STOP TALKING ABOUT Empathy AND START ACTING ON IT

Consumers say they prefer buying from empathetic brands. Employees say they want to work for empathetic brands. Companies put “empathy” high up on their list of values. So why aren’t we seeing more empathy?

The Future of DTC Is…Boring?

Brandless was a hot company with a bad business model, like many of its direct-to-consumer peers. Now it’s back as a quieter company focused on slower growth. Is this what DTC needs?

The Beauty of Being an Outsider

Senreve is a luxury fashion brand, but it wasn’t created by luxury fashion insiders. Here’s how its founders came to dominate a very insider-driven industry.

How to Win Friends and Influencer People

SHAUN NEFF builds the hottest brands for the hottest people, including Kendall Jenner, Shay Mitchell, and Millie Bobby Brown. His secret to creating a hit: It’s all about the vibe.

There Is beauty in These Dark Times

I have suffered, both personally and as an entrepreneur. I have been the target of racism and nastiness. But I have also learned to see hopefulness— because these are not just times of darkness. They’re times to make things better.

How Fast Should You Grow?

Investors wanted SpotHero to grow rapidly, but its CEO had a different vision. He wanted to beat his competitors… by moving slower than they did.

HOW TO OWN A CULTURAL MOMENT: WITH PERSONALITÉ

YES WAY ROSÉ began life as a playful Instagram account. Now it’s one of the buzziest wines in America. What happened? It’s a case study in spotting the cultural moment before it explodes…and giving it a voice.

Lessons from Past Crises

Yes, it’s possible to come out of the pandemic stronger. Here’s how seven entrepreneurs thrived during the recession, 9/11, and other terrible events.

“HELP ME, OR DESTROY ME”

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? For Angela Gennari, whose company provides security and event staff at the University of Georgia, it was putting her fate into the hands of a competitor.

WORK SHOULD NOT BE CRAZY

What if working long hours, living on Slack, and growing as fast as possible isn’t the best way to run a business? The founders of Basecamp are pretty sure they have the answer.

WHO BREAKS THE TIE?

How do cofounders settle disagreements when they have an equal say in the business? Six entrepreneurs share their methods.

THE POWER OF PERSONAL GROWTH

SpeedPro president and CEO Larry Oberly learned to lead by making mistakes.

SHOULD I SPEND BIG ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Paid ads on social platforms can get your business in front of a lot of eyeballs. But don’t overlook the many other (and cheaper) ways to grow your customer base online.

Crisis Management - SHARING THE PROFITS

The sports drink company O2 is thriving during the pandemic, thanks to a counterintuitive decision: It started giving money away.

NAILING THE VIRTUAL INVESTOR PITCH

When seeking money these days, some things are different—and some are exactly the same.

DON'T SAY IT'S IMPOSSIBLE

If you think something is impossible, it will become impossible. It’s time to think differently.

BUILDING A FAMILY'S FUTURE

After his corporate career, a father wanted to set up his family for generations to come. Now he and his daughter run a Real Property Management franchise—together.

How We'll Thrive

Nothing will ever be the same, we’re told. The world is forever different. That may be true in some ways. We may want and create new things; we may engage with new technologies; we may be focused on new problems to solve. But let’s not forget: We can flourish in this new world, just as we did in the old. There’s still a bounty of possibilities, and an open sky for our ambitions. We do not need to settle for less. We can thrive. We will thrive. Here’s how.

Pivot Now, Thrive Later

Few things will look the same on the other side of this crisis, so don’t hang on to yesterday’s ideas. Here’s how five businesses ditched their original concepts and discovered even greater opportunities.

How We'll Connect

Entrepreneurship is not a solo experience. It’s a collective effort—building a team, finding partners, fostering relationships with consumers that could last days or decades. So while the pandemic has changed the way we connect, it hasn’t changed the simple fact that we must connect. With new tools, philosophies, and work-from-home strategies, we’re setting ourselves up for an interconnected future—whether by screen, in person, or a bit of both.

“Incredible Innovation Comes Out of Dark Times”

Sara Blakely has steered Spanx through 20 years of ups and downs, including personal devastation and global catastrophe. It has taught her a lot about the value of adversity.

The World's Best

Our list of 200 franchises that are expanding (and thriving!) around the globe.

Solve Tomorrow's Problems Today

We can still build sustainable businesses. But it’ll require thinking far ahead—and acting now.

HOW WE'LL FRANCHISE

As the pandemic has unfolded, questions have swirled around franchising. Can food service, its biggest category, survive in a time of social distancing? Will people continue to buy franchises in uncertain times? And can brands make large, expensive changes across hundreds or thousands of units? So far, the answer seems to be: Yes! The pandemic has shown just how resilient and adaptable franchising can be. Here’s what comes next.

HOW WE'LL BUILD

In the pandemic’s early days, celebrated investor Marc Andreessen wrote an essay about the power of entrepreneurship. “Every step of the way, to everyone around us, we should be asking the question, What are you building?” he wrote. “What are you building directly, or helping other people to build, or teaching other people to build, or taking care of people who are building?” On the following pages, entrepreneurs offer their answers.

The Wizard of Whopper

Fernando Machado is the marketing genius who turned Burger King (and Popeyes!) into a buzzy, relevant, always-on-point brand. Here’s how he pulls it off.

Business/Unsual – Schmidt's Naturals – “Naivete Can Be Really Helpful”

Jaime Schmidt built and sold Schmidt’s Naturals for millions. Her advice: Don’t focus too much on the challenges ahead. Just get going.

Calling Out Your Copycat

Founders are turning to social media to make noise when other brands encroach on their intellectual property. It’s a splashy way to defend your company, but can it actually help protect it?

A Laptop That Acts Like a Smartphone

5G laptops are debuting, and they’re promising something entrepreneurs need: nonstop connectivity.

Building a Family's Future

After his corporate career, a father wanted to set up his family for generations to come. Now he and his daughter run a Real Property Management franchise—together.