Day: October 3, 2025

• Daniel Lubetzky says business success comes down to community, values, reflection, and grit.
• The KIND Snacks founder urged leaders to hire for values since skills can be taught.
• At a Vegas summit, he told founders to embrace failure and take time for self-reflection.

Think résumés can give you a leg up as a business leader? It hardly makes Daniel Lubetzky’s list of what really matters.

The KIND Snacks founder and “Shark Tank” investor told an audience at the Clover x Shark Tank Summit in Las Vegas this week that the real keys to success have little to do with credentials.

Instead, he outlined four principles that he says separate thriving businesses from those destined to fail.

Community is the foundation

For Lubetzky, business begins with people.

He recalled a South African proverb that says, “We’re only human because of other humans,” and argued that the same applies to companies.

“Community is what makes us human,” he said. “Create a community where everyone is in it together.”

Rather than focusing narrowly on profits, he believes leaders should prioritize building a sense of belonging among employees and customers alike — the kind of trust that sustains a business in good times and bad.

Hire for values, not résumés

Lubetzky’s second principle challenges one of the most common business practices: hiring based on credentials.

While many executives obsess over résumés and technical skills, he said those are secondary.

“Skills can be taught, but it’s harder to teach values,” he said.

At his companies, he said, the hiring process is built around screening for alignment with a clear set of values, which he defines at the outset of every venture.

The KIND founder argued that character and values are far more important indicators of success than skills.

Take time to reflect, even in the shower

Lubetzky also made the case for introspection in a hyper-connected world.

With everyone tethered to their devices, he believes entrepreneurs risk losing the clarity that comes from quiet time.

“Spend more time with yourself,” he said.

He said that can be taking a walk, lying down without distractions, or even showering without music.

He said the point is to ask yourself difficult but essential questions, like “What gives you meaning, what did you do wrong and right today, what should you love yourself for.”

Resilience beats perfection

Finally, Lubetzky stressed resilience.

He was candid about his failures, admitting that many of his ventures flopped before KIND became a success.

But he insists those stumbles are what forged him.

“Difficult moments are what forge you,” he said. “I had so many ventures I started and so many things I failed at, but you only need one to succeed.”

He argues that the key is not avoiding mistakes but learning from them and being willing to pivot when feedback shows an idea isn’t working.

• The last time I visited Las Vegas was three years ago, when I was deep in my drinking days.
• Recently, I visited Vegas for a solo trip and found the town surprisingly sober-friendly.
• There’s a lot to do in Las Vegas that doesn’t involve alcohol, and I’d definitely go back.

The last time I was in Las Vegas was over three years ago. My life back then is unrecognizable compared to now: I’ve lost a significant amount of weight, started therapy, and stopped drinking alcohol. I feel happier and healthier than ever, so when I made plans for a solo trip to Sin City recently, I knew it’d look way different than the last time.

The idea of returning to Vegas sober and solo sounded exciting to me, especially since there were new things in town since my last trip that I wanted to see and do, none of which centered on booze. Here’s what it was like to visit Sin City for a quick, two-night trip as a non-drinker, and why I’d totally do it all over again.

My last trip to Las Vegas was completely centered on alcohol.

I last visited Vegas in 2022, when I was deep in my drinking days. The trip revolved around my next alcoholic beverage, and because I was mentally and physically unhealthy, I did little in the way of physical activity. My days were spent nursing hangovers in casinos, and my nights involved drinking cocktail after cocktail at dinners and shows until I finally passed out in my bed.

This time, I planned plenty of non-alcohol-centered Vegas activities.

Determined to do Vegas differently, I planned activities on this trip unrelated to alcohol, like walking tours and entertaining shows and experiences. I’ve been sober for nearly two years, and I find I don’t struggle with turning down a drink, so while I spent time in places where alcohol was served, I avoided it completely without issue.

On my first night in Sin City, I treated myself to dinner and a movie, Vegas-style.

On my first night in Las Vegas, I headed to The Sphere, the all-new entertainment venue shaped like a giant globe in the Nevada desert. Before the show, I went to dinner solo. The Sphere was showing a revamped version of “The Wizard of Oz,” complete with special effects like blowing wind and vibrating seat haptics, and I was eager to take it all in.

The show was impressive, and because I wasn’t obsessing over partying the night away, I was back to my hotel and in my pajamas by 10 p.m., ready for a good night’s sleep.

Hangover-free, I woke up the next morning and went sightseeing.

I woke up early the next day, dressed in comfy workout gear, and went sightseeing. I’d found a few TikToks showing self-guided walking tours of free things to see and do in Vegas, and I took some of their suggestions, stopping to see the botanical garden at the Bellagio, the flamingo exhibit at the Flamingo, and more.

In total, I walked 10 miles that day, shopping, being a tourist, and grabbing lunch at another TikTok-recommended spot, Netflix Bites. It felt amazing to move my body without a hangover all day and to truly enjoy seeing the Las Vegas Strip.

Afternoon naps, bubble baths, and coffee runs were my go-to ways to recharge each afternoon.

My hotel room at Aria Resort and Casino had a giant-sized bathtub, so both of the afternoons I was in town were spent napping, then hitting the hotel lobby’s Starbucks for a coffee that I drank while reading in the bath. Taking a beat to recharge each afternoon was freeing, since usually on a trip to Vegas, I’d be hanging out in casinos all afternoon for the “free” cocktails.

