• Cooley is joining a sudden rush of law firms creating their own AI technology, with help from Legora.
• Cooley Go Lab is an online portal built to help startups with routine contract review and drafting.
• The portal will be available exclusively to founders in Y Combinator's summer cohort to start.

Law firms know more clients are asking chatbots for advice before ever calling a lawyer. So legal giant Cooley is building technology that it hopes founders will use instead.

Cooley plans to give select startups access to Cooley Go Lab, an online portal where founders can upload files and ask questions about their documents, Matt Bartus, global cochair of Cooley's emerging companies and venture capital practice, told Business Insider.

To build it, Cooley teamed up with Legora, a fast-growing legal technology startup that sells to law firms and corporate legal departments. Last year, Legora entered a new line of business with what it calls "portals" — white-labeled workspaces where law firms and their clients can work together on legal matters.

Cooley Go Lab is aimed at catching a common startup problem early, Bartus said. Founders often handle routine contracts themselves to avoid outside counsel's hourly rates. That can leave startups with a trail of messy agreements that their first in-house lawyer has to unwind later.

Legora founder Max Junestrand knows the problem well. When he started the company at age 23, he said he used an early version of ChatGPT to rewrite contracts. Junestrand, a software engineer, not a lawyer, said he let some early contracts include an unlimited liability clause — a provision that can leave a company exposed to damages far beyond the value of the deal.

"When our general counsel started, she freaked out," he said.

Cooley is now trying to give the next crop of founders a way to use artificial intelligence to move faster, but with a law firm's guardrails around it.

Cooley Go Lab will have a limited rollout to start. It will be available first to startups in Y Combinator's summer cohort.

Much has changed for startups since Legora's turn in the famed startup accelerator. Teams can write code and release technology faster with coding agents. They are signing customers and growing revenue earlier, and the hottest companies seem to be raising funding nonstop. But moving faster also means legal work that once came later in a startup's life is being pulled closer to the beginning.

At Y Combinator, partner Gustaf Alströmer is seeing that shift play out in real time. In the last batch, a record 14 startups reached $1 million in annual recurring revenue — the amount of revenue a company expects to collect over a year. Alströmer said giving founders access to tools like Cooley Go Lab could help them keep that pace without creating contract-slop.

The portal includes features that review documents like nondisclosure and contractor agreements and flag issues for founders to consider. The tool also draws on Cooley Go, the firm's central hub of standard startup forms, templates, and guidance.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Law firms like Cooley are facing a new reality. The better the frontier models get at legal work, the more founders and in-house lawyers may decide they can handle situations themselves rather than send them to outside counsel. Anthropic is trying to make that easier with new tools built for contract review and drafting.

Law firms are now figuring out how to stay relevant as more legal work becomes software-enabled. Some are building their own tech. Kirkland & Ellis has tapped Palantir to help it build tools to manage parts of the firm's private funds practice, while Freshfields is working with Anthropic on software that could eventually be sold to other law firms. Harvey, a leader in legal technology, says it's getting into training custom models for law firms.

Taken together, the moves point to a new attitude spreading across Big Law: If clients are going to use artificial intelligence anyway, law firms want to shape how they use it.

Bartus doesn't seem especially concerned about losing business to in-house legal departments. Cooley has been on a hot streak. Profits rose 6.7% to $922 million last fiscal year. The firm also scored a fair use win for Meta in a copyright case involving its model Llama last year, and it advised Jony Ive's hardware startup Io in a $6.5 billion sale to OpenAI.

Bartus is confident that companies will continue to depend on law firms for the important work. Cooley Go Lab, he said, is meant to help founders handle routine legal work more cleanly, not replace lawyers.

Cooley says the tool is not protected by attorney-client privilege, so founders will need to be careful about what they upload because those materials could be turned over in litigation.

"If you want actual legal advice," he said, "you need to talk to a lawyer."

• Billions of dollars are riding on the promise that artificial intelligence can absorb legal work.
• Crosby, a tech-driven law firm, built a benchmark to measure how well models negotiate contracts.
• Redline Bench is meant to help lawyers answer whether they can trust the technology's work.

Legal technology wants its vibe-coding moment. But first, it has to prove the tools can think like a lawyer.

Taking up the task is Crosby, a startup-meets-law-firm that sells basic legal services to companies, including Cursor and Rogo. On Wednesday, it released the Redline Bench, a tool built to measure how well artificial intelligence models perform real-world legal tasks, starting with contract review.

Software engineers have spent the past few years watching these systems get shockingly good at writing code and debugging errors. Now legal tech companies are chasing a similar prize: artificial intelligence that can review contracts, spot risks, and haggle terms faster and cheaper than lawyers.

But law has a problem that coding does not, says Ryan Daniels, a former in-house lawyer turned Crosby founder. "It's really hard to define 'good' or 'bad,'" he said.

Models can write code that either runs or breaks. Legal work is a murkier target. A sales contract can be edited, or "redlined," in lots of defensible ways, Daniels explains. A change that one lawyer sees as prudent, another might call too aggressive.

That ambiguity has become a headache for companies racing to automate legal work, from the scrappy neofirms to the model labs themselves. Anthropic has spent the past few months courting in-house lawyers with tools built for them. That push has been closely watched by investors. Earlier this year, Anthropic's new legal plugin stirred a sell-off in legal tech stocks.

Benchmarks are one of the main ways companies track progress. The labs building frontier models use them as stress tests, measuring whether a new system is better at tasks than the last one.

Coding has hundreds of benchmarks for evaluating models. But the legal industry still lacks a shared way to answer the question: Is the AI's work any good?

Crosby has been working on a new yardstick. The company pulled its engineers and lawyers into a tactical unit called Crosby Intelligence to build agents for Crosby's law firm and a benchmark to grade them against. That team includes engineer Sharan Ramjee, who worked on transformer models to sniff out fraud at Stripe, and Ross Weiser, a lawyer who joined from elite law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.

Crosby also partnered with Micro1, a company that helps model-makers recruit expert workers, to find more lawyers who could help define what counts as good legal work.

To build the benchmark, senior lawyers simulated software deals and marked the contract changes they considered most important at each stage of the negotiation. Those changes were turned into weighted criteria.

When Crosby runs a new test, it gives models the same contracts and asks them to make their own edits. Then a panel of three judges compares these redlines with the lawyer-built rubric. The judges vote pass or fail on each item, and the final score shows how often the models made the kinds of edits that lawyers considered important.

Redline Bench will be made public so any lab can put its models through Crosby's paces. Crosby also plans to regularly release reports tracking how major models compare.

The first release of the Redline Bench put ChatGPT 5.5 at the top of the heap, with a score of 50.5%, meaning the model's redlines matched half of the edits that lawyers prioritized. Gemini 3.5 Flash followed at 45.1%, and Claude Opus 4.8 scored 44.4%.

Crosby was able to test Anthropic's highly capable new model, Fable 5, only once before Anthropic pulled it off the shelves. The results were promising, with a score of 47.3%. When access is restored, Crosby will run the benchmark again and update it.

Crosby isn't the only company trying to measure how the models stack up. Harvey, one of the best-funded legal startups, has released benchmarks for case law research and contract review.

Anthropic and OpenAI also build their own benchmarks to measure performance on real-world tasks. But Daniels said those results can be hard to trust. Over time, the labs eventually tune their systems to perform well on their own tests, he said.

The stakes are bigger than a scoreboard. Billions of investment dollars are riding on the promise that artificial intelligence can lower legal bills and absorb work that used to pile up on the general counsel's desk.

Lawyers will only use the tools if they trust them. Crosby wants to give them a reason to.

• UK-based business owner Sean McDonnell relies on AI for his web design business and SaaS website.
• The White House ordered Anthropic to cut foreign access to Fable 5 while McDonell was mid-task.
• McDonnell emphasizes importance of backup plans due to AI tool disruptions like the Fable incident.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sean McDonnell, 43, who lives in England. McDonnell is the founder of the web design company Kaizen and the SaaS website Consigns. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Developing my website would not have been possible without AI.

I started my web design business earlier this year, which also led me to create a website that provides software to help companies track their waste. I run both of these ventures with my partner, and we enlist contractors for some operations and software development.

We're a small team, and AI tools are a big help. Last week, I saw a few posts online showing the amazing things that Anthropic's new Fable model can do.

I was keen to try this new technology, but didn't get much of a chance to use it. A few hours in, I was mid-task when the US government forced Anthropic to cut off foreign access to Fable with little to no notice.

The rug got pulled from under me pretty quickly, but because I was well-prepared, it didn't have a hugely disruptive impact on my business. It's a reminder that you can't rely too heavily on AI as a founder, and you should always have a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances.

I was keen to give Fable a try, but it was short-lived

I like using OpenAI's Codex for repetitive, code-intensive work, and Claude for tasks that help design the product's aesthetics. AI has been able to completely change the architecture of our codebase in a day, whereas a task like that would've taken a developer weeks to do manually.

After seeing so much about it online, I wanted to use Fable to conduct a full review of our product for safety and security flags. The model was in the middle of making some key changes to our codebase when it got shut off instantly with a notice saying, "Claude Fable 5 is currently unavailable."

I didn't realize until the next day that this had happened because the US government ordered Anthropic to block foreign access to the model. It's been a bit of a bummer, and I feel bad for the people at Anthropic for making a brilliant product and having the rug pulled from under them, too. I'm also quite annoyed we didn't get to do more with Fable. I think it could've propelled us so much further.

Being prepared helped us avoid a huge disruption

This isn't the first time we've had issues with using Claude. In the past, when we used Opus 4.6, it would stop mid-task because it hit the token limit so quickly. We didn't realize how token-heavy the tool was, and it left our codebase in a bit of a mess.

Because we'd learned this lesson with 4.6, we made sure we were more prepared for unforeseen circumstances with using AI.

When we started our product review last week, I asked Fable to create a guide that both Claude or other AI models could follow. This enabled us to pass the remaining tasks to other agents when we lost access to Fable. We passed some to Codex and others to Claude 4.8. If we hadn't been prepared this way, the Fable issue could've resulted in lots of work being out the window.

Fable getting pulled didn't have a major impact because we were ready for it, but it ruined our momentum. We're working on a deadline, and every minute counts, so delays like this can be quite disruptive.

Always have a plan B

This Anthropic incident has solidified my conviction that you can't depend completely on AI.

If the government were to shut off AI access completely, our business wouldn't end, because we've already built out our platform, but we are quite dependent on AI. A situation like that would likely increase our costs, partly because we'd have to switch to the old-school method of hiring developers.

In today's AI era, it's important to always have a plan B. Don't just rely on one AI tool. It's good to understand the strengths of different models.

Make sure you're documenting things as you go by keeping records that exist outside your AI tool. If Claude knows all about our code base, but it gets pulled tomorrow, would I be able to give that over to a developer? At this stage, I think I could, because I've been documenting everything as I go. It's a fail-safe.

A spokesperson from The White House told Business Insider, "The Trump administration is collaborating with AI industry leaders to balance cutting-edge innovation with national security concerns that affect both the United States and our allies."

Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Do you have a similar story to share? If so, you can reach out to one of the reporters at aapplegate@businessinsider.com and ccheong@businessinsider.com.

• Josh Giegel joined SpaceX in 2009 and worked there for 3 years. He says the equity he received has been "liberating."
• Giegel's SpaceX equity has allowed him to put a down payment on a house and help pay off his wife's student loans.
• "The equity also allows me to take a lower salary at my startup," Gambit, he said, and that means he can hire more people.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Josh Giegel, the 41-year-old cofounder of the AI startup Gambit, who lives in Los Angeles. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I was in grad school at Stanford, finishing my master's and wanting to do a Ph.D.

I had worked at NASA the previous summer, and one of the women I worked with was also a Stanford graduate, and was like: "You're going to be so bored at NASA. Why don't you check out this small space company in Los Angeles called SpaceX?"

I applied and interviewed in the two weeks between flight three and flight four of Falcon 1. I interviewed with Elon; he was still interviewing pretty much everyone at the time. I remember going back to my advisor and saying, "There's nothing I'd rather do on the planet than what he just described."

My Master's ended at the end of 2008, and I began in 2009.

I was on what's called the propulsion analysis team, which was four or five people. Our responsibility was: How do you design the first reusable rocket engine? A very small group of us was responsible for the initial stuff that was on Falcon 9.

I started there when I was 23, and I left when I was 27. It was a little bit of naive immaturity. I knew I wanted to start a company one day, and SpaceX was growing like crazy. I wanted to be on a founding team. I still love the company; I almost went back two or three years later before I ended up starting a company of my own.

The IPO is pretty cool. I'm on a bunch of text threads with guys who were there around the same time, and a couple of them are still there. It's cool to see just how big it became.

When I got there, and they gave the offer, there was an equity component. I remember the HR woman who was going over it with me saying, "We think some day, in 10 or 15 years, this might be worth $250,000-300,000." I distinctly remember her saying, "It might get you a nice down payment on a house in Los Angeles."

We all laugh about it now. But, at the time, the saying was: the fastest way to become a millionaire in space is to start as a billionaire.

Buybacks have been really regular for the last 10 years. Every now and then, we'd take a little bit out. For example, we paid off my wife's student loans a number of years ago. We put down a down payment on a house.

I joke: We did actually get a down payment on a house! She wasn't lying when she said that. It's a house that, on our normal salaries at startups, we wouldn't have been able to afford without that additional windfall.

We also love traveling. We've got a seven-year-old and a one-year-old. We're going to go on slightly more adventurous trips because of it.

My wife is also thinking of doing a larger career change that would come with a decent salary reduction, which she probably wouldn't have been able to do without something like SpaceX.

Professionally, I've always been risky. If the majority of your net worth is tied up in a rocket company, you must be a risk-tolerant individual.

Gambit is a VC-backed company. We've raised about $15 million to date, and there are a couple more investment rounds that are coming. The IPO puts you in a position where folks with a substantial amount of equity could be interested in becoming investors.

At least ten of the people I worked with intimately have started their own company. There was a band that I played in with five SpaceX people; four of us started our own companies. I played guitar.

That whole ecosystem can fund its own endeavors and each other. The quantum of capital that they can put in is not like your typical family and friends round. That's typically $20,000, $50,000, maybe $100,000. Here, that could be on the order of $1 million, maybe $2 million per check.

