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☆ Visual AI startup NEX raises $3.5 million seed round led by Foundation Capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( Sri Muppidi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lam aims to change that with NEX, which develops AI image tools for entertainment, gaming, and marketing. Founded in late 2023, the company recently raised a $3.5 million seed round led by Foundation Capital, with participation from Point72 Ventures. NEX does this by enabling users to generate images inspired by other images, not just text inputs, in a "real-time canvas." The startup's tech can also tailor the AI models based on a customer's existing data, a process called finetuning, or even develop models from scratch. Lam's vision for NEX is to be the "visual media tool for the AI era."

Persons: —, Darius Lam, Lam, NEX Ikon, NEX, OpenAI's Organizations: Service, Business, Foundation Capital, Point72 Ventures, NEX, Cerebras Systems, Adobe, Autodesk

☆ Buy now, pay later firm Klarna swings to first-half profit ahead of IPO
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Klarna said it posted a profit in the first half of the year, swinging into the black from a loss last year as the buy now, pay later pioneer edges closer toward its hotly anticipated stock market debut. In results published Tuesday, Klarna said that it made an adjusted operating profit of 673 million Swedish krona ($66.1 million) in the six months through June 2024, up from a loss of 456 million krona in the same period a year ago. On a net income basis, Klarna reported a 333 million Swedish krona loss. However, Klarna cites adjusted operating income as its primary metric for profitability as it better reflects "underlying business activity." Klarna is one of the biggest players in the so-called buy now, pay later sector.

Persons: Klarna, Sebastian Siemiatkowski Organizations: PayPal Locations: U.S, onboarding

☆ Peloton fans are angry about a new 'Activation Fee' for anyone buying a used bike on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Peloton drew backlash after introducing a $95 activation fee for used bikes. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementPeloton has sparked outrage from customers after announcing a new $95 activation fee for anyone in the US or Canada buying a secondhand bike. The activation fee includes a $25 spare parts credit, a 50% off coupon for up to three pairs of Peloton cycling shoes and a Peloton Bike mat, and a virtual onboarding session.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Canada

☆ 3 ways to use ChatGPT to up your sales game, according to a consulting CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-20 | by ( Jaures Yip | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewIt looks like some salespeople are already sold on using ChatGPT at work. That includes Jake Dunlap, the CEO of Skaled Consulting, a management and sales consulting firm with clients including LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Adobe. Here are Dunlap's favorite ways to use ChatGPT to boost his sales game and be more productive, which can help everyone from sales managers to account executives. Dunlap said he used to do these preparations in the middle of the night but now just goes right to ChatGPT. AdvertisementPersonalized trainingFor sales managers who lack the bandwidth to build personalized training plans for team members, Dunlap said that ChatGPT could be used to develop customized curricula.

Persons: —, Jake Dunlap, Dunlap, ChatGPT, there's, — let's, GPTs Organizations: Service, Skaled Consulting, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Adobe, Business, Google

☆ USWNT 1 Japan 0: Trinity Rodman’s extra-time goal lifts a tired U.S. team to the Olympic semifinals
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Steph Yang | Jeff Rueter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

The trio who had been so dominant in the group stage slowed in the knockout round opener. Sure, but Japan is also a very clinical team, able to cede possession and attack when they can create chances. Rodman’s extra-time goal keeps USWNT Olympic hopes aliveComing into the Olympics, Rodman’s role with the USWNT had largely been one of a creator. Throughout the group stage, few teams had as well-rounded a line anywhere on a field as the United States’ attack. AdvertisementThroughout the group stage, three teams stood out in underlying metrics: the United States, Japan, and Spain.

Persons: Trinity Rodman, Emma Hayes ’, Rodman, Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, ” Hayes, Lynn Williams, Jeff Rueter, Steph Yang, Swanson, Smith, TRINITY RODMAN, w., S. Organizations: women’s, Swanson, Paris Games, U.S, Japan, EADS Locations: Japan, U.S, United States

☆ 2 ways to deal with annoying emails and messages at work, according to psychology and etiquette experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Jade Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If your day has ever been clouded by a coworker being annoying over email or Slack, you're not alone. In fact, 44% of employees participating in a recent Kickresume survey said that written communication, which includes messages or emails, is a common site of workplace annoyance. These small annoyances are related to the concept of incivility, which Bowling describes as "low-level aggression" that manifests as rudeness. I think if you think about what is most kind or considerate and respectful to your colleagues, then that's what you should do." Here are two ways to deal with annoying emails and messages, according to Bowling and Meier.

