Amazon is tightening the screws on suppliers, asking for discounts up to 30%, just ahead of a Supreme Court decision on Trump-era tariffs. Last year, some vendors saw price hikes tied to guaranteed margins, but now the e-commerce giant is moving fast, accelerating negotiations and even imposing early deadlines. The court’s upcoming rulings could determine whether nearly $150 billion in duties might be refunded. For suppliers, it’s a high-stakes dance between compliance and cost. (Reuters)

Google’s Veo AI video tool just got a major update with version 3.1, letting users generate videos from reference images, create vertical 9:16 content for Shorts, and upscale clips to 1080p or 4K. Veo 3.1 will be available in YouTube Shorts, the YouTube Create app, and the Gemini app in India, the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, with a broader rollout planned. Google says the updates enrich storytelling, dialogue, and creative flexibility for AI-generated video content. (Social Media Today)

Microsoft knows AI data centers are guzzling power, and locals don’t want the bill. The company says it’ll pay higher electricity rates and cover grid upgrades in communities where it builds, instead of pushing costs onto residents. That matters as data center–heavy regions have seen power prices jump sharply in recent years. Beyond energy, Microsoft also promised investments in water systems, schools, and job training, pitching AI infrastructure as a long-term community asset. (CNN)

Saks Global, the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after running out of cash and missing debt payments. The retailer secured $1.75B in financing to keep stores operating while it restructures. Leadership is already changing, and the future could range from a buyer stepping in to store closures or an online-only pivot. (CNBC)

Meta is reportedly cutting nearly 1,500 jobs from Reality Labs, about 10% of the division, as losses pile up and priorities shift toward AI. The unit lost $4.4B last quarter, and its 2026 budget may shrink by 30%. Leadership has called an all-hands meeting, fueling questions about the future of Meta’s AR and VR ambitions. (Gadgets 360)

Being a founder isn’t glamorous most days.

It’s a constant stream of decisions, trade-offs, and figuring things out in real time.

As an agency founder myself, I’ve faced my fair share of mistakes, tricky clients, and sleepless nights. 

But this has also led to some great insights and lessons. You could say I’ve done the boots-on-the-ground journalism. 

Some of these questions and answers might sound familiar.

Let’s get straight in. 

Answer: Say no when a client raises red flags early, even if the revenue looks tempting. “Good on paper” doesn’t always mean good for your business.

I learned this with my recruitment agency’s first client. 

Everything seemed perfect (budget, roles, timing), until my business partner and I made the rookie mistake of not vetting our client. As a result, we ended up with a messy situation we weren’t ready for, and as a bonus, a scathing review that’s still online today. 

At the time, it felt like we’d been hit by a semi truck, but it taught us a few big lessons: 

Anyone else been in a similar situation? Always great to hear other founders’ war stories. 

Answer: Too much time tracking happens when you stop measuring outcomes and starts policing people. 

This is especially for teams with remote, onshore, or offshore employees. There’s this US company (I will not name names) that operates remotely and hires globally. 

And to my horror, their way of tracking their employees’ productivity is keeping webcams on all day with software that takes random screenshots throughout the day. 

That’s not even the worst part. If the screenshot showed people were looking away, they’d receive a warning.

Absolutely insane. That’s what happens when you have zero trust and remote management skills.

When I first started building remote teams, I also struggled with the balance between keeping tabs on my team and letting them work autonomously. But, over time, I learned that it’s a lot more important to measure outcomes than it is to measure screen time. 

We use time tracking software too, no cameras and strictly for payment purposes. 

And our team still manages to hit their objectives every month. 

If you’ve got any questions about remote management, I might have a playbook or two to send your way. 

Answer: Honestly? You don’t. At least, not alone.

I was telling one of my teammates the other day that I’m starting another business and enrolling in a Master’s in Computer Science this year. 

Now she’s 100% convinced that I don’t sleep. 

To clarify, I do sleep. And yes, my schedule is tight. But the reason I don’t completely lose it is simply that I’ve got a great team. I’m not trying to sound all ‘Chicken Soup for the Founder’s Soul’ here but that is my honest answer. 

Here’s why:

Burnout happens when you feel like the weight of everything is on you. When your team can actually run the business without you touching every little thing, your stress drops and so does the risk of dragging them down with you.

TL;DR: You can’t do it all. Build a team you trust, let them own the work, and burnout gets a little further away from you. 

I’m going to keep it brief. 

If you take anything from this Q&A, it’s this: trust your gut, build a team you can rely on, and keep your eyes on outcomes, not just activity. Everything else will follow.