You also become a bit of a mercenary, asking, "I don't need a paycheck from what I'm going to go do, so what am I going to go do?" It's liberating.

The equity also allows me to take a lower salary at my startup, so that I can go out and hire more people to make my company more successful.

• Founders and workplace experts said that post-pandemic AI startups have a different work dynamic.
• AI startup employees often voluntarily come to the office and work longer hours without an RTO.
• Founders said that in-person work fosters a high-trust environment that spurs innovation.

"What is an RTO?"

That was Together AI CEO Vipul Ved Prakash's response when asked by Business Insider whether he had ever had to send a return-to-work (RTO) memo to push employees back to the office of the cloud compute startup.

"People generally like to come in," said Prakash. "We've never enforced it."

Prakash's response illustrates a stark cultural difference between AI startups formed after the COVID lockdowns and long-established corporations, with people voluntarily coming to the office, sometimes on weekends.

Nicholas Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University, told Business Insider that the age demographics and personal stake many startup employees have in their companies created a work mode that is "almost entirely in-person" and "100% work focused."

"For a single 23-year-old with equity worth $20 million, it makes sense to work in the office for 100 hours a week," said Bloom. "They don't work from home, they home from work."

The tight-knit culture of AI startups

Arvind Jain, founder and CEO of Glean, an enterprise AI for productivity, said he "was not eager" to bring his team members back to the office because finding an office is a hassle, but everyone wanted to be in person and return to their original mode of working when the company first started right before the pandemic in 2019.

"We just simply didn't know how to work from home because everybody was in this one small room," said Jain of the early days of the pandemic lockdown. "We used to be sitting next to each other, brainstorming what to build, and so we found that very, very hard."

Over time, said Jain, he learned to enjoy remote work and got to spend time with his family, but the team genuinely wanted to be together again.

"That's the difference — there's this startup spirit, and it's only 10, 15 people, and we want to be with each other," said Jain. "They love each other, they bond with each other, we used to play games together, and we have very fond pre-pandemic memories as a close-knit group."

Jain said that as Glean grew more rapidly in recent years, it has since moved into a larger office space and dedicated Thursday as its work-from-home day.

Spiros Xanthos, founder and CEO of Resolve AI, an enterprise technology startup that builds multi-agent AI systems, said the company has a "very strong culture" of in-person work and has never had to ask anyone to be in the office.

"We have a fairly big office now, and we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner," said Xanthos. "Most people have lunch in the office together with their colleagues, and many people stay to have dinner in the office."

Xanthos said that since founding the company in early 2024, "cohesion and culture and friendship" among employees has been critical for the company, and that he often brings colleagues based in New York to the Bay Area for offsite retreats so the team could get to know each other better.

"People will actively avoid working remotely at this point," Xanthos added. "Especially for some of the younger folks who didn't have many years of experience, but maybe worked remotely before this, many of them tell me it's day and night — the fact that they have so many friends at work now that they can trust."

AI's innovative nature demands in-person interactions

Richard Florida, an urban studies theorist and professor at the University of Toronto, said the AI wave has unique characteristics compared to other startup booms, which may generate greater in-person demand.

"Innovators have to be close to end users because end users are a part of the innovation system," said Florida, of why it's easier to work in person in the AI industry.

"If you're an AI company, the technology itself is interesting, and you can invent it, but what you really learn is by interaction with the end user, by interacting with your customers and clients," Florida added.

Xanthos said the demand for in-person attendance ultimately boils down to the nature of an innovative industry.

"As a company, we're solving very, very hard problems, and to solve these problems, you operate at the frontier," said Xanthos. "And this means that you need to experiment a lot, try a lot of things that might fail."

"That in turn requires a very high trust in an environment of psychological safety where people feel that they have the ability to innovate bottom up," Xanthos added, "Where they don't need to be told what to do, where there is communication velocity and bandwidth."

So the next time you speak to an AI startup founder, don't ask how their RTO is going — they're probably too busy trying to squeeze everyone into the office.

• I traveled to the UK, the Netherlands, and France during my recent European vacation.
• I planned a packed itinerary, and was pleasantly surprised that I fit so much into eight days.
• That said, I wish I'd booked our hotels sooner and done research into customs and security.

Ever since my first trip to France at 18, I've been enamored with Europe.

Don't get me wrong, I love exploring the US, but there's something about leaving the country that helps me dive into vacation mode quickly, since I'm an ocean away from life's daily stressors.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, I started feeling a familiar itch to travel abroad, so we visited France together two years ago. The following year, we upped the ante and headed to two countries: France and Italy.

When it came time to plan our annual vacation this year, I proposed our most ambitious one yet — three European countries in eight days with a travel day tacked onto both ends — then mapped out a whirlwind itinerary that included two full days in London and two and a half days in both Amsterdam and Paris.

It was an adventure of a lifetime, and we packed so much into a short period of time. Still, I made a few mistakes and learned several important lessons along the way.

I didn't do enough research on security and customs protocol

When we traveled from London to Amsterdam on the Eurostar train, it took an hour to get through airport-level security and customs. Since I anticipated a similar experience traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, we arrived at the train station extra early, but there was no security checkpoint.

This minor mistake only cost us an hour of wasted time, but I regretted it. I could've hopped on an earlier train to Paris had I known that traveling from one EU country to another is a lot easier than entering the European Union from the United Kingdom.

With a tight itinerary, minutes and hours matter, so I learned to pay more attention to security requirements during the planning stage.

I waited too long to book one of my hotels

When looking into Amsterdam hotels, I found one in the city center, right near the main train station. I usually book things well in advance, but this time, I took a gamble and waited to see if the prices would drop.

By the time I went to book my preferred hotel, no rooms were available for my travel dates. As it turns out, there were a few big events in town that week, so rooms filled up quickly.

I've had luck finding last-minute deals on Booking.com before, so I took a look and booked another hotel that was a quick train ride away from the city center. Everything worked out, but the experience taught me to always research whether there are major events going on in a city when you're traveling.

After all, you can always book the hotel when you see it, then cancel the reservation and rebook it if prices drop.

I learned you can't see everything in one trip, and you don't have to

When you only have a few days in a city, you're forced to home in on the must-see items on your bucket list rather than seeing every major tourist attraction. For instance, my husband and I aren't into art, so we usually skip art museums and seek out cool architecture, beautiful gardens, and meaningful experiences.

When we first started charting our own course on vacation rather than letting the fear of missing out guide us, we worried that we might regret seeing some of the major sights. But we quickly realized that it's freeing to pick and choose the activities that matter most to you.

In Amsterdam, we could've seen the Anne Frank House since it's a popular tourist spot. Instead, we spent an afternoon at the Heineken Experience in honor of my late father, who adored Heineken.

I don't drink beer, but it was still incredibly rewarding to enjoy an experience that he never got to have himself.

Walking is often the best way to see a city — but don't be a hero

Whenever I travel, I prefer to see new cities on foot rather than spending time (and money) on public transportation.

Since we only had two days in London, my husband and I took the scenic route to Kensington Palace and walked an hour from our hotel.

On a nice day, it would've been a lovely walk through a gorgeous park, but London's weather is unpredictable. It ended up being rainier and windier than we'd expected, making the stroll pretty miserable.

Sure, we could've popped into the nearest train station, but the intermittent rain lulled us into a false sense of security. Next time, I'll hop on a train instead, even if it means missing out on seeing a pretty park.

• Neither high school relationships nor Hollywood relationships are known for longevity.
• But these 19 celebrity couples met as teens, and many of them are still together today.
• Knicks star Jalen Brunson met his wife, Ali, when they were in high school.

Even in the most stable environment, it's hard to maintain a relationship that moves from high school to the real world.

Now imagine doing it as a celebrity.

Nevertheless, these 19 couples all met as high schoolers (or in some cases, even earlier), and made it work for years after, even if not all of them are still together today.

Here are 19 celebrity couples who met back when they were just regular teenagers.

Jalen Brunson and Ali Marks

The Knicks superstar has been dating his wife, Ali Marks, since high school — their 2015 prom photo is still on his Instagram, captioned, "Went to prom with the best date anyone could ask for."

They got engaged in 2022 and married in 2023.

"She's always been by my side and I'm lucky to have her," Brunson told People after the big day.

In a nod to their long relationship, Marks wore her prom dress as her second look at the wedding.

They welcomed their first child, Jordyn, in 2024.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes

The 2023 Super Bowl champion has been with Brittany, his now-wife, since they were classmates in Tyler, Texas.

In 2020, Patrick proposed to Brittany, captioning an Instagram post with "#RingSZN." A few days later, the couple revealed they were expecting their first child together. Their daughter, Sterling, was born in February 2021.

They married in March 2022. Their second child, a boy named Patrick "Bronze" Lavon Mahomes III, was born in November 2022. Their third baby, Golden, was born in January 2025.

Brittany and Sterling were at the stadium to watch the Chiefs quarterback win his second Super Bowl in February 2023.

Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus

Their first son, Cordé, was born in 1994, and they were married three years later in 1997. Snoop even shared an adorable throwback shot of the two at prom on Instagram. The ups and downs of their marriage were all documented on their reality TV show, "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood."

The couple filed for divorce in 2004, but reconciled and renewed their vows in 2008.

According to VH1, Snoop told Queen Latifah in 2013 that "[he] had no understanding of how I was hurting her and how I was betraying myself, until I [realized] I need to love this woman who loves me and had my kids. [I needed to] put my life in perspective and let my music and my business become secondary."

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Vanessa Nadal

Miranda and Nadal attended the same New York City high school, but they never actually spoke — though that didn't stop Miranda from developing a crush on his future wife.

"She was gorgeous and I'm famously bad at talking to women I find attractive. I have a total lack of game," Miranda told The New York Times in 2010.

They reconnected on Facebook years later, after they both graduated from college. They tied the knot in September 2010. They now have two sons.

Jeff Daniels and Kathleen Treado

Daniels and Treado grew up in Chelsea, Michigan, and met in high school. They've been together ever since. Throughout his highly successful career, the couple still call Chelsea their home, and they raised their three kids there.

In 2014, Daniels told MLive about why he chose to stay close to home rather than move out to industry hubs Los Angeles or New York City, saying, "[Chelsea] was home. Kathleen and I had both been raised here; good enough for us, good enough for them."

LeBron James and Savannah Brinson

Brinson told Harper's Bazaar in 2010 about their first date at Outback, calling it "basic," but she shared that it was also when she knew he loved her.

"I knew he loved me when I left my leftovers from dinner in his car," Brinson said. "I'd totally forgotten about them, and he brought them to me. I think he just wanted another excuse to come and see me."

Brinson became pregnant with their first child, Bronny, while she was still in high school, and she was nervous that it would derail their lives, but James assured her that everything would be OK.

James finally proposed to his longtime girlfriend in 2011, after 10 years of dating, per the Los Angeles Times. They tied the knot in 2014. They also had two more kids.

LL Cool J and Simone Smith

LL Cool J shared the story of how he met his wife during an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

The rapper told Kimmel in 2012 that he "was just 19, something like that," when he was driving down the block on Easter Sunday. His friend asked him if he wanted to meet one of his friend's cousins, and once he got a look at Smith, he told his friend, "Oh yeah, I'll meet your cousin."

Smith recalled she was 17 years old when they met. The pair married in 1995 after dating for 8 years, and they have 4 kids together.

Bono and Ali Hewson

Bono and Hewson met when they were teenagers at school. Hewson played hard to get, since she didn't want to be known as "just another of Bono's girls," but eventually his pursuit of her was successful.

Their first date culminated with him walking her to the bus stop, per the Huffington Post.

The U2 star has called their relationship "a magic carpet ride." She "sees me as a figure of amusement," said Bono while speaking to The Sun.

Kendrick Lamar and Whitney Alford

The "Not Like Us" rapper is pretty private about his personal life, but we know that he met his fiancée when they were both high schoolers in Compton, California, according to Billboard.

"She's been here since day one," Lamar said of Alford in a 2014 New York Times Magazine profile.

They got engaged in 2015 and have two children together. The entire family appears on the cover of his fifth album, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" in 2022.

Steph and Ayesha Curry

Even though they're basketball's golden couple, Ayesha had never even attended a game until she was 19 — five years after she met her future-husband Steph, ABC News reported.

The two met as teenagers in Charlotte, North Carolina. They never officially dated when they were that young, but according to Ayesha, they'd talk on the phone sometimes. "It was that shy middle school, high school stuff," she said.

When the basketball star was flown out to Los Angeles for the ESPY Awards, his first thought was of his childhood crush. They met up, saw the sights, and the rest is history.

Now, he's widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in the game, and she's turned herself into a brand. Ayesha has written cookbooks, opened a barbecue restaurant, hosted a cooking show on the Food Network called "Ayesha's Home Kitchen," and founded a skincare brand called Sweet July.

They welcomed their fourth child in 2024.

Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley

People reported the couple met at Sayreville War Memorial High School in their New Jersey hometown, and have been together ever since. They have four kids together.

At the peak of Bon Jovi's fame in 1989, the couple decided to elope in Las Vegas and were married by an Elvis impersonator. And though Bon Jovi has die-hard fans, Hurley isn't concerned.

"I think it's great they love the music," she told People in 2016.

Ron Howard and Cheryl Alley

Even though getting married young (they were both 21) might seem like a risky endeavor, these two have beaten the odds, successfully navigating Hollywood and parenthood.

"I felt really lucky when we met. It's crazy — we were teenagers, it shouldn't have worked. We got married young, that shouldn't have worked either, and yet it really and truly has," Howard told the Huffington Post about his decades-long marriage to Alley in 2013.

And now their kids are famous, too — their daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, starred in the "Jurassic World" franchise and regularly directs episodes of the "Star Wars" TV shows.

Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins

While they had known each other since they were kids (since first grade, to be exact, according to Country Living), Rhett and Akins didn't start dating until they were teenagers — and it didn't stick at first. The two broke up soon after, and actually almost both married other people, according to People.

But thankfully (for Rhett), Akins broke up with her boyfriend, and Rhett "moved in for the kill." They dated for six months and married in 2013, when they were both 22. They now have four daughters and a son, born in 2026.

