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Gambling.com Group founder and CEO Charles Gillespie started his entrepreneurial journey in the most fitting way possible. With a big bet. Eighteen years later, Gillespie describes his decision as “almost beautifully stupid,” but it’s hard to deny that his gamble paid off.

Gambling.com Group is the world’s leading online gambling affiliate network, with a portfolio of over 50 media sites offering gambling-related content and instant connection to online casinos. Gillespie likens his business model to hotels.com in that both services connect customers to the best local options to fit their needs, whether that means a bed or a baccarat table. “We get paid by the online gambling companies for referring new customers to them,” Gillespie explains.

At its core, Gambling.com Group is a performance marketing company. It aims to drive what Gillespie calls “high-value traffic” to its clients. In the online gambling industry, high-value traffic means more than just bringing in high rollers; it also depends on customers looking to wager immediately.

Related: ‘Every Billionaire Wants a Casino.’ Jay-Z Is Trying to Open a Caesars Palace in the Heart of Times Square.

“It’s all about high intent,” Gillespie says. “People searching things like best sports book promos, best online sportsbooks, things that really show intent for that user to understand not only what options are out there, but which one is best for their circumstances.”

Before becoming a major proprietor in online gambling, Gillespie was a major player. Growing up in North Carolina, the self-described “geek” spent his youth building websites and eventually stumbled across some people with a penchant for online poker. Over time, Gillespie and his friends got pretty good at the game; at one point, poker became his primary source of income for a few years.

After starting his first online gambling affiliate site in 2003, Gillespie decided to push all his chips into the industry. He began working on his company in 2006, out of his Ruffin Hall dorm room at UNC a la Mark Zuckerberg, writing lines of code between classes. Unfortunately for him, the US government was less keen on the concept of legalized online gambling. Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in late 2006, which Gillespie blames for killing early chances of a homegrown online gambling industry in the States.

Related: ‘It Never Crossed My Mind That I Would Fail’: Chris Bevilacqua on the Launch of Simplebet

Despite the bad beat, Gillespie didn’t fold. Instead, he went all in on achieving his dream. “We didn’t have a lot of money, and we couldn’t do it in the U.S.,” Gillespie said. “So we decided to go to the next biggest market in the world full of people that love to gamble.” The 22-year-old post-grad made his biggest bet on himself yet, booking a one-way flight to China with nothing but some lines of computer code and a dream. Upon arrival, Gillespie hired 25 people to help him and his co-founder build what became a million-page sports betting content website.

“Starting our career in China taught us to learn fast,” Gillespie says. “We cut our teeth in one of the most competitive business environments imaginable.” He recalls meeting with a prominent investor early in his time in China, where the investor told him, ‘These people make American capitalists look amateurs. They are infinitely more capitalist and aggressive than any competition in the States.” According to Gillespie, he was right. The cutthroat business environment taught the young CEO to narrow his focus. “If you chase too many rabbits at once, you won’t catch any of them,” he said.

Related: The History of Online Gambling (Infographic)

After getting the company off the ground, Gillespie set his sights on the UK, the world’s largest properly regulated online gambling market. He pivoted away from sports betting and toward online casino games. “We went all in on the UK market, and that’s when our fortunes started to change. We got some traction, started making meaningful money, and also got the opportunity to buy the gambling.com domain name in 2011,” Gillespie said.

By then, Gillespie had given up on the US figuring out how to regulate online gambling. He had moved on to greener, less gridlocked pastures. So, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of online gambling in 2018, Gillespie was caught off guard. “We were focused on the UK, Ireland, European markets,” Gillespie said. “So we had to turn the whole thing around.” And turn around they did. Pivoting from seriously considering a European IPO, Gillespie committed to returning his company to the States, even if he had to wait a few years. Today, the US makes up most of its $108 million total revenue, accounting for $60 million. According to Gillespie, Gambling.com Group is the only publicly traded online gambling affiliate company in the US that was built rather than bought. In hindsight, Gillespie views some of his early risks as naive and reckless. However, these risks taught him a valuable lesson that resonates with every entrepreneur: the best bet you can make is one on yourself.

Business owners think the top three skills for success are communication, problem-solving, and time management. Now, you can solve the problem of finding efficient, affordable, and secure cloud storage for your company’s data with 500GB of Amaryllo Cloud Storage for a one-time payment of $119.99.

