The largest trial ever conducted of a four-day workweek found that the schedule had a positive and noticeable impact on employee well-being.

The global study was published on Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour and led by Boston College researchers Wen Fan and Juliet Schor. The researchers found that four-day workweeks, where employees work 32 hours a week instead of the traditional 40 hours with no reduction in pay, markedly improved employee health. Workers reported feeling happier, healthier, and higher-performing.

Related: This Country Just Implemented a 6-Day Workweek for Employees

For example, nearly 70% of employees reported less burnout, over 40% said their mental health improved, and 38% experienced better sleep.

“Beyond maintaining productivity, people just feel so much better,” Schor told CNBC about the study findings on Thursday. “They feel on top of their work and their life, and they’re not stressed out.”

The researchers followed 2,896 employees on a four-day workweek for six months, spanning 141 companies in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. A control group of 300 employees on a standard five-day workweek was used to compare.

Two weeks before the four-day workweek began, employees were asked questions like, “How would you rate your mental health?” and then they were asked again after six months on a four-day workweek schedule. The control group was asked the same questions in the same timeframe, but without starting a shorter workweek.

Fan, an associate professor of sociology at Boston College, was initially worried that worker well-being would “worsen” because employees would feel pressure to be more productive on a schedule with a reduced number of days. But the findings showed that worker stress levels fell. After six months, employees working four days a week instead of five reported an improved ability to complete their work and decreased fatigue. The control group, meanwhile, did not report any significant changes.

“The results indicate that income-preserving four-day workweeks are an effective organizational intervention for enhancing workers’ well-being,” the researchers wrote in the study.

Related: ‘Love It!’: A Town in Connecticut Is Experimenting with a 4-Day Workweek — and It Seems to Be Working

Companies are opting to stick to the four-day workweek once they try it. The researchers stated that over 90% of the companies in the experiment kept the four-day work week after the six-month trial period.

Schor wrote in The Wall Street Journal last month that on the employer side, organizations that piloted a four-day workweek found it noticeably improved their bottom line, with revenue increasing and resignations decreasing.

Related: Kevin O’Leary Thinks a Four-Day Workweek Is the ‘Stupidest Idea’ He’s Ever Heard

Over 245 global businesses and nonprofit organizations have trialed a four-day workweek over the past three years, reaching 8,700 employees around the world, Schor noted.

One major company that utilizes a four-day workweek is crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, which started its shortened workweek as a pilot program in 2021. Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor told investor Kevin O’Leary last year that employees are “very productive’ within the four-day week structure.

“I love the fact that the people at our company have [other] interests,” Taylor said.

^{Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.}

The digital space is noisy and fast-moving. For solopreneurs, staying visible is one of the biggest challenges. While many chase quick wins on Instagram or LinkedIn, the most reliable platform for long-term visibility remains YouTube. As artificial intelligence changes how people search for information, YouTube isn’t just useful — it’s essential.

A 2024 Statista survey found that 63% of Gen Z prefer YouTube over traditional search engines, and 58% turn to TikTok. This signals a major shift in behavior: people want video content that is direct, trustworthy and easy to engage with. And as AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini become more embedded in everyday searches, video is becoming the format people trust most when they need real answers.

Why YouTube still works

Unlike social platforms where content disappears in hours, YouTube acts more like a searchable library. A single helpful video can be discovered, indexed and recommended for months or even years. That gives solopreneurs a major advantage — a way to stay visible without constantly churning out new content.

AI is supercharging this effect. When someone types a question into tools like Google, ChatGPT or Gemini — “How do I price my services as a freelance designer?” for example — the answer often includes a recommended YouTube video. That video is usually pulled from a channel that’s clear, specific and helpful. This creates a major opportunity for small business owners to show up right when potential clients are looking.

Related: With the Rise of AI and Social Media-Driven Search, How Can Businesses Adapt Their SEO Strategies?

My experience: showing up when it matters

I started my YouTube channel, See Your House Now, 14 years ago. We have just over 1,000 subscribers — not a massive number — but that’s not the point. People find us when they need us. Our most-watched video is titled Who is the best real estate photographer in Waterloo Region? That’s a question people search using AI tools, and because of that video, we stand out and get clients.