Ja Rule and Aisha Atkins

According to Ja Rule, the two have been together since middle school. He told Ebony magazine in 2002 that "the first time I met her I was getting off the school bus, and she was the new girl in school." 

The couple were married in 2001 and have three kids together.

Besides dealing with the normal issues that couples go through and constantly being scrutinized by the media, they also had to spend almost two years apart while Ja Rule was in prison for tax evasion and illegal gun possession. He was released in 2013, per TMZ.

Mariano and Clara Rivera

Famed baseball player Rivera met his wife in elementary school, and the pair have been together ever since, The New York Times reported.

They were married in Panama in 1991, and they lived there until 2000, when they moved to Westchester County, New York.

Eminem and Kim Scott

Their long and tumultuous relationship began when they were just kids.

Even if you have just cursory knowledge about Eminem, you know about Kim, the subject of many of the rapper's most disturbing songs, like "Kim," and "'97 Bonnie and Clyde."

The two met when they were just kids (she was 13 and he was 15). Kim and her twin, Dawn, had previously run away from an allegedly abusive home, and eventually began living with Eminem and his mother.

In 1995, they welcomed their daughter Hailie (the subject of more Eminem songs), and were married in 1999.

But things quickly went downhill — Eminem was accused of pistol-whipping a man he claimed he saw kissing his wife, according to NME. The charge was dropped in favor of a reduced charge of carrying a concealed weapon, and he was sentenced to two years' probation. The couple divorced in 2001.

Five years later, they shocked the world and remarried. But just three months after that, the rapper filed for divorce. Their second divorce was finalized in 2006, per People.

Though Eminem built his brand around graphic songs, he apologized to his former wife on the track "Bad Husband" from his 2017 album, "Revival."

Joey Fatone and Kelly Baldwin

Fatone and Baldwin had been dating for 10 years and had a daughter together in 2001 before they were married in 2004, per People. Their second daughter was born in 2010.

Their relationship was plagued with rumors of infidelity from outlets such as Page Six, reaching a high in 2013 after his appearances on two seasons of "Dancing with the Stars." At the time, when Baldwin was asked for a comment, she simply responded, "I don't really want to talk about this."

In 2020, Fatone confirmed to Us Weekly that they were getting divorced.

Robin Thicke and Paula Patton

Thicke and Patton's 21-year-long relationship began when they were 16.

Thicke told Essence in 2011 that their relationship began when they were teenagers, and Patton was "the president of the Black student union and [Thicke] was just a silly white boy."

But they had actually met a year prior at a teen club where, according to Thicke, he serenaded his future wife with the Stevie Wonder song "Jungle Fever."

They were together for 21 years and married for nine before filing for divorce in 2014 and engaging in a particularly nasty custody battle for their son, Julian.

Misha Collins and Victoria Vantoch

Collins and Vantoch got married in 2001, though they met way back in high school — Collins was the only boy in one of Vantoch's English classes.

The two separated at some point before 2021. He acknowledged the split in the author's note in his poetry book, "Some Things I Still Can't Tell You."

• I went to Las Vegas for a work conference and met my future husband there.
• Within 24 hours, I told him I'd follow him anywhere.
• Thirteen years later, I'm married to him and raising our children in Trinidad and Tobago.

Thirteen years ago, I flew from Atlanta to Las Vegas for a work conference. I thought I was going to learn how to build a business: strategies, contacts, maybe some motivation. I did not know I was walking into the room where I would meet the man I would eventually marry.

I was 25 and tired of dating men who looked good on paper but didn't feel right in real life. From the outside, some of the men I dated seemed impressive: money, status, ambition, the kind of résumés many women are told to want. But something was always missing.

So when I received an invitation to a work conference for a direct-selling business I'd recently joined, I was more than willing to meet someone new.

I was ready to settle down and find my partner

Before the trip, I made changes that felt dramatic at the time. I cut off the locs I'd been growing for more than four years. I stopped dating. I changed the names of several men in my phone to "Do Not Answer." I made a private vow to stop entertaining almost-right men while praying for the right one.

On the flight to Las Vegas, I couldn't sleep, which almost never happens. I kept shifting in my seat, restless in a way I couldn't explain. Eventually, I pulled out my cream-colored journal and jotted down everything I wanted in a husband.

Nine bullet points. Not a fantasy list — an honest reckoning with the kind of man I wanted to love, trust, and follow.

I met my husband while waiting in line at the conference

The next morning, I woke up late. One hour before the conference doors opened, I rushed downstairs in four-inch heels to find the line already wrapped around the corner.

The conference had attracted people from many countries, and the hallway was full of accents. One caught my attention: warm, rhythmic, unfamiliar. A man smiled at me, which was enough of an invitation to make an instant friend. I joined him in line, grateful for the rescue.

We made small talk, but then I looked up and saw another man standing nearby.

Tall. Handsome. A Caribbean rhythm in his voice. Something about him stopped me. It was an immediate knowing — the kind that sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud.

I was looking at my husband.

He was from Trinidad and Tobago and had only arrived in America three days earlier. This was his first time in the US. He wasn't trying to impress me with what he had or who he knew. He was calm, sure of himself, and something about him made me feel safe.

We've since built a life together

The next day, after barely 24 hours, I said something that still shocks me.

"I don't know where Trinidad is on the map," I told him. "But I'll follow you wherever you go."

I meant it. Thirteen years later, I am married to him and raising our children in Trinidad and Tobago. I moved here because it felt like a beautiful place to raise my children.

They get to grow up climbing mango, coconut, and plum trees in our backyard, connected to nature in a way I didn't experience growing up in inner-city Baltimore.

The hardest adjustment has been being far from my immediate family, but the peace and simplicity here have been worth it.

I went to Las Vegas looking for business advice. I left with a future I could never have planned for myself.

• Solo travel can feel daunting, but it can also be empowering.
• Traveling long distances by plane, train, and ship has taught me lessons on how to travel alone.
• Here's what I've learned, from combating loneliness to making the most of your solo trip.

I wasn't always a solo traveler. In fact, there was a time when I wouldn't have even considered it.

My college years living in Austin were filled with group road trips, where I'd pile in a car with my friends to spend a week or two camping in the desert, sleeping in Walmart parking lots near national parks, and staying in the occasional cheap Airbnb.

Growing up, I also often flew with my mom to visit family members in faraway places like Guam, which is more than 7,000 miles from Austin.

At the time, travel felt like something that was meant to be done with company. I never considered traveling on my own until seven years ago, when I graduated from college and moved to New York City alone.

This meant more solo flights to visit family members in the States and across the world. But on top of that, my job as a reporter gave me the opportunities to take overnight trains in the US and Europe, spend seven nights on one of the world's largest cruise ships sailing the Caribbean Sea, and explore new cities and unique accommodations — all by myself.

Now, at 30 years old, traveling solo is my norm. These trips take me out of my comfort zone as I learn new things about myself and how I can make the most of these special times alone.

Before you take your first solo trip, be a tourist in your own city. This mindset helped me prepare for many solo vacations.

I started taking mini solo adventures in New York before I ever traveled alone. I hunted down the skinniest homes in the five boroughs, summited observation decks, and took daytrips to see unique sights like this abandoned castle on the Hudson River.

These excursions helped prepare me for my first reporting trip, which took me to Miami by train. I spent five days exploring the city, which I had never been to before.

My mini solo adventures in NYC gave me experience planning out and executing a day with several specific locations using public transportation. So when I got to Miami, I felt confident enough to explore on my own.

If you're considering solo travel for the first time, I recommend spending a few weekends touring your own city to build your navigation and planning skills.

In solo travel, the weight of planning and executing will all fall to you, so be sure to make plans and backup plans.

When I have a lot of ground to cover during a solo vacation, preplanning eases my anxiety about getting it all done.

When I was in Miami, I spent an hour planning out the next day each night. I prepared my clothes and gear, mapped out where I needed to go, and wrote out potential itineraries while leaving room for error.

This preparation relieved my stress around transportation and timing and helped me feel ready to conquer the next day. 

But when I'm not traveling for work, I remind myself that it's OK to cancel my plans if I'm not feeling it. It's only my vacation, after all.

From flights to trains, long-haul transportation can be extra lonely. Distract yourself with entertainment.

I've taken trains as long as 53 hours. I've had 24-hour travel days with back-to-back long-distance flights. Trust me, the isolation sets in while in transit.

I make sure I have several forms of entertainment downloaded, from movies and games to books and podcasts, to help distract me during these times.

Podcasts can be great company when traveling solo because it almost feels like you're with someone else. Whatever your preferred form of entertainment is, download a surplus of it for long-haul trips. You'll thank yourself for having so much to choose from.

When you feel lonely, practice gratitude.

Solo travel sometimes leaves me stuck in my own head since I have no one to talk to, which is no fun when I'm feeling lonely. But remembering why I am on the trip and the perks of being alone — like total freedom to do what I want — helps me feel better. 

In lonely moments, I think to myself, "I'm grateful for a job that allows me to travel and take pictures, and being alone helps me grow and learn more about myself."

Solo trips are opportunities to try new things and find out more about your likes and dislikes.

Traveling alone is the perfect time to try new things because, typically, when in new places, you have access to things you wouldn't normally have back home, and you have to make all your own choices about how to spend your time since there's no one else but you. 

My most recent overnight train ride lasted 53 hours. Since I had two nights on board and two bunks to choose from in my room, I spent one night in each to find out which I liked better.

I ended up preferring the top bunk because it made me feel like a kid again, but I never would have known that if I hadn't tried both bunks.

Make a long, eclectic playlist for the in-between moments to keep your spirits up.

When I'm traveling home from Guam on 7-hour flights with multiple layovers, it's nice to have some background jams to keep my spirits up.

I recommend creating a long playlist packed with your favorite songs for all your typical moods to make the trip go by faster.

Another thing that might make long-haul travel more bearable is comfy clothing.

Being in a new place can be uncomfortable and, at times, nerve-racking for me. So every time I travel alone, I pack my most comfortable outfits. Feeling comfy on the outside definitely helps me relax in a new area. 

Once you get to your destination, you may find that the more you unpack and move in, the more comfortable and at home you feel.

I often get homesick when I travel alone, especially at night when I'm getting ready for bed. This was especially present on my first cruise in 2022.

To feel more at home, I put my clothes and accessories in closets and drawers, and I even decorated my cabin by putting up pictures from my planner on the vanity. 

I found that the more I unpacked my belongings in the cabin, the better I felt about being away from home. 

Having someone who knows where you are to check in with could make you feel safer on solo trips.

For safety reasons, I shared my cruise itinerary with my mom so she would always know where I was. I also checked in with her via text and FaceTime every day as time allowed. This not only made me feel safer but also less alone on my trip. 

If you're anything like me, centering yourself after mishaps will make you a more confident solo traveler.

Across transportation modes, I've made a few mistakes on my trips that could have derailed my plans, like missing buses, getting lost, and forgetting key items.  

I used to worry that these mistakes would waste precious time, but solo trips taught me to stay calm in these moments. To do this effectively, I realized I need to practice mindfulness and remain present in the moment.

When I mess up during my solo travels, I stop what I am doing, observe what is happening, and remind myself that everything is fine and I am capable of figuring things out.

It's not easy to stay mindful in stressful situations, but the more you practice it, the less difficult it feels. If you practice it in challenging moments while traveling alone, you might develop a sense of ease over time, as I did. 

Although I've gotten better at it, solo travel is still challenging for me. But I welcome and look forward to more opportunities to grow as an individual through these trips. 

• Business Insider is compiling its third annual list of VCs funding social startups.
• We want to hear from you about who the standout VCs are in 2026 — and where they're placing bets.
• Please submit your ideas through this form (or below) by June 4.

With AI taking over feeds and the biggest social media platforms feeling less social than ever, there's an opportunity for a breakthrough startup.

Business Insider wants to know: Who is backing those companies?

Some venture capitalists are on the hunt for the "next big thing" in consumer technology — even as VC interest in the broader consumer category is in flux.

There are new social networking startups vying to be the next generation's Facebook, Tumblr, or TikTok. The space is also brimming with new companies trying to disrupt dating and day-to-day life with AI assistants that help you navigate your in-real-life relationships and plans.

We're publishing our third annual list of investors funding innovative startups building technology that's advancing the internet, and meeting the needs of people who want to feel more connected (whether that's online or IRL).

In 2025, the investors Business Insider highlighted were placing bets in categories like IRL social, vibe coding, and platforms for niche interests or communities.

This year, we want to know which leading investors are backing social and consumer-facing internet startups, and where they are placing their bets.

Please submit your ideas through this form (or below) by June 4:

• Google and Amazon have ambitions to sell AI chips to customers.
• That could make things awkward with Nvidia, which the two tech giants also rely on.
• Taking on Nvidia won't be easy, but one analyst said the process is now "irreversible."

Two of Nvidia's biggest customers might be turning into its biggest threat.

For three years, Nvidia's stock has defied gravity on the premise that the AI industry needs its chips. On Wednesday, when Google and Amazon reported their Q1 earnings, both signaled ambitions to sell their own custom AI chips directly to customers.

So far, Google's TPUs and Amazon's Trainium chips have only been available through Google and Amazon's cloud services. Customers can pay to use them, but they don't own them.

Nvidia is the undisputed leader in AI chips right now. While that shows no sign of stopping anytime soon, recent remarks from Google and Amazon suggest they are ready to challenge Nvidia's throne.

Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, laid down the gauntlet to Nvidia in his annual letter to shareholders earlier this month.

"Virtually all AI thus far has been done on Nvidia chips, but a new shift has started," Jassy wrote, adding that it's "quite possible" that Amazon could start selling its chips directly to customers.

He put a timeline on this plan on the company's Wednesday earnings call, saying "there's a good chance" Amazon will start offering full racks of Trainium chips beyond its own cloud "over the next couple of years."

Google gave an even stronger commitment — and a nearer timeline.

On Wednesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai publicly said for the first time that the company plans to deliver TPU chips to a "select group of customers" in their own data centers this year, but said the "vast majority" of revenues from those sales won't be realized until 2027.

Pichai said there was a big opportunity for Google's semiconductor business, which would also help fund the next generation of chips. That flywheel could create a mammoth business for Google. Morgan Stanley said in a December research note that selling 500,000 TPU chips could add roughly $13 billion in revenue to Google's balance sheet in 2027.