Featured at CES, your data and privacy are protected by such powerful security that even the service says it has no idea what you’re storing on its servers, thanks to Amaryllo’s zero-knowledge policy. However, you can access your data and back it up from any one of multiple devices using Android, macOS, or iOS in addition to your PC. In fact, you can even upload files in bulk.

Amaryllo doesn’t just store your files, either. The platform provides smart AI features that can organize your images into smart albums based on the places and things in them. Then, the smart search will help you easily find what you’re looking for.

You can also authorize up to nine other people to join you, and each will have a private lifetime space. Collaboration with your team will be seamless, and you can share files quickly without needing to register or pay additional fees.

Best of all, your storage can scale up as you need it to, simply buy another lifetime plan for as much as you need. There are additional plans available from 100GB to 300GB.

It’s no wonder users are thrilled with the service, with one saying: “Amaryllo Cloud has been a lifesaver for me. I recently had to switch computers and was worried about losing all my important files, but with Amaryllo, I could rest assured that my data was safe and secure. It’s easy to use and set up, so I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a secure backup solution.”

Get 500GB of Amaryllo Cloud Storage for a one-time payment of $119.99 (reg. $249).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

It’s difficult to do your best work when you’re uncomfortable. So, if you’re working from a home office or going into an office with poor climate control this summer, you may find it a struggle to get anything done until the room temperature evens out. But you can take greater control of the temperature with a Klima Smart Thermostat, now $10 off for a limited time.

This smart thermostat and controller is compatible with more than 10,000 models of mini split and window A/Cs, or air-to-air heat pumps. It’s easy to install in just a few minutes on your own and gives you complete control of the A/C or heat from your phone. Klima takes over the control of your unit’s remote so you can control it through your smartphone. It must be installed in the same room as the unit, and you will need one Klima per unit.

With remote access, you can set schedules for cooling or warming to automate the temperature so it’s always comfortable when you arrive. That will also help save on energy bills since you can turn the system off when you’re not there.

Klima is full of convenient features, like voice control for hands-free thermostat adjustments and appliance health monitoring to alert you if your A/C or heat pump needs maintenance soon. It has open window detection that turns off the A/C automatically and offers smart zoning so you can adjust temperatures on a room-by-room basis to avoid wasting energy. With the guardian mode, you can also set minimum and maximum temperature levels.

Stay comfy this summer while saving energy and money.

Right now, you can get a Klima Smart Thermostat for $10 off the regular price of $145—just $134.99 for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Entrepreneurship is an endless series of hard decisions. I’m sure you’re facing one right now. Sadly, I can’t give you the right answer — but I can offer you something new to consider.

To really appreciate this, I first want to tell you about someone who faced a gut-wrenching choice of his own.

I’ll call him Steve. He’d stolen things, served time in prison, and wanted to turn his life around. Finding a job was hard, but he eventually landed some freelance work for a big company. He threw himself into it, outworking everyone and getting noticed.

Only six major U.S. cities have median home prices that a household making the local median income could afford.

An April report from Clever Real Estate compared the income needed to afford a home in major U.S. cities to the actual income earned by the typical household.

The report considered a home affordable to a particular buyer if it fulfilled the popular 28/36 rule, which advises buyers to spend a maximum of 28% of their monthly income on housing, plus an extra 8% paying other debt like credit card or auto bills.

Even with a 20% down payment, the standard homebuyer making median local pay would not be able to afford a home listed at a middle-of-the-market price in 44 out of 50 major cities.

Home mortgage rates are also high right now, which could prevent sellers from listing homes and buyers from purchasing them.

Related: The ‘Silver Tsunami’ Meets ‘Golden Handcuffs’ as Past Low Mortgage Rates Lock in Homeowners — Whether They Like It or Not

Here are the six cities with homes that median earners can afford.