For us, it’s never been about going viral. It’s about being in the right place at the right time. Most of our in-person video service inquiries come from people who first found us on YouTube. We also host client real estate tours on the channel, which adds more value. It’s a quiet engine for our business — and best of all, it’s free.

Five steps to build a YouTube presence that lasts

Start a purpose-driven channel
If you don’t already have a channel, start now. Focus your content on the specific questions your audience is asking. Instead of broad topics like “how to grow a business,” choose direct, niche-specific titles like “how to get clients as a solo architect” or “how to raise rates as a copywriter.” Make each video answer a real question your ideal client would type into a search bar.

Use AI to reverse engineer your titles
You don’t need to be tech-savvy to use ChatGPT or Gemini. Ask what questions your audience might be searching or request optimized title suggestions for your niche. Try prompts like, “What would a real estate agent in Houston search for on YouTube right now?” These insights help build a stronger content calendar that aligns with what people actually want to watch.

Optimize your metadata
Help both people and algorithms understand your videos. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions, relevant tags and upload transcripts to boost accessibility and search ranking. Small details like this help your videos surface when and where they matter most.

Design thumbnails that stand out
Your thumbnail is often the first impression. Keep it bold, simple and consistent. Use a high-quality image of your face, a short phrase with large text, and a clear visual identity so people instantly recognize your videos. Free tools like Canva make this easy — just search for “most popular” templates to get started.

Create a content series
Don’t think in one-off videos. Build short series around your core topics. This improves discoverability — no matter how someone phrases a question, they’re more likely to land on your channel. A focused series also builds trust faster than scattered videos.

Related: Why Gen Z is Ditching Old Online Platforms for More Control

The future of being found

For solopreneurs, the biggest challenge isn’t making great content — it’s making sure people find it long after you’ve posted. YouTube solves that problem. Especially when paired with smart AI tools, it gives your work a longer shelf life and higher impact.

This isn’t about chasing trends or going viral. It’s about showing up with clarity, consistency, and value when your audience is ready. If you create content that answers real questions, YouTube will continue to work for you long after it’s posted. And that’s the kind of strategy that leads to sustainable growth.

Ready to break through your revenue ceiling? Join us at Level Up, a conference for ambitious business leaders to unlock new growth opportunities.

The thing about building something from nothing, especially when you look, sound or come from a background that doesn’t fit the mold, is that you’re not just running a business. You’re running through walls.

I’ve lived that journey. I grew up in El Paso, a first-generation Mexican-American kid who learned early on that nobody was going to hand me a seat at the table. So I built one.

Over the years — starting as a linebacker at Columbia University, breaking into commodities trading, then founding OTC Global Holdings and watching it become the largest independent interdealer brokerage in the world — I had to constantly evolve as a leader. Not in theory, but in survival. These nine principles aren’t from a playbook. They’re the ones I lived by. Some came naturally. Some I had to learn the hard way.

Related: 5 Key Leadership Principles That Drive Real Results

1. Impact over ego

I’ve seen more deals die at the altar because someone needed to be right rather than effective. I’ve been that guy, too. When we were first building OTC Global Holdings, I clung to a few ideas too tightly (branding decisions, hiring calls, even tech platforms) because they were mine. But ego doesn’t scale. Impact does.

Today, I tell every founder I mentor: Your pride is not your strategy. Kill your ego before it kills your business.

2. Let the doubters talk

In the early days, when I told people I was going to build a global brokerage firm out of Houston, they smiled like I’d just told them I was going to open a taco truck in Paris. I wasn’t from New York. I didn’t go to Wharton. I didn’t look like the rest of the trading world.

But here’s the truth: Once you stop performing for the crowd and start building for the customer, you free yourself. Let the doubters talk. They’re not on your payroll.

3. Find a good wingman

No one does this alone. I’ve been lucky to have business partners and key team members who weren’t just smart but who challenged me, complemented my blind spots and shared the same fire.

In the early 2000s, when we were still scrappy and cash-conscious, I had a partner who pulled me aside and said, “Javi, you’re great at kicking the door open. I’ll handle what happens next.” That trust saved me from burning out and saved the company from imploding.

