After fish are caught, they can suffer for hours. This makes them release stress hormones, which can lead to a rancid taste and shortened shelf life.   Shinkei Systems wants to change that. It is one of the many startups based in the burgeoning robotics capital of El Segundo, California.   Shinkei’s main offering is a robot fish-killer that processes the catch right on the boat using a technology inspired by ike jime, a traditional Japanese method that produces some of the world’s finest seafood.   Inc. reporter Jennifer Conrad recently paid a visit to Shinkei HQ, and she shares what it was like with host Ben Sherry on this episode of Circling Back.   Plus, Ben and Jennifer talk about two major AI stories on Closing the Loop.  

You can’t scale a company alone. As you’re building, you’ll need to hire the right people for the job.    Those first hires are critical. But as your company grows, the initial staff aren’t necessarily the ones to take it to the next stage. Or are they? It’s a conundrum for founders.     Fortunately, this week’s Founder Group Chat contains real-life experience and advice. We continue with our trio of founders: Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina, Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur, and Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera. They’re joined by Inc.’s Graham Winfrey as moderator and host.      Listen to learn how these successful founders built the human infrastructure of their companies.    Inc. Magazine delivers advice, tools, and services to help business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs grow their businesses more successfully. You'll find information and advice covering virtually every business and management task including marketing, sales, finding capital, managing people, and much more.  Visit Inc.com for the latest!    Get social with Inc. on:  Facebook: http://on.inc.com/ilqUryJ  Twitter: http://on.inc.com/8FGInRj  LinkedIn: http://on.inc.com/gt7KsIn  Instagram: http://on.inc.com/wLObvE2  Pinterest: http://on.inc.com/8lPoT0r

It would’ve been easy to doubt Grüns. On the surface, it’s just another supplement brand joining the crowded marketplace of pills, powders, and gummies that come with major health claims.   But just two years into its existence, Grüns has hit a $500 million valuation — a figure more on par with that of AI companies than a new consumer brand. The company’s CEO says it’s already profitable, too, and has landed placements in Walmart, Target, and more.  David Lidsky, Inc.’s head of editorial strategy, recently got an inside look at Grüns and its finances. On this week’s Circling Back, he tells reporter Chloe Aiello why he thinks the company is on track to hit $200 million in revenue this year and how it plans to leverage its gummy bear mascot, Barry, to keep growing.   Then, on Closing the Loop, David and Chloe share their news obsessions of the week: the leadership shakeup at Sequoia Capital, and Republican leaders who used the solar subsidies they voted to kill.  

A few years ago, Ariela Safira’s Zeera was set to launch a brick-and-mortar mental health concept in New York. The opening month was set to be April 2020.   As you might’ve guessed, things didn’t go as planned. Still, Ariela led her company through the hardships, a rebrand, and an acquisition.   It’s something of a storybook ending for a founder. But how did Ariela cope with the challenges? And how did she take care of herself along the way?   On this Founder Group Chat, Inc.’s Graham Winfrey continues his conversation with three founders.   Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina   Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur   Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera   Watch and listen to hear how they’ve successfully thrived and grown through adversity, plus how they look after their mental health along the way. 

Blockit promises that in just five minutes, it can learn as much about your schedule, habits, and preferences as a human could in months.   The tool is part of a growing field of new AI agents that want to offer the benefits of an executive assistant at a much lower price tag.   Technology reporter Claire Cameron was curious so she ran an experiment to take Blockit at its word and gave it a try for one week.   Could the app reinvent her working life in just five minutes? Well, no. But as Claire explains to Inc. reporter Ali Donaldson, it’s complicated.   On this week’s Circling Back, Claire and Ali discuss the brave new world of AI scheduling agents, what they’re good for, and where they still need some improvement.  

As a founder, trying to scale your business can feel like walking on a knife’s edge. Go too fast or too early, you’ll fall off. Move too slowly and you’ll get left behind.   Every Friday on The Business Model, we’re hosting a Founder Group Chat. Each episode will feature a candid, in-depth conversation about one of the many pressing topics entrepreneurs are facing.  On this first group chat, our topic is scaling. Specifically, how do you scale in the right way? Three founders from very different industries share lessons on scaling that can apply across business.   Our roundtable is:  Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina  Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur  Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera  Graham Winfrey, deputy digital editor for Inc.  

The top 10 percent of earners account for half of consumer spending. To target those big spenders, brands are meeting them where they are: behind closed doors. Host Chloe Aiello talks with Inc. staff reporter Ali Donaldson about why brands are trying to get their products -- not on the shelves of major retailers, like Walmart, Target, or REI -- but behind the closed doors of private, members-only clubs. This means, putting products in the bars, restaurants, and gift shops of places that people have to pay tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, just to walk into.

The Business Model by Inc. is the multi-episode-a-week podcast for small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup founders who want to start, run, and grow stronger companies. Each week we deliver a curated mix of business-trend analysis, actionable playbooks, and candid interviews with real founders—from Main Street businesses to cutting-edge startups.  In this video podcast, you’ll learn how to hire and lead, raise capital, market efficiently, manage cash flow, fix operations and supply chains, and leverage new technology and AI to stay ahead. Every episode is built to fit your workweek and help you make smarter decisions, faster.  If you only have time for one business podcast to start, run, and grow your company—this is it.