Seth Yakatan

Raising & Selling 📈 $1B+ Raised 💰 22 Companies Sold 🤝

Are you struggling to communicate your vision to the capital gatekeepers?

Are you exploring selling your business but don’t know anything about:
✘ Due diligence
✘ Term sheets
✘ Earnouts

Friend, you're lucky you found me...

I'm Seth Yakatan.

I have 30-odd years experience as a corporate finance professional.

My specialties are:
💰 Raising money
🤝 Selling companies

And I’m f**king good at it.

I’ve raised over $1B and sold 22 businesses.

My career has mostly been supporting small-cap and major corporations seeking capital to grow, or
to find strategic acquirers.

Most of these companies are in: 
— biotech
— cannabis
— pharmaceuticals
— DTC consumer goods

I’ve been on boards, taken companies public, gone up against multinational corporations, raised from VC and PE funds.

All of it. 
Many times over.
Whatever your problem is, I’ve seen it before.

But let me level with you:

What I REALLY love is helping people to get to the finish line.

Talking to entrepreneurs excites me.

But in my experience, entrepreneurs are mostly s**t at raising capital and selling companies.

** They just don’t understand investors **

And that’s where I come in.

Together, we workshop: 
✔ Your pitch
✔ Your deck
✔ Your strategy 

And help you raise the capital to GROW and SELL your business.

If you need this help—and almost every business does—send me a DM.

Like, now.

Don't lose another potential investor or acquirer with the wrong pitch.

Seth ✌️

Co-Founder

Merchant Bank / Advisory / Family Office

Give me $10 on Pump #6 and a case of THC Bevs!

WAIT WHAAAAAAT??

This is Circle K 2026 baby!


>> What’s Happening?

A Circle K franchisee in DFW started selling hemp-derived THC beverages.

This is the 1st major C-Store in Texas to stock THC drinks on shelf.

Lots of SKUs and get this…in-store tastings planned throughout 2026!


>> Why Does This Matter?

This ain’t a trial folks. This is mainstream retail entry.

Circle K is as mainstream as it gets. A roadstop brand with millions of daily customers.

Regulatory limbo? Who cares… make money when consumers buy drinks.


>> What I’m Watching

Can THC drinks outperform impulse staples like coffee and Red Bull?

How do Texas policymakers respond to non-dispensary THC sales?

Who’s next to join the party…Flying J??


The future of THC is in the cold box next to your protein shake.

No alternative text description for this image

Is this the FIRST MAJOR ON PREMISE shot fired for THC beverages??

WELCOME to the 2026 Stadium EXPERIENCE!

THC Drinks are coming soon to an ARENA NEAR YOU!


>> What’s Happening?

Chicago’s United Center just announced its serving hemp-derived THC drinks.

Concerts/Sporting events/Big shared moments.

In case you didn’t know, that’s alcohol’s home turf….

THC is showing up more and more, without asking ANYONE for permission.


>> Why Is This Important?

Booze vs. THC is not the point.

The point is THC is now competing for share of occasions.

Normalization comes from repetition in trusted environments.


>> What Am I Watching?

The first league, venue group, or national operator that treats THC beverages in the same way ?

Who puts up the first THC Beverage advert in a stadium? (Remember USC/ Cookies?)

What major sports/food/airport group jump in next ?


5 beers or 5 2MG THC Beverages??

Same night, VERY different morning

A long held belief just got UPENDED last week:

Vapes just eclipsed FLOWER in terms of sales in CA.

YUP. WILD.

So, ask YOURSELF why…


>> What Happened?

In CA, vape products overtook flower as the #1 seller in licensed dispensaries.

This is a HISTORIC first in the U.S. legal market.

In 2025, vapes pulled ahead, with higher monthly sales and widening share


>> Why Does This Matter?

Flower has been KING forever.

Economics, culture, product…it was Michael Jordan.

Now the consumer wallet has shifted its preferences.

And upended norms (hello Gen Z!)


>> What Am I Watching?

Is Gen Z the demand anchor we should be trying to reach?

Does margin in vapes continue if this trend sticks?

Does quality and testing MATTER, or is price #1?

How does this change the retail plan-o-gram??


Flower has to take off its crown, for now…

But let me be clear: I don’t think flower is losing its heritage or dominance, YET….