The company said in its 10-Q filing that it had so far signed a "limited number of agreements" to supply TPUs to customers.

It's also where things could get awkward. Google and Amazon are also big customers of Nvidia. They purchase Nvidia's chips to lease to their customers in their own data centers. Amazon and Google have both said that they will continue to work with Nvidia.

Nvidia shares were down more thean 4% on Thursday. The company didn't immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment.

'Concerned but not worried'

Breaking into Nvidia's chip dominance will not be easy, analysts told Business Insider.

"Nvidia should be concerned but not worried," said Alvin Nguyen, a senior analyst at Forrester. Nvidia has built a strong ecosystem of hardware, software, and support that has made it easy for customers to choose them, he said.

"Selling products is very different than access to them," he said, adding that Amazon and Google would need to provide services like education and support to enterprises looking to buy their chips.

Google and Amazon's chip racks are also "very bespoke and proprietary" and customized for their own respective data centers, said Patrick Moorhead, CEO and chief analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy. That poses a challenge for reaching mass adoption, he said.

Plus, the chip market isn't a zero-sum game. AI companies are increasingly diversifying and using chips from multiple suppliers simultaneously. OpenAI, for example, has chip deals with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom, among others.

However, custom silicon is becoming an "increasingly important part of the AI story" for Google and Amazon, Bernstein analyst Mark Shmulik wrote in a note on Thursday. Both companies are pitching their chips as being more cost-effective than Nvidia's.

That opportunity is also opening up as the needs of the AI industry shifts. Earlier this month, Google announced a new TPU chip specifically for inference — the process of running the models once they're trained — which is becoming more critical as more companies bring AI agents online.

Beatriz Valle, a senior analyst for enterprise technology & services at GlobalData, called the decision by Google and Amazon an "extraordinary move" that will diversify the chip sector — and reduce cloud providers' dependence on Nvidia chips.

"This process will take years but it is irreversible now," she said.

• After going on over 20 cruises in the last 10 years, I've picked up some unconventional tips.
• A roll of duct tape is easy enough to pack and comes in handy for small emergencies.
• I also like to book spa appointments on port days because they tend to be cheaper.

I've been on over 20 cruises in the last decade, and always have another one on the horizon.

Throughout the years, I've accumulated an array of helpful travel tips, but my favorite hacks go beyond the usual advice like downloading the cruise line's app and packing a lanyard.

Here are five unconventional cruise tips I swear by that make life on board easier, more comfortable, and more cost-effective. 

I always pack a roll of duct tape, which can fix almost everything.

I always add duct tape to my list of things to pack because it's easy to bring and comes in handy for small emergencies.

For example, I've used it to repair a broken suitcase in a pinch or to bind flip-flops back together long enough to limp to the gift shop to buy a replacement pair.

On one recent cruise, I even used it to cover the motion sensor on the light in our room, which turned on automatically whenever someone walked between the bed and the bathroom.

Though a motion-sensor hall light was convenient in theory, we didn't want to wake each other up if we got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. We just made sure to remove the tape before we left.

For an elevated shower experience, I like to visit the gym.

In my experience, cruise ship bathrooms are designed to be efficient, not spacious. The small shower gets the job done, but it's definitely cramped, especially if you're a bigger person.

I've found that the showers in the gym are almost always larger and sometimes have additional bathroom amenities, such as mouthwash and elevated bath towels.

Doing laundry on board makes packing for longer cruises much easier.

There's usually a laundry or ironing room tucked away on deck for guests. I always make use of these rooms, as washing clothes mid-trip is a great way to minimize how much I need to pack.

Cruise cabins are small, and storage space is limited, so doing laundry on board is the perfect solution.

Plus, I've found these rooms are a surprisingly good place to meet interesting people.

I like to book spa appointments on port days.

Port days are often quieter on the ship because most passengers are ashore exploring.

If I'm not excited about a particular stop or I've visited it before, I consider staying on board and going to the spa instead.

On sea days, it can be tough to book a facial or massage, but on port days, I've found the schedule tends to be much more open. There are often money-saving specials, too, and the relaxation rooms feel so much more peaceful.

I rarely book a room with a balcony.

In my opinion, a room with a balcony isn't essential unless you're on an Alaskan cruise, where being able to take in the scenery is important.

On my first cruise, a travel agent told me I "had" to book a room with a balcony, and that once I did, I'd never be able to cruise in an interior cabin again. However, I don't think that's true.

I love a luxe stateroom as much as the next person, but I've had just as much fun on cruises where we've booked the cheapest cabin without any windows.

This story was originally published on November 21, 2025, and most recently updated on April 27, 2026.

• Before I had kids, I didn't put much thought or prep into my travel plans.
• A few encounters while abroad have made me change my ways now that I often have kids with me.
• I now travel with apostilled copies of their birth certificates and a letter from their father.

Before kids, I traveled the world alone with nothing more than a backpack and a worn guidebook. I rarely made plans in advance and enjoyed the spontaneity and surprises that were a part of globetrotting without much advance planning.

Once I started traveling with my children, that approach seemed irresponsible and, at times, downright dangerous. Now, I put a lot more care and thought into my trips before leaving home.

As someone who has taken my kids to 30 countries on six continents, I've found that a little advanced planning goes a long way. Here are the four steps I always take before traveling with my kids to help ensure that our trips go smoothly and that we all stay safe.

I always look up the emergency number for wherever we are.

Once, while driving in Canada with my kids, I got lost in a dark, industrial neighborhood at night. No one was around, and I started to feel uneasy, unsure if anyone was lurking in the shadows.

At home, I knew I could call 9-1-1 for assistance in an emergency. However, as my panic level started to rise, I realized I didn't know who to call for help in Canada. (I've since learned the number to dial is actually 9-1-1, but that's not the case for most other countries.)

Eventually, I found my way back to civilization, no worse for wear. However, now I always look up the emergency number to call when I land.

On a subsequent trip to Paris, an Uber began veering wildly off course. It turned out the driver had detoured due to construction, but I was glad I knew to dial 1-1-2 instead of 9-1-1 if I thought my kids were in danger.

I double-check that my health insurance covers us wherever we are going

When I was young and reckless, I assumed I would never get sick or injured, especially on a trip. In hindsight, I was remarkably lucky that I never caught more than a mild case of Montezuma's Revenge abroad.

After a health scare on a trip to Jamaica, I no longer take any chances. Midway through what was supposed to be a relaxing trip, my son developed a fever and started vomiting. The resort where we were staying called a doctor who suspected appendicitis. I panicked, wondering if our insurance would cover a pricey operation or medical evacuation.

Fortunately, my son recovered quickly with an antibiotic, but now I always double-check that our health insurance will cover us abroad, including to far-flung destinations like Antarctica. If not, I will look into buying travel insurance that will cover medical care and evacuation. Before travel, I also check that my children have all the recommended vaccines for our trip.

I always pack my children's birth certificates

My first trip abroad after becoming a mother was to a destination wedding in the Caribbean. I was allowed in easily with my infant son strapped to my chest. However, leaving was not so easy. When trying to return home, a border guard questioned me extensively, asking for proof that I was the baby's mother. I managed to convince the agent that I was indeed my son's mother, but the situation rattled me.

To avoid a similar issue, I now carry official copies of my children's birth certificates when we travel abroad. For good measure, I had the documents apostilled by the Secretary of State for Washington, DC, where they were born. An apostille is a type of verification similar to notarization, but it is recognized in more than 125 countries worldwide, making it a better choice for international travel.

Although this may seem like overkill, I have been asked for proof that my children are mine twice, once when entering the United States and once when entering the U.K. Although I likely could have proven my children are mine without these documents, I don't want to take any chances, and having them on hand made the process much easier and faster.

I get a notarized letter from my children's father stating that I have permission to travel with them

Although my husband and I are happily married, his demanding work schedule often leaves me traveling solo with our kids. On several occasions, immigration officials have asked me for proof that I had my husband's permission to take my children abroad.

Once, I was asked for the same documentation when returning to the United States. Now, I always carry a notarized letter of consent signed by my husband. I use a free template I found online and update it with the specific dates and location for every trip, then I take it to my bank to have it notarized for free before we go.

Although carrying additional documents can be a pain, I remind myself that additional paperwork is for my children's protection because it helps combat child trafficking and kidnapping.

• Tokenmaxxing is all the rage in Big Tech. For startups, the trend is opening up debate.
• Some founders told Business Insider that they spent big on tokens; others used capped subscription plans.
• One founder called tokenmaxxing "extremely stupid." Another said: "You've got to spend money to make money."

Kavitta Ghai wants her startup's engineers to spend more tokens.

The 29-year-old cofounder of Nectir started setting minimum quotas for Claude Code use. First it was at least $100 in tokens a week, then $200. Now, the expectation is that her engineers each spend a couple thousand in AI tokens a month.

The strategy has been successful, Ghai said. Some of Nectir's senior engineers were previously skeptical of AI coding tools; now, they call it their "army of coders," she said.

But she doesn't think Nectir is "tokenmaxxing," the buzzword du jour for techies racing to spend as much as they can. "We don't really play into the Silicon Valley trends," Ghai said. "We live in our own world, and we're competing against ourselves."

Across Big Tech, engineers are racing to spend as many tokens as possible. A token is a measure of AI compute. The more tokens burned, the more the engineer employs AI tools. Employees at Meta reportedly competed on a token leaderboard before it was taken down.

What of the little guy? Startups are an edge case: relatively tiny teams that want to be on the cutting edge of tech but might not have the same money to spend. Some startup leaders told Business Insider that big token bills helped them succeed. Others scoffed at the idea, preferring to stick to the lower-cost subscriptions.

The startups spending big on tokens

Aron Solberg doesn't want the competition of a token leaderboard — but he does want the mindset behind it.

The 44-year-old cofounder of Risotto sees token spending as a "force multiplier" for a small team. The company uses OpenAI and Anthropic's models, and said it spends $4,000-5,000 per month on tokens. Six months ago, Risotto says he spent one-tenth of that sum.

"It's trending up a lot," Solberg said.

"There's an old adage that rings true," he said, whether it was for hiring new employees or spending liberally on tokens: "You've got to spend money to make money."

Quang Hoang is similarly spending big. He wrote in an email that his startup, Vybe, has an "unlimited credit policy" and was thinking about minimum quotas.

Investors are also incentivizing spending — and might foot the bill.

Hoang tells founders he invests in to allocate "at least their salary amount to tokens." (Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made headlines last month for saying he would be "deeply alarmed" if one of his $500,000 engineers did not consume at least $250,000 of tokens.)

Accelerators like Y Combinator offer free token credits to their participants. "At YC, we let our engineers let it rip," CEO Garry Tan wrote on X. Those credits help some founders to spend big. These founders aren't tokenmaxxers, but do believe that there are productivity benefits.

Traverse cofounder Lance Yan believed in Tan's message: "We usually just let it rip." The 19-year-old said he uses the best models with the maximum effort, not worrying about the costs. Between his Claude Max subscription and the credits that offered by YC, he can spend big without hitting a limit.

He's not a fan of rationing tokens. "That's stupid," he said. "You're just harming your own startup."

26-year-old Boris Skurikhin said that the YC credits helped his startup Docket get off the ground. He's mostly run through them now, except for the models he uses less frequently.

Skurikhin said he noticed a 10x increase in productivity in his own work when he used the tools. "It is expensive to build with tokens," he said, but "not as expensive as having another engineer."

Many of these startups are in the AI game, after all. Nectir's Ghai said that token spending instilled "AI literacy" — something that's especially important, given their product.

"The team itself needs to be the best versed at it first, before we try to go sell it to anyone else," she said.

The startups saying no to tokenmaxxing

Rishabh Sambare wishes he could spend more on tokens.

The 23-year-old cofounder of Gale prefers to build with Zed, an AI IDE similar to Cursor, but can't stomach the company's usage-based pricing. The subscription deals from OpenAI and Anthropic are so deeply subsidized that he uses them instead.

"It sucks, because I hate their products," he said, calling Zed "more polished and less buggy between releases."

Sambare is Gale's only engineer, though the company often has 2-3 interns. He hasn't hit a rate limit, but one of his interns has. They got him a second subscription, he said; it was still far cheaper.

These subscriptions — sending $100 to $200 to Anthropic for its "Max" tiers or $100 to OpenAI for its "Pro" plan in exchange for a stable of discounted tokens — were popular among the founders I spoke to. Hassan Ismail, the 24-year-old founder of Argos Research, said the Claude Max subscription was a "no-brainer," and that all five team members have a $200 a month subscription.

Others were more philosophically opposed to the trend. Weave's Brennan Lupyrypa didn't mince his words: "It's extremely stupid for any company to be tokenmaxxing."

Weave is still spending big on tokens because it doesn't want to "kneecap" its engineers, its 25-year-old founding engineer said. The company set up a notification for when an engineer hit $500 in token spending a month; Lupyrypa said most hit it within two weeks.

But Weave doesn't incentivize the spending itself, which Lupyrypa said was the wrong proxy. He predicted the downfall of tokenmaxxing within the next three months. "CFOs won't be happy," he said.

Still, some tokenmaxxers hold strong. I asked Risotto's Solberg about these token-hesitant founders. He said that they likely hadn't found their product-market fit yet.

"It makes complete sense to spend a lot of money on tokens, because you know that the growth is coming soon after," Solberg said. "If you're a venture-backed business, that's what you signed up for."

• The banker says he has received multiple offers from employees since posting the deal this week.
• The 13-acre Mill Valley estate features sweeping views of San Francisco, an infinity-edge pool, and a spa.
• The offer comes as Anthropic's valuation on secondary markets reached $1 trillion, and shares are scarce.

A tech banker really, really wants Anthropic shares.

The hunt for shares in Anthropic has become so frenzied in recent weeks that Storm Duncan is offering up his $4.8 million Marin County estate in exchange for stock.

"If you're going fishing, you've got to put a worm on the hook," said Storm Duncan, the founder and managing partner of Ignatious, a tech boutique investment bank, in an interview with Business Insider. "What's my other option? Not being in it?"

The offer comes as Anthropic's valuation on secondary markets soared to $1 trillion, driven by investors who have been wowed by its torrid revenue growth and momentum around its AI-powered coding assistant, Claude Code, Business Insider reported this week.

