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Hey Pickle Gang, it’s Rob.

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

• OpenAI Release a $200 ChatGPT o1 Pro Model + 12 Days of Ship-mas

• Mikael Yan: How ManyChat Cracked the Messaging Game

• From NBA to VC: Omri Casspi's $60M Slam Dunk into Cybersecurity and AI

• And more…

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Now, onto the newsletter!

This Week’s Favourites

• Article: Elon Musk's record $56bn pay deal rejected for a second time! (link)

• Article: Microsoft’s Copilot can now browse the web with you using AI ‘Vision’ (link)

• Article: Sweden’s ‘soft girl’ trend that celebrates women quitting work (link)

• Article: Rocket Lab’s Founder Peter Beck Just Became The World’s Newest Space Billionaire (link)

• Fun Stuff: The Lonely Island - Great Day (link)

• Book of the Day: The Concise 48 Laws Of Power - Robert Greene (link)

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News

OpenAI Release a $200 ChatGPT o1 Pro Model + 12 Days of Ship-mas

OpenAI is stepping up its game with a new premium subscription tier, ChatGPT o1 Pro, priced at a hefty $200 per month. This exclusive package includes unlimited access to the new & upgraded o1 model, GPT-4o, and Advanced Voice mode. Pro users also get o1 Pro Mode, a version of the reasoning model that promises top-tier problem-solving capabilities by using more compute power.

The announcement is part of OpenAI's “12 Days of Ship-mas” rollout, where they’ll unveil new tools like the text-to-video AI “Sora” and other innovations. For non-Pro users, the $20 Plus tier still offers access to advanced features and all models—minus the souped-up o1 Pro. Expect faster response times, improved coding and math skills, and better reasoning across the board with this upgrade.

In a bid to expand AI's impact, OpenAI also launched the ChatGPT Pro Grant Program, supporting researchers with Pro subscriptions in fields like medicine and beyond. It’s a bold move as OpenAI stakes its claim as the ultimate AI platform for professionals.

Watch the first 12-min release video here.

Story

Mikael Yan: How ManyChat Cracked the Messaging Game

Look, we've all heard those startup fairy tales. But Mikael Yan's journey? It's the real deal - complete with failed projects, pivot points, and the kind of persistence that actually builds successful companies.

Here's how he turned ManyChat into the go-to platform for 400,000+ businesses who want to nail their Auto-DM game.

Before Co-Founding ManyChat, Mikael made YouComedy. Think Pinterest-meets-YouTube with a sprinkle of memes. People loved it, but scaling? That's where things got messy. Then came Banan, a messaging app packed with fancy features like swipeable GIFs. Great engagement, zero viral growth. After four years of grinding, Mikael did something most founders won't admit to - he hit pause.

Eventually, he stumbled upon ManyChat by solving a problem: how to automate conversations without sounding like a robot. That’s right, when you follow someone on Instagram, and get a direct message from them asking you to sign up for something, that’s ManyChat.

It actually works though as a strategy, which is why the tool is making bank.

Anyway, you can read more about how he co-founded ManyChat, and grew it here.

Funding

From NBA to VC: Omri Casspi's $60M Slam Dunk into Cybersecurity and AI

Former NBA star Omri Casspi has launched Swish Ventures, a $60 million fund zeroing in on cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and AI startups. With plans to back 10 early-stage companies, Swish Ventures is set to invest $5M–$7M per deal.

Casspi isn’t new to venture capital—this is his second act following Sheva Capital, a $36M fund he launched in 2022. Now, Sheva alumni like Wiz and Eon are thriving, and even their founders have returned as investors in Casspi’s new fund. With a narrowed focus and big names like Sequoia Capital on board, Swish Ventures is betting on Israel and the U.S. as powerhouses in cybersecurity and AI innovation.

Read more here.

Growth

Lead Magnets: Why They Work Like Crazy

Last week, I explained about landing pages. Some of you who read it may have clicked on the article, and seen that all the landing pages I have with a ludicrous 50% conversion rate, all have lead magnets.

Cool. So now I’ll chat about Lead Magnets, and why they’re awesome.

Think of a lead magnet as your digital bribe (the ethical kind). It's that irresistible freebie you dangle in front of potential subscribers/customers in exchange for their precious email address.

An example might be an E-book or a PDF.

They tap into the psychology of reciprocity. When you give something genuinely valuable for free, people feel compelled to give something back - in this case, their contact info and attention.

Some of you reading this may even have signed up to this very newsletter via one. Well, at least you know it works…

Read more on why lead magnets are awesome here.

Recommendation

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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

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