I do think that consumer choice and pricing show us how the market is shaping the future…

Little more love from the MJ BIZ scene...
Shout for Rectitude Partners LLC
and my man Nicholas Bowers

thanks to the squad at 

Fat Nugs Magazine
Puff Creative

for a great night....4 Grams...COMING!!!!!

Guess who just figured out how to crack the Show Me State:

My guys at Jeeter - a DreamFields Brand + Elevate.

Keep telling me cannabis is a commodity business….

Jeeter just walked into MO and reminded everyone what a REAL BRAND looks like.


>> What’s Happening?

Jeeter, the No. 1 pre-roll brand in the U.S., just launched in Missouri.

They hit the ground running with a smart partnership with my guys from Elevate (GREAT TEAM) and hit 70 %+ day-one coverage of doors

These guys are going to CRUSH.


>> Why Is This Important?

Brand dominance via culture, community and premium perception.

Missouri is a BEAST with 4-6 groups there KILLING IT and MAKING MONEY.

Jeeter + Elevate treated this one like a brand build, not just a SKU drop.


>> What I’m Watching

Does Jeeter’s lifestyle strategy expand average ticket or just front-load hype?

Can culture from places like California translate to Show-Me economics?

Does this push a pre-roll war in the Show Me State?


Missouri didn’t “get” Jeeter. Jeeter chose Missouri.

Pre-rolls are crowded. Brands aren’t.

Jeeter + Elevate = WINNING.

So did you REALLY think the ban was about hemp??

No no no.

It was about ALCOHOL.

And now the numbers are in:


>> Whats Happening?

Alcohol is done watching hemp from the sidelines.

In Q4 2025 a bunch of companies files highlight lobbying disclosures tied to intoxicating hemp:

Moët Hennessy
Bacardi
Diageo
Brown-Forman
The HEINEKEN Company
Sazerac Company

Hmm….read the tea leaves and follow the money.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Lobbying is balance-sheet-based muscle memory for alcohol.

They have been doing it since 1950 and they are GOOD at it.

Make no mistake, the alcohol industry is acknowledging something BIG:

THAT intoxicating hemp is already part of the adult-use landscape.


>> What I Am I Watching?

Which alcohol players move from lobbying to minority investments?

Or does alcohol flex harder to push hemp off the shelves?

Can cannabis incumbents realize they were out gunned (and outspent)?


Not sure how this plays out but I am going to crack 10mg bev and grab the popcorn!

The hemp ban is coming annnnnnnd it's going to be unenforceable. Full stop.

Everyone screaming "shutdown" is missing the point.

The math just does not math…

>> What's Happening?

Lawmakers have stuffed an effective intoxicating-hemp ban into federal language.

On paper, it tightens THC limits and nukes most hemp-derived products.

In reality, it hands enforcement to agencies that already can't enforce federal cannabis prohibition today.


>> Why Is This Important?

We already ran this experiment.

Cannabis has been federally illegal for decades and yet here we are with regulated markets in most states.

The federal government does not have the manpower, political appetite, or operational clarity to police every convenience store, DTC website, and warehouse in America.

A ban without enforceability isn't regulation ? Just funny…


>> What Am I Watching?

States quietly filling the vacuum with their own rules while Washington argues with itself.

Hemp operators adapting structures, formulations, and channels instead of disappearing.

Cannabis incumbents cheering a "win" that may actually strengthen the very gray market they hate.


You don't fix consumer demand with a memo and you can't kill markets with paperwork.

If lawmakers actually want control, safety, and tax revenue, there's only one answer:


Regulate it and LEGALIZE IT…


Don't pretend you banned it.


If this sounds familiar, it should. We've been here before….

Guess who’s messin’ with Texas?? Cann, that’s who.

Cann is fixin’ to dominate the Lone Star State.

Here’s what’s going down:


>> What’s Happening?

Cann secured Texas distribution with Spec’s.

Spec’s, for those that don’t know, is THE LARGEST beverage retailer in Texas.

Full SKU set in one of the biggest alc retail channels in the USA.


>> Why Is This Important?

This is not a test, a dispensary, one franchisee gone rogue, or a limited run.

THC drinks are moving via mainstream beverage infrastructure.

Spec’s has 200+ doors statewide.

