Here's the thing about the almighty Ford F-150: you know it's part of the F-Series of pickups, long America's bestselling vehicles, and you know that Ford has truly put its heart and soul as a company into making sure it stays on top.

That's meant risk after risk. For the previous generation, rolled out in 2014, Ford re-engineered the chassis to use more lightweight aluminum and brought a turbocharged six-cylinder engine into the picture. That was generation 13, and for generation 14, which debuted earlier this year, Ford has continued to push forward.

And it had to. Competition in this segment is fierce. Both Chevy and RAM have kept the pressure on, and even Toyota and Nissan can't be counted out. Since 2014, I've driven all the full-size pickups on multiple occasions, and I'm here to tell you, Silverados and RAM 1500s and even Tundras and Titans have their virtues.

But then you get a crack at the all-new F-150, as I did for a couple of days recently, and within a few hours — nay, minutes — of driving around in America's truck you have no difficulty avoiding these temptations. Get thee behind me, GMC Sierra! 

This is how it works. The Silverado and mechanically similar but more premium Sierra woo you with their motors. The Silverado, in particular, seems like it might be better prepared to get all beaten up than the F-150, depending on trim level.

The RAM 1500 can be outfitted with a fairly luxurious interior and has a plush ride, not to mention a robust Hemi V8 engine option, and both the Tundra and the Titan promise outstanding reliability and perhaps even a nice price if you want to haggle with a dealer.

One knows all this. My own tendency is to look quite favorable at the Nissan, and as a Toyota owner, to think seriously about the Tundra and its bulletproof reputation.

Then I fire up an F-150 and, well ... nice try, everybody else.

Two days with the 2021 F-150, 4x4 SuperCrew Lariat edition, stickering for something like $70,000 (Ford didn't provide pricing, so that's ballpark), and I ask myself how the heck Chevy and GMC manage to sell roughly as many if not more full-sizers as Ford every year.

Just so, so good

OK, choice and competition are wonderful, and the truck-buying public has this dynamic marketplace to thank for half-tons in the USA being as well-considered as, I don't know, budget hatchbacks in France or red sports cars in Italy.

But doggone! Saddling up in a 2021 F-150 proves that Ford ponders pickups in the same way that Beth Harmon studied the Sicilian defense. That Picasso evaluated the color blue. That Apple designer Jony Ive considered flatness or Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf idealized tick-tock.

Wall Street believes that something like 110% of Ford's total net worth is tied up in the pickup franchise, and the 117-year family business grasps this insight. Therefore, the 2021 F-150 is just so, so frickin' good.

A huge amount of this F-150 is indeed all-new, but it isn't obvious. What's notable is the refinement of the previous generation coupled with a welter of cool new features.

But first, the basics. The F-150 starts at just under $30,000, but that's for the two-door XL, the work truck. My Lariat 4x4 Supercrew, in "Iconic  Silver" exterior paint with a "Baja Tan" interior, was optioned to the nines and configured at about $68,000. 

Under the hood, there's a 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6, making 400 horsepower with 500 pound-feet of torque, mated to a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission with a locking rear axle.

Max towing capacity is almost 14,000 pounds, and my pickup had a 5.5-foot box, a "short bed" that's not ideal for hauling lengthy 2x4s, but that for most customers is plenty of capacity for everything from schlepping dirt bikes to toting camping gear.

All-terrain tires were wedded to 20-inch wheels, and my tester had a bed liner, a power tailgate with a work surface, and Ford's Pro Power onboard electric system. Bling was handled by an exterior chrome package.

Inside, this F-150 had a premium, purposeful treatment, with leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, and a leather-wrapped, multifunction steering wheel. Storage was considerable, as it was with the previous generation. But this pickup has a shift that can fold down to accommodate a folding interior work surface that stows in the center console; it's large enough to support a good-size laptop.

Moving up to SYNC 4 infotainment

The 12-inch center infotainment touchscreen showcases Ford's SYNC 4, among the best in the business for its clear graphic organization and ease of use. Bluetooth pairing is a snap, there are USB ports to connect and charge devices (but also regular outlets), GPS navigation and voice-recognition worked flawlessly in my testing, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. I enjoyed a superb Bang & Olufsen audio setup in my F-150 Lariat.

What I was able to take away from the two-day drive-around was both how roomy the F-150 continues to be: the cabin basically blows away most SUVs, with the exception of stuff like the Ford Expedition or Lincoln Navigator. My family is getting taller as adolescence progresses, and rear legroom in the truck is glorious. 

Up front, it's like you're riding in a pair of primo recliners, with a wide range of seat positions on offer. What full-size pickup owners justifiably adore is the high driving position, but in the F-150 (as with other half-tons) you need to contend with some substantial blind spots caused by the pillars and side-view mirrors.

That's easy enough to get used to, however, and then you can enjoy the smooth driving. Even if you aren't used to pickups, the F-150 is so manageable that it's unlikely to intimidate. That's a boon for newbie-type customers, who could be coming from midsize crossovers or minivans. 

So, an outstanding pickup truck, this all-new F-150. But c'mon — that's hardly news! Ford has been executing this vehicle for decades. It wasn't going to screw up. Ultimately, it took the already stupendous F-150 and tweaked it in so many ways that it's now just about everything anyone could want, from ranchers to suburbanites with ambitious home-improvement projects or boats to tow.

The EcoBoost six can motivate the F-150 from 0 to 60 mph in the five-second vicinity, frisky for a vehicle that weighs 5,000 pounds. Fuel economy for my tester wasn't reported by Ford, but the EPA gives it as 20 mpg combined and I wasn't able to drain much gas from the tank in two days. That's reasonable for the full-sizer with this level of capability.

Ford offers smaller six-cylinder engines, as well as beefy V8 and segment-leading hybrid six (25 mpg!) as well as diesel for those customers who have major-league towing requirements.

So, if you're on the fence about getting a half-ton, should you take the plunge and drive this nation's most beloved set of wheels?

Depends. A Ford F-150 with a back seat is one heck of a good vehicle for family life, and I have three kids and a dog. I generally aim to secure a press pickup in this segment when I have to drive to upstate New York every summer to drop off my clan at their camp, and that's because there's no compromise on gear — the bed takes care of that. 

A no-compromise vehicle

But there's no compromise anywhere else, either. Three adults can sit happily for several hours in the back, and nobody wants for device-charging options. Wifi connectivity makes for an easy journey.

However, if you have more modest requirements, even the magnificent F-150 might be more truck than you need. The F-150 is a driveway filler (and too big for older garages), and the legit 4x4 setup is more off-roading oomph that you'd want to deal with in run-of-the-mill bad weather. 

If you're coming from a minivan or a large SUV, I'd say give the F-150 a test drive and see what you think. But otherwise, Ford's Ranger midsize pickup is an excellent and in many ways more practical alternative. 

On the other hand, if the king of the full-size pickups is on your wishlist, the 2021 F-150 has without question put itself right back on the top of the hill.

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

2021 Ford F-150

Joe Biden will need powerful allies in Congress to help him chalk up big legislative wins now that he's headed to the White House. 

Lucky for the president-elect, he'll be starting his first term with a vast network of political connections forged during his 36 years in the Senate and eight years in Barack Obama's White House. 

But his resume will also only get him so far. Biden left Congress more than a decade ago to become vice president. During that intervening time, the faces and political factions on Capitol Hill have changed dramatically.

Biden's agenda is ambitious. Apart from responding to the coronavirus pandemic and the dramatic US economic slump, Democrats are eyeing meaty and expensive legislation designed to tackle everything from infrastructure and climate change to health care, election security, and racial justice.

To help out a new administration, Biden can claim to have powerful friends in the ranks of the House and Senate leadership teams and allies from his home state. He can also lean on Vice President-elect Kamala Harris who brings her own network of congressional allies from her tenure on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus. Biden's team also has tried to make inroads with some more progressive Democrats whose support will be critical for passing big-ticket bills. 

Some of Biden's top allies in Congress are also considered contenders for White House or Cabinet jobs. He's for instance already picked Louisianna Democrat Rep. Cedric Richmond to become a senior adviser and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

But it's unclear how much more Biden would be willing to pluck from either chamber where Democrat's House majority shrunk after a poor showing in the November elections, and from the Senate where whoever ends up in the majority would govern with a razor-thin margin.

Here's Insider's list of 19 people in Congress whose relationships with Biden will be critical after his swearing-in on January 20.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, House majority whip

Democratic insiders mention Clyburn first when asked to size up Biden's friends on Capitol Hill. 

That's because the South Carolina Democratic congressman is widely credited with helping to resurrect Biden's then-flailing presidential campaign from the brink of demise with his critical endorsement in late February. 

Clyburn, now in his 14th term, is also expected to be critical in advancing Biden's agenda in the House. He's the majority whip, a position that means he's No. 3 in the Democratic leadership and the primary person responsible for counting floor votes before anything comes up for a final roll call.

He's also a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus who commands broad respect among his colleagues.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

The first woman ever to be elected House speaker is ready to stick around for a Biden presidency. 

She'd be the one truly in charge of shepherding Biden's policy agenda through the House, a job that has its own big challenges given GOP opposition and her own Democratic caucus being all over the ideological spectrum.

In recent years, Pelosi has managed to keep her party unified in passing bills that carry more symbolic messaging than actual attempts at making law knowing she didn't have the support in the Senate.

But her job will get much more complicated if Democrats end up controlling all the levers of power in Washington — after Georgia's Senate runoffs —  and the House speaker returns to a strategic position where she is actually cobbling together the votes to send bills for signature up to the president's desk.