1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

^{Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Credit: Getty Images}

Actual Income: $70,607

Income Needed To Afford The Median Home: $59,919

Local Median Home Sale Price: $199,573

2. Cleveland, Ohio

Actual Income: $65,198

Income Needed To Afford The Median Home: $56,378

Local Median Home Sale Price: $182,652

3. St. Louis, Missouri

^{St. Louis, Missouri. Credit: Getty Images}

Actual Income: $74,531

Income Needed To Afford The Median Home: $66,743

Local Median Home Sale Price: $225,674

4. Memphis, Tennessee

Actual Income: $64,008

Income Needed To Afford The Median Home: $61,659

Local Median Home Sale Price: $213,929

5. Indianapolis, Indiana

Actual Income: $75,824

Income Needed To Afford The Median Home: $73,398

Local Median Home Sale Price: $257,584

6. Birmingham, Alabama

^{Birmingham, Alabama. Credit: Getty Images}

Actual Income: $67,242

Income Needed To Afford The Median Home: $65,216

Local Median Home Sale Price: $235,212

After months of testing and teasing dozens of modifications to its original burger, McDonald’s is now revealing one massive change that customers will notice — the size.

In a Tuesday call with analysts, McDonald’s Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden announced that the chain will be testing a larger burger this year in select markets.

“As we look to further build on our leadership in beef, our team of chefs from around the world have created a larger satiating burger,” Borden said during the call. “We’ll be testing this burger in a few markets later this year ensuring that it has universal appeal before scaling it across the globe.”

Related: McDonald’s Is Completely Changing Its Burgers in 2024

This isn’t surprising news for McDonald’s, as Borden hinted at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference last month that he believed there was a “significant” opportunity to create a larger-sized offering and noted the chain has attempted to do so in the past.

In the mid-90s, McDonald’s attempted to create “premium” burgers with different toppings and offerings (such as the Arch Deluxe, for example), instead of simply making a larger patty.

“We tried to get after this opportunity for a number of years because we thought the opportunity was about premium burger,” Borden said last month. “We weren’t successful.”

It’s been a long time coming for the chain, which laid out a massive growth plan in December that included creating a new version of its burgers with an estimated 50 modifications. The changes were first tested in Australia and select West Coast and Midwest markets in 2023.

Other changes included swapping the Big Mac’s sesame seed bun with “buttery brioche” and each burger coming with more of the cult-favorite “special sauce.”

McDonald’s reported positive Q1 2024 earnings on Tuesday, a 2% quarterly jump in global comparable sales growth, which marks the chain’s 13th consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth.

Related: McDonald’s in Connecticut Goes Viral For Astronomical Prices

“As consumers are more discriminating with every dollar that they spend, we will continue to earn their visits by delivering leading, reliable, everyday value and outstanding execution in our restaurants,” said CEO Chris Kempczinski.

McDonald’s was down just over 8% as of Tuesday afternoon.

A search for “formula for company success” on Amazon yields almost a thousand results, primarily consisting of self-help books. While I don’t claim that I have discovered the elusive formula, I believe certain characteristics can aid in achieving success, which I identified after analyzing the top companies currently active in the market.

I’m the founder of a deep tech company that is trying to push the limits of what is possible in the field of computers. For me, following these principles is crucial to achieving this ambitious goal. Yet, I’m sure these principles are not exclusive to any one field or industry and can be applied to any business willing to prioritize and use them as tools for development.

Related: 5 Key Leadership Principles for Driving Growth

Elegance

Elegance goes beyond mere aesthetics; it is the embodiment of beauty in every facet of a company. What does beauty consist of? Honestly, everything. If the founder wants to ensure the elegance of their product, they should pay attention to the structure that should be observed in every process of interaction with their company. Those may range from the way your employees present themselves at networking events or in-store to the speed with which your support team assists customers. Not only will this provide your brand with consistency, but it will also become more appealing because, after all, humans are aesthetic creatures.

When you think of elegant products or packaging, I’m sure one of the brand names that comes to mind is Apple. From the logo to the in-store decor, elegance is evident in every aspect of the brand’s efforts. In your business, the aspects of elegance are definitely different from theirs, but their role is the same.

Focus on goals and values

Focusing on the result is especially important for tech companies, particularly those developing new tech, as it allows them to deliver on their promises to both themselves and their customers. Most importantly, it allows them to focus on only those aspects that are truly important and relevant to their ultimate goal. To achieve this, detailed planning is required, where the most optimal path is selected from thousands of possible options. Moreover, prior to any action taken, it should involve thousands of hours of research, hypothesis testing, and more, but it all must contribute to the company’s goals.