Say what you want, I AM seeing a distribution shift...


>> What Am I Watching?

What other brands can howdy on down to distribution?

What other retailers jump on board now that we have Target, Circle K and Spec’s?

Is there movement on the regulatory side in Texas? (Remember a few months ago they tried to BAN HEMP??)


Want to make sure we give a big congrats to the Cann Team!

Jake B. and Nick Fasano 👏 👏

Feels like Danny Stepper and the LA Libations team left their fingerprints all over here, cause this ain’t my first rodeo…

Want to LEARN MORE? Get your spurs to The Beverage Forum April 2026.

Hang 10 and hit the dispo??

Adult use cannabis may be coming to the Aloha State…


>> What’s Happening?

Hawaii lawmakers filed legislation that would put rec cannabis to voters in November 2026.

If passed by a two-thirds vote in both chambers, Hawaii voters would be asked whether to amend the state constitution to legalize adult-use cannabis.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Ballot initiatives are cool but they are NOT a guarantee.

This was not brought forth by the electorate but by elected officials…

Not sure this get traction or mahalo…


>> What Am I Watching?

Do MSOs even bother modeling Hawaii as a near-term market?

Is capital ready to fund something in one of the worlds largest tourist economies?

Do voters notice they’re being asked to decide a policy?


Feel like another version of Pele’s curse.

Cannabis style…I will just grab a shaved ice.

Why can’t an MSO be successful in one of the BEST markets in the US?

Missouri is quietly becoming one of the most attractive cannabis markets in the country — WITHOUT the MSOs.

Go figure.


>> What’s Happening?

Curaleaf exited Missouri.

Not cut back. Not paused. EXITED.

And they are not alone. No major MSO has meaningful exposure to Missouri.

Yet MO is consistently ranking among the healthiest AU markets in the U.S…


>> Why Does This Matter?

Missouri breaks the MSO playbook.

Limited license structure, strong retail economics, rational competition.

Not race-to-the-bottom pricing.

This is the rare cannabis market where operators actually make money (REALLY).


>> What Am I Watching?

When do private equity and strategic buyers re-rate “boring” markets?

Does the next consolidation wave starts OUTSIDE the MSO universe?

Who comes out of this market as a winner?


Missouri didn’t fail the MSOs but the MSO model failed in Missouri.

Not every great market wants a national flag planted in it.

Sometimes the best markets are the ones Wall Street ignores.

Where do hemp beverages belong?

Well, what do we know:

1. They sure found a way to enter traditional distribution channels

2. Alcohol use is declining

3. Consumers are driving demand

With the hemp ban looming I'm not sure which way is UP.

So you tell me?

Thank you to my friend Peter Su, PBC-CP, CTP, CCBP, CRS, GRCP, GRCA, IDPP, CBE for having me on...

Why do you keep doing this LinkedIn thing ???

BECAUSE THE POWER OF PERSONAL BRANDING IS YOUR FUTURE.

Here's a case study:

Few years ago met Lisa Williams via LinkedIn.

She reached out.
We got to know each other
We have supported each others' collective journey.

Lisa Williams is: 
— A working mother
— An entrepreneur
— Who owns two businesses
— Keeps up with her content 
— And is a TOTAL badass!

About 2 years ago she purchased a product SHE believed in. 

Hello Again...Something to help female health, specifically menopause.

She started putting some videos on TikTok...

And guess what... last week SHE WENT VIRAL.

1,000,000 views
122,000 likes
5,000 comments
21,000 saves 
59,000 forwards

AND SO MANY SALES SHE COULD NOT KEEP UP.

NEVER QUIT. 
NEVER question if you should be posting.

And buy some Hello Again!

And check the video here: https://bit.ly/4qCX4sq

When you fail 3 times, why not try for a 4th??

That’s what PA is doing right now as the state makes its FOURTH attempt at a move to Adult Use.

Sure, why not??


>> What’s Happening?

My guy Shapiro gave his fourth budget address.

Increasing overall spending by 6% without broad-based tax hikes.

Oh and he put adult-use BACK on the table…AGAIN.


>> Why Does This Matter?

PA is surrounded by NJ/NY/MD/OH, all of which are pumping REC.

The budget conversation shows how much $ PA is leaving on the table staying medical.