Pelosi and Biden have a long track record. She had her current job when then-Vice President Biden served as the Democratic administration's point person on the sweeping economic stimulus package that Obama signed into law just a few weeks after his inauguration. They also worked together on the Affordable Care Act and later in thwarting subsequent GOP efforts to repeal it. Going way back, Pelosi signed on as an original co-sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act that Biden authored and President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994; they worked together years later on the 2013 reauthorization.

Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat

The Delaware Democrat has been dubbed"the Biden whisperer" in the Senate. He's known Biden for three decades. He's extremely tight with the Biden presidential campaign and he stands ready to become a White House point man on Capitol Hill now that his Senate predecessor has won the presidency.

Coons is also a candidate to be tapped for a senior role in a Biden administration — perhaps a Cabinet job. For a new Democratic president, the calculation there may be whether Biden wants to lose a Senate ally who has better ties than him to the current members of the upper chamber.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

No one on Capitol Hill will be more important for Biden's administration than the New York senator poised to become the next majority leader if Democrats manage to win control of the chamber.

Any bill that makes it to Biden's desk would need to get through the Senate, and even if the Democrats win the majority, their margins would likely be slim. Biden has already signaled he'd be open to Schumer getting rid of the 60-vote threshold required to break a filibuster, a dramatic procedural shift that would reshape Washington's power dynamics and could pave the way for big-ticket liberal policy priorities and adding more seats to the Supreme Court. 

Schumer has said that "nothing's off the table" on the filibuster front. He'll need to ultimately consider whether such a move is worth it knowing Republicans can win back the Senate majority and with it have the same less formidable path to changing US laws.

For Schumer and Biden, the relationship goes way back. They served in the Senate together for a decade starting in 1999 when Schumer moved from the House to the Senate. When Biden was vice president, Schumer held a Democratic leadership slot helping corral the caucus on confirmations, the stimulus package, Obamacare, and other top items.

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Democrat

Biden relied on a small group of allies, including Rochester, a Delaware congresswoman, to vet his potential vice president picks. 

Rochester will now be Biden's Delaware connection in the House and on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, with a broad jurisdiction that includes energy and environmental policy, healthcare, and technology.

The Blunt family and the Bidens have known each other from Delaware political circles for decades. Blunt Rochester's father Ted Blunt has a long career in local politics, including serving 16 years as Wilmington city councilman and eight years as the council's president. During a campaign stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in February, Biden said the Blunts had been important to him his whole career.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer

Biden's secret weapon on Capitol Hill could very well be Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democratic leader behind only Pelosi who has a big say in both the shape of legislation and the timing for when it hits the floor. 

The two men are both creatures of Congress and friends for more than 50 years. They also have a long history of working together on legislation during their decades-long careers that culminated during the Obama era when Biden was vice president.

Sen. Tom Carper, Delaware Democrat

Biden's other home-state senator is in an important position if Democrats win control of the Senate. 

Carper sits next in line to chair the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, a panel that oversees environmental and infrastructure issues central to an incoming Biden administration's priorities.

The two men also go way back. They've known each other for four decades, and Carper served as the junior Delaware senator alongside Biden for seven years before the Obama administration took power. 

Carper was also one of Biden's first Senate endorsements in April 2019.

Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat

The West Virginia Democrat represents a red state and often votes with Senate Republicans. That makes him a crucial make-or-break voice on many items inside the ambitious agenda Democrats plan to pursue if Biden wins the White House and they also control both chambers of Congress come 2021. 

"I've known Joe Biden for a long time … he's a good man," Manchin told Insider in early August. "We may agree to disagree on many things, but we have a lot in common."

Manchin is also positioned to influence a number of critical issues in a Biden administration should Democrats win control of the Senate and the three-term lawmaker becomes the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 

He's said he would not vote to nix the filibuster, making it nearly impossible that such a move would happen even if Democrats are able to win the majority in January.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona Democrat

Like Manchin, Sinema is also likely to be a key Senate swing vote that Biden will need to get his agenda turned into law. Since she joined the Senate in 2019, Sinema has been among the Democrats most likely to break with her party to side with Trump on major votes. 

Back in March, Sinema endorsed Biden, calling him a "pragmatic, practical leader best positioned to get things done for everyday families." She added in her statement: "We certainly don't agree on every issue; I always vote for Arizona first."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat

Few other lawmakers in Congress will be more closely scrutinized than AOC once Biden moves into the White House.

The New York Democrat is the face of the progressive wing of her party. In the 2020 primaries, she backed Bernie Sanders but after he dropped out she said she'd vote for Biden.

What comes next is anyone's guess. The 30-year old lawmaker — she'll be 31 next year— will generate countless headlines no matter what she says or does in Congress. Biden's campaign tapped her, for example, to help it develop its climate change policies alongside John Kerry, the former secretary of State and Massachusetts senator who was part of the last big but ultimately unsuccessful legislative attempt to address global warming back in the early days of the Obama administration. Biden's team has picked Kerry to become its international climate envoy.

Ocasio-Cortez authored the House version of the Green New Deal resolution and has said she wants bolder policy ideas out of Biden, who distanced himself from the plan during his first debate against Trump. She tweeted support for Biden after the debate, saying, "Trump doesn't even believe climate change is real."

Rep. Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus

Biden may have helped propel his own legislative agenda by publicly offering up an expansive and diverse list of vice presidential prospects that included Bass, the current chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Come 2021, Bass stands ready to lead a voting bloc in the CBC that boasts having more than 50 members, the largest in its history.

In an interview this summer, Bass said she had a long list of priorities she expects a Democratic administration to pursue if Biden defeats Trump in the 2020 elections.

"You name it: small business, homeland security, education, financial services," the California Democrat told Insider in July when asked about the areas of influence her group would have over a new administration. 

Bass is considered a contender for a Biden cabinet job, but it's unclear if and when he'll pick her.

Sen. Dick Durbin, Senate Democratic whip and contender for Judiciary Committee leadership

All eyes would be on the leader of the Judiciary Committee if Democrats win the Senate majority after Georgia's January runoffs.

It's become one of the most high-profile committee jobs in the Senate because it includes vetting judicial nominees for the Supreme Court and other openings on the federal bench. 

It's not clear who would become the chairperson of the panel next year, but Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin appears to be the most likely contender to replace 87-year-old Sen. Diane Feinstein as the top Democrat on the panel. 

Feinstein, the committee's current ranking member, has announced she won't seek the top job on the panel next year if Democrats take charge. Her decision came after criticism from progressives and other Democrats of her handling of the confirmation of now-Justice Amy Corney Barret, Trump's Supreme Court nominee.

Senate Democrats' rules that assign committee leadership roles based on seniority would mean Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy is next in line to replace Feinstein. But Leahy is also poised to become chairman of the Appropriations Committee should Democrats win the majority. He's given no indication that he'd want to pass up on leading the panel that control's the government's purse strings.

Durbin, who is second in line on the panel has said he will seek the job of Judiciary Committee chairman — or ranking member — depending on the outcome of the Georgia runoffs. 

That would put him at the center of a fight over whether to kill the filibuster and add seats to the Supreme Court, which many on the left are demanding after Trump added a third conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the high court. Several Democrats have made it clear they don't want to ax the legislative filibuster, which would be a prerequisite for packing the court. 

Durbin, who worked with Biden for years in the Senate, endorsed him for president in March even before he'd won the Democratic nomination.  

Hakeem Jeffries, chairman of House Democratic Caucus

The New York Democrat may be especially important to Biden's presidency on the other end of the 2022 midterms. That's because the high-ranking House Democrat is a likely contender for the speakership if Pelosi sticks to a commitment she made publicly back in late 2018 to step aside after serving in the leadership position for another four years.

Of course, Democrats would also need to maintain their House majority in the next off-year election cycle and overcome the historic trends that usually equate to losses for a first-term president's party.

Jeffries is in position to make a difference on a more immediate front too. Among the issues expected to be on top of the Democratic wish list next year with Biden in the White House is criminal justice and police reform legislation. Harris has championed those bills as a senator, and Jeffries said he's worked closely with the vice president-elect on them too.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat

Warren's relationship with her former presidential campaign rival is another big one to watch during a Biden administration.

For starters, the Massachusetts senator is among the top prospects for a Cabinet post like Treasury secretary, but Democrats are well aware that her appointment would open the door for Massachusetts' GOP Gov. Charlie Baker to name a Republican to replace her in the Senate. 

If she remains in the Senate, Warren is expected to be a leading voice pushing Biden from the left just like she did on myriad policy issues during the 2020 primaries. 

Warren has laid out in a Washington Post opinion piece what she thinks the Biden-Harris administration should do on its first day. They include progressive priorities such as canceling student loan debt, raising the federal minimum wage, and declaring the climate crisis a national emergency.

Sen. Berni Sanders, Vermont Independent

Should Democrats win control of the Senate, Sanders is favored to become chairman of the Budget Committee where he'd be in a position to vet Biden's White House budget proposals. Sanders has said he wants a "fair" federal budget that "puts millions of Americans back to work in decent-paying jobs and ensures profitable corporations and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share."

After Sanders bowed out of the presidential race, he said he planned to move Biden in a "more progressive direction."

The Vermont senator and other progressives joined forces with the Biden campaign to forge an agenda that includes some of the progressive policies that the Vermont senator has long pushed for. Expect him to continue to push for a budget that reflects progressive goals from his perch in the Senate.

Lisa Murkowski, Alaska senator

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski has been one of the most consistent GOP centrists in the Senate. She's unafraid to break with her party and to speak out on contentious issues.

Murkowski was among the first few GOP senators to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden even as many in her caucus either stayed quiet or supported President Donald Trump's baseless challenges of the election results.

In a Senate that's sure to have a very slim majority, Murkowski could be a decisive vote on some of Biden's nominees, or on issues in which she disagrees with her own party such as climate change and reproductive rights.