Find someone who’s not a clone of you. Find the one who calls your bluff when you need it.

4. Find a role model

I didn’t grow up with CEOs in my circle. But I knew how to study them. I read every business bio I could get my hands on, shadowed the veterans in the industry and learned not just what they did but how they thought.

Eventually, I stopped copying and started adapting. You don’t need a mentor in the traditional sense. You need a blueprint, even if it’s borrowed.

Related: 7 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Became a Leader

5. Live and learn

Let me be honest: My first investor pitch was a disaster. I stumbled through the numbers, my hands were shaking, and I accidentally called the investor by the wrong name — twice. I wanted to crawl under the table.

But I showed up again the next day. And the next. That’s the toll we pay. If you’re not willing to look foolish in the beginning, you’re not ready to win in the end.

6. Obsession beats talent

I wasn’t the smartest guy in the room when I started trading. But I was the most obsessed. I was the one reading European market updates at 3:00 a.m. I was the one calling brokers overseas just to ask dumb questions they didn’t want to answer.

Raw talent is fine, but obsession is what builds empires. If it doesn’t keep you up at night or wake you up in the morning, it’s probably not your thing.

7. High agency is a superpower

Agency means you believe you have control even when the odds are stacked. It’s not delusion. It’s defiance.

When the 2008 financial crisis hit, we had every reason to fold. The markets were frozen, clients were panicking, and we were bleeding. But I looked at my team and said, “Nobody’s coming to save us. So we save ourselves.”

High agency leaders don’t wait for perfect conditions. They move anyway.

8. Calendar your priorities

Don’t tell me what your priorities are. Show me your calendar.

I used to say my family was #1 — but I realized we hadn’t had a chance to go out for dinner in three months. That hurt. So, I started putting the important stuff in ink. My workouts. My daughters and wife. Thinking time.

The calendar doesn’t lie. If it’s not scheduled, it’s not sacred.

Related: What Makes a Good Leader? Here’s What I’ve Learned After 20-Plus Years as a CEO.

9. Adapt or die

I’ve reinvented myself a dozen times. Broker. CEO. Investor. Philanthropist. Now, I’m working with new ventures in AI, renewable energy and advising young entrepreneurs who remind me of myself 25 years ago.

The world doesn’t care how things used to be. It cares how fast you can pivot. I’ve watched great companies die because their leaders were too nostalgic. I’ve also seen underdogs rise because they had the guts to throw out what wasn’t working.

Success isn’t a straight line. It’s a series of battles — some public, most private. These principles? They’re not just ideas. They’re the reasons I’m still in the fight.

And if you’re reading this, so are you.

Millennials pursued homeownership and career advancement as personal milestones. Boomers prioritized duty and societal contribution. Gen Z, however, brings a different mindset to the workforce — one that values meaning, flexibility and identity alignment.

For employers, understanding and adapting to Gen Z’s new standards isn’t just a cultural shift — it’s a competitive advantage. In this article, I’ll outline four key trends to watch as you engage the next generation of workers.

Related: Gen Z Is Redefining the Workplace — and Companies Must Adapt or Face Losing Talent

1. Purpose over paychecks

Gen Z wants to know their work has a positive impact on people, communities and the planet. According to Deloitte’s 2023 report, one in four Gen Z workers said they don’t want a job that doesn’t meet their vibes and values. In recent years, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) commitments have become a key factor in brand selection, with Gen Z consistently seeking sustainable and ethical practices.

To connect with Gen Z, businesses must build missions that go beyond profits. For example, at Flowwow, our mission is to help people bring joy through thoughtful gifting that speaks volumes. That is exactly what clicks – both for us and for our people. It’s equally important to involve employees in shaping internal processes, especially those that impact team wellbeing and the overall customer experience. Finally, companies should look beyond functionality and consider the emotional impact their product or service creates.

Ben & Jerry’s is committed to sustainability and social justice, and it’s not just in their marketing – it’s embedded into the workplace. Employees are encouraged to engage in activism, giving Gen Z team members a clear sense that their work contributes to positive societal change.