How ELSE can you spend more and NOT tax the general public?


>> What Am I Watching?

This is now #4. Can it REALLY HAPPEN this time?

What will be the policy tradeoffs if this happens? Who loses?

Is THIS a state surrounded by AU finally admitting leakage is a tax policy?


Adult-use didn’t magically reappear…

It reappeared because PA needs the $$$.

Politics and budgets are not based on morality…

Bet your butt they are based on COLD HARD CASH.

And AU seems like a magical cash machine.

Everything's BIGGER in TEXAS? Well, Texas Original just bet the ranch.


>> What's Happening?

Texas Original just opened the largest medical cannabis facility in Texas.

They’re expanding cultivation and processing capacity to meet rising patient demand.

No change in law…no ballot initiative.

Just cash, concrete, steel, and CONFIDENCE.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Well son, you don't go build the largest facility inside one of the most restrictive medical programs in the country…

THIS is what early movers look like in medical states.

And might signal that regulators are comfortable enough to let serious operators scale.


>> What Am I Watching?

Does demand absorb this build?

Does the program allow for success?

Who’s the next operator is to break ground?


Texas ain't first.

It won't be loud.

But when it moves, it will move at TEXAS SCALE.


Cowboy UP y'all.

This will make some people uncomfortable.

Good. Read it anyway.


>> What's Happening?

A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that legal marijuana access is associated with lower suicide rates among older adults.

Particularly once dispensaries actually open.

Not legalization on paper.

Real access. Real products. Real use.


>> Why is this Important?

Older adults deal with chronic pain, sleep issues, anxiety, isolation.

And guess what? They're also the group with the highest suicide risk.

When legal cannabis becomes available, suicide rates in this cohort go down.

Let's not pretend this is nothing while we happily prescribe opioids, SSRIs, and booze like Tic Tacs…


>> What Am I Watching?

How long policymakers keep saying cannabis has "no proven benefit" while data quietly stacks up.

Whether public-health conversations finally acknowledge harm reduction instead of moral panic.

Who actually cares about outcomes and who just cares about optics…


No one is saying cannabis is a cure.

But dismissing data because it challenges the norms is bad science and worse policy.

If legal access helps even a subset of people feel less pain, less despair, or a little more okay, maybe that's worth taking seriously.

Just a thought…

Montana, the Gold and Silver State, is going GREEN.

Montana’s cannabis market just put up a number…which I found very interesting.


>> What’s Happening?

AU retail in Montana threw up a record $327M in sales in 2025.

AU represents roughly 90 % of Montana purchases.

AND this growth came DESPITE falling retail prices per gram.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Pattern recognition: price compression + volume growth = real consumer demand.

Out of this, the state grabbed $60 million in tax revenue, underscoring how important this product can be.

Medical markets seems to vanish in the face of AU. Unclear how this moves in S3…


>> What Am I Watching?

Montana works because it’s not drowning in licenses or over-financialized.

Its relatively open licensing structure and modest population make it a unique case, but can it last?

It’s also a NO MSO Zone…proving that you don’t need MSOs for a sold adult-use market.

Low population, controlled rollout, limited speculation.


Markets like this don’t scale nationally, but they do expose what broke elsewhere.

Record sales are nice, but structural market health is the REAL story.

We’ll see what prevails here.

Best advice for a bad outcome: Let someone ELSE pick your dose.

Or worse still, let someone who knows NOTHING about dosing pick your dose…

Because that’s what’s going on


>> What’s Happening?

Food & Beverage put out an article on the “perfect dose” for HEMP Beverages.

At 2.5MG

2.5MG??

REALLLY???


>> Why Is This Important?

It reveals a gap between cannabis reality and every outside stakeholder.

2.5mg ain’t a “sweet spot”. It’s a training wheel AT BEST.

Alcohol didn’t scale on near-beer.

Cannabis won’t scale on microdoses dressed up as safety or wisdom.

Low-dose has a place. (THANK YOU Cann)

Calling it “THE PLACE” is telling me you don’t understand the market.


>> What Am I Watching?

How much mainstream “acceptance” does this get?

Is this the way Bev/Alc gets comfortable?? (You sure sell more cans at 2.5mg…)

How many consumers do not “feel” an effect at this level???


2.5mg is not the right dose.

