models to new heights. From multimodal capabilities to AI-powered computing, these innovations are reshaping the industry.

 Discover the full list of AI pioneers driving the future.

Monetization Lessons from Top AI Consumer Apps

Broad appeal doesn’t always mean big revenue. The latest analysis of the Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps reveals a surprising trend—many high-earning apps have lower usage but excel at monetization.

 Niche apps focused on specialized needs (like plant identification or language learning) attract users willing to pay for premium value.
 Prosumer & enterprise-grade features drive higher conversion rates among serious users.
 ChatGPT “copycats” account for 12% of both mobile usage and revenue, leveraging brand familiarity.

For AI app developers, the takeaway is clear: depth beats breadth in driving revenue. What strategies have worked for you?

OpenAI Tests ChatGPT Connectors for Drive & Slack

OpenAI is taking a major step toward seamless AI-driven workplace productivity with the upcoming ChatGPT Connectors. This new feature will allow businesses to integrate Google Drive and Slack with ChatGPT, enabling AI-powered responses based on internal files, spreadsheets, and conversations.

 Key Highlights:

Enables ChatGPT to reference workplace data while maintaining access permissions.
Expands enterprise AI capabilities, potentially challenging AI-powered search tools.
Future support planned for Microsoft SharePoint, Box, and more.

As AI becomes more embedded in workplace tools, how will businesses balance convenience with data security?   Read more.

 Is ChatGPT in Trouble? Meta’s Llama AI Just Hit 1B Downloads

Meta’s Llama models have surpassed 1 billion downloads, marking a 53% surge in just three months. Despite licensing concerns and legal hurdles, Llama remains widely adopted by companies like Spotify and AT&T. With billions in AI investment and new models on the horizon, Meta aims to lead the AI race.

 Nvidia Unveils Next-Gen AI, Robotics & Chips at GTC 2025

Nvidia’s GTC 2025, dubbed the “AI Super Bowl” by CEO Jensen Huang, showcased groundbreaking AI advancements, including next-gen GPUs, humanoid robotics, AI-powered workstations, and self-driving cars. With AI demand skyrocketing, Nvidia’s roadmap signals an unstoppable wave of innovation across industries.

 Google Launches Gemini Canvas & Audio Overview

Google expands Gemini with Canvas, an interactive workspace for writing and coding, and Audio Overview, a tool for generating podcast-style summaries. These features aim to enhance AI-powered creativity and productivity.

 Will Adobe’s AI Agents Change Business?

Adobe launches Experience Platform Agent Orchestrator, introducing ten AI agents for marketing, customer experience, and business operations. With deep integrations into Microsoft 365, AWS, and SAP, Adobe aims to streamline enterprise automation—but will it stand out in the crowded AI market?

 20 Best AI Sales Assistants to Boost Revenue & Leads

AI-powered sales assistants are revolutionizing how businesses generate leads, engage prospects, and close deals. By automating repetitive tasks, analyzing sales conversations, and predicting deal outcomes, these tools enable sales teams to work smarter and more efficiently. We explore 20 cutting-edge AI sales assistants designed to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and drive revenue growth.

Missed Deals? This Strategy Boosts Close Rates by 64%

Struggling with prospecting and handling objections? A data-driven approach can make all the difference. Instead of viewing objections as roadblocks, see them as opportunities—reframing them can boost close rates by up to 64%. Leveraging expert-backed strategies and tools like Calendly and Gong enhances virtual selling and meeting scheduling.

Unlock actionable insights—read the full guide now!

AI Agents Are Transforming Sales—Are You Ready?

Top-performing sales teams are 33% more likely to use AI to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and gain real-time customer insights. From lead generation to conversational AI, cutting-edge tools like Myko AI, Cresta, and VoiceBase are reshaping sales strategies.

With AI-driven automation, teams can eliminate manual data entry, qualify leads faster, and optimize decision-making—leading to higher conversions and increased revenue.

Discover the top AI sales tools revolutionizing the industry. Explore the full list now!

Ready to explore AI tools that’ll revolutionize your editing game?