Susan Collins, Maine Republican senator

The Maine Republican faced a difficult reelection race under pressure from Democrats. She eventually beat her opponent Sara Gideon with a larger margin than predicted.

Collins and Biden are friends who worked together for more than a decade in the Senate. He called her when she won reelection in November for a fifth term. She's certain to be another crucial vote to help — or hurt — his agenda. And she's signaled she'd vote for Biden's nominees, but would also willing to oppose those she disagreed with.

Collins has found herself at the center of many controversial votes facing pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to vote their way. She'll continue to be a crucial vote in the new Senate regardless of which party takes control after Georgia's January 5 runoffs.

Mitt Romney, Utah Republican senator

The first-term Utah senator was among the first few Republicans to congratulate Joe Biden and has said he'd vote for Biden's nominees.

Romney has been one of the most vocal opponents of Trump and has irked some in his party with his opposition to a number of their priorities. Along with Murkowski and Collins, he could help Biden or at least stand in the way of some GOP priorities in the new Congress.

In an interview with CNN shortly after the November elections, Romney called for the country to "get behind" Biden, and added that Republicans have "no choice" but to work with the incoming president on policy issues.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

The Kentucky Republican easily won a seventh term in the November elections, and now the Biden-McConnell relationship will be one to watch in 2021 — even if Democrats take control of the chamber. 

Biden has a reputation for working across the aisle in the Senate where he spent more than three decades. But touting those bipartisan credentials has a tendency to inflame the left, and the Democratic presidential nominee has already come under fire for saying he could work with McConnell and make the Republican turn "mildly cooperative" if Trump left the White House. 

Rage on the left over McConnell's move to confirm Barrett to the Supreme Court just a few weeks before Election Day will make it even harder for Biden to negotiate deals with the Senate's top Republican. 

For his part, McConnell three years ago described Biden as "a real friend" and "trusted partner" during a farewell speech paying tribute to the outgoing Democratic vice president at the end of the Obama administration. 

But McConnell has remained quiet on Biden's election win even as Trump continues to challenge the results.

A house one mile from Joshua Tree National Park, California, is on sale for $3.5 million – and it hasn't even been built yet.

TheConstruction is set to start next year for the property, known as "Starburst House," which will be made from 21 shipping containers linked together to look like an exploding star.

Business Insider previously reported that "American Psycho" film producer Chris Hanley had commissioned London-based architect James Whitaker of Whitaker Studios to design the home for his 90-acre Joshua Tree estate, based on designs for an office Whitaker produced by in 2010 that fell through.

The listing by Engel & Völkers also suggests that the new owners can choose exactly where the house will be built, noting that there are "multiple flat sites to choose from."

The $3.5 million purchase price includes plans, construction, and delivery of the property.

The 2,000 square foot house will include three en-suite bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, and will be powered by solar panels on the garage's roof.

The new property will neighbor Hanley's "Invisible House," a mirror-clad, single-story home completed in 2019 that resembles a skyscraper turned on its side.

SEE ALSO: This home made out of tiny units can be built in any configuration and proves prefab architecture doesn't have to be boring — take a look

The property will be located just 1 mile away from the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park "at the finest point in Monument Manor," Engel & Völkers, the real estate firm selling the property, said.

It will be completely nestled into the rocky mountainside, providing quiet and privacy for the occupiers, and will be surrounded by a private mountain, rock formations, and "hundreds" of Joshua trees.

The house will be made from 21 shipping containers linked to look like an exploding star.

The 2,000 square foot house includes three en-suite bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, each located in their own narrow containers.

But the property has no doors and connects centrally – meaning that, from the middle of the house, you can see into all the other areas, including the bathroom.

The real estate agents described the interior as "stark." It will comprise concrete flooring, white walls, and minimal furnishings.

It also has its own pool, raised above ground level, and deck.

The beds look outwards over the dessert, and have stairs at the rear for you to climb into them.

Each part of the house will have breath-taking views of both the desert and the sky.

The property is powered by solar panels on the garage's roof.

Although the property was designed as a house, there's scope for it to be used for art installations or as a gallery, Engel & Völkers told The New York Post.

Source: The New York Post

Construction will start in 2021, and the property is up for sale at $3.5 million

In October, Jay-Z announced he would be partnering with cannabis brand Caliva to create his own line called "Monogram."

The Grammy-award winning rapper has been with the brand since 2019 as their Chief Visionary Officer. Monogram is part of a bigger deal between Roc Nation and a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which acquired Caliva and Left Coast Ventures to form The Parent Company.x

The products are finally here, which include $40 prerolls to "foster communal smoking with ease" and a $50 handroll made with a "proprietary roll technique allowing the flower to burn slowly and evenly for multiple sessions," according to a press release from the brand.

The brand currently has four strains, which include No. 88, No. 96, No. 70 and No. 01, which carry light, medium, and heavy sensory descriptions.

The brand can now be purchased on Monogram's website, but you can take a look at the offerings below.

The Monogram x Jay-Z collection starts with a two-gram package.

The two gram Monogram flower retails for $40 and is "grown in small batches to maintain control and quality, each flower is hand-selected and hand-finished by Monogram experts."

Four grams of Monogram flower retails for $70.

The packaging helps protect the product from UV light.

The Loosies Preroll pack costs $40.

It comes with four individually wrapped joints, each weighing 0.4 grams.

The Monogram OG Handroll "takes inspiration from the smoke experience of a premium cigar."

Retailing for $50, it was created by "highly trained artisan rollers break the flower down by hand and roll using a time- honored process that was specially architected by Monogram culture & cultivation ambassador DeAndre Watson." 

Moderna has had a monumental year, transforming its business by developing a safe and highly effective coronavirus vaccine with record speed. 

The Massachusetts biotech company started 2020 unknown to most people outside of the industry. Spurred by its vaccine work, Moderna has become a household name and its stock-market valuation has surged from $6 billion to $55 billion.

The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to OK Moderna's vaccine as soon as Friday for emergency use. US officials plan to ship 5.9 million doses to more than 3,000 sites across the country in the following days. Overall, Moderna expects to produce 20 million doses in 2020 and somewhere between 500 million and 1 billion doses in 2021.

While most people hadn't heard of the company until this year, Moderna didn't come from nowhere. Ever since its founding in 2010, Moderna has pursued the lofty idea of developing a brand-new class of medicines based on messenger RNA.

mRNA is the genetic code that tells cells what proteins to produce. Until this pandemic, no mRNA vaccine had been proven to work in a large-scale study or authorized for widespread use. BioNTech and Pfizer are also using mRNA technology in their coronavirus vaccine.

The platform's massive potential has wooed investors for years. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel has said the company will either produce nothing or create dozens of drugs with the technology. That vision has led Moderna to raise massive amounts of capital as a private startup, including $450 million in 2015, $474 million in 2016, and $500 million in 2018.

Moderna's December 2018 initial public offering raised $563 million at a $7.5 billion valuation, the largest-ever IPO raise in the biotech industry at the time.

Business Insider got its hands on a May 2017 pitch deck created by Moderna. It shows how Moderna pitched itself to investors years before it became one of the hottest companies in biotech. Moderna didn't provide a comment for this story.

Let's dive into Moderna's 39-slide presentation from 2017.

Calling mRNA "the software of life" has stuck around for Moderna. The company has also long had an expansive pipeline of new drug. In 2017, it focused on infectious disease, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions.

This slide pits the drug industry's massive $1 trillion revenue against its biggest problems. Most drug candidates fail in clinical testing and require a lot of time and money before they reach defeat.

Here's the key question to Moderna's entire existence: can we make mRNA-based drugs? This slide shows how this genetic material sits as the key connecting piece between DNA and proteins.

The vision for mRNA therapeutics is huge. This is why investors pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the company, even as it seemed many years away from having substantial revenue. This slide suggests mRNA could produce proteins that existing drug technology can't produce.

"If mRNA works once, it should work many times."

If mRNA succeeds as a platform, Moderna says it can go after undruggable targets with less risk and more speed.

Moderna also made it a priority to develop the manufacturing process. In 2018, the company opened a 200,000-square-foot research and production facility.

By investing in mRNA as a platform, Moderna is aiming to apply that technology to a wide range of uses: vaccines, therapeutics and personalized cancer vaccines.

Prophylactic vaccines (like the COVID-19 shot) were seen as having the least technology risk by Moderna in 2017. The company is interested in exploring different applications for mRNA in cancer, the liver, and the lung.

As a young biotech, Moderna inked a range of partnerships with larger, proven drugmakers like Merck, AstraZeneca, Alexion, and Vertex.

Moderna clearly saw vaccines as the low-hanging fruit for mRNA — low biological and technological risks combined with a decently large market opportunity.

Moderna has been developing vaccine candidates since 2014, starting with influenza strains. The company is still testing its Zika, CMV, and Chikungunya shots.

Most biotechs focus narrowly on their pipeline. For platform companies like Moderna, the underlying technology and expertise is just as important.

The 2017 Moderna team had more than 300 scientists and engineers working on the mRNA idea.

Even year's ago, Moderna was highlighting the speed of its "research engine." With the coronavirus vaccine, the company was the first in the world to start human testing in March.

Moderna still leaned on contractors for manufacturing and services, despite its extensive investment in its own facilities.

The pipeline of experimental drugs and vaccines was growing rapidly in these years, as mRNA went from a concept into a testable idea.

Most of the pipeline was in viral vaccines.

Moderna has two vaccine candidates targeting different flu strains.

In 2017, Moderna was providing the first glimpses of human data from mRNA vaccines. These results show immune responses in 23 volunteers with one of its influenza shots.

Moderna was working on a Zika vaccine with US government researchers.