If your entire thesis starts and ends there, you’re throwing darts blindfolded.

While congratulating yourself for hitting something, anything.

Think your business is HARD?

Try this:

1. Every state (and city) has a different set of rules

2. The Government taxes you at an exorbitant rate 

3.  Capital flow is weighted to larger and later-stage operators

4. There is very little capital to begin with...

Now tell me you product is not Federally legal...WELCOME TO C@NNABIS!!!!

Appreciate the love from Alex D. and the squad from The High Index for the spot!

Failing to raise capital in c@nnabis ?

Get yourself to where the decision makers gather in ONE ROOM
Hyped as always for another sesh with my folks from IgniteIt Cannabis
thats right...

I AM COMING DOWN THE PIKE...
February 10th, 2026
Westin Jersey City

I heard The Boss is playing a set....

Register HERE: https://bit.ly/49pHgUF

and use my CODE: SETH20

Patrick Lane Elliot Lane Javier Hasse

It’s NEVER a good idea to let government run a business.

Right??

Anoka, Minnesota is set to cut the ribbon on the Anoka Cannabis Company.

The first and ONLY city-managed dispensary in the U.S.

What could possibly go wrong??


>> What’s Happening?

A city running retail cannabis is like a turtle teaching people how to fly…

Bad idea for government to staff, regulate, and be accountable to voters.

This seems like a BIG departure from the usual “license it and pray” model.


>> Why Is This Important?

This city just decided licensing WASN’T enough.

Screw regulating private operators, Anoka wants to own the P&L too.

This is a fundamental shift for government FROM oversight TO asset control.


>> What Am I Watching?

How soon till every cash strapped municipality gets in the game?

Does this model work financially?

How does a city deal with illicit markets?

How long until they start growing weed and creating their own brand…??


Cannabis didn’t normalize…

It went on the city Balance Sheet.

Government is best which governs least, PERIOD.

Jeremy Prasetyo

World Champion turned Cyberpreneur | Building an AI SaaS company to $1M ARR and sharing my insights along the way | Co-Founder & CEO, TRUSTBYTES

While everyone's talking about AI, the Agentic Web and Web3,
few understand how to turn them into competitive advantage, 
even fewer into institutional advantage.
That's where I come in.

I'm a former World Champion turned Tech Founder and Emerging Technology Strategist who decodes tomorrow's tech for today's leaders. 
Through my unique ability to break down complex technologies into actionable strategies, I help organizations transform uncertainty into opportunity.

As CEO of TRUSTBYTES and an internationally recognized keynote speaker, I bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation and real-world implementation. 

My expertise spans:

→ Emerging Tech Translation
- Transforming AI and blockchain complexities into clear strategic advantages
- Converting technological uncertainty into market-leading opportunities
- Building innovation flywheels that compound over time

→ Leadership Acceleration
- Mentoring the next generation of tech-savvy leaders
- Guiding institutional transformation with practical frameworks
- Creating bridges between legacy systems and emerging technologies

→ Strategic Innovation
- Designing AI-driven business flywheels that scale
- Developing institutional-grade technology strategies
- Engineering frameworks for sustainable growth

Through high-impact keynotes, executive mentorship, and hands-on leadership, I empower decision-makers to turn technological complexity into market dominance. 

My approach merges deep technical insight with battle-tested business acumen, helping organizations thrive in rapid change.

Tech moves fast.
Markets move faster.
But institutional transformation?
That's where most leaders get stuck.
I'm here to change the game.

Follow me for actionable insights on emerging tech, leadership, and exponential growth. 

Let's build tomorrow's advantages today.

CEO & Co-Founder

FIGHTING CYBERCRIME LIKE IT'S 2030
Find more bugs in less time while saving up to 80% of cybersecurity resources.

HOW IT WORKS
TRUSTBYTES secures exponential technologies like Web 3.0, AI or Quantum TECH with its advanced AI that delivers unparalleled accuracy. By deploying self-learning AI agent swarms that adapt to evolving threats we protect systems with superior vulnerability detection and mitigation.

THE PROBLEM
$8 Trillion in Damages
Cybercrime Damages did cost the world $8 trillion USD in 2023.
Until now, global cybercrime costs grew by 15 percent each year.
But this number will grow exponentially, as hackers start using AI or even Quantum TECH.