Duncan, who lives primarily in Jackson Hole, Wyo., also owns other properties, but he decided to list this one because he thought it would be especially attractive to Anthropic employees.

Duncan's 13-acre, fully furnished Mill Valley estate features sweeping views of San Francisco, an infinity-edge pool, and a spa.

"It's a 20-minute commute to the Anthropic offices in the city," he said. "No one from Anthropic probably wants my Miami or Jackson Hole place."

By offering the property, Duncan hopes to get on the radar of employees who have legitimate shares to sell and own a goldmine of Anthropic stock they can't sell until after the company goes public.

Duncan says he has received multiple offers since posting the deal this week. "Some of them are [Anthropic] employees, and some of them just happen to have invested early," he said. "I believe they're serious, but it's a complex transaction."

"There's probably a decent number of people who are sitting in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco even though they're earning $400,000 a year and are worth a $100 million," he said. "But they can't access that because their stock is so illiquid, so this gives them an opportunity to diversify."

It's not the first time there's been an unconventional way to secure shares in pre-IPO tech companies. In 2005, artist David Choe chose Facebook stock over $60,000 in cash to paint murals at Facebook's first office. That choice led to an estimated windfall of about $200 million once Facebook went public in 2012. In the dot-com era, some real estate owners asked startups for company stock in exchange for leasing space in San Francisco.

Some on X have dismissed Duncan's offer as a publicity stunt or a sure sign of the top of a bubble. Others have made cracks about the only thing being more precious than Anthropic shares is Bay Area real estate.

Duncan insists the offer is real and he is not seeking attention. As for why he does not simply buy shares in the company, he says a small investor like him would never be able to secure stock directly.

"Anthropic can't spend time with people like me," Duncan said. "They're looking for people who can write $100 million in a single check." (The company did not respond to a request for comment.)

The alternative is to buy shares from early employees or investors on secondary markets, but Duncan says those deals are often increasingly dubious.

He said the scarcity of shares on the secondary market has made sellers offer deals that can be rife with high fees and opaque ownership structures.

Duncan already owns shares in Anthropic that he acquired in its 2024 funding round, when it was much easier to obtain shares. He says he was recently convinced he wanted to double down after being wowed by the results of his firm's implementation of Claude Code.

"It's probably going to triple our throughput and reduce our costs by 50%," he said. "As I started to implement the platform at my own firm, I said I would like to have more exposure to this."

• A trio of journalists tried three big vibe coding apps to see how they stack up.
• We each attempted to build an app on Cursor, Lovable, and Base44.
• With the same prompt on each system, we wanted to see how far we could get.

We three writers have been handed a gift with seemingly infinite potential. A sparkling promise, from vibe coding startups, that we can build anything without understanding a word of code.

Gone are the days, these companies say, when coding novices needed to rely on their techie friends to troubleshoot mistakes.

Over a dozen firms have rolled out tools offering the ability to build apps in seconds. All you need is a good idea and the platforms' free coding credits.

With a growing wave of vibe-coding startups raising big money, questions are emerging: Are these tools meaningfully different? Is the market already crowded? And can this be a sustainable business?

We tried three of the most popular platforms — Cursor, Lovable, and Base44 — to find out what each platform really offers and where they fall short.

Our prompts

We started this experiment at different levels of proficiency.

Chong Ming had coded an app at a vibe-coding workshop. Cheryl, self-taught, had experimented with five vibe-coding platforms and made three web apps. Aditi was a true beginner.

We each set out to make an app. For Chong Ming, a writing companion in the shape of a cute creature. For Cheryl, a newsroom dashboard, a lite version of Asana to keep her team's work organized. And for Aditi, an app that acted like a newsroom photo coach, to deem whether a photo was good to publish.

First impressions

Chong Ming: When I asked Base44 to plan the app, it responded with a few questions to clarify my prompt, with cute emojis. The plan it generated wasn't as detailed as what I've seen from Cursor, but it was user-friendly.

Lovable's plan was even simpler, pared down to a few bullet points. It was just as easy to use as Base44. Within minutes, it generated a web app similar to Base44's.

Cursor's interface seemed built for serious builders looking to ship real products. Its planning questions were more advanced and thoughtful, asking if I wanted an MVP build plan, a clickable prototype, or a full product spec — the kind of distinctions a software engineer would make.

Cheryl: I've always been one for the rule of cool, and Cursor looked really cool, with its all-black dashboard. But there was some charm in logging onto Lovable, with its girlypop, pink-heavy interface, and Base44 offered some cheerful vibes on its tangerine-colored interface, too.

Base44 and Lovable felt more like signing into a website and conversing with a chatbot. With Cursor and its MacBook app, I felt like I was hacking into the mainframe, with all its complicated scrolling lines of code.

Aditi: Off the bat, Cursor looked intimidating, and the option to sync GitHub when logging in made me think it wasn't a platform for a non-technical user.

Meanwhile, Base44 and Lovable were friendly and reassuring, with their gentle prompts: "What will you build next?" and "Ready to build, Aditi?"

Learning curve

Chong Ming: Base44 and Lovable were easy to use. The app plans were written in plain language for everyday users, and the interface was beginner-friendly. It was clear where to click if I needed help or wanted to tweak something.

Cursor was a different story. There were things I had to decipher on my own, like "frontend built with Next.js, React, and TypeScript."

Cheryl: I have never felt more like a dinosaur than when I first tried using Cursor. It was embarrassing having to look up basic terms to know what I was dealing with.

On Base44 and Lovable, I consistently typed in plain English and made the app edits accordingly. I felt like a wizard, watching the app preview morph and shift into view.

Aditi: I'd never tried vibe coding, so I asked AI for help understanding AI. I asked ChatGPT to help me refine my initial prompt into something I could plonk into the vibe coding platforms.

With Lovable and Base44, the learning was intuitive, and it felt like I was talking to ChatGPT. With Cursor, I was completely lost and had no idea where to start.

Then it was time to build the apps

Chong Ming: Base44 built me a writing companion app with a cute egg. The layout felt bland, but it was a full-fledged, functional app created without using up all my credits.

Lovable's build was similar and didn't use all credits.

Both platforms could generate the app; the main variation was in aesthetics. I did appreciate that Base44 and Lovable let me edit the app directly in the interface.

The Cursor build process wasn't as hands-off. Unlike Base44 and Lovable, which ran start to finish, Cursor required me to approve commands and grant permissions to override folders on my computer. As it generated code, I could pause and review it, something that would likely appeal to developers who want control.

Cheryl: The best things in life are free, and vibe coding credits are one of them. On Base44 and Lovable, both platforms make it clear to users that they're cooking with limited credits, and that's fair — compute is costly. The mileage on each platform, however, was slightly different.

Lovable gave me good bones for the project up front and created something that was, aesthetically and functionally, closest to what I wanted. But it burned through more free credits than my Base44 project did, and some things still weren't working in the web app. I was stuck waiting for new credits to drop before I could make tweaks.

Base44 gave me something very close to a complete dashboard, but it lacked some key functionality — the option to delete tasks, or to drag and drop unscheduled tasks into the calendar frame. But that was ironed out within minutes with two additional message prompts.

Cursor's steeper learning curve and multi-step process made it far harder for me to work things out. After 10 minutes of Googling, I gave in and typed into the Cursor chat: "I'm confused. What do I do now? Give me a guide."

I was told to go to Supabase and make some adjustments to the settings, then try to ship it via a local server. At that point, I was coming up on half an hour of getting frustrated with the process.

Aditi: The development process was smooth sailing with Lovable and Base44. With one initial prompt and two additional tweaks, both platforms gave me usable apps that I thought would be handy newsroom tools.

I first tried Base44 and felt childlike wonder when it produced a clean, minimalist interface that let me drag a photo in and judge its quality.

After the initial merriment wore off, I started testing the features. One thing I had not realized was how specific my prompts needed to be, expecting it to anticipate my needs. For example, both platforms initially did not allow me to crop the image or adjust the framing, and instead automatically chose the subject for me. An easy second prompt brought the apps closer to my initial vision — although I quickly learned how to ration my prompts lest I run out of my daily free credits.

Lovable's interface had a neat little photo-scanning animation that I thought added visual interest to the otherwise simple interface.

Now for Cursor. I had to download the app on the MacBook, while the others could run in the browser. When I finally downloaded it and fed it my prompt, it ran lines of obscure code, asked for permissions to things I didn't understand, and made me lose motivation to build anything.

I eventually gave up on trying to make it work, but the app kept prodding me with pop-ups for permissions all day until I force-quit it.

I'll stick to my beginner-friendly platforms until further notice.

How the platforms stack

Chong Ming: Lovable and Base44 delivered working apps and refinements fast, but the quality didn't match Cursor. Cursor broke down what it added and made changes in detail, even if some of the jargon flew over my head.

When I refined the app, Cursor didn't just tweak surface-level things. It suggested enhancements such as adding extra animation frames or making the pet move faster. When I said I didn't want a simple egg, it flagged that a drawn mascot or pixel pet would require new assets — a level of clarity the others didn't offer.

By comparison, Lovable and Base44 suggested things like adding entrance animations, which felt more gimmicky than meaningful.

If I were building something serious, I'd go with Cursor, even if it takes more time and effort to get up to speed.

Cheryl: On both Lovable and Base44, I managed to build workable newsroom calendars and get them from first prompt to publishing within 10 minutes. Base44 gave me a complete, fully functional project I could immediately use and share with my team — and within the free credit range, too. The next day, I used my new set of credits on Lovable to make final tweaks, resulting in a publishable dashboard with all the functions I wanted.

On Cursor, however, I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong and why the code wasn't running as I intended. I never got my dashboard off the ground there. Cursor: It's not you, it's me.

If you have a nontechnical background, a clear vision for the app you want to build, but limited time to pick up a little more coding, a one-stop shop like Lovable and Base44 would be more your speed. If you do have more coding know-how, Cursor will give you access and oversight over the coding process within its free credit limit.

Aditi: As a colors-obsessed, minimalism-loving, non-technical person who just wants to build a simple app, here's my leaderboard: Lovable, Base44, Cursor.

The market's flooded with options, so take your pick while companies are being generous with credits

The apps we tried are just a sampling of the vibe coding offerings out there. Other companies, like Emergent and Replit, also offer one-stop-shop platforms that take ideas from conception to shipping fast.

The barrier to entry is low, particularly with free credits on entry-level plans.

So if there was ever a time to try vibe-coding, it's now.

• A large division within Meta Reality Labs is undergoing an overhaul to become fully "AI-native."
• The unit is now organized into "pods" made up of "AI builders" and "AI pod leads."
• This new push and the latest layoffs at Reality Labs are unrelated, Meta said.

Meta is rebranding some employees as "AI builders" and organizing them into AI-native "pods," according to a leaked memo obtained by Business Insider.

The memo described an overhaul of roles, titles, and team structures across a 1,000-employee team within Meta's Reality Labs. It's part of a broader, aggressive push by Meta to adopt small teams and use AI.

The pilot program was announced last month within the Reality Labs team that builds developer tools. Everyone in the division will now have one of three titles: AI Builder, AI Pod Lead, or AI Org Lead. That's to encourage a shift toward a flatter organization, a structure that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has advocated.

"Our ultimate goal is to drive a step change in engineering productivity and product quality," the memo reads. "To achieve this, we're fundamentally rewiring how we operate, how we are structured, and how we support each other."

When asked for comment, Meta referred Business Insider to comments earlier this year from Zuckerberg that 2026 is the year AI will begin to "dramatically change the way we work," with projects that once required large teams potentially handled by one, "very talented" person.

According to the memo, each pod consists of a small group of AI builders focused on specific outcomes, often working across disciplines. For example, engineers could take on design work, depending on the task. Some Meta employees have already begun referring to themselves as AI builders on LinkedIn, Business Insider previously reported.

These pods are led by Pod Leads, who oversee day-to-day operations. They are, in turn, overseen by Org Leads, who also manage performance reviews and oversee promotions — processes that will be supported by unspecified "AI systems."

The memo said that the overall team size will remain the same under the new structure.

Meta laid off hundreds of staff on Wednesday, and this cut affected staff in Reality Labs, among other teams. A Meta spokesperson said the reorganization is not related to the cuts.

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• Arm announced its own AI chip, the AGI CPU, and is partnering with OpenAI and Meta.
• The new Arm AGI CPU aims to address energy efficiency and memory constraints in AI data centers.
• Despite strong growth prospects, Arm faces competition from established players like Nvidia and AMD.

Arm has long run its business as an architect behind the scenes, designing chips that power almost all the world's smartphone and making money off royalties from the chips it designs for customers.

Now, Arm is changing it up by announcing its own AI chip, the Arm AGI CPU.

Arm CEO Rene Haas said Tuesday at a company conference that this massive pivot wasn't just an internal strategy shift—it was a direct plea from the world's most powerful AI giants. The company name-dropped OpenAI and Meta as major partners for this chip.

"The biggest reason we're doing this is that our partners have asked for it," Haas said Tuesday.

With energy constraints and memory shortages, the AI boom has created a massive bottleneck in data centers. Faced with this demand, Arm stepped up with an AI chip that it says is more energy-efficient. Arm says it sees a $1.5 trillion market opportunity as it moves into AI chips for cloud, edge, and physical AI.

Arm stock was up by more than 18% on Wednesday. Mizuho analysts wrote that they see "strong growth opportunities" for Arm in AI infrastructure and the automotive industry. Bank of America research analyst Vivek Arya wrote in a note to investors that the company's outlook could be "too ambitious."

Meta and OpenAI partner with Arm

Meta has been building out data centers at a massive scale to power its apps and its latest superintelligence ventures. Santosh Janardhan, head of infrastructure at Meta, said Tuesday onstage that its coming "Hyperion" cluster could draw 5 gigawatts of power, enough to power 50 towns the size of Palo Alto.

"If we met the performance, we couldn't get the power. If we got the power, we wouldn't get the performance," Janardhan said.

This sparked an engineering project within Meta, where engineers were "working 'round the clock" to port its systems to Arm in three months, said Paul Saab, a Meta engineer.

"I didn't even ask my boss here for permission to buy these machines or even start the project," Saab said onstage.

While Saab says he saw major performance benefits, at the time, there wasn't an Arm chip available to buy.