Data from mice suggested that the Zika vaccine could protect the little animals from the virus.

With the Zika vaccine, Moderna also touted its speed in development, a critical quality in responding to viral outbreaks. It took about a year to go from designing the shot to testing it in humans.

Cytomegalovirus is a common virus. While most people probably don't know they've ever been infected, CMV can be serious for people with weakened immune systems and for infants.

Despite an urgent need for a CMV vaccine, there still isn't any approved shot. Moderna plans to launch a late-stage study in 2021 for its candidate.

Moderna's CMV vaccine candidate includes six mRNAs.

Moderna also collaborated with Merck, one of the largest drugmakers involved in both vaccines and oncology, to develop personalized cancer vaccines.

Moderna is aiming to customize each treatment to a patient's specific cancer mutations.

Moderna also had an immuno-oncology project with AstraZeneca, another major drugmaker.

Like a lot of cancer biotechs, Moderna's drug could be tested in combination with other treatments. This mice data suggested "synergistic efficacy," according to the slide.

Moderna and AstraZeneca's collaboration also included cardiovascular research.

Moderna presents more preclinical data to suggest it's on the right track. This time from pigs.

The final slides get to some of the good stuff: Moderna's cash.

Moderna was able to rapidly grow its cash position even while investing in its business. By the end of 2016, the company had more than $1.3 billion in cash on hand.

Even without raising more funds in 2017, Moderna still planned to have more than $1 billion in cash at the end of the year.

If mRNA is a 20-year cycle, 2020 will be right in the middle of it. The last bullet point — execution — has certainly been realized this year.

That concludes Moderna's May 2017 slide deck.

• Finding the right gifts for the men in your life can be tough, so we rounded up a helpful list of gifts that they're sure to enjoy. 
• Each gift is available on Amazon for less than $100 and with two-day shipping for Prime members, which might come in handy for last-minute shoppers.
• Need more gift ideas? Check out all Insider Reviews gift guides here.
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals

Trying to find the right gift when none seem ideal tends to make procrastinators out of the best of us. That's when most of us turn to the convenient, fast, reliable perks of shopping on Amazon and its mountain of options. 

To make your last-minute shopping easier, we found 35 gifts for him that won't cost you more than $100, but that he's still sure to like.

Most of these items are available with free one-day or two-day shipping if you have Amazon Prime, so you don't have to stress over whether it'll arrive on time. 

The top 5 best Amazon gifts for him under $100:

1. A minimalist leather wallet from Bellroy ($75)
2. A Philips Norelco beard and body trimmer for a comfortable shave ($39.95)
3. A versatile iPhone case from Scooch ($39.99)
4. An Echo Show 8 from Amazon ($79.99)
5. A fun fidget toy from Speks ($24.95)

See more Amazon gifts for him:

A fun pair of socks

Hot Sox Men's Travel Series, from $11.67

Whether these socks remind him of his favorite travel destination or a special trip you shared, they're sure to be a great addition to his wardrobe. Each pair features a unique design inspired by 20 scenic sites around the world. 

A warm fleece vest

The North Face Gordon Lyons Vest, $88.95

The North Face's Gordon Lyons Vest is a warm and comfortable layer that any guy can work into an outfit. It's available in a bunch of colors, so you can pick out his favorite.

A fast USB-C charger

Anker Nano 20W USB-C Charger, $16.99

This year's iPhones won't come with a charging adaptor in the box, so if you're gifting a new iPhone, you'll want to include an Anker Nano as a stocking stuffer. It charges three times faster than the typical Apple charger and is physically the same size.

A warm beanie

Carhartt Men's Acrylic Watch Hat, $16.99

Grab a warm, comfortable hat from a trusted outdoor brand for less than $20 and in 30+ colors.

A high-quality leather band for his Apple Watch

Bullstrap Full-Grain Italian Leather Watch Band, $89.95

Bullstrap's Italian Leather Watch Bands are the perfect way to add some elegance to his Apple Watch. They come in several colors of leather and are compatible with all generations of the Apple Watch.

A reliable and affordable cast-iron skillet

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, $14.88

A quality cast iron skillet is a gift that will get plenty of use and last a lifetime. Lodge's Cast Iron Skill is affordable, durable, and comes with a silicone handle cover for heat protection.

A mug he'll get plenty of use from

Yeti Rambler, $24.98

This ever-reliable mug is well equipped for outdoor adventures and morning coffees alike. The vacuum insulation, dishwasher safety, and wide-grip handle all make this mug a standout.

A minimalist leather wallet

Bellroy Low Slim Leather Wallet, $75

Replace his tired and tattered wallet with this slim leather billfold from Insider Reviews' favorite wallet brand Bellroy. It's made with ethically sourced leather that will age wonderfully and last many years.

A timesaving pizza cutter

Kitchy Pizza Cutter Wheel, $13.95

Whether he prefers homemade, takeout, or frozen, this pizza cutter will serve as a real timesaver in the kitchen.

A beard and body trimmer for a comfortable shave

Philips Norelco OneBlade Face + Body Trimmer, $39.95

What separates the Philips Norelco OneBlade from other trimmers and shavers is the unique blade. It uses a fast-moving OneBlade cutter with a dual-protection system on both ends. The base of the blade will contour to his face, allowing for a comfortable shave or trim without irritation — and it works for wet or dry shaving.

An affordable pair of headphones

Panasonic Ergofit in Ear Earbuds, from $7.99

These headphones come with an under $10 price tag and a 4.3 rating on Amazon across nearly 90,000 reviews. They're well-equipped for everyday use, the gym, or whenever Bluetooth isn't applicable.

A versatile iPhone case

Scooch Wingman case, $39.99: iPhone 12/12 Pro and 12 Pro Max

A durable case is always an essential accessory. The Scooch Wingman is a military-grade case that has a built-in grip, kickstand, and car dash mount. To learn why it's the only case I'll use on my phone, read my full review on the iPhone 11 version.

A portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker

JBL Flip 5, $89.95

Perfect for the adventurous man, the JBL Flip 5 is rugged, portable, and waterproof. He can use it while camping in the backcountry, fishing at the lake, or even while he's swimming.

A fun fidget toy

Speks Original Magnetic Balls, $24.95

If he likes to fidget and play with things throughout the day, Speks magnets are an extremely satisfying option. He can use them to build different shapes, structures, or string them together in a line.

A few big bricks of soap

Duke Cannon Big Brick of Soap WWII Era Collection, from $10

Duke Cannon is a military-inspired men's grooming brand that helps support veterans and active service members by donating a portion of all proceeds. Even if the man you're shopping for isn't a serviceman, he'll appreciate the smell and massive size of these soap bars.

A charging dock for his iPhone and Apple Watch

Belkin Powerhouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone, $84.99

Sure, you could give him a regular charging cord to juice up his phone, but a charging dock is often more convenient and definitely cooler. This one in particular also comes with a convenient place to charge his Apple Watch. 

*This gift is unavailable to ship until December 29, but it's still available to purchase.

An 8-inch tablet for surfing the internet and streaming

Fire HD 8 32GB Tablet with Alexa, $64.99

With an 8-inch 1080p full HD screen, the Fire HD Tablet is the perfect size for surfing the web, checking emails, and streaming videos. He'll get lots of use out of it whether he's at home or on the go.

An Alexa-enabled smart display

Echo Show 5, $44.99

Help him stay connected to the world by gifting him the new Echo Show 5. This smart display is good for video chatting with friends and family, checking the news, and controlling smart home devices like robot vacuums, security systems, and more. 

A cold-brew maker

Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $15.99

Save him hundreds of dollars per year with this cold brew maker that lives up to coffee shop quality. It easily fits into most refrigerator doors, is simple to use, and makes a good amount of cold brew at once.

*This gift is unavailable to ship until December 23, but it's still available to purchase.

A smart speaker

Echo Dot 4th Gen with Clock, $39.99

The newest Echo Dot is more convenient than ever. The all-new design features a larger speaker for better audio, a digital clock to display the time and timer countdowns, and all of Alexa's other skills. 

*This gift is unavailable to ship until December 30, but it's still available to purchase.

A lavender-scented shaving kit

Art of Shaving Men's Lavender Mid-Size Kit, $60

This four-piece shaving set is great for any guy trying to manage his five o'clock shadow; he just needs to supply his favorite razor. If he's on the fence about scented shaving products, know that the lavender scent isn't too strong, and most men will like it.

A set of whiskey rocks

Lord's Rocks 11 Piece Whiskey Stones Gift Set, $18.50

Gone are the days of thinned-out drinks with these whiskey stones made of pure granite. Plus, it comes in a box set for easy gifting. 

A Tile Mate that will help him never lose his phone or wallet again

Tile Mate, $24.88

He can place this tracker in his wallet, bag, or phone case to make sure he never loses his things, because if he does, the Tile app makes it easy to retrace.

*This gift is unavailable to ship until December 23, but it's still available to purchase.

A popular multitool

Leatherman Wingman Multitool, $59.95

Leatherman is a well-respected company, and they're especially well-known for making multi-tools like this one. It has 14 tools including a knife, pliers, screwdrivers, a ruler, and both bottle and can openers hidden inside it.

A voice-enabled TV streaming stick

Fire TV Stick, Alexa-Enabled Voice Remote, $29.99

The all-new Fire TV Stick has a new Wi-Fi antenna design optimized for HD streaming and more storage for apps and games. Essentially, though, it's still your standard media streaming stick, and can convert a dumb TV into a smart one that can stream Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more. It's Alexa-enabled, too, so you can control it by voice.

A specialty beer-making kit

Mr. Beer Premium Craft Making Kit, $49.99

If he's one of those guys that either is or will one day be holed up in the garage making specialty beers, he's going to love this DIY kit. It includes everything he'll need to get started, including bottles.