Threat to Humanity
Warren Buffett calls cybercrime the biggest problem facing humanity - a threat exceeding nuclear weapons.
The answer lies in fighting fire with fire through AI counterforce.
TRUSTBYTES is that enabler for CISOs - an advanced AI system augmenting human experts to proactively remediate cyber threats before damage occurs.

OUR SOLUTION - SECURING EXPONENTIAL TECHNOLOGIES

➝ Web 3.0 - Smart Contract Auditing Suite

➝ Securing AI Systems

➝ Securing the Quantum TECH era


For more details visit: trustbytes.io

The advice that changed everything for Matthew McConaughey 
⤵

Most people don’t need permission to chase their dream.
They need someone to look them in the eye and say:
"If you're gonna do it - do it right. No excuses."

That's exactly what Matthew McConaughey got.

One sentence from his father became the launchpad for everything:
"Don't half-ass your dream."

It wasn’t comfort.
It wasn’t praise.
It was the wake-up call we all need.

Let’s break it down:

1/
 ➠ Permission vs. expectation

 ➝ We're raised to seek approval
 ➝ And to follow safe, respectable paths
 ➝ But "safe" often leads to silent resentment

↳ So stop playing by rules that were never yours


2/
 ➠ McConaughey's moment

 ➝ He was set for law school
 ➝ But wanted to chase film instead
 ➝ He feared disappointment

↳ What he got was belief - because he owned the choice


3/
 ➠ What his dad really said

 ➝ "Don't half-ass it" meant: go all in
 ➝ It wasn’t coddling - it was a challenge
 ➝ If you choose it, then back it with force

↳ Commitment is the cost of clarity


4/
 ➠ What that means for you

 ➝ Dreams aren't hobbies
 ➝ They're responsibilities
 ➝ And they demand effort

↳ Half-hearted effort kills more dreams than failure ever will


5/
 ➠ Why it still matters

 ➝ Owning your path inspires others
 ➝ Taking action changes identity
 ➝ Regret haunts the untried

↳ One act of courage often unlocks another


Most people wait for belief.
For an external validation.
For someone's permission.
But belief is earned by doing - not by waiting.


▶ What if "support" looked more like challenge?
▶ Who's waiting for you to act so they can believe?
▶ When was the last time you didn’t half-ass something?


//

Repost this ⇄

//

Source: Matthew McConaughey, “Greenlights”

//

Follow me for daily posts on emerging tech and growth: https://lnkd.in/gqzS_9Tf

//

World Champion turned Entrepreneur | Follow me for emerging tech, leadership and growth topics | Co-Founder & CEO, TRUSTBYTES (Techstars ’25)

"This is the moment that decides everything"
- Patrick Bet-David
⤵

Before the strategy.
Before the money.
Before anyone knows your name.

There’s a quiet test almost nobody talks about.

And it shows up when you’re completely alone.


1/
➠ The seat no one warns you about

➝ No audience
↳ No backup

This doesn’t happen on stage.
It happens in a car, late at night, staring forward, talking to yourself.
No motivation left. No applause coming.

And this is where it starts getting real.


Now here’s the shift most people don’t expect.


2/
➠ Why you suddenly can’t call anyone

➝ They believed you
↳ You sold the dream

You told your partner you had a plan.
You told your friends you were building something big.
You told your parents you were choosing a harder road.

Calling now feels like admitting doubt.
So you sit with it instead.


And that silence?
It starts asking questions.


3/
➠ The negotiation phase

➝ Is this worth it
↳ Why am I doing this

This is where logic creeps in.
Money feels overrated.
Legacy feels unnecessary.
Comfort starts sounding responsible.

Not quitting yet.
Just… reconsidering.


And this is where most people slip.


4/
➠ How people quietly lose

➝ Logic wins
↳ Dreams retreat

Logic says get a job.
Logic says choose peace.
Logic says this pain isn’t necessary.

Everyone around you will agree.
They’ll even say you made the right call.
But there’s one problem.


Which leads to the final turn.


5/
➠ The only voice that matters
➝ Yours
↳ Alone

No mentor here.
No spouse.
No friends.

Just you deciding who you are when no one is watching.

That’s the moment Patrick Bet-David is talking about.