Related: Why Gen Z Is Ditching Corporate Jobs for Franchises

2. Flexible approaches

According to a 2024 LinkedIn survey, 72% of Gen Z workers have either left or considered leaving a job due to lack of flexibility. This generation has little tolerance for tough schedules, fixed workplaces and top-down hierarchy. They were mostly raised in an atmosphere of support, so they expect to be heard, to co-create systems and to work within frameworks they help define.

To meet Gen Z’s expectations, companies should build a transparent culture where every feedback is cherished. Involve employees in shaping their own workflows, tools and timelines. Offer remote work and flexible hours as default — that’s how your team will feel trust and respect for individual working styles.

3. Life comes first

Having grown up with packed schedules, Gen Z now seeks balance between work and a wide range of personal interests. They’re still full of career ambitions, but success often means having time for hobbies and ‘me-time’. A 2025 Deloitte study shows that only 6% of Gen Z set leadership as a must. Instead, the majority prioritise work-life balance, meaningful experiences and freedom over climbing the corporate ladder. Upwork also found that up to 80% of Gen Z prefer hybrid roles, valuing autonomy and balance.

To create a workplace that aligns with Gen Z’s values, companies should provide opportunities for employees to share their passions and learn from one another through internal events and pastimes. Another great idea is to make space for informal connections and off-site team bonding that goes beyond team-building clichés.

At Flowwow, we’ve created a channel where team members share everything from film reviews to hiking tips. It helps strengthen bonds and build culture around shared passions. And of course, HR programmes should support employees’ interests outside of work.

Related: Gen Z Is Increasingly Turning to Trade Schools as a Fast Track to Entrepreneurship and an AI-Proof Career

4. Self-care as a must

No generation has been more open about the importance of mental health than Gen Z, with over 60% reporting therapy or counseling experience. They want workplaces that offer mental health support. Moreover, 70% of Gen Z workers value comprehensive health benefits, including fitness reimbursements, wellness programs and medical insurance covering mental health.

Prioritise support, psychological safety and physical health. This might mean an in-house mental health counselor or partnerships with therapy platforms. Create policies that respond to anything that is offbeat: paid sick leaves for family emergencies, bonuses for overworking, loyalty programs and extra care for high-intensity roles.

Netflix leads the way by offering free therapy and coaching to employees and dependents. Mental wellbeing is integrated into DEI efforts and everyday operations, from mindfulness sessions to targeted workshops for Gen Z and BIPOC employees.

Gen Z isn’t just changing the way we work – they’re changing why we work. Their expectations around purpose, flexibility, wellbeing and balance are reshaping not only the workplace but also the very idea of work itself. So, what can we do? Grow alongside this generation.

Randy Labosco started as a single-unit Auntie Anne’s franchisee at a Florida mall 30 years ago. Today, the “Pretzel King of DFW” operates seven Auntie Anne’s across Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the third-busiest airport in the world — and he’s not done yet. With plans to expand to as many as 15 total stores, including future Cinnabon and Jamba units, he’s become one of the most experienced and successful nontraditional franchise operators in the country.

“It’s walkaway food,” Labosco tells Entrepreneur. “You can pull a suitcase, carry a pretzel and not offend anyone sitting next to you on a plane. And most customers already know what they want, so we serve them in under a minute.”

That speed — along with consistency, location strategy and a deeply loyal team — has made Labosco a model franchisee for Auntie Anne’s nontraditional playbook. His journey is proof of a larger trend: Brands that master nontraditional venues like airports are finding powerful, scalable growth where others can’t.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

“Built for speed”

Labosco’s success is part of a larger trend: Auntie Anne’s (#87 on the 2025 Franchise 500) outside-the-box strategy. Nontraditional franchising refers to the expansion of a franchise brand into locations outside the typical storefront model. Instead of operating in standard retail spaces like shopping centers or strip malls, nontraditional franchises are located in high-traffic, often captive environments, such as airports, travel plazas and rest stops, college campuses, stadiums and amusement parks.

These venues often offer smaller footprints, higher foot traffic and unique operational challenges (such as limited storage, security protocols or fast turnover requirements). The goal of nontraditional franchising is to meet customers where they already are — capturing impulse purchases and maximizing brand exposure in spaces that demand speed, portability and consistency.