OpenAI faced a similar problem. Its compute demand has grown massively as it trains and runs its ChatGPT models, its AI coding tool Codex, and more.

"That is one of the most common things I hear inside OpenAI. I need more compute," Kevin Weil, vice president of OpenAI for science, said onstage, adding that it needed chips that were energy-efficient.

Arm said it expects this chip to generate $15 billion in revenue by fiscal 2031.

The chip market is 'getting very crowded'

Arm faces the risk that the CPU market is "getting very crowded," Arya wrote in his analyst note. Other competitors, such as AMD, Nvidia, and Intel, have more CPU products and more established customers. Notably, both Meta and OpenAI also work with AMD and Nvidia, which could leave "limited" opportunity for Arm's new CPU, Arya wrote.

"Moreover, the bigger AI grows, the more pressure ARM's smartphone/consumer markets would have from limited memory supplies," Arya wrote.

That said, the increasing demand has led many customers to turn to chip companies beyond Nvidia for their computing needs. Both Meta and OpenAI also work with Broadcom to build AI chips.

The rise of AI agents has also led to greater demand for inference, or how AI models draw conclusions and make predictions. While Nvidia's core AI chips, the GPUs, dominate AI training, CPUs like Arm's AGI CPU can also help with inference. Nvidia also recently made moves into this market.

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Jatee Kearsley built Je T'aime Patisserie in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with a mission to make high-quality French desserts accessible to everyone, including customers who pay with EBT.

A self-taught pastry chef who learned from YouTube and years of industry work, Kearsley went from losing money to tripling her sales after going viral. Despite the high ingredient costs, steep New York City rent, intense pressure, and emotional burnout, Kearsley has been dedicated to prioritizing community over profits.

• As an interior-design expert, I've seen people make common style mistakes in living rooms.
• Hide cords from your TV and electronics, and don't put too much furniture in the living room.
• Accent chairs should be used sparingly, and rugs should add personality to your space.

Your living room should feel like a calm, personal retreat—not a source of visual chaos.

As a seasoned interior stylist and founder of DBF Interiors, I've seen plenty of cluttered, unintentionally designed spaces that could be improved with just a few simple tweaks.

Here are a few things to get rid of in your living room if you want an instant upgrade.

Remove furniture that makes your space feel cramped.

Placing too much furniture in a living room is a common design mistake. Poor spatial arrangements paired with large, clunky pieces just make a space feel crowded rather than cozy.

Instead of filling your living room with lots of furniture, be intentional about the items you select.

Focus on curating instead of collecting, seeking out essential pieces that are unique and functional. This will help you maintain a more open floor plan.

Replace boring rugs with ones that make a statement.

I find that many people settle for bland, uninspiring rugs that fail to add color or flavor to a space.

Since rugs make such a big visual statement, go for something exciting. Try out colorful, patterned rugs to jazz up your living room and infuse it with your personality.

Too many accent chairs can cause unneeded clutter.

A beautiful accent chair can complement and enhance a living room.

However, not all spaces have a layout and ideal seating plan that allows for one. Forcing a bulky chair into a space that doesn't fit it properly can create unnecessary clutter.

And if you find yourself needing multiple accent chairs to make a space functional, consider swapping them for a larger, more comfortable sofa.

Hide visible wires to keep your space looking neat.

Visible cords and wires can distract from a well-decorated space and make it feel cluttered.

Fortunately, there are many creative ways to hide them. For example, you can feed them through your TV console or snake them behind baseboard accessories.

You can even purchase concealing cord caps and paint them to match your wall color.

Cover your basic pillows with fresh designs and colors.

Instead of keeping the accent pillows that came with your couch or sticking with basic designs, consider upgrading.

After all, curated accent pillows are a great way to add more personality and substance to your living area.

I suggest swapping out accent pillows every six months to a year to spruce up your living room.

Instead of completely repurchasing new pillows each time, opt for covers that are easy to change and low-commitment (especially if you want to try trendy textures, colors, and patterns).

This story was originally published on May 10, 2021, and most recently updated on March 24, 2026.

• San José airport starts testing an AI robot called José to assist travelers.
• The pilot test launched on Tuesday amid travel chaos at many US airports.
• Some TSA workers have stopped coming into work due to a government shutdown.

One of Silicon Valley's main airports just made its newest hire, a robot named "José."

San José Mineta International Airport is turning to artificial intelligence to ease the strain of modern air travel, debuting "José," a humanoid robot, as some US airports grapple with staffing shortages and widespread delays.

Developed by Silicon Valley startup IntBot, José is designed to greet passengers, answer questions, and provide real-time updates while autonomously navigating busy terminals.

The robot will be stationed in SJC's Terminal B as part of a four-month pilot, "singlehandedly running his own gate," according to an email previewing the test that referred to José as the airport's "newest hire."

Airport officials said the launch highlights San José's role as a testing ground for emerging technologies to improve customer service.

"By piloting IntBot, we're exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance the passenger journey while reinforcing SJC's role as the gateway to Silicon Valley," said SJC Director of Aviation Mookie Patel.

The timing is notable. Airports across the US have been hit by long security lines and travel chaos, driven in part by many Transportation Security Administration workers not reporting to work during a partial government shutdown. With TSA agents going unpaid at the height of the spring break season, some airports have struggled to maintain normal operations.

José the robot represents a broader push to automate parts of the airport experience, from passenger assistance to information delivery.

SJC officials said the pilot will help evaluate how multimodal AI, combining vision, audio, and language, performs in real-world environments.

The future of air travel may include a robotic helping hand — and it can't come fast enough for weary vacationers stuck in long lines.

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• At law firms, the billable hour is the standard way to charge clients. But timekeeping is a pain.
• The startup PointOne says it's using AI to help lawyers auto-complete timesheets and bill more time.
• PointOne raised $16 million in a funding round led by the venture capital firm 8VC.

Tracking hours is part of how lawyers get paid. It's also the bane of the profession.

A startup called PointOne wants to eliminate the most tedious part of a lawyer's job. It says its AI-powered platform passively tracks a lawyer's computer activity and uses it to complete timesheets.

The company grew revenue tenfold since July, says PointOne cofounder Katon Luaces, after signing up dozens of law firm customers, ranging from a global 1,200-lawyer outfit to solo practitioners.

Investors are taking notice. After making a small earlier investment, the Joe Londsale-founded venture firm 8VC is leading a $16 million Series A round for PointOne, Luaces tells Business Insider. Existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, General Catalyst, and Y Combinator also participated.

Founders are flooding into legal tech, betting they can turn large language models into products law firms will trust — and competing for attention in an estimated $1 trillion industry.

Jack Moshkovich, an 8VC partner, said the market is crowded with companies trying to help lawyers do work faster. That leaves more whitespace, he said, on the operational side of the business.

Luaces isn't a lawyer. In 2019, he was a computer science major and a Google intern as the company's researchers were laying the groundwork for modern large language models.

He saw legal work as a natural target for the technology because so much of it is repetitive and text-heavy. By 2023, he and his roommate, Jeremy Ben-Meir, along with a third cofounder, Adrian Parlow, started sketching out an idea for a legal startup. (Parlow left PointOne last year and joined legal-tech giant Legora.)

When Luaces asked lawyers which part of the job they hated most, he kept hearing the same answer: timekeeping. At most law firms, the billable hour is the standard way to charge clients. Lawyers log the work they do for each client — often in six-minute increments — then tally those hours and bill accordingly. Many still track their hours in a spreadsheet or by hand on a legal pad.

PointOne's platform runs in the background as lawyers move between apps, then fills in time entries with the client, matter, a description of the work, and standardized legal codes.

Security and confidentiality are essential for law firms. Clients trust them with trade secrets and other closely held information, leaving little room for error from any software vendor.

When asked how lawyers feel about software watching them work, Luaces said their dislike of timekeeping helps overcome any discomfort. PointOne says it encrypts stored sensitive data, does not train models on firm data, and gives firms the option to use models in a private Azure environment.

For lawyers, "this is like magic beans," Luaces said.

Time savings aren't the point

Law firms are still working out how to use artificial intelligence to work faster without hurting their economics. Software that saves time can also reduce the number of hours a firm can bill.

PointOne, however, is not pitching itself as a way to save lawyers' time. Instead, it says it can help firms capture time that would otherwise go unbilled.

Some share of legal work never makes it into timesheets. Junior lawyers may undercount how long a task took, either because they're still learning or because they're embarrassed. More often, Luaces said, lawyers skip billing for small tasks because logging them takes almost as long as the work itself.

A lawyer might spend four minutes writing a client email. "I can either spend the next four minutes creating the time entry for it, or I can do more work," Luaces said. "Nine out of 10 times, everyone chooses to do more work."

He says the company's software can increase revenue by capturing billable time that would otherwise be lost.

PointOne isn't the only company making such promises. Its biggest competitor, Laurel, provides professional services firms with analytics about their operations, including time. It's raised over $150 million in funding since 2016, compared to PointOne's $20 million total.

PointOne wants to position itself for a broader shift in how legal work gets priced. Corporate clients are pushing back on soaring legal bills, and as artificial intelligence threatens to trim billable hours, firms are under pressure to test alternatives to hourly billing, including fixed fees for certain matters. Luaces said PointOne's data can help firms better understand the labor behind a matter, which in turn can help them price that work more precisely.

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• Buyers have been willing to pay a premium of up to 40% to buy Anduril shares.
• The steep markup reflects a two-tiered class for accessing stock in the hottest startups.
• Data from Caplight highlights a supply imbalance, with buyer demand surging to 97% while sellers' demand is at 3%.

Anduril hasn't even finalized its next funding round, and investors are already eager to pay up like it's a sold-out concert. As marquee venture firms Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz line up to back the defense tech startup at a reported $60 billion valuation, others shut out of the deal are scrambling to buy shares on secondary markets at steep premiums.

"Demand is so significant that buyers who have FOMO are willing to pay huge premiums for access," said Kelly Rodriques, CEO of Forge Global, a private marketplace exchange for shares of private companies like Anduril. "The company hates when this happens, but it happens."

The frenzy around investing in Anduril reflects the growing divide in private markets: access to the hottest startups is split between the VC firms that get in at a certain price and everyone else, forced to pay up on the sidelines. Anthropic has also seen a premium for secondary shares, though not as significant, said Rodriques.

Those investors shut out of the company's fundraising round are forced to buy via secondary markets, with existing stock in the company being sold by current or former employees or early investors. The rush for shares reminds Rodriques of buying tickets to see Taylor Swift on Stubhub when her concert sells out in minutes.

"It's scalping," he said.

Interested buyers have been willing to pay a premium of up to 40% above the $60 billion valuation to buy Anduril shares, according to Rodriques and Greg Martin, managing director and co-founder at Rainmaker Securities, another private marketplace exchange. The deals are not yet finalized because a willing seller and the company's blessing are still required.

"The magnitude of the premium is unusual," said Martin. "Usually we see premiums in the 5% to 15% range."

Anduril declined to comment for this story. Cofounders Palmer Luckey and Matt Grimm have loudly railed against unauthorized sales of the company's shares, publicly calling out some firms as "frauds."

"If I were an investor looking at this 'opportunity,' I'd run for the hills," Grimm posted in December. "Secondary markets are rife with fraud and bad actors, and it pains me to see these bottom feeders profiting off Anduril's growth while fleecing retail investors through unreasonable or opaque fee structures."

The founders have tightly controlled Andruil's stock, requiring would-be sellers to offer the company a first right of refusal to buy back those shares or assign the sale to a buyer of Andruil's choosing. The limited supply is a major reason shares have been among the hardest to obtain for any startup since last year, driving investor "frenzy."

Data from Caplight highlights a massive supply imbalance in the secondary market for Anduril stock, with buyer demand surging to 97% of total volume compared to just 3% from willing sellers—a stark shift from a 69-to-31 split in February.

If demand for Anduril shares is so high, the obvious question is: Why doesn't the company raise its share price to avoid leaving money on the table?

To explain, Rodriques went back to the analogy of a Taylor Swift concert or Nike shoes. Just because some people are willing to pay more does not mean the company wants to set its prices so high.

"It's the same reason Nike doesn't sell sneakers for $2000 if there's a secondary market for a hard-to-get sneaker," Rodriques said. "It's not in their best interest to charge their customers $2000 for a pair of shoes."

Similarly, Anduril would prefer to raise capital from its chosen VCs.

"The company has gotten to a $60 billion valuation by doing a very detailed and thorough job of working with some of the best investors in the world," he said.

• Target used to have one of retail's top mobile apps, but competitors are catching up.
• Over the past year, the company has quietly rolled out several AI-powered shopper-friendly features.
• I tried them out and found three ways the refreshed app makes shopping easier.

Target's mobile app has long been one of the company's not-so-secret weapons.

The retailer was an early mover among its brick-and-mortar peers to seriously invest in its digital business. The app drove Target's early success in curbside pickup and continues to serve as a hub for its membership programs.

I started shopping at Target much more often when my first daughter was born during the pandemic, and I often wished more retailers had apps as useful as the one with the Bullseye logo. The store map was a particular timesaver for me during a very busy time in my family's life.

In recent years, the competition has stepped up to narrow Target's lead, or in some cases, surpass it.

From scan-and-go self-checkout in the Walmart and Sam's Club apps, to Lowe's and Home Depot helping shoppers find and learn more about products in their stores, mobile apps have evolved into much more than a pocket-sized version of the company's website.

Not every store's app needs the same features, but it was starting to look like Target was losing its advantage.

Roughly one-fifth of Target's merchandise sales last year were made via web or app, or more than $21 billion. Beyond the e-commerce factor, good apps matter because shoppers are still very much going into stores, only now they're more likely to have a phone in hand while they fill their carts.

"About a third of our guests are using their app in the store," Target's chief revenue and digital officer, Sarah Travis, said at a meeting with investors and media at the company's Minneapolis headquarters earlier this month, which I attended.

Travis showed how Target has responded to this shift with several new, user-friendly features intended to make shopping easier. I was surprised to see these upgrades had been rolled out so quietly.

Unlike Target's flashy partnerships with Google or OpenAI, these new features involve more subtle integrations of artificial intelligence to supercharge common tasks.

