Future of Hiring

& Worlds's 50 Most Valuable Brands

April 08, 2025

Future of Hiring (as Laid Out by Tobi Lütke)

Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has made a bold move: AI comes first. In a memo shared publicly, he announced that teams must prove why AI can’t handle a task before asking for more staff or resources. He encouraged employees to imagine their work with autonomous AI agents already on the team, calling it an opportunity for "fun discussions and projects."

Here’s what’s changing:

Teams must justify why they need people instead of AI.
AI usage will be part of performance reviews.
Employees get access to tools like GitHub Copilot and Claude to integrate AI into their work.

This shift aligns with Shopify’s focus on efficiency and innovation as it faces industry challenges. The company has already launched AI tools like the Sidekick chatbot and Shopify Magic, while cutting 20% of its workforce in 2023. By prioritizing AI, Shopify aims to stay competitive and redefine how work gets done.

World’s 50 Most Valuable Brands

Key Takeaways

Apple has retained its position as the world's most valuable brand in 2025, with a valuation of $574.5 billion, far outpacing competitors like Microsoft ($461 billion).
Meanwhile, Nvidia entered the top 10 for the first time, with its brand value surging by 98% over the year to reach $87.9 billion, driven by its dominance in AI and semiconductors.
In contrast, Starbucks and Tesla experienced the steepest declines among the top 50 brands.

First Mover Advantage - Not Anymore; Microsoft’s AI Strategy: Smarter, Not Faster

Microsoft is taking a calculated approach to AI development by focusing on models that are 3-6 months behind the cutting edge. AI chief Mustafa Suleyman calls this strategy "off-frontier," emphasizing that it’s cheaper and more efficient to build slightly older models rather than chasing the absolute latest innovations.

This approach avoids duplication of work and allows Microsoft to focus on specific use cases, saving both time and resources. Despite its massive investment in OpenAI ($13.75 billion), Microsoft is increasingly working toward AI self-sufficiency.

Suleyman has stressed the importance of balancing cutting-edge advancements with practicality, noting that developing the most advanced models is often unnecessarily expensive. By leveraging mature technologies and partnerships—like OpenAI and CoreWeave—Microsoft aims to deliver cost-effective AI solutions while maintaining long-term collaboration with OpenAI until at least 2030.