Persons: micromanaging, Nathan Bowling, Myka Meier, Meier Organizations: University of Central Locations: University of Central Florida, New York City

☆ New Vanguard CEO says improving customer experience is a 'very high' priority and AI could help
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The new CEO at Vanguard said Monday that the asset management giant could lean on artificial intelligence as it looks to improve its customer service experience. Vanguard, which built its reputation as a low-cost and investor-friendly brokerage firm, has seen criticism about its customer service in recent years. Difficulty in reaching a Vanguard representative on the phone is one common complaint seen in online forums. CEO Salim Ramji told CNBC's Bob Pisani on Monday that fixing the customer experience is "very high on my list of priorities" and that artificial intelligence looks like a promising avenue for help. Ramji comes to Vanguard from rival BlackRock, making him the first outsider CEO for the roughly $9 trillion asset manager.

Persons: Salim Ramji, CNBC's Bob Pisani, Ramji, Jack Bogle Organizations: Vanguard, BlackRock Locations: Malvern , Pennsylvania

☆ Coinbase UK unit fined $4.5 million by British regulator over 'high-risk' customer breaches
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photo Illustrating Coinbase in Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China on June 6, 2023 (Photo Illustration by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)British regulators fined Coinbase's U.K. arm £3.5 million ($4.5 million) on Thursday over breaching a voluntary agreement designed to stop the cryptocurrency exchange from onboarding "high-risk customers." CB Payments Limited (CBPL) is part of the Coinbase Group, which operates a global crypto trading platform. In October 2020, CBPL entered into a voluntary agreement with the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), accepting restrictions that prevented it from taking on new customers that the regulator considered high-risk. However, CBPL breached the agreement and onboarded and served 13,416 of so-called high-risk customers, the FCA said. These funds were used to make withdrawals and execute crypto transactions via other Coinbase entities, totaling approximately $226 million.

Persons: CBPL, Therese Chambers, Coinbase Organizations: Getty Images, Payments, Coinbase, Authority, FCA Locations: Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China

☆ Salesforce and Workday CEOs explain their new joint AI venture
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, the CEOs of Salesforce and Workday , Marc Benioff and Carl Eschenbach, discussed the their companies' new partnership. Both CEOs said the strength of this new venture stems from the confluence of their large data sets. "AI is all about data, and if you have access to the data, then you can have phenomenal AI," Benioff said. Eschenbach said that Salesforce and Workday have the three most important data sets in the enterprise — employee data, customer data and financial data. He also said the new program benefits customers because they don't have to move between platforms to access services.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Marc Benioff, Carl Eschenbach, Benioff, Eschenbach Locations: Salesforce

Business Insider checked in with four major firms — Boston Consulting Group, Ernst & Young, McKinsey, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) — for insights into what they might be looking for in prospective employees. AdvertisementWhat kinds of roles are consulting firms hiring for? Consulting firms often hire for a range of positions. Rod Adams, talent acquisition and onboarding leader at PwC, told BI that the company is hiring consultants, engineers, accountants, and tax professionals, among other roles. Consulting firms often say there isn't one specific background or set of skills they look for.

Persons: —, isn't, Ernst & Young, Ernst &, Alicia Pittman, Pittman, Ernst, Young, Rod Adams, who've, PwC, Adams Organizations: Service, McKinsey & Company, Business, Boston Consulting Group, Ernst, Ernst & Young, McKinsey, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Consulting, BI

☆ Quant prop-trading firm Hudson River Trading hopes to supercharge its trading power by partnering with Google Cloud
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New York-based Hudson River Trading is best known for its market-making capabilities. Hudson River Trading winning any trade over its competitors, like Citadel Securities, Virtu, and Jane Street, comes down to its pricing engine. To help it get there, Hudson River Trading turned to Google Cloud, where its quants have been conducting their research for several months without the constraints of an on-premise environment. "Google Cloud allows us to do that without limits to computing power." Advertisement"In other words, what I'm saying is that we need to predict the future of the stock market," Dunning said.

