Inc. | Tech and Business News for Entrepreneurs and Leaders

He has a new tip for young entrepreneurs.By Ava Levinson

Kevin O’Leary Changed His Mind About This Founder Habit, and It’s Impacting His Investments

Grow

How Much Influencer Marketing Really Costs in 2026—and Why $50,000 Is the Magic Number

Experts say if you can’t foot this bill, you’ll need to get scrappy.By Annabel Burba

How to make the most of what you put in your customer health index.By Sydney Sladovnik

Your Customers Are Constantly Sending You Vital Signs on the Health of Your Business. Are You Listening?

The billionaire philanthropist and writer says the best jobs embrace your idiosyncrasies.By Leila Sheridan

MacKenzie Scott Says Your Quirks Might Be the Secret to Landing Your Dream Job

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This Founder’s Unconventional Hire Accelerated His Business Over 30 Percent

Ari Bloom thought his next hire would be a brand marketer. He’s glad it wasn’t.

The Booming Business of Turning Human Experts Into AI Trainers

Silicon Valley startup Micro1 is signing up everyone from police officers to nuclear scientists to teach LLMs.

By Varsha Bansal

Steal This Engineering Idea to Make Your Company Move Faster

Team velocity index measures how fast you move from idea to execution.

By Kayla Webster

Colin Angle Built iRobot Into a $4 Billion Household Name. Then His Sale to Amazon Went Bust

The co-founder shares what he learned from the FTC’s antitrust suit, and his vision for American innovation—especially in robotics.

By Melissa Angell

In 2026, Your Fitness Journey Is Going to Look a Lot Like a Private Club

Smart entrepreneurs are seizing the booming opportunity to woo modern wellness consumers who want community and more than a workout.

By Caitlin Carlson

8 Early-Stage AI Startups Poised to Explode in 2026, According to Top Investors

Startups focused on solving real-world challenges will thrive this year.

By Ben Sherry

How the Fastest-Growing Companies Acquire Customers—and Keep Selling Them More

You think you’re great at cross-selling and upselling, but are you sure? Inc. 5000 companies reveal how they track upsell efficiency and hone their growth strategies.

Testosterone Is the Red-Pilled Elixir of the Manosphere. Now Companies Are Eager to Make It Mainstream

Hims announced that TRT therapy would be coming to its telehealth platform this year. But a gray market still thrives as recreational use supersedes medical needs.

By Sam Blum

This Founder’s Side Project Inspired a Business Channel That Now Drives One-Third of Her Growth

How Big Night’s Katherine Lewin turned a book tour sponsorship into a thriving brand partnership business.

Onboarding New Customers Can Be Founder Kryptonite. This Is the Antidote

Onboarding success rate—how quickly your customers meet key milestones when they begin using your product or service—is one of the most important metrics for businesses to track. Once you start, the impact can be huge.

She Was Rejected by Y Combinator. Now Her Bootstrapped Startup Just Passed $36 Million in ARR

Newly appointed Flodesk CEO Rebecca Shostak is defying the odds again, using AI to help business owners vibe code their email marketing.

By Jennifer Conrad

16 Companies to Watch in 2026

In a year that could be a big one for IPOs and the AI bubble, here are 16 businesses that consumers, competitors, and investors need to track.

By Jennifer Conrad

How the Founder of Bogg Bag Created a Sidekick That Outsold Her Brand’s Hero Product

The organizer case came out in 2024, and Kim Vaccarella still struggles to keep it in stock.

Gen-Z Salespeople Are Closing Deals on Social Media

Here’s how the youngest workplace cohort has pioneered the art of social selling.

This McKinsey for the TikTok Era Gives Influencers Anything but Boring Financial Advice

Boring Stuff (yes, that’s its name) helps digital creators keep more of what they earn.

Inside Hampton: Sam Parr’s Bootstrapped Solution to the Founder Loneliness Epidemic

The founders-only club brings group chat to the real world, where members race cars, surf, hype each other up, and get ‘deeply human.’

By Cara Cannella

This Founder Was Nearly Homeless After 3 Failed Startup Ideas. Then He Built a $150 Million Business

His story is a master class in pulling off a pivot.

Nvidia Founder Jensen Huang: This Is the Startup He Would Create Today

Huang’s recent comments about the hottest tech sectors offer insights for founders looking for the next big thing—and reveal where Nvidia plans to invest its $60 billion cash pile.