A handy money clip

Travelambo Carbon Fiber Money Clip, $9.99

This sleek money clip is durable, affordable, and lightweight. Whether he's constantly on the go or simply prone to losing his wallet, this money clip will likely eliminate some pain points.

A durable 6-foot iPhone cable

Anker 6-foot Charging Cable, $19.99

It's something every one of us will feel grateful for a couple of times per day, but always put off buying for ourselves: a durable, 6-foot-long charging cable.

A turntable for his growing record collection

Audio-Technica Fully Automatic Stereo Turntable, $99

Help him rediscover his favorite classic records with this affordable, fully automatic belt-drive turntable. If you're feeling extra generous, pick up a record he doesn't have or sign him up for a subscription to Vnyl. It's worth noting that the Audio-Technica LP60X requires wired speakers to play audio.

A beard grooming kit to keep him looking neat

Rapid Beard Grooming & Trimming Kit, $25.97

This bestselling beard grooming kit isn't messing around, and it's reliant upon 100% natural and organic ingredients like argan oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E. It makes grooming, trimming, shaping, and taming easier.

Some of the best headphones you can find for $100

Status Audio BT One Wireless On-Ear Headphones, $69

The perfect pair of over-ear headphones is one that's both highly comfortable and sounds great. This pair from Status Audio is among the best you'll find at this price point. 

The most comfortable travel pillow

Trtl Pillow, $22.49

It looks gimmicky, but it's not. This is the best travel pillow on the internet in our opinion, and while it won't convince you that you're sleeping on a feather bed, it will make sleeping in an upright position far more enjoyable. If he travels, this is a thoughtful gift idea.

A hilarious coffee table book

"F in Exams," $9.95

This is a great gift for the person who can laugh at the little things in life, or for anyone who works as a teacher. It's a collection of hilarious wrong test answers that is sure to keep them laughing.

A smart outlet for upgrading his smart home

Wemo Mini WiFi-Enabled Smart Plug, $17.99

Isn't controlling everything in your house by voice so you never have to get up kind of the dream? These Wi-Fi- and Alexa-enabled outlets make that a reality. Plug them in, download the app, and you can control your lights and appliances from your phone and your voice.

A dry box for waterproof protection outdoors

OtterBox DRYBOX 3250 Series, $49.99

This rugged case is basically like a tiny storage box, protecting not only their phone but also their keys, wallet, and other small essentials. It's even waterproof up to 90 feet for 30 minutes, making it perfect for outdoor adventures.

The internet's most popular cooker

Instant Pot DUO80, $99

The Instant Pot is one of the most versatile appliances you can add to your kitchen for under $100. Help him make delicious home-cooked meals a cinch, even when he has to work late.

A soap bar that can bring dingy clothes back to life

The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar, $6

Add this stain remover bar as an additional gift. It's a longtime Insider Reviews favorite — it's relatively cheap and works exceptionally well. The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar is one of the only things that can bring white clothes back from the brink of donation piles, as we've attested in our roundup of the best things we bought on Amazon under $25.

There is no single way to approach entrepreneurship — that's the beauty of it. 

But one of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of entrepreneurship is to read about businesses, specifically why some companies or leaders succeed and others don't. 

Billionaire moguls like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett have long vouched for a routinely reading — and for good reason. The bottom line is: You are what you read, and if your goal is to build a successful company from scratch, you might want to start by learning from the vast network of books that offer archives and resources on leadership and management strategies. 

Business Insider has compiled a list of books based off recommendations from successful C-suite leaders, billionaire investors, and award-winning leadership experts. 

Here are 26 books you should read to become a better entrepreneur. 

SEE ALSO: The market for remote-work tech is now valued at more than $3 billion. Here are 7 booming startups vying for the online-office crown.

"The Third Wave" by Steve Case

When starting a business, it's useful to learn from the entrepreneur who specializes in pioneering built-to-last companies.

Steve Case is the founder of America Online (AOL) and now the CEO of Revolution, a venture-capital firm based in Washington DC. From 1985 to 2005, he led the first wave of internet companies, in which AOL became the world's largest internet provider. In "The Third Wave," the billionaire shares his take on how the digital era will be a critical force to the American economy.

In an interview with Business Insider, Case referred to the internet's "third wave" as a boom in entrepreneurship across industry sectors. He's believes the future of startups is outside Silicon Valley, and he's using his platform to invest in New York and Boston companies. 

Case's book argues that emerging tech companies are on track to transform our lives on a bigger scale than we might think. 

Get it here >>

"The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand

Self-made billionaire Mark Cuban told Business Insider that this book is a required read for every entrepreneur.

"They motivate me and force me to be self-critical," he said. "One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is that we lie to ourselves. We don't step back and look at ourselves like a competitor would. These books helped me take those steps."

Rand's book talks about a young architect protagonist who, after several project failures and setbacks, finds the value in being true to oneself and rises to power. 

Similarly, several startups like Uber and TaskRabbit have stayed away from the norm and stuck to original concepts. These companies ultimately transformed industries.

Get it here >>

"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't" by Jim Collins

"Good to Great" is among the leadership books that is applicable to today's changing workplace. 

Collins spent five years researching which qualities allow companies to excel, and the results prompted him to identify eight common traits, that "good to great," companies share.

By identifying patterns and pinpointing how certain companies excel while others don't, Collins gives insights on how to power through setbacks and navigate through company transitions. 

Get it here >> 

"The Effective Executive" by Peter Drucker

This is one of the three books that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had his senior managers read for a series of all-day book clubs. Drucker helped popularize now commonplace ideas about management. For example, managers and employees should work toward a common set of goals.

"The Effective Executive" explores the time-management and decision-making habits that best equip an executive to be productive and valuable in an organization.

Get it here >>

"Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader" by Herminia Ibarra

Herminia Ibarra, a professor at Harvard and INSEAD business schools, is ranked as one of the top management thinkers.

"Successful leaders really believe in what they're trying to do, and they manage to be contagious in their enthusiasm for it,"she told Business Insider. "But there are many different ways of going about that."

She further expanded her ideas in the book and encouraged leaders to act first and then think so that they learn from experimentation and direct experience. "Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader" is filled with self-assessments and workplace strategies. 

Get it here >>

"How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

"How to Win Friends & Influence People" is in the top 10 most-checked-out books from the New York Public Library.

Though it's been around since 1937, Carnegie's book offers timeless lessons for people who are looking to improve their people skills. A part of being an entrepreneur is having the social savvy to get potential investors or clients to believe in your work. 

Some of the chapters touch on how to acknowledge your mistakes, how to avoid criticizing others, and how to understand the value of charm.

Get it here >> 

"The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen

Bezos also had his executives read "The Innovator's Dilemma," and he did so for good reason. 

More than two decades after its published date, Harvard professor Clayton Christensen's book remains a must-read for business-school students. He provides a framework on how to think about innovation in business, and he argues that companies can rise to the forefront if they "self-disrupt."

The key takeaway from Christensen's book is for leaders to not get too comfortable with their current business models and to always be experimenting with new concepts. 

Get it here >>

"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has credited much of his leadership success to Carol Dweck's "Mindset." 

Dweck, a Stanford psychology professor, researched how people approach unfamiliar skills and how their mindsets impact growth. She encourages readers to see skills as learnable, flexible, and growable rather than seeing them as "fixed."

Nadella shared in a Bloomberg interview that Dweck's book helped him revamp Microsoft to its trillion-dollar valuation today. 

Get it here >> 

"Business Adventures" by John Brooks

This collection of New Yorker stories by John Brooks became one of Bill Gates' all-time favorite business books.

"'Business Adventures' is as much about the strengths and weaknesses of leaders in challenging circumstances as it is about the particulars of one business or another,"Gates wrote in a LinkedIn post in 2014. "In that sense, it is still relevant not despite its age but because of it."

One of the key lessons from the book is that you shouldn't place yourself in a situation you can't get out of.

Get it here >>

"Benjamin Franklin" by Walter Isaacson

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk says this book is one of his all-time favorites. In fact, he has repeatedly described Benjamin Franklin as one of his heroes.

"You can see how [Franklin] was an entrepreneur," Musk said in an interview with Foundation. "He was an entrepreneur. He started from nothing. He was just a runaway kid."

In this book, Isaacson narrates the life of an American founder. Franklin's famous kite experiment led to the invention of the lightning rod. He also invented bifocals and eyeglasses. 

Get it here >>

"An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Col. Chris Hadfield

Chris Hadfield's autobiography documenting his 4,000 hours spent in space is yet another one of Nadella's book recommendations.

In 2014, Nadella tweeted a quote from this book, "Focus on the journey, not on arriving at a certain destination," along with "Great read!"

"An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" isn't necessarily an entrepreneurial rulebook like some on this list, but Hadfield's bestselling book shares how his experience in outer space changed the way he views life on earth. 

His, literally, out-of-the-world experience led him to approach life with a new perspective. 

Get it here >> 

"Start with Why: How Great leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is a leadership expert and the author of four books. 

In "Start with Why," he emphasizes the importance of redirecting your focus from what your business does to why it matters to people. The author encourages readers to question why some people and organizations are more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others and draw the differences between short-term and repeated long-term success.

The author argues that entrepreneurs can figure out the "how" in running a business once they identify the "why." 

Get it here >>

"Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill

Daymond John, millionaire investor on "Shark Tank,"told Business Insider that Napoleon Hill's 1937 classic, "Think and Grow Rich," changed his life.

The author's book is a collection of insights based on interviews with Carnegie, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford that explains how these leaders develop the drive and habits to maximize potential, Business Insider reported.

"The main takeaway from that was goal-setting," John said. "It was the fact that if you don't set a specific goal, then how can you expect to hit it?"