Persons: —, Jane Street, Iain Dunning, Kevin Lee, Dunning, Ken Griffin's, Italo Brito, Brito Organizations: Service, Hudson, Hudson River Trading, Citadel Securities, Virtu, Business, Trading, Google, Nvidia, HRT, Sigma Locations: New York, Hudson

☆ I worked at Morgan Stanley, Amazon, and Slack before realizing I wasn't fulfilled. Motherhood changed my priorities.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Early in my career, I held positions as a software engineer at Morgan Stanley, Redi Technologies, and Amazon. I then worked at a startup and AppNexus before becoming the senior engineering manager and head of search engineering at Slack. In my early years, we grew rapidly, I loved my job, and the high salary was a nice bonus. I work more hours than I did at SlackI have more flexibility than at Slack, but my working hours are longer.

Persons: —, Hera Wentong Li, Morgan Stanley, Slack, Curio, Kimberly Atiyeh, we're, Kimberly, strategize, I'm Organizations: Service, Cornell, Business, Redi Technologies Locations: New York City, Singapore

☆ I quit a 13-year tech career because motherhood changed my priorities. I have no regrets.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. After a 13-year tech career, I founded Curio, a subscription book club that fosters bilingual learning in children. Early in my career, I held positions as a software engineer at Morgan Stanley, Redi Technologies, and Amazon. I then worked at a startup and AppNexus before becoming the senior engineering manager and head of search engineering at Slack. I work more hours than I did at SlackI have more flexibility than at Slack, but my working hours are longer.

☆ I quit my desk job to work on cruises 10 years ago. It has its drawbacks, but I've seen 79 countries.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Erica Depascale | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Crew members come from all over the world, and I've always found a very small percentage of Americans working on board. Some crew members work eight to 12 hours per day, with no days off, for seven months straight. Crew life is a blast, even after workThe crew bar and parties are so much fun. There's usually an onboard bar for crew members, where the drinks are cheap and the parties are so much fun. It's hard to describe my lifestyle to people who have never experienced ship life.

Persons: —, I've, Erica DePascale, Erica, wilder, I'm, Erica DePascale Cruise Organizations: Service, Business, Crew Locations: New York City, Instagram, New York, America, dogsledding, Alaska, Petra, New Zealand

☆ What Miracle Whip and Onboarding Can Teach Us About the English Language - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( John Mcwhorter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a Zoom call recently, someone mentioned the “onboarding” of a new workplace policy. She pronounced it with the accent on the first syllable — “ON-boarding” — even though we pronounce the original expression “on BOARD.” Believe it or not, this got me thinking about mayonnaise. More specifically, it reminded me of an old radio commercial that has always stuck in my mind for the way, in the last line, the announcer pronounces the name of the product with a subtle emphasis on the last word: “Miracle WHIP.” (He made it sound rather exquisite: “Miracle Whip has such a wonderful flavor — lively and teasing, peppy and yet not a bit too sharp. It’s a flavor that’s just exactly right!”) Today we put the weight on the first word, “MIRACLE Whip.”If you listen for it, you can hear a similar shift in many different places. It happens gradually, but the result can be unmistakable, leaving the original pronunciation to sound odd and dated.

☆ Behind Balyasny's training program that gives analysts a crash course in data science and AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"Five, 10 years from now, it's going to be table stakes to know Python, to know a lot of these AI tools that are being generated today. And that's exactly what the 6-month program, called Bridger, strives to do. It gives sell-side analysts from research firms, investment banks, and consultancies the chance to build up their technical chops. The program also creates a pipeline of analysts at a time when investing talent among hedge funds is competitive and expensive. While learning to code was always part of the curriculum, this year it added AI skills to the program.