By Chris Morris

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For You

An AI Ran a Simulated Vending Machine Business. It Lied, Cheated, and Extorted Its Way to the Top

A New Study Indicates AI Customer Support Can Have Strong ROI

AI Power Users Are Rapidly Outpacing Their Peers. Here’s What They’re Doing Differently

Anthropic’s New Claude Model Will Turn Your Spreadsheet Into a Pitch Deck

OpenAI Just Launched a New Platform That Will Let You Create AI Co-Workers

A New Report Reveals Gen‑Z’s Surprising Approach to AI Is Reshaping the Future of Work

Latest Issue

Get subscriber-only access to the Best Workplaces list!

Subscribe today to get instant access to premium content, subscriber-only events, the latest issue and more!

Subscribe Today

Latest Podcast

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Latest Stories

Grow

How Cowboy Boot Brand Tecovas Plans to Score Millions of Fans With Its Super Bowl Ad

The company anticipates the streaming spot will reach up to 20 percent of the game’s hyper-engaged audience.

By Rebecca Deczynski

Mark Cuban Responds to TrumpRX Launch, Says His Cost Plus Drugs Saves More Money

On a panel, Mark Cuban and Medicare’s director debated the best paths to slashing prescription costs.

By Kevin Haynes

Mexicans Are Refusing to Spend This $50 Peso Bill

According to the Bank of Mexico (Banxico), around 12.9 million people are hoarding the Mexican $50 peso bill.

Receive This Amazon Text? Experts Warn It’s a Dangerous Phishing Scam

The fake messages are impersonating an Amazon product recall message.

Giving Kids a ‘Safe’ Neighborhood to Grow Up in Can Often Backfire

We Americans talk big about freedom, but when a child is learning to be independent, the cultural reaction today is to think something is terribly wrong.

4 Strategies for Building a Business as a Nomadic Founder

You can build a business from anywhere with the right systems in place.

By Kimanzi Constable

Startup

4 Client Red Flags Small Consulting Firms Often Catch Too Late

New consulting firms hungry for revenue sometimes overlook warning signs that a customer may actually hurt your business.

By Chris Morris

Uber Hit With $8.5 Million Verdict in Case That Could Affect Thousands More

The ruling centers on whether Uber can be held responsible for drivers’ actions even when they are classified as independent contractors.

By Jessica Hawthorne-Castro

Inc. Leadership Forum

Why Brand and Performance Marketing Work Better Together

Brand and performance are not opposing forces; they are multipliers.

Can MAGA’s Spite Show Outperform Bad Bunny? (Or at Least the Puppy Bowl?)

With an anti-halftime show of its own, the MAGA-verse enters a new phase of counterprograming.

An AI Ran a Simulated Vending Machine Business. It Lied, Cheated, and Extorted Its Way to the Top

Anthropic’s newest version of Claude displayed cutthroat tactics—and also revealed some big, weird feelings.

By Ben Sherry

Waymo’s Remote Helpers Are Based Overseas—And It’s Raising Big Safety Questions

The company’s acclaimed self-driving vehicles rely on agents for real-time guidance.

It Seems AI Agents Can Now Rent Human Bodies

A new startup sets up a marketplace of humans to be rented for AI agents to use.

Companies Replaced Entry-Level Workers With AI. Now They Are Paying the Price

Recent graduates are clearly not okay—but neither are the companies that decided they could do without them.

Kevin O’Leary Slammed Billie Eilish. Then Mark Ruffalo Told Him to ‘STFU’

The online feud revolves around the artist’s Grammy acceptance speech.

NASA Is Making a Big Change, and It Will Transform How Astronauts Capture Their Journeys

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that the policy will start with missions to the ISS first—and then the moon.

By Chloe Aiello

Highlights

Inc. 5000

Meet the companies scaling at hyper speed.

Best Workplaces

These companies boast best-in-class workplace cultures that put their employees first. Period.

Expert Exchange

Practical advice and tactical strategies from visionary founders.

Inc. Regionals

These 951 companies are the growth champions of their regions.

By Olga Loffredi, PhD, and Gregory Unruh, PhD

There Is No Going Back

The secret to leading through chaos

The Heartbreaking Way Tariffs Are Hurting Valentine’s Day Sales

A trio of small business owners explain how import duties that crimped their 2025 sales could hit a holiday that represents 10 percent to 20 percent of their annual revenues.