▶ what do you say in silence
▶ who do you listen to
▶ do you stay


//

Repost this ⇄

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Source: Patrick Bet-David

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Follow me for daily posts on emerging tech and growth: https://lnkd.in/gqzS_9Tf

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China isn’t replacing classrooms with AI.
They’re testing what happens when humans become data.
⤵

That distinction matters.

This is not about futuristic furniture.
Not about tablets built into desks.

It’s about what changes when learning is continuously measured.
And when behavior becomes a metric.


1/

➠ this is still an experiment
not nationwide
not universal
not evenly distributed
Only selected schools.
Mostly well funded regions.
Mostly pilot programs.

That’s how big shifts always start.
Quietly.
Before they scale.


2/
➠ what is actually being measured
interaction
posture
attention
response speed

Screens replace paper.
Sensors track behavior.
Dashboards summarize students.

Teaching becomes visible.
Students become readable.

Learning turns into signals.


3/
➠ why institutions want this
faster feedback
automated grading
performance clarity

Teachers save time.
Administrators gain insight.
Systems gain control.

Personalization sounds humane.
Optimization sounds efficient.

Both depend on defining ideal behavior.


4/
➠ where the tension lives
constant observation
psychological pressure
unequal access

Attention becomes a score.
Emotion becomes data.
Silence becomes compliance.

Urban schools accelerate.
Rural schools lag.

The gap widens quietly.


This is not about screens.
It’s about incentives.

What behavior gets rewarded.
What behavior gets flagged.
What behavior gets trained out.


Uncomfortable questions worth sitting with

▶ who defines attention
▶ who owns the data
▶ who audits the system
▶ who protects the child


//

Repost this ⇄

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Source: Video via Alvin Foo

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Follow me for daily posts on emerging tech and growth: https://lnkd.in/gqzS_9Tf

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Grammy winner. The next Super Bowl headliner.
They call him an overnight success…
But that’s what they don’t see: ⤵

The spotlight makes it look sudden.
The trophies make it look easy.
But the truth lives in the years before anyone cared.

Nobody “comes out of nowhere.”
They come out of now here,
doing boring work, daily,
long before it pays:

1/
➠ Before the world noticed

Before the Grammys.
Before the halftime stage.

There were grocery shifts in Puerto Rico.
Long hours. Low pay. No audience.

And when the shift ended, the real work started.


2/
➠ What happened after work
This is where most stories skip ahead
.
He went home and created anyway.
Recorded. Uploaded. Repeated.

No label.
No co-signs.
No guarantees.

Just consistency when nothing was happening yet.


3/
➠ Where most people quit

Here’s the uncomfortable part.

The songs with 200 plays.
The silence after posting.
The feeling that effort isn’t being rewarded.

This is where people stop.
Not because they lack talent —
But because patience runs out.


4/
➠ Why it finally worked

Momentum didn’t appear randomly.
It was earned quietly.

One song spread.
Then another.

Not because he was new.
Because he was ready when attention arrived.


5/
➠ Why this matters to you

You might be in the invisible phase right now.

No applause.
No validation.
No proof it will work.

That doesn’t mean you’re behind.
It means you’re building the foundation most people never finish.

▶ What is most inspiring to you about his story?


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World Champion turned Entrepreneur | Follow me for emerging tech, leadership and growth topics | Co-Founder & CEO, TRUSTBYTES (Techstars '25)

There has never been a better time in history to start…
…here’s why:
⤵

The ground is shaking. That’s your signal.

When everything feels unstable, most people freeze.

Founders shouldn’t.

Volatility is not a warning sign.
It’s a starting gun.

And right now, the clock speed of entire industries is accelerating.


1/
➠ The clock just changed

➝ AI is compressing industry timelines
↳ Code is being commoditized
↳ Workflows are being rebuilt
↳ Old playbooks are breaking

This is not a feature update.

It is a pace reset.

When the speed of progress increases, anything built for the old tempo becomes friction. And friction kills incumbents.


2/
➠ Speed beats size

➝ Big companies have scale and capital
↳ But they iterate slowly
↳ Layers slow decisions
↳ Legacy resists change

When experimentation becomes cheap, scale stops being the ultimate advantage.

If code is generated on demand…
If products can be rebuilt overnight…
If testing costs close to zero…

Then iteration becomes leverage.