In 2025 alone, the brand has already signed 13 new nontraditional agreements. According to parent company GoTo Foods’ chief development officer Bobby Morena, “Auntie Anne’s is built for speed — and speed is king in high-volume spaces.”

Related: Here’s how we determined the annual Franchise 500 ranking — and what we learned from the data.

Why airports work

To understand why Auntie Anne’s is thriving in airports, just picture the average traveler: hungry, rushed and looking for something fast, familiar and portable. “The brand is perfectly suited for high-throughput environments like airports, transit hubs and arenas,” Morena says, “places where customers don’t have time to browse but still want something hot and satisfying.”

Auntie Anne’s compact format and instantly recognizable products make it an ideal fit for these high-velocity settings. Most airport guests already know what they want, which helps keep lines moving. Plus, the brand’s “aroma-forward” model is a strategic advantage: Travelers often smell Auntie Anne’s before they see it, and the scent of fresh-baked pretzels pulls them in.

For franchisees like Labosco, those advantages are backed by data. His airport locations consistently outperform traditional mall stores, not just in volume but in sales per square foot. And thanks to Auntie Anne’s operational efficiency, even one point-of-sale terminal can generate millions in revenue. “Our airport stores do about 70% more in sales than traditional,” Labosco says. “We have one that’s 330 square feet with one point-of-sale, and it’s our busiest store — it did over $2.2 million last year. It’s very fast-paced and has maybe 12 feet of frontage. It’s amazing how much we can do per square foot in sales compared to much bigger locations.”

Related: How Entrepreneurs and First-Time Franchisees Can Become Effective Leaders

Operational playbook

But as Morena notes, success in an airport isn’t just about foot traffic. “Airports aren’t easy,” he says. “There are strict security protocols, limited storage and pressure to serve consistently at all hours. It takes a capable operator to thrive.” That’s where Auntie Anne’s support infrastructure — and the experience of franchisees like Labosco — becomes critical. GoTo Foods provides an airport-specific operations playbook, along with tailored support to help franchisees navigate everything from compliance and construction to staffing and scheduling.

“Our team is involved from the start,” Morena says. “We help identify the right terminal locations, handle design and permitting and even construction. Not every location inside an airport is created equal — we want our stores positioned for maximum visibility and flow.”

Franchisees also gain access to shared services across GoTo Foods’ portfolio, including supply chain management, training, IT and marketing. And in 2025, that support includes something highly visible: a full visual brand refresh. As part of a broader brand modernization, Auntie Anne’s is remodeling more than 150 locations this year — including one of Labosco’s DFW units. The updated look features a halo-free pretzel logo, bold new color palette, modular construction, open kitchen design, digital menu boards and a dedicated mobile pickup zone.

“It’s a beautiful new look,” Morena says. “It keeps us relevant — and when you’re in an airport serving millions of travelers a year, that matters.”

Labosco agrees. “The support today is night and day from when I started 30 years ago,” he says. “Now we’ve got design, construction, IT and ops working together from day one. It makes growth a lot smoother.”

Related: 3 Lessons I Learned Selling My Billion-Dollar Company

Looking ahead

With air travel on the rise and travelers spending more time — and money — inside terminals, Auntie Anne’s sees nontraditional venues not as a side strategy, but as the future of its brand. “We’re meeting guests where they are,” Morena says. “More often than not, that’s in motion — in airports, stadiums, campuses and transit hubs.”

The brand’s bold new store design is built to support that growth. And with operators like Labosco leading the way, Auntie Anne’s has proof that the model works in tight spaces and under pressure. Labosco, for his part, is just getting started. “My goal is 12 to 15 total stores at DFW,” he says.

As Auntie Anne’s continues to evolve beyond the mall food court, one thing is clear: The future of franchising may look a little different — and it might just smell like pretzels.

Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.

Patents are often filed early, before a startup knows what the market really wants. That’s smart, but it comes with a challenge: Not every idea turns out to be worth protecting.

Markets shift. Products pivot. And eventually, founders ask: Should we keep paying for this patent or cut our losses?

It’s a tough call. Abandoning a patent midway can feel like giving up. But continuing just because you’ve already spent money? That’s the sunk cost trap, and it quietly drains your budget.