Persons: it'll, Will Scott, Scott, Bridger, Balyasny, Bridger alums, Stephen McGee, McGee, wasn't, Nicole Goldin's, Goldin Organizations: Service, Balyasny, Management, BAM, Bridger, JPMorgan, Columbia University Locations: Bridger

☆ Paying off my debt will make it easier to get my dream home, so I took on a side hustle to pay off $5,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Choncé Maddox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I took on a seasonal job that allowed me to rapidly pay off my credit-card debt and start saving. In 2022, we ended up draining most of our emergency fund, and I quickly racked up close to $5,000 worth of credit-card debt. I picked up a seasonal jobOne of the best things I did last winter to streamline paying off my credit-card debt was getting a seasonal part-time job. All of this went toward my credit-card debt, along with any money I budgeted for extra debt payments from my main income. Paying down credit-card debt was just one thing I needed to do.

Persons: —, I'm, I've, homeownership Organizations: Service, Amazon

☆ Stop asking 'What is company culture like?' in job interviews—3 better alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

One that stands out and that she hears time and again: "What is the company culture like?" It's an important assessment to make — company culture is a top priority for many workers — and "sometimes you will get a good answer," Doe says. She recalls once accepting an offer from a company that didn't elaborate on its culture. Brianna Doe Photo: Jessica JuniperThinking back on that experience, she realized she needed to reflect a bit more: "What is important to me in company culture? That means she didn't get basic information about the company or how her job contributed to its main priorities.

Persons: Brianna Doe, She's, Doe, Jessica Juniper, you'll, I'm Organizations: CNBC

☆ Exclusive: Health AI startup Anterior raised $20 million from NEA and Sequoia. Here's the pitch deck it used.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many healthcare startups have targeted administrative tasks on the provider side, like SmarterDx, which just raised a $50 million Series B in June. Wu said NEA chose to invest in Anterior in part because of its focus on health plans. Anterior's $20 million Series A will help the startup accelerate hiring to take on more health plan customers, Mahmoud said. Wu said the firm sees a big opportunity for Anterior to package a range of tools for health plans as AI technologies become more widespread. See the 18-slide pitch deck Anterior used to grab a $20 million Series A.

Persons: —, It's, Mustafa Suleyman, Adrian Aoun, Blake Wu, Abdel Mahmoud, we'd, we've, Mahmoud, Wu, Anterior's Organizations: Service, NEA, Business, Sequoia, Lion, Microsoft, Cohere, Meta, Google, McKinsey & Company, Amazon Locations: Sequoia Arc

☆ Amazon's Shopify killer got off to a slow start, according to sellers and internal emails
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Madeline Stone | Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Rainier...)," Larsen wrote in the email, referring to a snowcapped peak near Seattle, where Amazon is headquartered. Months later, Amazon struck a deal with Shopify that put Buy with Prime on the Shopify merchant marketplace, extending the tool's reach with sellers. Advertisement"When merchants push that metric to >75%, it'll be a good indication that we've found product-market fit," Larsen wrote. To use Buy with Prime, Amazon charges merchants a 3% Prime service fee in addition to fulfillment fees and payment processing fees. However, Piiparinen said the 3% service fee is less than the referral fees merchants pay when selling on Amazon.com.

Persons: —, Craig Leslie, Leslie, It's, Peter Larsen, Andy Jassy, Larsen, Santos, Anders Piiparinen, who's, doesn't, Piiparinen, Amazon's, Smart, ZOA, GreatCircleUS.com, Madeline Stone Organizations: Service, Amazon, Business, Bean Coffee Company, Shoppers, Ekrin Athletics, BI, Prime Locations: . Rainier, ., Seattle, Piiparinen, mstone@businessinsider.com

☆ Google conducts sweeping layoffs in its Cloud unit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewGoogle's Cloud unit made sweeping job cuts this week. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Cloud teams focused on consulting, partner engineering, and sustainability were also affected by layoffs, according to the document. This week's Cloud layoffs appear to be more sweeping than Google's more surgical cuts to other teams in recent months.

Persons: —, we've, Kent Walker Organizations: Service, Cloud, Business, Google, BI Locations: Asia, Pacific

☆ I helped my aging dad get a job in the kitchen of the hospital I work at. It's hard to see him in such a thankless job, but I'm so proud and love being his coworker.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Grace Ryu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

My dad owned a wide variety of businesses. My dad worked the grill and made the hot dishes while my mom took customer orders and packed the food. AdvertisementI vouched for my dad at my jobMy dad told me that he still wanted to work after he sold the lease. That's when I thought he could get a job working in the kitchen at the hospital where I worked. I talked to the manager of food services at my hospital and asked if they'd give my dad a job in the kitchen.