Startups win because they:

➝ Move quickly
↳ Test constantly
↳ Pivot fast
↳ Ship daily

In a fast clock cycle, speed compounds.


3/
➠ The shake-up is the setup

➝ Markets feel unstable
↳ Business models feel exposed
↳ Assumptions feel fragile
↳ Certainty feels gone

Good.

Everyone is facing the same disruption.

But not everyone will respond with urgency.

When the clock cycle shifts this dramatically, startups almost always win.

Not because they are smarter.

Because they are faster.

And we have never seen the ground shake like this before.

So the better question is not,
“What happens to my industry?”

It is,
“How fast can I rebuild within it?”

▶ What if instability is the advantage?
▶ What if scale is slowing you down?
▶ What if caution is the real risk?
▶ What if this is your window?


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A new Silicon Valley startup just crossed $10B.
Its product? Your profession.
⤵
 
Knowledge used to be power.

Now it’s data.

Training material.

Expertise turned algorithms.
 
And your Stanford PhD?
Training the system that replaces themselves:


1/
➠ AI Progress Is Human-Led

➝ Experts identify model mistakes
↳ They measure them precisely
↳ They create scoring rubrics
↳ They reinforce better outputs

AI doesn’t improve by magic.

It improves because professionals teach it how.

And that raises the obvious question.


2/
➠ Are They Training Their Replacements?

➝ Yes
↳ In structured workflows
↳ At scale
↳ For speed

Entire professions are being distilled into repeatable logic.
But here’s the nuance.


3/
➠ What Actually Gets Replaced

➝ Pattern-based decisions
↳ Documentation
↳ Analysis
↳ Predictable judgment

What remains is harder to codify.


4/
➠ What Stays Human

➝ Context
↳ Ethics
↳ Empathy
↳ Accountability

The question is not whether AI will replace knowledge workers

The question is
▶ which parts of your expertise are defensible?
▶ Are you building skills that scale with AI?
▶ Or tasks that get absorbed by it?

 
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How Valentine’s Day Became a 27 Billion Dollar Machine:
⤵

Most think it is about love

It is about systems

A fixed date
A rewritten narrative
Scaled production
Engineered expectation
Algorithmic amplification


1/
➠ From martyr to marketing moment

➝ A third century execution fixed February 14 in the calendar
↳ Repetition made it permanent

➝ Mid February rituals already normalized pairing
↳ Symbolism accelerated adoption

➝ Medieval poets reframed the date as romance
↳ Story changed behavior

Calendar created attention

Culture reassigned meaning


2/
➠ Printing made emotion scalable

➝ Rising literacy normalized written affection
↳ Emotion moved through paper

➝ Industrial printing reduced cost and increased reach
↳ Romance became repeatable

➝ Ornate cards turned feelings into products
↳ Inventory replaced intimacy

Standardization creates category

Category creates market


3/
➠ Corporations engineered expectation

➝ Heart shaped chocolate linked product with romance
↳ Packaging signaled love

➝ National card distribution normalized participation
↳ Not giving stood out

➝ Diamonds equaled permanence
↳ Price became proof

Demand was shaped

Obligation outperformed spontaneity


4/
➠ Media amplified pressure

➝ Income growth expanded spending power
↳ More joined

➝ Television broadcast idealized romance
↳ Comparison intensified

➝ Hollywood globalized expectations
↳ Pressure scaled

Private ritual became public signal


5/
➠ Algorithms optimized monetization

➝ Prix fixe menus increased margins
↳ Scarcity sold

➝ Bundled experiences raised spending
↳ Upselling normalized

➝ Social media amplified visibility
↳ Silence implied neglect

➝ One click purchasing removed friction
↳ Data timed emotion

Trigger

Campaign

Purchase

Signal


6/
➠ Why 27 billion is predictable

➝ Broad participation multiplies volume
↳ Spending compounds

➝ Stacked categories inflate totals
↳ Averages rise

➝ Luxury anchors raise baseline
↳ Expectations escalate

➝ Skipping feels risky
↳ Compliance wins

Seven centuries of reinforcement

One predictable outcome

Culturally enforced consumption ritual

What if fewer participated

Proof without price

Opt out

Choice

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The Battle

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