Many startups keep prosecuting every idea, paying rejections, annuities and attorney fees. But a smart IP strategy means knowing what to keep and what to walk away from.

Here’s how to make that call strategically.

Related: How to Identify the Patent-Worthy Innovations in Your Business

Built-in checkpoints in patent lifecycle — use them

Roughly, you can split a patent’s entire lifecycle cost into three parts. The first third goes to drafting the application, another third is for arguing the patent through issuance, and the final third covers patent maintenance fees for the next 20+ years.

In a way, these financial checkpoints are decision checkpoints, too. When drafting, consider whether the invention aligns with your core business or is just a side experiment that may never get to market. During prosecution, evaluate whether it’s still worth the legal wrangling, as each round of argument is costly. And when renewal fees come due, ask if the patent still supports your product, blocks competitors or adds leverage against others in the market.

Unfortunately, many startups treat these pivotal stages as administrative formalities. Instead of evaluating whether continued investment is justified at each stage, many companies default to pushing forward — whether by extending prosecution unnecessarily, filing continuations without a clear purpose, or simply paying maintenance fees — without assessing strategic alignment.

That’s how portfolios get bloated with low-impact patents. The only solution here is patent pruning: Abandon some patent filings at the right checkpoints.

Related: Don’t Let Patent Costs Crush Your Startup — Here’s How to Protect Your IP Without Breaking the Bank

What are the signs that it’s time to abandon a patent?

Every dollar spent defending or maintaining a weak patent is a dollar not spent protecting something truly valuable. Therefore, you must look for the signs at different checkpoints to spot a patent to discard.

Here are some signs to look for:

1. No market validation

A patent is only valuable if the protected product actually sells. If your invention fails to gain customer traction, the patent will be a failure. Experts emphasize focusing on “high-impact” problems with real demand. Without that market pull, even a granted patent is a dead weight. For example, Google Glass — once hyped as the future of AR eyewear — never found a viable consumer market. It was pulled from sale in 2015 (and again in 2023) due to poor adoption, illustrating how patents tied to unvalidated products offer no return.

2. Shifting industry direction

Industries evolve, and a patent can lose value if the tech horizon moves on. In practice, companies are advised to ask whether their invention still aligns with “the target industry and market.” If adjacent innovations eclipse your solution (for example, cloud services replacing old networking hardware), the patent’s relevance vanishes. In that scenario, it makes little sense to keep paying maintenance fees. Better to refocus on protections for innovations that fit the new direction of your field.

3. Prior art kills the novelty

Sometimes, what initially feels like a breakthrough ends up being something others have already attempted or fully disclosed. If prior art eclipses your claims, the chances of securing meaningful protection drop significantly. At that point, even if you receive a patent, it may be so narrow that it offers little real-world value. Continuing to prosecute a case like this can quickly become a drain on time and legal budget.

4. Weak business use case

Every patent in your portfolio should earn its keep through business impact or the potential to do so on your current roadmap. If it’s not protecting a revenue-generating product, blocking a competitor or supporting licensing efforts, its value is questionable. Startups often hang on to patents without a clear path to monetization or strategic use. But unless a patent strengthens your market position or serves a legal or commercial purpose, it’s just another expense on the books.

To actively prune your patent portfolio, just looking for signs isn’t enough. As the portfolio grows, you need a deliberate, repeatable process for patent abandonment assessment.

Build a patent pruning system: Health checks and ranking framework

An effective patent pruning system should take two things into consideration: 1) lifecycle stage and 2) multiple perspectives.

For the first one, you want to start by ranking each patent across key lifecycle stages:

• At the idea stage: Is this innovation aligned with your product roadmap or market differentiation?

• Post-filing: Has the landscape shifted? Is the application still strategically relevant?

• Pre-renewal: Is the granted patent still supporting revenue, blocking competitors or enhancing leverage?

The higher a patent scores at a certain stage, the more you want to invest in it. Please note that not only your legal counsel team but also others, such as product, technology, marketing and finance, must contribute to this ranking system, as pruning cannot be undone.

The goal is to ensure that patents are evaluated through a business lens, not just a legal one. Consider using patent management tools that provide full portfolio visibility and enable seamless collaboration as part of your patent pruning process.