"Target's unique opportunity is to think holistically about guest experience," Travis said, referring to this blended digital and physical approach to shopping. "The experience that you get today is vastly different than the experience that you would have gotten six months ago."

Once I got home, I decided to try them for myself. The features aren't all exclusive to Target, but three struck me as much-needed additions to the app experience — especially if Target wants to get shoppers to come back.

A handwritten list scanner

Like physical stores, the paper (or whiteboard) grocery list is still very much a reality for many US households.

I can't speak for everyone, but my family rarely makes grocery lists with detailed branding or package info — we list items in general terms like "milk" rather than "Fairlife 2% Organic Lactose Free Milk — 52 fl oz."

Now, in the My Target tab in the app, there's an option to "scan a paper list," which uses the phone's camera to capture handwritten text.

Once the app processes the image, it pulls up to 20 relevant product listings per list item to either add to an in-app basket or shopping list, turning your handwritten notes into an order that you or someone else can fulfill with precision.

It worked pretty well when I tried it, except when the app assumed I was looking for a women's or children's shirt and didn't show any men's options. My paper list just said "T-shirt," so I could have been more specific.

The buy it again tab

Another more prominent tool enhances a preexisting app feature and gives it prominent placement as a tab on the main screen.

Target's app has long made it easy to find past orders and add selected items to your cart. That's still an option, but now the app highlights frequently purchased items, items with active discounts, and stuff you bought a while ago that might be running low.

The tailored experience means that no two shoppers have the same experience, Travis said, adding that the feature "has essentially become a speed run for weekly essentials."

In a few taps, you can be restocked and ready to go.

A more helpful map

In my experience, one of the Target app's most useful features — by far — is its mapping tool that shows where to find a product in a sprawling store. This is especially helpful when traveling or when I have to go to a location across town.

When Home Depot rolled out its own version, called Store Mode, I found myself wishing Target had something to match. Now it does, thanks to the same geolocation startup, which says it also provides the service for Dick's Sporting Goods.

With the recent upgrade (and location sharing turned on), the app now prompts in-store customers to enter "Store mode," which enables a batch of map-based features, including where to find current deals and promotions.

In the "List" tab, rather than having to hunt for items one-by-one, everything on your in-app list (that you scanned earlier) shows up as a pin on the store map, helping plan a path to get what you came in for without bouncing all over the place.

It's a win for Target as well. "When guests use store mode, their baskets grow by more than 7%," Travis said.

These upgrades show that Target's app is still in the game with one of the most useful shopping apps around, and I can see it saving time and money on my next Target run.

• Miro's CEO says the company is plowing cash into AI subscriptions to help employees level up.
• "Our L&D budget is unlimited tooling," Andrey Khusid said.
• AI adoption is accelerating, and with it come questions about the technology's ROI.

Plenty of companies are still debating whether costly AI subscriptions are worth it. Miro has gone the other way.

Andrey Khusid, cofounder of Miro, the maker of a popular online whiteboard platform, says the company gives employees essentially unlimited access to the latest AI tools as a way to speed up how quickly they learn and work.

That approach is possible, he said, because Miro has been profitable since 2016. The company has raised $476 million to date, and Khusid suggested it does not expect to need more capital.

Khusid framed the spending as a core part of more traditional workplace training. "Our L&D budget is unlimited tooling," he said.

Rather than asking employees to learn on their own time or pay out of pocket, he said, Miro wants that experimentation to happen inside the company, as a shared effort. He later added that there should still be a clear business case for buying any tool.

Miro's strategy is part of a wider shift in tech, where AI adoption is moving from optional to expected. A new study from engineering intelligence platform Jellyfish, based on data from more than 700 companies, found that 64% now produce a majority of their code with AI assistance. Tech giants like Google are pushing employees to use AI tools more aggressively, and Microsoft has begun tying AI usage to performance evaluations. As a result, AI fluency is quickly becoming a core workplace skill rather than a nice-to-have.

Still, Khusid says many executives ask the wrong question about AI ROI. Rather than judging the tools on individual productivity gains or subscription costs, he said Miro is trying to focus on whether the company is moving faster overall.

The company tracks projects through what he described as a "discover, define, deliver" process and measures how long it takes to move from one stage to the next. The goal is to compress that timeline as much as possible.

"The most important metric from my perspective is velocity of innovation," Khusid said. "If you don't innovate fast enough, you're out of the game."

Khusid said he doesn't think the way companies use AI today is necessarily the end state. He said it will take at least until the end of this year, or even next year, to see what a workplace shaped by these tools really looks like. At that point, Miro will take a harder look at which tools are worth the price tag.

For now, he said, Miro is already seeing time savings across engineering, product, and design. That's not always the case, though. Better tools speed code generation, he said, but code reviews can still bog down projects.

"Humans have to read it," Khusid said. At least for now.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at mrussell@businessinsider.com or Signal at @MeliaRussell.01. Use a personal email address and a non-work device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Eight salespeople from ServiceNow have jumped ship to rival startup Serval in recent months.
• Two of the salespeople cited fears about AI as their reason for leaving ServiceNow.
• ServiceNow's stock has tumbled 40% in the last six months in the so-called SaaS-pocalypse.

Eight salespeople from ServiceNow and its newly acquired subsidiary, Moveworks, have jumped ship to rival startup Serval in recent months, Business Insider has learned.

ServiceNow is a cloud computing software company whose stock has tumbled 40% in the last six months in the so-called SaaS-pocalypse, as investors fear AI could decimate the profit margins of software giants. In an effort to stay one step ahead in the AI race, ServiceNow closed an all-cash $2.85 billion acquisition of Moveworks in December to create an "AI-native front door."

The same month, Serval closed a $75 million Series B funding round led by Sequoia Capital, valuing the rapidly growing AI-powered IT support startup at $1 billion. Sequoia was also an early investor in ServiceNow.

Eight employees represent a fraction of ServiceNow's 29,000-person workforce. Still, the exodus shows how difficult it can be for tech companies with falling valuations to retain talent when buzzy, well-funded AI companies come calling. A ServiceNow spokesman declined to comment.

The highest-level departure is Brad Patterson, who had been a ServiceNow sales VP for nearly two years.

"AI is really making serious moves," Patterson said in an interview. "In a similar way, market sentiment is responding; I think people are responding in the same way."

Every incumbent tech company is facing a similar talent drain, according to Jules Levy, ServiceNow's former head of enterprise generative & enterprise AI, who is also among those joining Serval.

"I don't think this is unique to ServiceNow," he said in an interview. "Many folks within those incumbents are looking to jump to AI-native platforms that will be able to move really fast and take advantage of this technological wave."

"I think everyone's trying to figure out what comes next," he added.

Serval is not specifically targeting ServiceNow employees, but when one employee leaves, it can have a ripple effect, according to Tatiana Birgisson, Serval's chief operating officer.

"If you hire really good people, other really good people in their network want to follow them," she said, citing Chris Comes, who became a Serval VP of Sales in November after more than three years at MoveWorks. "Multiple people got excited about seeing the announcement of his going to Servo."

Startups have usually offered less job security and lower cash compensation than public tech companies, but Birgisson says tech downsizing has made it easier to recruit candidates.

Block CEO Jack Dorsey cut roughly 40% of his workforce in February, citing the rise of AI. Meta could reportedly lay off a fifth of its staff amid skyrocketing AI costs.

"Big Tech no longer feels as safe as it once did," Birgisson said. "We are starting to see more candidates who, 5-10 years ago, would not have considered working at a startup, but are now more open to it because there isn't the clear divide between 'secure' and 'risky' jobs."

• My friends and family thought I was making a mistake when I moved states for a new relationship.
• At first, I felt homesick, but my partner supported me in a way that validated my decision.
• Now, we're married with kids, and I'm so glad I took a risk on love.

When I was 21, I fell in love for the first time.

Tim and I met online before it was cool. An avid fisherman, sports fanatic, and gifted salesman, he wasn't my usual type — but he was charming, funny, awkward, and sweet. I fell for him, hook, line, and sinker.

There was only one problem. Tim lived in Minneapolis, and I lived in Chicago.

We made long-distance work for as long as we could. On the rare weekends I wasn't waitressing, I traveled to Minnesota for ice fishing and bar hopping. When Tim's schedule allowed, he visited me at my parents' house for family dinners and nights out with friends.

Our time together was fun and exciting, but after seven months of constant travel, we knew we had some decisions to make.

When Tim and I decided to take the next step, I moved to Minnesota

After a four-year collegiate stint in Michigan, I'd sworn to myself that I'd never leave Chicago again. Not only were my family and friends there, but it was comforting and familiar. It was home.

Tim understood my love for Chicago from the moment we met. He was early in his dream career as a salesman, and I hadn't yet decided what I wanted to do professionally. Even so, he reassured me that I would never have to move — that, instead, he would find a way to relocate for me.

The more reassuring he was, though, the more I began seriously considering moving to Minnesota. Logistically, it just made sense.

My family and friends were just as charmed by Tim as I was, but they were skeptical, too. They cautioned me against moving, reminding me that Tim and I hadn't known each other that long.

The more I thought about beginning a new chapter, though, the more right it felt. Whether or not Tim and I lasted, maybe an adventure was exactly what I needed to kick off the adult chapter of my life.

Despite their warnings, I began searching for a job in Minneapolis. When I found a new job and a new roommate in the same week, it felt like fate.

I struggled with homesickness at first, but Tim supported me

My life in Minnesota wasn't what I had imagined. Living away from home was difficult, and I was miserably homesick for weeks. I was also adjusting to life in my first apartment, along with a new, very demanding job.

I was thrilled to be closer to Tim, but the struggles I was experiencing overshadowed much of my joy. Despite these difficulties, Tim remained patient, sure of our relationship, even when my confidence wavered.

On Halloween, my family's favorite holiday, Tim dressed up as a giant piece of pizza to cheer me up. When the first snow fell that season, Tim was waiting in my new apartment with a Christmas tree in tow.

By the time Valentine's Day rolled around, bringing with it chocolate-covered strawberries and three dozen white roses (my favorite), most of my homesickness had faded.

I realized that Tim was my future, wherever we lived

After six months, I finally began to find my footing. My roommate and I developed a strong bond, and I began to branch out into new social circles.

I fell in love with Minnesota in the summertime. I even learned to fish! Turns out, Tim was an excellent teacher.

Tim was my constant, in good times and bad. As the months continued to pass, I began to realize that maybe, this wasn't just the beginning of a new chapter — maybe it was the beginning of forever.

One evening, eight months after I first arrived in Minnesota, Tim invited me out for a casual dinner. I accepted, thinking nothing of it, not even questioning the fact that he wanted us to explore an antique store 15 minutes before our reservation.

I was sifting through a pile of old postcards when I realized that Tim was nowhere to be seen — until I rounded the corner and there he was, on bended knee, a tiny box in his outstretched hand.

We were married that December in Chicago. We spent another year in Minnesota after that, before returning to my hometown for good, putting down roots a few miles from my childhood home.

Thirteen years and six children later, I'm forever grateful that I ignored well-meaning warnings from my friends and family. I may have risked it all on love, but in the end, it was worth it.

• Pay for gig work varies significantly across apps, a new Gridwise report found.
• The report estimated hourly pay rates for ride-hailing, delivery, and other types of gig work.
• Taskrabbit, Walmart's Spark, and Uber ranked among the highest-paying apps, Gridwise found.

The gig economy has grown to include apps from Uber to Instacart. They don't all pay the same.

Average hourly pay on the apps varied in 2025, according to data analytics company Gridwise, which analyzed about 1 billion tasks across ride-hailing, delivery, and other gig work apps.

Workers for Taskrabbit, a platform where users hire independent contractors for yard work, home repair, and other physical tasks, earned the highest hourly pay rate at $38.

Spark, Walmart's delivery service, took second place at $23 an hour, with Uber just behind at $22.

DoorDash's hourly pay was $11, the lowest of the apps Gridwise analyzed.

Some companies say their workers earn higher hourly rates than Gridwise's estimates suggest. A Taskrabbit spokesperson said that its gig workers earn $49 an hour on average, although earnings vary by location. Uber said last year that the company's drivers earn $32 per hour while actively working on the app.

Gridwise compiled the estimates for its annual gig mobility report, released last week. The hourly pay data includes base pay, bonuses, and tips that workers received.

The data show that the best-known gig services don't always offer the best pay for workers, Ryan Green, CEO of Gridwise, told Business Insider.

Walmart launched its Spark delivery service as a test in 2018, years after competitors such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. Spark drivers pick up or shop orders at Walmart stores, helping the retailer grow its delivery business quickly.

"They just snuck up on the market and have rapidly grown into this space," he said.

Ride-hailing fares have risen faster than driver pay

Some gig workers have told Business Insider that it's harder to make money on apps like Uber and DoorDash than it was several years ago, due to higher competition and lower pay rates.

Most gig workers are responsible for their own costs, such as car maintenance. As a result, some gig workers have decided to accept only the trips that pay them the most for their time.

The price of gas, which has shot up in the past two weeks after the US started a war with Iran, is the latest cost pressure on ride-hailing drivers.

Uber and Lyft increased prices last year — and passed on a fraction of that hike to the drivers who make their businesses possible.

From December 2024 to December 2025, average customer ride prices on Uber and Lyft rose 9.6%, according to Gridwise. Over the same period, driver gross pay per trip increased 3.6%, and gross pay per hour rose 4.1%.

"We saw a modest increase on the driver side, and a much more substantial increase on the pricing side," Green said.

Last year, Gridwise found that weekly pay on most ride-hailing and delivery apps fell in 2024.

Delivery workers for services like DoorDash also saw an increase in per-hour pay last year — 3.2% — though their working hours on the platform rose about 17%, according to Gridwise.

Were you a gig worker in 2025? Business Insider is gathering information on gig worker earnings for a coming story.

You can contact Alex Bitter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501.

• Travis Kalanick launches Atoms, a new venture aiming to build a "wheelbase for robots."
• Atoms wants to build a platform for specialized industrial robots, not humanoid designs.
• Atoms is acquiring Pronto, an autonomous vehicle startup founded by Anthony Levandowski.

The former Uber CEO is venturing into robotics.

Travis Kalanick announced that Atoms is out of stealth mode and expanding beyond food delivery infrastructure into industries such as food service, mining, and transportation.