Get it here >>

"Conscious Capitalism" by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia

Kip Tindell, cofounder and retired CEO of The Container Store, told Business Insider that this is a must-read for entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Tindell is close friends with John Mackey, cofounder of Whole Foods Market and the author of this book. They both believe in Conscious Capitalism— that a win-win is what's most profitable, and that no one has to lose.

Mackey and Sisodia frame their chapters around four tenets: higher purpose, stakeholder integration, conscious leadership, and conscious culture and management. A better understanding of these pillars will build stronger businesses, they argue. 

Get it here >>

"The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success" by William N. Thorndike, Jr.

Warren Buffett listed "The Outsiders" as the #1 recommended reading in the 2012 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Letter. 

Throughout the book, author William N. Thorndike analyzes what qualities make for an exceptional CEO. He looks for patterns that successful executives share, and he also compares character traits like charisma, management styles, and communication skills in leaders.

"Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World" by René Girard

Peter Thiel, billionaire investor and cofounder of PayPal, considers this book as Girard's masterpiece.

Thiel first read "Things Hidden" when he was an undergraduate at Stanford University, he told Business Insider. While he called it "an intimidating book," it deeply affected the way he views the world and business.

Thiel found Girard's thinking on these two points especially powerful:

(1) Competitors tend to become obsessed with their rivals at the expense of their substantive goals, and because of that (2) the intensity of competition doesn't tell you anything about underlying value. People will compete fiercely for things that don't matter, and once they're fighting they'll fight harder and harder.

Get it here >>

"Emotional Intelligence: The Groundbreaking Book that Redefines What it Means to be Smart" by Daniel Goleman

Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and New York Times journalist, breaks down five crucial skills for emotional intelligence in his book. He wrote that having skills like compassion and empathy can affect our personal and business relationships. 

Soft skills are just as important as technical knowledge in running a business, and the author provides vivid examples as to how to achieve emotional awareness. 

Get it here >> 

"Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries" by Safi Bahcall

A 2019 annual Bloomberg survey of CEOs and entrepreneurs listed Bahcall's "Loonshots" as the #1 recommended book.

Fellow entrepreneur Bahcall analyzes group behaviors and what leads people to conform. Additionally, he studies how groups shift from embracing radical change to resisting it — whether that's on a corporate project, in politics, or even in a traffic jam.

Get it here >>

"The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday

Early-stage investor Tim Ferriss built a name for himself after major success of his book, "The 4-Hour Workweek" that documented his entrepreneurial journey to building income with less work hours. The author told Business Insider that Ryan Holiday's "The Obstacle is the Way" is among his favorite holiday reads. 

The 2014 book examines leaders like Marcus Aurelius and Steve Jobs who effectively led others using the principles of ancient Greek Stoicism.

Get it here >>

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Richard P. Feynman

Google cofounder Sergey Brin told the Academy of Achievement in 2015 that Richard Feynman's autobiography inspired him to dedicate his career to blending technology and creativity. Feynman (1918-88) won the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in quantum electrodynamics.

"Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broad-minded," Brin said of Feynman. "I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo [da Vinci], an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life."

Get it here >>

"Janesville: An American Story" by Amy Goldstein

Amy Goldstein's "Janesville"was awarded the Financial Times and McKinsey's title of Business Book of the Year in 2017. 

The Washington Post journalist and Pulitzer Prize award-winner spent six years reporting on a Wisconsin town's struggles after its General Motors plant closed. She witnessed first-hand how the residents went through retraining to find jobs again. 

Several industries are going through major transformations as technology advancements call for new skills. Goldstein's book offers a glimpse into where the American economy is headed after this shift. 

"Zero to One" by Peter Thiel

John Sculley, the former president of Pepsi and ex-CEO of Apple, told Business Insider in 2016 that his top book recommendation for tech entrepreneurs is "Zero to One."

Sculley, said that this 2014 bestseller by PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel is important for two reasons: It focuses on how you can harness technology to build a business of the future, and it enforces the importance of knowing what you're doing before you dive into a startup.

Get it here >>

"Reality Check" by Guy Kawasaki

Penelope Trunk, a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of virtual-event platform Brazen Careerist, said she loves to flip through the chapters of this book.

"Each one is like a blog post, so you learn something on every page," she said. "And each chapter reminds me to be a little bit better at something I'm doing already."

Kawasaki's book offers a guide to build and withstand a business. He brings up corporate failures and relevant news throughout the book and draw from real examples. 

Get it here >>

"New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World — and How to Make it Work for You" by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms

In "New Power," coauthors Heimans and Timms examine "power" through case studies that range from tech giants like Facebook and Uber to the emergence of the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements. 

There are clear differentiation's between old and new power, and they operate differently as technology and digital advancements become more prominent,  the authors said. While old power was "held by a few," new power remains more fluid and is made by many. 

This book offers a play-by-play on how to build long-lasting power in modern time.  

Get it here >>

"Influence" by Robert B. Cialdini

An essential skill for any entrepreneur is persuasion. In fact, Basecamp founder and CTO David Heinemeier Hansson recommends this book for anyone in business. 

Cialdini's highly-acclaimed bestseller teaches six universal principles to become a persuader. His pointers are based off decades of scientific research and experiments. 

"'Influence' teaches you how to sell and deal with customers by treating them as humans," he said. "Great stuff."

Get it here >>

Jenna Goudreau contributed to an earlier version of this post. 

"The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Jeff Bezos's favorite novel is "The Remains of the Day" by author Kazuo Ishiguro, according to Brad Stone, who wrote Bezos's biography "The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon." 

The plot follows a butler who reminisces on his army service during World War I and explores themes of sacrifices and duty. Bezos told Stone that he learns more from novels than nonfiction.

Get it here >>

• Unlike almost every other gifting occasion, White Elephant, Yankee Swap, and/or Nasty Christmas exchanges reward originality, humor, and risk-taking above all else. 
• Since you don't have hours to dive deep into the riches of the internet, I've collected 60 great White Elephant gifts under $50 for you.
• Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all Insider Reviews gift guides here.
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.

When it comes to gift-swapping games like White Elephant, Yankee Swap, or Nasty Christmas, the master gifters must first forget everything they know about gifting.

Gone are the gifts of cashmere scarves, Belgian chocolates, and those porcelain baby angel figurines Aunt Sharon collects. In their place, Ron Swanson's Pyramid of Greatness, cookbooks punctuated by expletives, life-size cardboard cut-outs of your face, T-shirts with record players engulfed in flame thanks to the devil's music, and door stoppers with "HODOR" emblazoned upon them. 

Gift swaps reward the niche, novel, and irreverent, with bonus points going to those who can check the boxes of funny and useful. So, below, we rounded up 60 gifts that are perfectly primed for this occasion, and, admittedly, perhaps no other.

A funny meme-inspired card game for adults

What Do You Meme Game, available at Uncommon Goods, $30

What Do You Meme is the second wave of whatever Cards Against Humanity was — and it's really fun. 

What's been called the world's strongest coffee

Death Wish Ground Coffee, available at Amazon, $19.96

Death Wish claims to be the world's strongest coffee, with about double the caffeine of your average cup. They attribute the added kick to a unique blend of Arabica and Robusta beans and a slow roasting process. It's Fair Trade, has no additives, and makes a pretty good cup of coffee. 

A wine club subscription

Firstleaf Wine Subscription, available at Firstleaf, from $39.99

The best part of a white elephant gift exchange is when someone finds out one of the gifts is actually great does and everything they can to get their hands on it. A wrapped card with a Firstleaf subscription code qualifies as that type of gift.

Firstleaf sources its wine from some of the most acclaimed vineyards around the world, all while remaining affordable. An online quiz generates tailor-made results according to wine preferences, so you can be confident that they'll receive a bottle (or six) that they love. 

*Sponsored by Firstleaf

A funny, practical to-do list notepad

Knock Knock Notepad, available on Amazon, $9.45

Working from home hasn't been kind to all of us. This to-do list notepad can help them organize all their tasks, and help lighten the mood.

A Danny Devito reversible sequin pillow cover

Jasen DIY Sequin Pillow Cover, available at Amazon, $10.99

The perfect gift doesn't exis-

For Jeff Goldblum fans, you're going to want to head here.

An engaging board game that can last for hours

Settlers of Catan Board Game, available at Walmart, $43.88

The Settlers of Catan relies upon using strategy to build civilizations — and it can last for hours. 

An adult coloring book full of swear words

Maybe Swearing Will Help: Adult Coloring Book, available at Amazon, $6.99

Adult coloring has had a resurgence in recent years as a great de-stressor (Kate Middleton was one notable fan). But before then, humans used swearing as the next best thing. Why not pair the two together for a truly balanced catharsis?

A face mask that gives them braces again

Braces Funny Face Mask, available on Etsy, $14.95

Who doesn't want to be spirited back to grades 5-8? 

An unusual spiked seltzer ornament for an unusual year

Spiked Seltzer Ornament, available at Paper Source, $19.95 

A 2020 christmas tree also recognizes no rules or traditions. The more unconventional and unapologetic the better. 

A book that teaches you how to craft using excess cat hair

Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat, available on Amazon, $11.70

Remember that lovable cat you adopted way back in March? You thought its talents stopped at giving you attention, love, and physical touch in isolation. But what if we told you it could also help you make the rest of your holiday gifts this year?

A funny cartoon shower curtain

MitoVilla Funny Dog Shower Curtain, available at Amazon, $18.99

A funny — yet totally usable — new shower curtain. Plus, the set comes with curtain hooks. 

A PopSocket Pickle Rick from "Rick and Morty"

PopSockets Pickle Rick Phone Stand, available at PopSockets, $15.00

Know a fan of "Rick and Morty?" They'll love this Pickle Rick PopSocket from one of the show's most recognizable episodes. 