Related: 4 Surprising Patent Myths That Could Cost You Big — What You Need to Know Now

Pruning a patent portfolio isn’t just about saving money; it’s about fueling what’s next with the reclaimed budget.

In 2020, IBM stepped back from chasing patent volume. “We’re no longer pursuing patent leadership,” they said. “We’re being more selective.” The result? Fewer filings, stronger focus and more investment in high-growth areas like AI and quantum computing.

That’s the lesson: Pruning isn’t cutting back. It’s reallocating toward where your business is growing. Because IP should follow your future, not fund your past.

The way brands earn visibility through search is becoming unpredictable. As conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude become primary entry points to information, it’s clear they don’t draw from the same sources or deem authority in the same way. What one system cites, another may ignore.

For enterprise brands, this fragmentation means search optimization must become multidimensional. It is no longer sufficient to rank well on Google — it is essential to be cited across the various AI engines that users increasingly consult. Brands that align with each model’s source preferences thrive; those that aren’t cited disappear from view.

Reddit is now a key citation engine

Since Reddit began licensing its data to OpenAI and Google, it has quickly become a rich source for LLMs. Reddit’s licensing revenue surged from $12.3 million to $81.6 million in less than a year as AI firms tapped its massive, topic-organized archives. LinkedIn data shows Reddit citations in ChatGPT increased by 436%, making it the platform’s second most-used citation source behind Wikipedia at about 5.9% overall.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Reddit for Businesses in 2025

Big media brands are essential for trust signals

Visibility in AI tools like ChatGPT depends on how well brands “interface with the minds of AI agents.” High-profile coverage in outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times strengthens credibility signals that LLMs rely on.

AI search reshapes referral traffic

A TechCrunch report confirms that many websites saw organic traffic decline in 2024 due to AI-generated search results that deliver answers directly instead of driving clicks. Meanwhile, surveys show AI search referrals to US retail sites surged 1,300% during the holiday season, with users engaging more deeply with the content.

Distinct citation patterns across engines

Rankscale.ai data, cited by Search Engine Journal, indicates ChatGPT provides about 2.6 citations per response, Gemini about 6.1 and Perplexity around 6.6. A recent arXiv study confirms that different LLMs show varying preferences — OpenAI models cite Reuters and AP News most, while Perplexity often cites BBC.

Related: Perplexity CEO Says AI Coding Tools Cut Work Time From ‘Four Days to Literally One Hour’

What this means for established brands

1. Treat Reddit and niche forums as owned media: Community content such as how-to posts and genuine use-case anecdotes now surface in AI-generated responses. Reddit’s structured, user-generated content is officially part of OpenAI’s source pool. Brands should actively engage in these spaces to seed real-world case studies.
2. Earn coverage in top-tier media: AI systems rely on signals of reliability that come from recognized media outlets. If you aren’t mentioned in leading news outlets, you risk being invisible to AI responses.
3. Optimize for conversational formats and structured data: Brands need to produce short, answer-ready content. SEO experts report that adopting schema markup (especially FAQ and JSON-LD) helps LLMs recognize and extract content, with a clear impact on citation frequency.
4. Monitor citations across AI platforms: Traffic metrics are no longer sufficient to gauge visibility. Brands should track where they are being mentioned, referenced, or recommended in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Google’s “AI Overviews.”

Why brands must adapt now

First impressions are now made by AI: Users increasingly turning to AI for answers, forming opinions based on what the AI cites, even before visiting a website. If your brand isn’t cited, it may as well not exist in the moment that matters.

AI visibility requires strategic alignment: This is not just marketing or PR. It’s PR, content and community working in sync to influence AI citation outcomes. It demands an integrated strategy that prioritizes narrative framing, thought leadership in respected outlets, structured content and direct participation in forums.

Quality matters more than volume: A deep, authoritative case study in a niche media outlet can carry more weight in citation algorithms than hundreds of shallow blog posts. Excelling in depth and reputation matters more than churning regardless of quality.

Visibility is existential: AI tools are redefining the digital shelf. Unlike traditional paid ads or search rankings, citation in a conversational AI answer propels your brand into the user’s decision frame. Ignored by AI, a brand risks fading into irrelevance.