Persons: he'd, Ryu, Grace Ryu, —, He's, they'd, I'd, he's, I've, She's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Maryland, Baltimore, Ocean City, California, America

☆ Here's the pitch deck Footprint, a startup helping Wall Street verify customer identities, used to raise $13 million from VCs like QED and Index Ventures
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Footprint is a startup that helps financial firms onboard customers and verify their identities. It raised $13 million in a Series A, announced today, that was led by QED Investors. Here's the pitch deck and 5-page memo that Footprint used to win over investors. AdvertisementA startup looking to be Wall Street's one-stop shop for onboarding new customers just raised $13 million. The round was led by QED Investors, and included investment from Index Ventures and Palm Tree Capital, among others.

Persons: —, Eli Wachs Organizations: QED Investors, Service, Business, Index Ventures, Tree

☆ Freetrade, Britain's answer to Robinhood, says its CEO is stepping down
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

s LONDON — The boss of U.K. stock trading service Freetrade is stepping down and leaving the company with immediate effect, the company told CNBC exclusively Monday. Dodds remains the largest individual shareholder in Freetrade, owning a roughly 12% stake, according to company filings. Freetrade is default alive and ready to take on the incumbent platforms in the UK with self-sustaining growth," Dodds said. Dodds added: "I'm very happy to say Viktor will be stepping up to take over the helm as CEO. Nebehaj, Freetrade's incoming CEO, applauded Dodds' eight-year run as CEO and said that "it's natural that different stages of a company's growth require different leaders."

Persons: Adam Dodds, Davide Fioranell, Viktor Nebehaj, Nebehaj, Dodds, he'll, Rafael Henrique, " Dodds, Viktor, Perry Blacher, Freetrade, it's Organizations: CNBC, GameStop Locations: Freetrade, U.S

☆ Shock Miss USA resignations are just the tip of the iceberg, insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“We respect and support Noelia’s decision to step down from her duties,” the Miss USA pageant said in a statement following Voigt’s announcement. “No woman has ever resigned as Miss USA or as Miss Teen USA, and she’s lost both of them in 48 hours,” he said. And according to Engelhardt, they were far from the only members of the Miss USA organization to depart. Savannah Gankiewicz, who as Miss Hawaii placed as first runner-up during the 2023 Miss USA pageant, will take over as Miss USA following Voigt's resignation. Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports/ReutersOn May 9, the Miss USA pageant announced that Savannah Gankiewicz, Miss Hawaii USA 2023 and first-runner up to Voigt at the 2023 Miss USA pageant, would be taking over the national title and its responsibilities.

Persons: Noelia Voigt, UmaSofia Srivastava, Srivastava, Voigt, “, ”, Ashlee McKey, Alexis Loomans, Rachelle di Stasio —, ” Srivastava, Denise White, Craig Barritt, Laylah Rose, slandering, ” Rose, Tom Williams, Rose, ’ Voigt, White, I’ve, ” White, “ It’s, It’s, Chance Yeh, Thom Brodeur, she’s, Brodeur, Miss, Claudia Engelhardt, Engelhardt, ” Engelhardt, Crystle Stewart, Rob Kim, Weeks, Savannah Gankiewicz, Kyle Terada, Gankiewicz, Shanna Moakler, Cindy Provost, Debbie Miller, — Engelhardt Organizations: CNN, Miss USA, Miss Teen, Miss Teen USA, Utah, Miss North Carolina USA, Miss New York, USA, ”, Inc, Miss, Miss Universe Organization, Miss Hawaii, Sports, Reuters, Savannah Miss, Voigt’s, Miss Utah USA, Srivastava’s, Miss New Jersey Teen USA Locations: New Jersey, Miss Wisconsin, New York, Sarasota , Florida, Miss Utah, Miss USA, Los Angeles, Utah, ”, USA, Savannah, Miss Hawaii USA, Savannah Miss USA

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