A gift for their other best friend (that's you)

Fun Face Cutout Paddles, available at Amazon, from $39.99

Michael Scott once said that gifts were great because you can point to them and say "Hey, man, I love you this many dollars worth." This gift also says "I love you this huge." 

Socks that mimic some of the most famous paintings in history

Chalier Famous Painting Socks, 4-Pack, available at Amazon, from $15.39

Klimt, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Munch — the gangs all here. Whether they're an art buff or just love socks that are fun but still functional, these are a great $10 gift to tack on. 

A plug-in that lets them control the TV and lights from the couch without getting up

Amazon Alexa-Enabled Smart Plug, available at Amazon, $24.99

Give the couch potato people what they want: the ability to control the lights, TV, stereo, and other appliances without needing to get up from the comfortable spot they fell into. 

A 2020 calendar celebrating only the cringe-worthy awkwardness of timeless family photos

Awkward Family Photos 2020 Day-to-Day Calendar, available at Amazon, $15.99

Matching outfits, terrible stage direction, and a collection of 365 photos that will make you recoil in either recognition or secondhand embarrassment.

A punny breakfast spoon that works especially well for horror fans

Personalized Cereal Killer Spoon, available at Etsy, from $9.99

This spoon can be personalized with their name so it's well-suited for the true-crime or horror movie lovers in your life or anyone who just respects a good pun.

A Nicolas Cage activity book

"The Unofficial Nicolas Cage Coloring Book," available at Amazon, $7.99

Join Nicolas Cage on coloring pages that chronicle his iconic career — from "National Treasure" to "Raising Arizona."

A wine glass that fits an entire bottle of wine

BigMouth Inc Ultimate Wine Bottle Glass, available at Bed Bath & Beyond, $9.99

This "wine glass" fits an entire bottle of wine as a single-serving.

A calendar of dog-shaming photos

Dog-Shaming 2021 Day-to-Day Calendar, available at Barnes & Noble, $15.99

Whether they also have a dog whose diet consists of chair legs, car keys, and their favorite pair of slippers, they'll get a kick out of this dog-shaming calendar. 

A saint candle with your friend's face on it — or their pet's

Custom Prayer Candle, available at Etsy, from $20

You tell your friends you love and respect them, but what have you done to prove it lately?

A gimmicky present they'll actually wind up using

Tweexy Wearable Nail Polish Bottle Holder, available at Amazon, $9.99

If you've ever painted your nails, you can sympathize with the hassle of finding a safe spot for an open bottle of gooey, brightly colored polish to hang out while you work. This $10 nail polish holder looks gimmicky, but it's actually useful. 

A kitchen towel that has a chart of beer and food pairings on it

Beer and Food Pairing Guide Towel, available at Wolf & Badger, $19

If they're the friend who will be brewing beer in their garage in a few months, urge along the process with this beer and food pairing towel. It'll give them great ideas for foods they may want to cook to complement beers they already have, or vice versa.

A Game of Thrones cookbook with a foreword from George R.R. Martin

A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook, available at Amazon, $23.49

For the "Game of Thrones" fan, nothing tops a cookbook with a foreword from George R.R. Martin and a bunch of recipes that bring feasts at Winterfell and lemon cake with Sansa Stark closer to reality. 

The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness

Culturenik Parks and Recreation Ron Swanson Pyramid Workplace Poster Print, available at Amazon, $19.95

For those that already live by Swanson rules or would put "masonry" and "cabins" as fundamental building blocks in their life. 

A baking pan that makes edible cookie spoons

Cookie Spoon Pan, available at Uncommon Goods, $18

What's more fun than dipping cookies in milk? Replacing all the silverware in your home with cutlery made out of cookies like a second grader who became president for a day. 

A funny choose-your-own-adventure cookbook

What the F*@# Should I Make for Dinner?: The Answers to Lifes Everyday Question, available at Amazon, $13.38

This popular cookbook was derived from the website of the same name, and it's a choose-your-own-adventure book of 50 solid meal ideas for the nights when they have no clue what to make. 

A binge-watching survival kit for the deep Netflix rabbit holes

Pinch Provisions Binge-Watching Survival Kit, available at Pinch Provisions, $20

This binge-watching survival kit is especially perfect for the friend who's always complaining about the thinly-veiled disapproval in Netflix's "Are you still watching?" notification. 

A card game that has you anonymously answer the question "who's the most likely to..." out of your friends

The Voting Game Adult Card Game, available at Amazon, $24.95

This card game basically asks you to answer "who's the most likely to..." out of your friends, anonymously — perfect for the next low-key night or pregame. You may also want to check out "Who in the Room" or "Never Have I Ever" in card version. 

The best Game of Thrones fandom gift you're likely to find

Hodor Doorstop, available at Etsy, $5.60

No spoilers here, but your "Game of Thrones"-obsessed friends will probably consider this wooden block with a nonsensical word embossed upon it as one of the best gifts they get this year. 

A punny and entirely functional umbrella

Raining Men Clear Bubble Dome Umbrella, available at Amazon, $22.95

The perfect accessory for days when it's "raining men." 

A mug with a built-in basketball hoop

Giveback Mug with a Hoop, available at Uncommon Goods, $25

Turn hot chocolate with marshmallows or cereal into a game with this mug made by an eight-year-old kid-preneur. Plus, $5 of every purchase supports an online resource for parents of kids with learning disabilities. 

A Dr. Seuss parody reimagined for the working world

Oh, The Meetings You'll Go To!: A Parody, available at Amazon, $22

Laugh. Otherwise, you'll cry. 

A pie dish with a geeky pun baked right in

I eight sum pi dish, available at Etsy, $23.95

Do they love puns, math equations, and/or pie? This popular "I eight sum pi" dish is a great intersection of them all. 

A to-go sriracha sauce keychain for the hot sauce fiend

Sriracha Sauce Keychain, available at Amazon, from $13.99

Perfect for the friend who asks for hot sauce before the food has even come out of the restaurant kitchen.

An eerily accurate poster

Coffee Talk Art Print, available at Society6, from $19.99

If they're never further than 45 feet from a coffee pot, they'll probably appreciate the gallows humor of this spot-on poster. 

A funny T-shirt that's perfect for fans of rock and roll

Devil's Music Sing-Along Classic T-Shirt, available at Redbubble, from $20.73

Celebrate their love of rock and roll with a T-shirt dedicated to love of the devil's music, complete with a record player engulfed in flames. 

Ceramic takeout-inspired dishes

Fortessa Fortaluxe Food Truck Chic Small Take Out Box, set of 4, available at Amazon, $39.74

Perfect for the friend whose ideal night is staying in. Or the one who says they're five minutes away when they're really a mile deep inside a carton of lo mein. 

A tiny fan for the friend who logs 15 minutes per week complaining about the office's temperature

Fred & Friends Little Big Fan USB, available at Amazon, from $20

For the perpetually overheated, grab a small fan they can plug into your computer or laptop for power. 

A Bob Ross Chia Pet

Chia Pet Bob Ross with Seed Pack, available at Bed Bath & Beyond, $16.99

Just because they've never asked for a live plant in the shape of an angelic cultural giant doesn't mean they won't love growing one. 

Hilarious, NSFW stories from American history you didn't learn in school

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History, available at Amazon, $13.49

From the creators of the podcast "The Dollop" comes the weird, hilarious, and true untold stories of American history — accompanied by full-page illustrations that bring each historical "milestone" to life. 

All the moods of Nicolas Cage on a T-shirt

Nicholas Cage Mood T-Shirt, available at Headline Shirts, from $28

A national treasure in its own right. 

A hilarious NSFW card game you can play together

Cards Against Humanity: Red Box, available at Amazon, $20

Most people already have Cards Against Humanity, and this extended "Red Box" version comes with 300 fresh cards to add into the mix (230 white and 70 black). The company also notes that it "transforms your deck of Cards Against Humanity into a better bludgeoning weapon against home invaders." 

A cocktail recipe book that pairs good music with good drinks

Booze & Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks, available at Amazon, $22.49

Combine two great pastimes into one with a guide of 70 albums from the '50s through the '00s, paired with an A-side and B-side cocktail for each one. They're organized by mood, so they'll know just what pairing to use.

A satire picture book on bringing kids to an art gallery

We Go to the Gallery, available at Amazon, $11.79

This parody of a 1960s children's book satirizes what it's like to bring kids to an art gallery — explaining contemporary art and existential dread with keywords displayed at the bottom. 

A mini waffle maker for tiny waffles

Dash Mini Waffle Maker, available at Bed Bath & Beyond, $9.99

This mini waffle maker is perfect for when they want to make a waffle just for them rather than a whole spread. 

A Tile Mate to ring their keys or phone wherever they lost them

Tile Mate with Replaceable Battery, available at Amazon, $17.99

For the friend that has invested far too much money in key duplicates. 

Abbi Jacobson's book

I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff, available at Amazon, from $17.13

This New York Times Bestseller comes from the co-creator and co-star of the hit series "Broad City"— and you can rest assured that if your friends have ever mentioned the show, they'll love this. 

A punny soap opera kitchen sponge holder

Peleg Design Scrubber Holder Soap Opera, available at Peleg Design, $12

Who doesn't love a good pun? Or cleaner sponges? 

A mini flip cup game

Mini Flip Cup Game, available at Uncommon Goods, $40

A good-natured drinking game with friends, but make it tiny. If you'd rather try your pointer finger at Mini Beer Pong, there's that too for $60. 