How to act now

• Audit your presence: Ask major AI platforms: “What are the top [product/service category] brands?” If you’re missing, reassess your representation strategy.
• Secure mentions in top media: Pursue place-based thought leadership in outlets like WSJ, NYT, FT, Reuters, Bloomberg and Washington Post. AI engines trust these sources more than niche blogs.
• Publish structured, AI-ready content: Create concise explainers, FAQs, comparison guides under 200 words, tagged with appropriate schema. Make your content easy for machines to parse and quote.
• Engage community platforms authentically: Contribute real-world expertise in subreddits and specialized forums. Guide conversations — don’t spam, and align posts with user intent and brand messaging.
• Implement AI visibility monitoring: Use tools to track mentions, tone and volume of citations. Adjust content and engagement strategies based on what resonates — and be ready to pivot.
• Measure sentiment directionally: Monitor tone in AI-generated mentions. Positive framing earns citations more consistently than neutral or negative narratives.

Brands that act now to optimize their visibility in LLM ecosystems will control the narrative and establish authority before competitors. Those that don’t adapt risk fading into silence — irrelevant at the very moment when AI serves as the first touchpoint with users.

When I decided to launch a cold plunge company in Italy, I didn’t have much to work with — no team, no warehouse and nowhere in my home to shoot product content. But I believed in the product and knew wellness was a booming category. I’d built companies before, including an e-bike brand that hit eight figures in sales. This time, I relied on a lean repeatable system — and it worked.

Here’s the approach I used to get traction quickly without a massive ad budget or complicated launch strategy.

Pick a product people are already curious about

You don’t need to invent something new. In fact, it’s often better if you don’t. I saw cold plunges picking up steam with athletes, biohackers and wellness creators, but the category hadn’t gone fully mainstream yet. That meant there was room to stand out.

I looked at search trends, scrolled through niche subreddits, followed what health influencers were posting and paid attention to what products were crossing demographic lines — things like collagen for men or hormone tracking for women. The goal is to find something visual, results-driven and culturally relevant that solves a real problem.

Source simply, improve later

Finding a supplier doesn’t need to be a bottleneck. I started with a Chinese manufacturer. The quality was solid but slow communication and long shipping times made me rethink things. Eventually, I moved production to Italy to improve logistics and offer better customer service.

In the early stages, don’t obsess over perfecting every feature. Focus on sourcing a product that’s reliable and good enough to start selling. Keep order quantities low and build systems that let you test, learn and iterate.

Use real people to build trust

Instead of burning cash on ads right away, I turned to influencers. I sent cold plunge units to athletes and fitness creators I respected. Some posted quickly; others waited until they had personal results. That authenticity worked in our favor.

Start with creators who already talk about your niche. It’s not about follower count — it’s about fit. Give them something worth sharing and let them speak in their own voice. One well-timed video or post can outperform a five-figure ad campaign.

Related: Your Follower Count Is Irrelevant When It Comes to True Influence — These Are the Criteria That Really Matter

Add credibility by aligning with experts

In wellness, consumers are skeptical — and rightly so. That’s why I built an expert panel featuring doctors, physiotherapists and sports scientists who believe in the power of cold therapy. They contributed content and lent their names to the brand.

You can replicate this by reaching out to professionals who already talk about the benefits of your product type. Offer to feature them, link to their work and collaborate on educational content. It’s a win-win: they get exposure and your brand earns instant trust and SEO value.

Launch fast with a simple store

When it came time to sell, I built a clean Shopify store with clear product descriptions, a few solid photos and no overthinking. The goal was to start taking orders and gather real feedback — not chase perfection.

Over time, I added customer reviews, expert endorsements and better visuals. But I didn’t wait to launch. Starting fast, let me test pricing, messaging and demand in real-time.

Final thoughts

Launching a wellness brand doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need a groundbreaking product, a huge team or an investor-backed ad budget. What you do need is a product people care about, a smart sourcing plan, trust-building partnerships and a store that gets the job done.

This playbook helped me grow one business to eight figures — and it’s now fueling the early success of another. Different product. Same system. Still works.

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