According to Gartner’s 2019 Product Manager Survey, only 55% of new products are launched on time, and the other 45% are delayed by at least a month. This underscores the importance of the founders not only setting realistic goals but also communicating them clearly both to your customers and employees. Additionally, the company should not stray from its original purpose and should always keep its eye on the end goal. In order to stay on track, some things should be prioritized, such as good time management, both in your life and in your business, or for example, preparing contingency plans in advance. You can use these tools to ensure proactive and adaptive responses to unforeseen obstacles to ensure a smooth, or at least stable, ride to success.

Initiating and igniting

While it is important to keep up with the market and its latest developments, it is crucial to use this information to create new trends instead of simply following the existing ones. To follow this approach, business owners should create and keep in mind a clear picture of how their businesses differentiate themselves from their competitors, allowing them to have a shot at becoming industry leaders. The problem with utilizing trends as a foundation for a company is that the trend cycle inevitably leads to obsolescence.

Netflix is a prime example of this. It originated as a DVD-by-mail service in 1998, just one year after DVD players were introduced in the U.S. before they became an essential part of every household. The company not only competed against Blockbuster, the largest rental chain at the time, but also revolutionized the rental process by introducing a new way for consumers to interact with their services, introducing a subscription model in 1999. Netflix entered the year 2000 with only 300,000 subscribers, now this number is up to 247.2 million. Why? Because they were able to come up with an idea for a truly unique service.

Pursuit of excellence

One of the greatest enemies of any entrepreneur’s long-term success is these three words: “That will do.” This phrase not only affects you as an entrepreneur, undermining your abilities and limiting your potential success, but it also affects every single facet of your business. The pursuit of excellence doesn’t entail that you shouldn’t attempt to release anything until everything is perfect, but it does suggest that whatever you can do should be done to the best quality possible.

The strive for perfection, or rather the lack of it, is the reason the above-mentioned DVD rental chain now has only one store left in the U.S. When the market began expanding and Netflix entered the game, Blockbuster had the opportunity to acquire it, but passed on it arguing that Netflix was a too-niche business. Blockbuster’s opposition to online streaming and the fact that it was stagnant and content with the unchanged while an entirely new industry was evolving prevented it from innovating.

Related: 5 Key Leadership Principles for Driving Growth

Embracing challenges

Given that technology has advanced more in the past two centuries than at any other time in human history, the possibilities for further development and creation are endless. It is not uncommon to encounter a myriad of problems when creating something new, especially in the beginning. However, a business owner shouldn’t avoid working on a unique product or service simply because of the issues it may present and to search for innovative solutions.

As obvious as it may seem, the easiest way to approach a challenge is through hypothesis testing. Whenever you are faced with seemingly impossible problems, it is of utmost importance not to be intimidated by them, as this can lead to stagnation or the inability to deliver the promised product or service. By using hypothesis testing, one can generate and test dozens of possible solutions to avoid stagnation and initiate progress. Not only does this expand the range of feasible solutions, but it also allows the company to create a truly great product or service because you will be able to accomplish something no one has ever done.

Positive impact

In the 21st century, it is essential to prioritize more than just profit, especially at a time when we are experiencing such a rapid escalation of climate change and other worrying events. We are at the pinnacle of technological development, and it would be irresponsible not to use it to improve the world around us or at least try to preserve it for future generations.

As a founder of a tech company, I often pay attention to this detail and believe that a positive impact is essential when it comes to running such a company and that those who have a genuine urge to make the world a better and safer place have a real chance of creating a thriving business. Of course, this principle is not exclusive to one industry only; for example, food delivery and ride-hailing services have a better chance of succeeding if they are inclusive and convenient to all. Remember, if you have an opportunity to impact the world with your business, there are hundreds if not thousands of options available, especially today.

Cooking at home can be great for busy professionals because it’s budget-friendly, easier to stay healthy, and meditative. Whether you’re a home cook or an entrepreneur on the hunt for a unique gift that could stand out to a colleague, potential business partner, or friend, this limited-time deal is well worth checking out.

This Seido Japanese Master Chef’s 8-Piece Knife Set comes with a gift box and is on sale for $109.97 (reg. $429). These high-quality knives are made with very durable and strong high-carbon stainless steel. Their forged construction incorporates a sloped bolster and acute 15° angles (compared to the typical 25° seen more commonly with Western knives).