By Bruce Crumley

By Cathy Elliott, PhD, Senior Vice President, Program Delivery, Landmark Worldwide

The Next Frontier of Global Growth: How Landmark Scales a Deeply Human Product Across Cultures

This personal development program helps people uncover unexamined assumptions that may be limiting their effectiveness.

By Erin Snyder, Senior Program Leader, Landmark

The Next Business Advantage: Leaders Who Grow People, Not Just Companies

Why today’s smartest entrepreneurs invest in the personal development of their employees.

A Legendary Kentucky Bourbon Just Sold for $775 Million to a Wine Company

The historic bourbon Four Roses brand joins Gallo’s expanding spirits portfolio.

‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Driving a Surprise Book Publishing Boom

The HBO Max series has turned a niche romance novel into a breakout sensation, pumping HarperCollins book sales in this fiscal year’s second quarter.

By Mariapaula Gonzalez

E‑Bikes Offer Unexpected Brain Health Boost for Riders Over 50, Study Finds

Researchers followed 100 participants over 8 weeks.

Trump Claims TrumpRx Delivers ‘Historic’ Drug Price Cuts, but Not Everyone Benefits. Here’s What to Know

The new government-backed site directs consumers to drugmaker discounts and coupons.

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Inc. 5000

Meet the Companies Building the Future

The Markets Are Rebounding, but the ‘SaaSpocalypse’ May Be a Sign of Things to Come

Salesforce, Adobe, Docusign and Workday were among the $300 billion sell-off’s biggest victims

Tim Cook Reassures Apple Employees After Immigration Raids: ‘You Have My Word’

The Apple CEO pledged to press lawmakers during a town hall yesterday.

A New Study Indicates AI Customer Support Can Have Strong ROI

In one particular area of business, AI really does seem to be helping customers and the companies using the new technology.

By Kit Eaton

Mergers and Acquisitions Fail at the Top and in the Middle. Here’s Why Managers Determine the Fate of a Deal

Good managers and HR teams should help employees feel informed, respected, and safe during a merger.

By Netta Jenkins

This Data Reveals a Surprising Truth About the Super Bowl’s Impact on Local Businesses

The NFL boasts that the Super Bowl and new stadiums bring billions in economic benefits. The reality for local business is a mixed bag.

By Aman Kidwai

State Officials Warn That ICE Is Upending Businesses Across the U.S.

Fiscal leaders told the White House that local economies are suffering as a result of recent immigration activity.

By Melissa Angell

The Labor Market Is Shrinking and AI Isn’t the Only Reason

January was the weakest month for jobs since 2009.

By Phil Rosen

AI Power Users Are Rapidly Outpacing Their Peers. Here’s What They’re Doing Differently

The people using AI the right way are gaining a day and a half of productivity each week.

By Kolawole Adebayo

Latest Stories

Grow

How Cowboy Boot Brand Tecovas Plans to Score Millions of Fans With Its Super Bowl Ad

The company anticipates the streaming spot will reach up to 20 percent of the game’s hyper-engaged audience.

By Rebecca Deczynski

Mark Cuban Responds to TrumpRX Launch, Says His Cost Plus Drugs Saves More Money

On a panel, Mark Cuban and Medicare’s director debated the best paths to slashing prescription costs.

By Kevin Haynes

Mexicans Are Refusing to Spend This $50 Peso Bill

According to the Bank of Mexico (Banxico), around 12.9 million people are hoarding the Mexican $50 peso bill.

Receive This Amazon Text? Experts Warn It’s a Dangerous Phishing Scam

The fake messages are impersonating an Amazon product recall message.

Giving Kids a ‘Safe’ Neighborhood to Grow Up in Can Often Backfire

We Americans talk big about freedom, but when a child is learning to be independent, the cultural reaction today is to think something is terribly wrong.

4 Strategies for Building a Business as a Nomadic Founder

You can build a business from anywhere with the right systems in place.

By Kimanzi Constable

Startup

4 Client Red Flags Small Consulting Firms Often Catch Too Late

New consulting firms hungry for revenue sometimes overlook warning signs that a customer may actually hurt your business.

By Chris Morris

Uber Hit With $8.5 Million Verdict in Case That Could Affect Thousands More

The ruling centers on whether Uber can be held responsible for drivers’ actions even when they are classified as independent contractors.

By Jessica Hawthorne-Castro

Highlights

Inc. 5000

Meet the companies scaling at hyper speed.

Best Workplaces

These companies boast best-in-class workplace cultures that put their employees first. Period.