I love Halloween, so I visited Vegas’ newest haunted houses all alone on night two.

I’ve long been a fan of haunt events, like Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, which I attended sober for the first time last year. Universal recently opened a year-round attraction in Vegas, called Horror Unleashed, with four haunted houses I knew I had to see.

Just like in my home state of Florida, being jump-scared in haunted houses in Sin City as a sober person was incredibly fun. It felt amazing to realize again that I did not, in fact, need a buzz to enjoy something I had always thought I needed a few drinks to attend.

I loved experiencing Sin City sober and solo, and I’d go back again.

Visiting Las Vegas sober and solo was an incredibly empowering experience. Each time I travel to a new spot where I used to drink, whether it’s an all-inclusive resort or the streets of Italy, I’m reminded that life really is better sober. I’d definitely return to Vegas for a solo trip, or with friends or family: I didn’t miss alcohol at all while I was there, and felt happy and healthy throughout the trip without booze in the mix.

• A group of Tesla investors is pushing back against Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package.
• Unions and state treasurers warned that the deal doesn’t do enough to keep Musk focused on Tesla.
• Tesla’s board argues that if Elon Musk doesn’t deliver, he gets nothing.

Not all of Tesla’s investors are on board with CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package.

In a letter sent on Thursday, a group of unions, state treasurers, and institutional investors urged Tesla shareholders not to vote for the mammoth pay deal.

The investor group includes SOC Investment Group, the American Federation of Teachers, and Brad Lander, the New York City Comptroller, who have all previously criticized Tesla’s board.

Their letter attacks the EV giant’s governing body as insufficiently independent from Musk, and says that the performance goals of the billionaire’s compensation package are vague and not as demanding as they initially appear.

Tesla unveiled the proposed $1 trillion pay package last month, and shareholders will vote on whether to approve it at the company’s general meeting in November.

For Musk to access the full payout, he needs to grow Tesla’s market cap to $8.5 trillion over the next decade and hit a series of ambitious product milestones.

These include boosting annual earnings to $400 billion a year, building a million Optimus robots, and delivering around 12 million EVs by 2035 — an average of 1.2 million a year, which the letter points out is well below the total Tesla sold in 2024.

The shareholder group criticized Tesla’s board for not securing a commitment from Musk, who runs multiple companies, to “devote his attention” to Tesla, and warned that the pay package could lead to share dilution for Tesla shareholders.

The letter also pointed to the EV giant’s volatile performance, with sales and revenue both slumping in the first half of the year amid rising competition and backlash over Musk’s political activities.

Tesla’s sales bounced back in a big way in the third quarter, with the company announcing record quarterly deliveries on Thursday.

Tesla’s board responded to some of the points raised by the investors in a post on X, arguing that the compensation package creates trillions of dollars of value for shareholders and will accelerate global prosperity.

“If Elon Musk doesn’t deliver results, he receives nothing,” the company said.

• Chipotle is betting big on bold new flavors, adding two proteins and two sauces to its menu this year.
• The changes come as the chain has faced two consecutive quarters of declining sales.
• Chipotle’s chief brand officer said the company is leaning into global flavors to court younger fans.

Chipotle is betting that bold new flavors can do what burritos and slop bowls alone no longer can: bring customers back.

The chain is leaning hard into limited-time proteins, new sauces, and global twists to spice up its slowing business.

“Nothing brings new people into Chipotle or reminds existing people to come to Chipotle again, like new items,” Chris Brandt, president and chief brand officer at Chipotle, told Business Insider.

This year, Chipotle has launched two proteins as limited-time offerings: new honey chipotle chicken in March and the return of carne asada in September. As for its limited-time sauces, the fast-casual Mexican grill restaurant debuted adobo ranch in June, followed by a smoky red chimichurri sauce in September.

The new menu innovations come as Chipotle has faced two consecutive quarters of declining sales. The entire fast-casual sector has taken a hit this year, with consumers pulling back on spending and seeking out more value-driven meal deals. Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, in September told Business Insider that the company’s health remains very strong.

In response, Chipotle’s strategy has been to double down on offering attractive new menu items to coax cost-conscious customers back — and try to court young consumers to become lifelong fans.

“Sauces are an easy way and a low-risk way — as people are a little bit pressed for money — to be adventurous, but with affordable innovation, I would call it,” Brandt said.

He said young consumers are embracing international food and “looking for something a little bit different, maybe more than any generation before them.”

In addition to the new menu items, Chipotle also launched a line of dorm room merchandise this year in collaboration with Urban Outfitters and a loyalty program geared toward college students.

The California-based company is innovating beyond its home turf, too. Its limited-time offerings are available in Canada. The company also said earlier this month it would expand into Asian markets for the first time, opening restaurants in Singapore and South Korea with its full US menu.

While Chipotle’s staple menu items remain the same across markets, Brandt said the company will consider regional offerings in the future.

“We believe that Chipotle’s menu translates really well across all of those different markets,” Brandt said. “So we don’t feel the need to do a lot of localization — there might be some of that as we continue to expand, but we like to go right out the gate and prove that what people love about Chipotle here is going to be the same in a lot of different places.”