This set includes the following knives:

• 8″ chef’s knife
• 8″ slicing knife
• 8″ bread knife
• 7″ cleaver
• 7″ Santoku knife
• 5″ Santoku knife
• 6″ boning knife
• 3.5″ paring knife

To add an air of high-class presentation to this deal, it also comes with a stylish gift box that can securely store the knives for travel or passing on to a business partner.

This set has an impressive 4.6/5 star average rating among verified purchasers. One recent perfect five-out-of-five star review reads, “Affordable price. Excellent workmanship. Fast shipment. Overall, great product that’s hard to beat.”

Discover the quality of a high-end set of knives to improve your home cooking, or gift them to someone you work with.

This Seido™ Japanese Master Chef’s 8-Piece Knife Set comes with a gift box and is on sale for $109.97 (reg. $429).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Summer is almost here and spending time outdoors is known to ease stress and anxiety and enhance cognition. If you plan on spending some time in the great outdoors with clients, employees, or family, you should make sure you have the right tools. We’re not talking about tents and camping stoves; we’re talking about emergency tools, like this Outdoor Flashlight with Flame Simulator & 2400mAh Power Bank.

This light can keep your devices powered up, which keeps you reachable and able to handle any potential work emergencies. It also has a cool LED screen that simulates a campfire to add to the fun.

Most importantly, this outdoor flashlight provides ultra-bright LED lighting to give you visibility at night. The fireplace simulator mode also adds some light, with an adjustable flame setting that helps set the ambiance and provides some additional visibility while mimicking a real fire.

The durable flashlight is made with COB technology to provide a bright and even light output and is rechargeable via a USB-C charger or via solar panels during the day. It can last for up to 24 hours on a single charge and is built to withstand all weather conditions.

And perhaps best of all, it features a compact, portable design that makes it easy to pack in your car or carry in your backpack. Whether you’re going fully off the grid or just spending a night in the backyard with the family, it will come in handy.

Gear up for summer entertaining and fun.

Right now, you can get this Outdoor Flashlight with Flame Simulator and 2400mAh Power Bank for just $39.99, a 36% savings from the original price of $62.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Elon Musk founded Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, Neuralink and other companies and consistently ranks among the top three richest people in the world. But his recent conversation with another powerful CEO shows the price Musk had to pay to achieve wealth — and the management and mindset strategies he employs now to build successful companies.

Musk explained how he defined ultra-hard work to Nicolai Tangen, CEO of $1.6 trillion Norges Bank, the world’s largest wealth fund, on an April episode of Tangen’s podcast, In Good Company.

Ultra-hard work happens when “you’re basically just working every waking hour,” Musk said.

When asked how long he could do that, Musk replied that he’d done it “continuously” for a few years at a time.

^{Elon Musk. Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic}

“I’ve done many, many stretches of 100-hour weeks, where roughly six hours per day is sleeping,” Musk said. “I would not recommend that. That’s for emergencies.”

Musk put in those 100-hour weeks during difficult times at Tesla and in the early days of some of his startups, when he said he slept under his desk and worked seven days a week.

Related: ‘Americans Just Work Harder’ Than Europeans, Says the CEO of Norges Bank, the World’s Largest Wealth Fund

Musk also discussed overseeing hard workers on the podcast, stating that smart people tend to manage themselves and can work anywhere. His strategy is to outline a common goal and ask them if they agree with it. If they do, they can get it done.

When Tangen asked how Musk balanced micromanagement with delegation, he claimed he wouldn’t call his style “micromanagement.”

“It’s just insisting on attention to detail,” Musk said. “If you’re trying to make a perfect product, attention to detail is essential.”

Related: Elon Musk Says Remote Workers Have ‘Marie Antoinette Vibes’

Musk’s last tactic for building successful companies might be his mindset toward his own impact.

When asked how he would want to be remembered, Musk said he doesn’t mind if his legacy is inaccurate as long as he feels like he’s “done the right thing for the future of consciousness.”

Musk is the CEO of Tesla, which he stated this week is on track to produce new, more affordable electric cars even as revenue dipped year over year.

Related: Elon Musk Tells Investors Cheaper Tesla Electric Cars Should Arrive Ahead of Schedule