🥒 North Korea Crypto Heist

In partnership with:

Hey Pickle Gang, it’s Rob.

Here's what's in today's issue:

• North Korea's Billion-Dollar Crypto Heist: Hackers in Disguise

• HiSmile: Making $1 BILLION Selling Toothpaste

• Roon Bags $15M to Replace Dr. Google with Expert Healthcare Insights

• And more…

First time reading? Sign up here

This Weeks Favourites

• Article: Robot-assisted splurges are here (link)

• Article: ‘Never Wished To Create A Dynasty’: Warren Buffett Donates $1.1 Billion In Berkshire Stock And Updates Will (link)

• Article: Early Thanksgiving online sales numbers are up 7% YoY to $15.6B, on par with pre-pandemic trends (link)

• Article: Typhoo Tea falls into Administration after 121 Years (link)

• Fun Stuff: Medieval Torture Stretcher Rack Meme (link)

• Book of the Day: Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups - Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000 (link)

Today’s Sugar Daddy

MEGA SEO: Your autonomous SEO team

Imagine flipping a switch and having SEO done for you end-to-end. Longtail, low competition keywords are identified. High-quality, SEO-optimized content is generated every day. Articles are published automatically. Low-performers are updated. Technical SEO is handled for you. Traffic rolls in.

That's MEGA SEO, your autonomous SEO team.

To prove it, they'll generate 2 free articles for you. All you need is your blog URL. It's like magic.

GET 2 FREE ARTICLES

News

North Korea's Billion-Dollar Crypto Heist: Hackers in Disguise

A venture capitalist, a recruiter, and a remote IT worker walk into a Zoom call—only to reveal they’re all North Korean operatives. No punchline here, just a shocking reality outlined at Cyberwarcon, an annual cybersecurity conference in Washington DC. Researchers unveiled how North Korean hackers have stolen billions in cryptocurrency over the past decade by posing as professionals to infiltrate companies, fund nuclear weapons programs, and dodge sanctions.

From fake LinkedIn profiles to AI-generated resumes, these hackers are fooling companies worldwide. Microsoft has identified groups like “Ruby Sleet” targeting aerospace firms for industry secrets, while “Sapphire Sleet” scams victims by impersonating venture capitalists and recruiters. The playbook? Malware hidden behind fake meetings and bogus skills assessments. With remote work booming, North Korean IT operatives are embedding themselves into multinational corporations, siphoning off funds and data—one job application at a time.

Read more here

Story

HiSmile: Making $1 BILLION Selling Toothpaste

Nick Mirkovic and Alex Tomic, childhood friends from Australia's Gold Coast, transformed a common dental problem into a billion-dollar enterprise with HiSmile. Noticing that teeth whitening products often caused pain and sensitivity, they set out as teenagers to create a better solution. Collaborating with chemists and pharmacists worldwide, they developed a unique, pain-free whitening formula.

With limited resources, they cleverly utilised influencer marketing by sending their distinctively packaged kits to social media personalities. This grassroots approach rapidly increased brand visibility as influencers shared their positive experiences. Despite facing challenges like website issues and a flood of copycat competitors, they didn't falter. Instead, they doubled down on innovation by bringing research and development in-house. This strategic move allowed them to create proprietary products and differentiate HiSmile in a crowded market.

By diversifying their marketing strategies and expanding into retail, they were then able to diversify their sales

Read more here

Funding

Roon Bags $15M to Replace Dr. Google with Expert Healthcare Insights

When something feels off, do you turn to Google? You’re not alone—90% of patients search symptoms online before seeing a doctor. But these searches can be unreliable.

Enter Roon, a New York startup on a mission to replace Dr. Google with expert-vetted health information. Fresh off a $15M Series A funding round, co-led by FirstMark Capital and Forerunner Ventures, Roon is now valued at $65M.

Roon’s platform features 16,000+ videos created by doctors from top institutions like Harvard and Stanford, offering reliable insights on conditions like PCOS, ALS, and dementia. It also connects users with others facing similar health challenges.

Founded in 2021, Roon is inspired by co-founder Vikram Bhaskaran’s late father, who fought ALS. The startup aims to empower patients with trustworthy resources and expand its focus on women’s health, cancer care, and more—making “Dr. Google” a thing of the past.

Read more here.

Growth

WTF is a Landing Page? And, why are they good?

I'd heard of landing pages, but I'd stupidly dismissed them without thinking about it.

What made me look into them further was when I heard the difference in conversion rates.

If you're trying to get hold of someone’s email, a normal website might convert maybe 1%-5% of website visitors. But a landing page? I've now got landing pages that convert 50% of visitors.

Yes, you heard me right, 50%.

So, now you realise how much of an impact using them can have, here's what they are and how you make them good.

Recommendation

Get Your Team Booked on 3.8 Million Podcasts Automatically

The best way to advertise isn't Meta or Google – it's appearing on podcasts your customers love.

PodPitch.com automates thousands of weekly emails for you, pitching your team as ideal guests.

Big brands like Feastables use PodPitch.com instead of expensive PR agencies.

Get your FREE personalized demo!

Meme of the Day

Hope you enjoyed today’s issue!

I won’t lie, it takes me a while to write, so I’d love it if you could give it a share! (just forward it to a friend if you’re lazy like me!)

Cheers,

Rob 🥒

Robert Benson-May, ACA

Get me a beer?