👋 Good morning. You made it to Wednesday — halfway there! Unfortunately, nothing you do this week will come close to Jonny Kim’s accomplishments. The 41-year-old was a Navy SEAL, graduated from Harvard Medical School, and now he’s a NASA astronaut who blasted off this week in a Soyuz capsule heading to the International Space Station. But you should feel really good about that slide deck… We mean it.
🎧 On the pod:Millennials and Gen Z are often branded as “job hoppers,” but is that true — and, if so, why?
NEWS FLASH
🤖 Amazon wants to talk: The tech company just unveiled Nova Sonic, a new generative AI model that can process voice and generate speech. Amazon called Nova Sonic “the most cost-efficient” AI voice model, ~80% less expensive than OpenAI’s GPT-4o. While Amazon’s Alexa has become dated compared to more natural-sounding AI voice models, Nova Sonic is trained to speak at the correct time, avoid interrupting the user, and understand a user’s intent even if they misspeak or mumble.
🍦 Cinnabon is attempting to reinvent itself with Cinnabon Swirl, a new store that pairs its cinnamon rolls with sister brand Carvel’s ice creams. Jim Holthouser, CEO of Cinnabon parent company GoTo Foods, told CNN that the concept aligns with “little treat culture,” a trend among millennials and Gen Z customers who enjoy low-cost indulgences. The first store opens in Oregon next month, followed by another three this year and 30 in 2026.
📦 Zipline, an airborne delivery company, is launching in Mesquite, Texas. The company does not refer to its automated aircraft as drones, perArs Technica, because they’re different: They can operate in controlled airspaces, including near airports, and detect and avoid bad weather. Its P2 model consists of two aircraft in one — it takes off vertically and navigates to the drop; then the smaller “Zip” drops to the ground and opens its doors to deposit a package. It can carry up to 8 pounds for ~10 miles.
MORE NEWS TO KNOW
That tracks: Financial analysts are feeling the frenzy. More than 400 analyst notes included the word “chaos” in the week ending April 5, up from 203 the week before, according to AlphaSense via Sherwood News,.
Snapchat introduced Sponsored AI Lenses, a new advertising option for brands. The tool makes AI-generated images from selfies taken in the app, and Snap says brands like Uber and Tinder saw higher-than-average playtimes when using the AI Lenses compared to the app’s standard Lenses.
Big Lots’ new owner, Variety Wholesalers, will reopen nine of its 219 stores this week. An additional 55 will reopen on May 1, followed by the rest in June.
SCALING FOR STARTUPS
Fresh insights on the world’s fastest-growing startups
But wait — backers are also focusing financing, with monthly deal count dropping by 50% in 2024. So what type of startups are turning heads and earning the biggest investments?
Energy (37%) and IT (36%) have the leading sector growth rates.
AI/ML, repping 55% of the IT sector, boasts 34 of the fastest-growing post-valuation companies.
Strategic partnership plays are winning big, with joint ventures averaging $9.9B in deal size (4x more than that of buyout deals).
$750m per month is expected to be spent on investments in 2025.
Our guide to this year’s fastest-growing startups looks at deal-size data, breakdowns by industry, and the geography of growth to help you get a grip on what’s shifting.
You may have spotted a new treat on the market lately: Dubai chocolate.
The TikTok sensation has gone mainstream, racking up 6.5m+ Google searches in March alone and appearing as a Starbucks hack, a Shake Shack shake flavor, and an upcoming Aldi ice cream.
Though the OG bar is only available in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, even knockoff versions are selling out — Lidl had to limit theirs to two per shopper, perThe Guardian.
What is it?
In 2021, Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian woman residing in Dubai, had a pregnancy craving. She worked with pastry chef Nouel Catis Omamalin to create the “Can’t Get Knafeh of It”:
A chocolate bar stuffed with pistachio cream, tahini, and knafeh, a Middle Eastern dessert made of shredded pastry dough layered with soft cheese and soaked in a sweet syrup.
It took off…
… when influencer Maria Vehera posted a video review in December 2023 that now has 122m+ views.
Tastewise, which monitors food trends by analyzing restaurant menus, identified Dubai chocolate as a trend in January 2024, and noted it takes 12-18 months for a trend to reach supermarket shelves — so, right on time.
But… why? Well, apart from being delicious:
People love pistachios. There’s been a 60% increase in searches for the nut since 2019, per a Google Trends analysis, and it’s appeared not just in foods, but perfumes and candles.
There’s a growing interest in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.
It’s aesthetically appealing and its crunch makes for a good ASMR video, of which there are several, including Vehera’s.
It’s not unlike Dominique Ansel’s cronut — a pretty pastry with a unique texture, limited availability, and a novel flavor — which went viral and launched numerous copycats in 2013.
Just watch out: Dubai chocolate is so hot that it’s attracted scammers like it’s a Beyoncé ticket.
Can AI become CEO? We automated the leaders of Southwest, Starbucks, and Nike — here’s what happened.
NEWSWORTHY NUMBER
Increase in toll fee scams in Q1 2025, per a report from security app Guardio.
You may have received one yourself in the form of a text asking you to pay an unpaid toll fee. Victims who follow the link are encouraged to enter personal info, including their credit-card number, into a bogus website.
The uptick in such scams can be traced to a syndicate of Chinese-speaking scammers who sell kits for stealing info on Telegram, perNBC News. Guardio says people often fall for toll or E-ZPass scams because the texts stress urgency and ask for a relatively small sum of money.
HOW YOU HUSTLE
We don’t need to tell you — our readers are amazing. So amazing, in fact, that it was worth dedicating some real estate to. Here’s our weekly spotlight on a Hustler doing something big.
The elevator pitch: “Custom, hand-painted axes and hatchets that will reignite your love for the outdoors.”
Why: “I believe people need to spend more time outside — camping, hiking, enjoying nature. Hopefully a beautiful axe encourages them to get outside and chop some wood, even if only for a backyard bonfire.”
Origin story: “When my grandpa passed away, I found an old hatchet in his garage. I fixed it up to take camping with me — then my friend wanted one… and my other friend. I started on Etsy selling 18 my first year. I sold almost 1.2k last year and am gearing up for a strong 2025!”
Advice to a fellow entrepreneur: “Trust yourself, believe in yourself, and surround yourself with others who are there to support you.”
Conventional advice that’s BS: “That you need to dive in head first to succeed. I have a full-time day job in tech. With Motor City Axe, I have four straight years of year-over-year growth. You can leverage your day job to help fund your side business.”
Want to be featured here? Tell us how you’re hustling.
AROUND THE WEB
🧑🚀 On this day: In 1959, NASA introduced its first seven astronauts, all of whom were military test pilots.
🧠 That’s cool: Microsoft AI Skills Fest features 50 days of AI learning — and also an attempt at a Guinness World Record.
🗞️ Newsletter: Semafor Flagship brings you today’s 10 most important stories, covering international affairs, climate, AI, culture, and much more.
Not a movie scene, but: the directions former Rippling employee-turned-corporate spy Keith O’Brien said he received from a Deel attorney (and carried out) to destroy evidence in an ongoing legal battle between the two HR tech companies, according to a recent court filing viaTechCrunch.
Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz is accused of hiring O’Brien to collect intel on competitor Rippling — product road maps, customer accounts, sales leads, etc. — in a four-month-long scheme, according to the lawsuit. O’Brien’s compensation? Allegedly just $6k a month. Not exactly hush money, it seems.
Today’s email was brought to you by Juliet Bennett Rylah and Sara Friedman, with help from Singdhi Sokpo and Kaylee Jenzen. Editing by: Ben “It really is a great slide deck” Berkley.