The ex-Uber CEO published a 1,600-plus manifesto of his company on Friday.

"When I told my friends, family, and colleagues about my plans for what was next, they were really excited that I was 'coming back,'" Kalanick wrote on the website for the new venture.

"The thing is, I never left."

Kalanick did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

In an interview on "TBPN" on Friday, Kalanick told show hosts John Coogan and Jordi Hays that he will be folding his ghost-kitchen startup CloudKitchens into the new venture, a detail that is also mentioned on Atoms' website.

Atoms' webpage says the company plans to build a "wheelbase for robots," a platform designed to power specialized machines rather than humanoid robots.

"At Atoms we make gainfully employed robots — specialized robots with productive jobs that bring abundance to their owners and society at large," Kalanick wrote on the website.

Kalanick said on "TBPN" that the company will focus on practical industrial systems instead of humanlike designs, and that the venture was just renamed as "Atoms" from "City Storage Systems" today.

"We've been in stealth mode for eight years," said Kalanick. "Employees were not allowed to put the name of the company on their LinkedIn. We have thousands of employees."

"Humanoids have their place, but there's a lot of room for specialized robots that do things in an efficient, sort of industrial-scale kind of way, which is sort of where we play," he added.

According to Kalanick, Atoms is close to acquiring Pronto, an autonomous-vehicle startup focused on industrial and mining sites, founded by his former Uber colleague, Anthony Levandowski.

Uber didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kalanick's partnership with Levandowski would be the reunion of two of the most infamous Uber alums.

Levandowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kalanick co-founded Uber in 2009 and was its CEO until 2017, when he resigned after facing immense investor pressure stemming from reports of a toxic work culture and multiple clashes with regulators.

Levandowski, an alum of Google's self-driving project that is now Waymo, was brought into Uber in 2016 after the ride-hailing giant bought his self-driving trucking outfit, Otto. In less than a year, he was fired from the company after Google sued Uber, accusing Levandowski of stealing trade secrets from the self-driving project. Uber settled with Waymo, but Levandowski was convicted in a separate criminal case in 2020 of one count of trade secret theft.

Levandowski was later pardoned by President Donald Trump before he even began serving an 18-month prison sentence.

• At the weekend reading retreat I attended, our intergenerational group bonded over more than books.
• We had thoughtful discussions, did a guided meditation, and went on a hike in the woods.
• I came home inspired by the other retreat members and our shared connection.

In my 30s, I joined a book club but soon dropped out. Between juggling work and family, the last thing I needed then was another deadline, even a read-for-fun one.

Flash forward decades: I'm in my 60s now, the kids have flown the nest, and I have more downtime and love all things outdoorsy.

So when a friend suggested All Booked, a luxe reading retreat for women in New York State's Catskill Mountains, I was excited to try book clubs again, especially this one-off weekend version.

When I signed up, I imagined lengthy chats surrounding the retreat's featured trending book: "Mother Mary Come to Me," a memoir by prize-winning author Arundhati Roy. We certainly had those.

But what made the literary getaway especially meaningful were the casual connections we shared as total strangers — eight women in our 20s to late 60s — about life, love, and living with intention.

The retreat's luxe cabin was the perfect place for book chats and a reset

Tucked among 12 wooded acres in Windham, New York, the weekend retreat's luxury log cabin was straight out of Airbnb central casting, complete with pine exposed beams, stone floors, and a dramatic great room with soaring vaulted ceilings and cozy reading nooks.

The first night, we met our host, Suzanne, a former New York City journalist who headed to the Catskills a few years ago and never left.

We introduced ourselves with a favorite book recommendation over an Indian-inspired dinner of delicata-squash salad and curry-marinated chicken, a nod to featured author Roy, who calls New Delhi home.

After changing into our PJs, we gathered on yoga mats in the cabin's loft for a guided meditation before padding off to our log beds.

Introductions continued the next morning over a breakfast of blueberry scones and homemade granola.

Among us were two 20-something bookstagrammers, each with her own daunting stack of extracurricular romantasy novels to speed-read.

Their tripods and ring lights triggered the multitasking question that seemed to trail many of us these days wherever we went: Should we turn an experience into shareable content or power down and just enjoy it, conceivably leaving likes, followers, and revenue (from somewhere) on the table?

Aside from planning to snap a few photos, I am Team Commune with Nature.

Our multigenerational group bonded over books, nature, and a lively debate

After a morning of quiet reading time, our group met at the Windham Path for an afternoon of forest bathing, which turned out to be a slow-motion hike led by Beth, our certified forest therapy guide.

Beth, who left a corporate job to embrace her calling as a forest therapist, invited us to wander off and "connect with a tree you are drawn to."

After appreciating the bark, treetops, and stillness, we reunited with a tea ceremony. Beth poured tiny cups of tea steeped from pine needles from an insulated kettle.

Before sipping the sour reddish liquid, we were instructed to pour some on the ground to give back and thank the forest for its sustenance.

During Saturday night's dinner, Suzanne moderated our discussion of "Mother Mary Comes to Me," about Roy's complicated relationship with her mother, Mary, which eventually led to this question for the group: Is it OK to go no-contact with your parents if they upset you?

The 20-somethings were Team No-Contact, while those of us in midlife and beyond disagreed because bad-parenting moments come with the territory, and well, family is family.

Our POV tracked with the memoir's theme: Roy remained stubbornly devoted to her mom despite their lifelong turbulent relationship.

The connection and community I found that weekend reminded me that life is full of possibilities

The next day, I came home intoxicated with pine-scented fresh air and nurtured by the experience.

Confession: In this chapter as an empty nester, I often feel nestless. It's almost like I'm back in my 20s, asking fundamental questions again, such as: What should I do now? Where should I live now that I don't have to be tied to a good school system?

However, spending the weekend with retreat members, including Suzanne and forest-bathing Beth, who've made bold midlife moves, reminded me that life is an open book, filled with exciting possibilities.

Meanwhile, I've been really noticing the trees during my daily walks, brushing up on my vlogging skills (inspired by the bookstagrammers' industriousness), and seeking out even more ways to meet new friends of all ages.

• Young tech startup founders are having a moment in the AI era.
• From teenagers to 20-somethings, these founders are raising millions.
• Take a look at the pitch decks some of these founders shared with Business Insider.

Tech is no stranger to young founders.

Steve Jobs was 21 when he cofounded Apple in 1976. Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when Facebook launched. Whitney Wolfe Herd was 25 when she unveiled Bumble.

Many of today's startup founders are still young and scrappy. And in the age of AI, they're even more empowered to barrel ahead.

Some are following the footsteps of tech titans before them and dropping out of college. Others are opting out of the undergraduate experience altogether, with a few ditching high school to pursue careers in tech.

Arlan Rakhmetzhanov, founder of AI coding startup Nozomio, told Business Insider that he dropped out of high school in Kazakhstan after getting accepted into the competitive startup accelerator program, Y Combinator (YC). At the age of 18, he raised $6.2 million for Nozomio.

Rakhmetzhanov isn't the only teenager finding success in AI. There's also Toby Brown, a UK teen who raised $1 million for his AI project. There's also Zach Yadegari, the teenage cofounder of Cal AI, a nutrition app.

College-aged founders are also building companies and raising capital, such as the Yale students behind Series AI, a new social networking startup.

The median age for YC participants is now 24 years old, compared to 30 in 2022, YC's Pete Koomen told The New York Times in August.

Business Insider has interviewed the founders of 12 startups who are 25 years old or younger and have raised millions in funding since 2024 about the pitch decks they used to impress investors.

Read 12 pitch decks founders who are 25 years old or younger used to raise millions:

Note: Founders were 25 or younger when Business Insider published the following articles.

Series A

• Posh, an events platform, raised a $22 million Series A when its founders were 23. Read the 12-page pitch deck it used.
• Clyx, a startup trying to connect people via in-person events, raised a $14 million Series A when its founder was 25. Read 22 pages of its deck.

Seed

• Ditto, an AI dating startup founded by UC Berkeley dropouts, raised $9.2 million when the founders were 23 and 24. Read its 12-page pitch deck.
• Lyra, an AI video call startup, raised a $6 million seed out of YC when its founder was 23. Read the 8-slide pitch deck it used.
• Nexad, an AI adtech startup, raised a $6 million seed after wrapping up A16z's Speedrun accelerator. Nexad's CEO was 25. Read the 10-page pitch deck.
• Orange Slice, a YC-backed sales tech platform, raised $5.3 million when its founders were 23. Read the 7-page pitch deck.
• Golpo, a generative AI video startup, raised a $4.1 million seed out of YC when its founders — who are also brothers — were 19 and 20. Read its 7-page pitch deck.
• Bluejay, an AI agent startup, raised a $4 million seed coming out of YC when its founders were 23. Read its 9-page pitch deck.
• Novoflow, an agentic AI startup building tools for medical clinics, raised $3.1 million when its founders were 18 and 19. Read its pitch deck.
• CodeFour, an AI police tech startup, was founded by two 19-year-old MIT dropouts and raised $2.7 million coming out of YC. Read the pitch deck.
• Cerca, a dating app that connects people with mutual friends, raised a $1.6 million seed when its CEO was 23. Read the 10-slide deck.

Pre-seed

• Series, an AI social networking startup, raised a $3.1 million pre-seed when its founders were 21.

This story has been updated with additional examples.

• A US Navy destroyer used an SM-3 interceptor to down an Iranian ballistic missile on Friday.
• It's the third time in two weeks that a Navy destroyer used the SM-3 to defend NATO airspace.
• SM-3s are among are top missile interceptors, but they come with a hefty price tag.

US Navy destroyers operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea have been launching SM-3s — among America's most high-end interceptors — to defend NATO airspace against incoming Iranian ballistic missiles.

On Friday, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Oscar Austin fired at least one SM-3, or Standard Missile-3, interceptor to bring down an Iranian ballistic missile in Turkish airspace, a defense official told Business Insider.

It marked the third time since February 28, when the US and Israel started striking Iran, that a Navy destroyer has used an SM-3 to down an Iranian missile in Turkish airspace, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military developments.

Turkey's national defense ministry said earlier that NATO air and missile defense assets deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean intercepted the Iranian missile. There were no casualties or injuries, although debris fell in the southern city of Gaziantep.

Turkey hosts several important bases for American and NATO forces, including Incirlik and Konya air bases, and an Iranian strike against those facilities could trigger a significant escalation in a war that has already spread across the Middle East.

The Oscar Austin is one of three American destroyers currently positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean. The use of SM-3 interceptors comes amid broader air defense operations across the Middle East. The US and its allies in the region have shot down thousands of Iranian missiles and drones since the start of Operation Epic Fury less than two weeks ago.

The SM-3 uses a kinetic kill vehicle to destroy short- to intermediate-range missiles during the midcourse phase of flight. It can engage targets in space, unlike the Navy's other interceptors, and is outfitted on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

There are multiple variants of the SM-3, manufactured by US defense giant RTX and, for the latest variant, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

US destroyers first used their SM-3s in combat in April 2024 to defend Israel from an Iranian missile attack, and the US Navy fired them again several months later in October after another barrage from Tehran.

These interceptor missiles don't come cheap, though. The SM-3 Block IB variant, for instance, is estimated to cost roughly $10 million on the low end, while the newer Block IIA costs around $28 million.

It's unclear how many SM-3s the Navy has expended during combat in the Middle East. Air defense doctrine can call for firing at least two interceptors for each incoming missile, so the bill for the latest engagements above Turkey could already be substantial.

Navy leadership has warned in recent years that the US has been firing its SM-3s at an alarming rate. Service officials have warned that they need a lot more of these interceptors to counter threats in the Pacific, such as China and its theater ballistic missiles.

• US forces used ATACMS to sink Iranian warships during Operation Epic Fury, the top US general said.
• Gen. Dan Caine announced that US artillery has helped to render the Iranian navy ineffective.
• ATACMS provide substantial striking power to ground forces.

The top US general revealed Friday that American troops involved in Operation Epic Fury have used a ballistic missile system to sink Iranian warships, including a submarine, offering some insight into the targets US artillery is engaging in this war.

Artillery soldiers and Marines are "sinking ships, destroying depots, and launching Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS," and "Precision Strike Missiles, or PrSMs," Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a Friday press briefing.

"From outside Iran, our Army and Marine artillerymen are hitting sites that Iran relies on to project power beyond their borders," he said.

"In just the first 13 days of this operation, our artillery forces have made history," Caine said.

"They fired the first precision strike missiles ever used in combat, reaching deep into enemy territory," he said. "They've used Army ATACMS to sink multiple ships, including a submarine."

US forces are "continuing to destroy the Iranian Navy to ensure freedom of navigation. He said that the US military is targeting mine-laying vessels and the ability to target commercial vessels.

"In less than two weeks, we've rendered the Iranian Navy combat ineffective and continue to attack naval vessels, including all of their Soleimani-class warships, which were armed with anti-ship missiles and anti-aircraft weapons," Caine said.

Other naval targets sunk include Iran's new purpose-built drone carrier.

Army Tactical Missile Systems are typically used to target land-based targets, such as enemy air defense systems and logistics hubs.

Each missile costs upward of $1 million, depending on the range and type of warhead. ATACMS missiles can hit targets out to as far as about 200 miles away and are fired using the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or M240 Multiple Launch Rocket System launchers. The HIMARS can also fire PrSMs and much shorter-range guided rockets.

The Lockheed Martin-built ATACMS is guided by GPS and inertial navigation that tracks its flight toward a designated target, and hence cannot be used to accurately fire on moving targets. For this reason, it's likely that the ships destroyed were pierside or moored.

The ATACMS augments the strike power of Army and Marine Corps artillery, allowing land force commanders to hit critical targets without relying on air or naval forces to deliver the strike. The system was designed during the Cold War and first used in combat in the 1991 Gulf War.

The Ukrainians have also used their limited supply of US-provided ATACMS to hit Russian military facilities. With these weapons in short supply, Ukraine has since developed its own domestically built capabilities.

US forces have attacked over 6,000 targets in Iran, Caine said on Friday. As the US and Israel have established air supremacy over Iran, allowing bombers and fighters to fly overhead, they've shifted to munitions like gravity bombs, which are much cheaper to produce and more plentiful in the US arsenal than missiles.