Expert Exchange

Practical advice and tactical strategies from visionary founders.

Inc. Regionals

These 951 companies are the growth champions of their regions.

Inc. Leadership Forum

Why Brand and Performance Marketing Work Better Together

Brand and performance are not opposing forces; they are multipliers.

Can MAGA’s Spite Show Outperform Bad Bunny? (Or at Least the Puppy Bowl?)

With an anti-halftime show of its own, the MAGA-verse enters a new phase of counterprograming.

An AI Ran a Simulated Vending Machine Business. It Lied, Cheated, and Extorted Its Way to the Top

Anthropic’s newest version of Claude displayed cutthroat tactics—and also revealed some big, weird feelings.

By Ben Sherry

Waymo’s Remote Helpers Are Based Overseas—And It’s Raising Big Safety Questions

The company’s acclaimed self-driving vehicles rely on agents for real-time guidance.

It Seems AI Agents Can Now Rent Human Bodies

A new startup sets up a marketplace of humans to be rented for AI agents to use.

Companies Replaced Entry-Level Workers With AI. Now They Are Paying the Price

Recent graduates are clearly not okay—but neither are the companies that decided they could do without them.

Kevin O’Leary Slammed Billie Eilish. Then Mark Ruffalo Told Him to ‘STFU’

The online feud revolves around the artist’s Grammy acceptance speech.

NASA Is Making a Big Change, and It Will Transform How Astronauts Capture Their Journeys

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that the policy will start with missions to the ISS first—and then the moon.

By Chloe Aiello

By Olga Loffredi, PhD, and Gregory Unruh, PhD

There Is No Going Back

The secret to leading through chaos

The Heartbreaking Way Tariffs Are Hurting Valentine’s Day Sales

A trio of small business owners explain how import duties that crimped their 2025 sales could hit a holiday that represents 10 percent to 20 percent of their annual revenues.

By Bruce Crumley

By Cathy Elliott, PhD, Senior Vice President, Program Delivery, Landmark Worldwide

The Next Frontier of Global Growth: How Landmark Scales a Deeply Human Product Across Cultures

This personal development program helps people uncover unexamined assumptions that may be limiting their effectiveness.

By Erin Snyder, Senior Program Leader, Landmark

The Next Business Advantage: Leaders Who Grow People, Not Just Companies

Why today’s smartest entrepreneurs invest in the personal development of their employees.

A Legendary Kentucky Bourbon Just Sold for $775 Million to a Wine Company

The historic bourbon Four Roses brand joins Gallo’s expanding spirits portfolio.

‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Driving a Surprise Book Publishing Boom

The HBO Max series has turned a niche romance novel into a breakout sensation, pumping HarperCollins book sales in this fiscal year’s second quarter.

By Mariapaula Gonzalez

E‑Bikes Offer Unexpected Brain Health Boost for Riders Over 50, Study Finds

Researchers followed 100 participants over 8 weeks.

Trump Claims TrumpRx Delivers ‘Historic’ Drug Price Cuts, but Not Everyone Benefits. Here’s What to Know

The new government-backed site directs consumers to drugmaker discounts and coupons.

Latest Podcast

SEE ALL PODCASTS

The Markets Are Rebounding, but the ‘SaaSpocalypse’ May Be a Sign of Things to Come

Salesforce, Adobe, Docusign and Workday were among the $300 billion sell-off’s biggest victims

Tim Cook Reassures Apple Employees After Immigration Raids: ‘You Have My Word’

The Apple CEO pledged to press lawmakers during a town hall yesterday.

A New Study Indicates AI Customer Support Can Have Strong ROI

In one particular area of business, AI really does seem to be helping customers and the companies using the new technology.

By Kit Eaton

Mergers and Acquisitions Fail at the Top and in the Middle. Here’s Why Managers Determine the Fate of a Deal

Good managers and HR teams should help employees feel informed, respected, and safe during a merger.

By Netta Jenkins

This Data Reveals a Surprising Truth About the Super Bowl’s Impact on Local Businesses

The NFL boasts that the Super Bowl and new stadiums bring billions in economic benefits. The reality for local business is a mixed bag.

By Aman Kidwai

State Officials Warn That ICE Is Upending Businesses Across the U.S.

Fiscal leaders told the White House that local economies are suffering as a result of recent immigration activity.

By Melissa Angell

The Labor Market Is Shrinking and AI Isn’t the Only Reason

January was the weakest month for jobs since 2009.

By Phil Rosen