*This item is backordered until 01/19/21

A funny cookbook made especially for hungover, demoralizing mornings

The Hungover Cookbook, available at Amazon, $7.99

This cookbook was built to handle hangovers — six types of them to be exact. Recipes are tailored to the specific hangover and are bookended by insights into hangover science, quizzes to see if you're maybe just still drunk, and witty jokes. 

A mind-blowing fusion of two beloved standbys: cookies and lip balm

Taste Beauty Oreo Molded Lip Balm, available at Amazon, $5.49

Oreo flavored lip balm — because once humans figured out how to make fire and penicillin, they just decided to have fun with it.

A device that stirs ingredients for you

Automatic Pan Stirrer with Timer, available at Uncommon Goods, $25

Like the wearable nail polish holder, this is another product that arguably shouldn't exist. And yet ... it's a great way to make sure everything is perfectly cooked, without hovering over the pan and stirring continually. Funny, weird, and — according to its 43 reviews and 4.8-stars — actually very useful.

Cute loose tea infusers shaped like Nessie

Ototo Baby Nessie Silicone Tea Infuser, available at World Market, $11.99

Buy a cute Loch Ness Monster tea infuser and some delicious loose leaf tea blends to fill it.

A Slothmas sweatshirt

RAISEVERN Unisex Funny Print Ugly Christmas Sweater, available at Amazon, from $7.99

Merry Slothmas to all and to all a 20-hour sleep cycle, goodnight.

An extremely fun board game that made Kickstarter history

Exploding Kittens Card Game: NSFW, available at Amazon, $19.99

Exploding Kittens is basically a highly strategic version of Russian roulette with a cat theme. It was the most-backed project in Kickstarter history, and this version is NSFW.

A crowd-pleasing gag gift mug

BigMouth Inc Toilet Mug, available at Kohl's, $6.12

This ceramic gag gift mug has become a bit of a mainstay in the genre, and it holds up to 12 ounces of their favorite drink. 

A set of tumblers with the best advice from bad dogs

Bad Dog Wisdom Tumblers, available at Uncommon Goods, $35

A bad dog learns a few good tricks — like when to bluff, and when it's ok to ask for forgiveness instead of permission. 

A punny mug made by an independent artist

For Fox Sake Mug, available at Society6, from $13.59

For the friend who loves puns, has a penchant for swearing, or appreciates a nice ceramic mug that pretty much works like every other.

A microwavable popcorn popper

Microwave Popcorn Popper, available at Walmart, $8.88

Load this microwavable popcorn maker up with kernels and pop it in the microwave for delicious popcorn without the hassle of actually doing the stovetop thing. 

There are many ways entrepreneurs can fund their small businesses, but one method seems to be talked about more than the rest: venture capital. Yet most small businesses don't access venture capital when they launch. 

The rest rely on options like personal savings, business loans, and credit cards. According to a 2019 report, almost 65% of entrepreneurs rely on personal and family savings for startup capital. 

There are plenty of ways to get cash for starting, funding, or expanding your business — the first obstacle is learning what's available and determining the best fit for your goals. 

To that end, we spoke with funding expert, mentor, and Harvard grad Arielle Loren, who owns and operates the first business-funding app for women, 100K Incubator. She breaks funding into three levels based on monthly revenue, from $0 to over $100,000. 

Here are 12 ways you can fund your small business, level by level.

SEE ALSO: Women-owned businesses are tapping into millennial-friendly growth markets like houseplants and hostels.

SEE ALSO: 2 millennial women just won $100,000 to scale their vegan ice cream business. Here’s how they perfected their 'scoopable' banana-based recipe and landed their pints on Whole Foods shelves.

Level 1: Business credit cards

To Loren, a level-one business is at its earliest stage, often a mere concept that hasn't started earning revenue yet. Maybe you have a lifestyle blog that you want to turn into an online store and you need to hire a web developer or designer. 

Loren tells entrepreneurs to keep their jobs when they're first starting out, not only to pay their personal expenses, but to have a back-up income. "The most important thing is to never take out funding that you're not comfortable repaying," Loren said.

If you're confident you have the cash flow and income to pay your bills on time, a business credit card is one of the easiest ways to build up your business credit without having substantial revenue, since you can get approved with little to no profit. And it could help you access other types of funding in the future. It's relatively low-risk, plus many business credit cards come with benefits and perks, like miles, discounts, and cashback deals.

If you've never opened a business credit card before, your application will be based on your personal credit score. Loren suggests having a score of 650 or higher. A lower score doesn't mean you can't get approved, but it may come with higher interest rates and more aggressive payback terms. 

Level 1: Personal loans

It can be very difficult to secure a business loan or line of credit when you're just establishing your business. Loren says these options usually require revenue, a personal guarantee, or some form of collateral. 

Personal loans from a bank are based on your income and personal credit, so they can be easier to get if you have a good credit score and high income. As long as the lender doesn't stipulate the loan for personal use only, it can help you afford retail or office space, initial supplies, or marketing. 

Level 1: Home equity loans or lines of credit

If you're willing to put your home up as collateral, there are two options to get some major capital. A home equity loan gives you access to all the funds at once, or a home equity line of credit (HELOC) disburses the funds incrementally.  

There are a couple big advantages to a home equity loan. First, you can get large amounts of capital at interest rates that are very low compared to most small business loans. Typically, home equity loans have long payback terms, up to 10 or even 30 years, so you have more time to pay them off.  

Some people prefer not to mix their personal assets with their business, so there's a lot to consider before taking out a home equity loan or line of credit. For example, if you co-own your home with a partner, they would be jointly involved in many of the decisions that impact your business.

Level 1: Crowdfunding

Loren doesn't recommend crowdfunding to a business in its very early stages, because they effectively act as more of a marketing campaign than anything else. "It's not as simple as loading a page up on Kickstarter or Indiegogo and then expecting people just to flock to you because you have a good idea," Loren said.

Crowdfunding campaigns usually get funded in one of two ways: either you have an existing audience or you pay to access someone else's audience. If you're a new entrepreneur, you're likely in the latter group, without a major following on social media or in your industry. So you may have get publicists, influencers, and advertisements to promote your campaign — in that case, you're paying money to make money.

If you have the capital and an established audience to crowdfund, rewards-based campaigns, the most popular method, can help you identify and gain target customers.

Level 2: Pitch competitions

Once you've established your business, it's steadily increasing revenue, and you're confident in your concept, pitch competitions are an accessible way to get cash that will help you continue growing. 

That means you've reached level two, where businesses are typically looking to expand and scale. Imagine a local bakery earning $5,000 in sales per month after two years. The shop owner may want additional funding to hire a couple employees or offer catering.

Business owners put a lot of effort and creativity into their business concepts, but Loren says the most important element is often overlooked. "You have to know your numbers," Loren said. For example, explain your customer acquisition costs or how much you profited from an advertising campaign compared to the budget you set for it. 

"If you can get those numbers in place, even on a small scale, it's going to be so impressive to the judges, because the majority of entrepreneurs who walk into that room are not prepared on that level," Loren said.

Level 2: Business grants and government contracts

Business grants and government contracts can give you consistent cash and leverage your business to then pursue more traditional funding like investments. 

There are several grants the Small Business Administration (SBA) gives to small businesses, which you can learn more about here. Many opportunities are catered to small businesses owned by veterans or that can fulfill needs in research and development. 

If your business makes a product that could benefit the government, whether it's uniforms or office supplies, you could get some serious funding from a government contract. The US government requires federal agencies to list buying opportunities and consider bids from small businesses. 

This option does come with a lot of requirements, such as registering your business, compliance, and ensuring you have the supplies and resources to fulfill the contracts. You can find government contracts on databases such as governmentbids.com or through the Small Business Administration (SBA). 

Loren recommends businesses to get certified as woman-owned or minority-owned, if either of those apply to you, since the government has to meet minimum quotas for contracts within certain demographics.

Level 2: Government small business loans

If your business doesn't qualify for a grant or government contract, you can also apply for an SBA loan. They can take longer to disburse than personal loans, but are more accessible than private business loans and can have lower down payments.

Your business concept is part of the application, but numbers reign supreme. Loren says most institutions and underwriters consider the numbers as 80% of your application, if not more. They'll need to see your most recent tax return and business bank statement, your personal credit score should be average or above, and they may want to see capital projections for at least 12 to 36 months out. 

Your overall business history is also important. Strong numbers show underwriters that you have a good grasp on your plans for the capital, especially if you demonstrate a track record in producing revenue and flipping capital, like if you doubled your sales after launching an online shop for your retail store. 

Lastly, government institutions will look at how your business benefits the community. Are you going to create jobs in your neighborhood or town? How will your business impact the local economy? "They're not looking to just give solo entrepreneurs a bunch of money," Loren said.

Level 2: Payment processor loans

If you use a payment processor for your sales transactions, sometimes companies like Paypal, Square, and Stripe will loan funds to their clients. Revenue generated through the company's payment processor is the most important factor for getting this type of loan. The company will also likely consider your personal credit score.

If you qualify for one of these loans, the company takes a percentage of your sales until you pay off the loan, with interest. Loren said many business owners like these loans because payback terms are more comfortable than traditional loans and are based on sales volume, rather than a weekly or monthly payment.

Level 2: Private business loans

If you're not able to secure financing through a traditional bank, you may have better luck going to a private lender. Business loans are harder to get than personal loans, but they protect you from any personal liability should your business encounter any financial difficulties. 

As with any other loan, getting approved is not just about your business pitch. "Lenders who loan directly to businesses, they want to see traction," Loren said. So that revenue and credit history is just as important as with other funding options.

Level 2: Business lines of credit

A business line of credit works much like the home line of credit mentioned above, but in most cases don't require collateral like real estate or inventory. Again, revenue and credit history are important to secure a line of credit, so usually this option is best for entrepreneurs who have been in business for a couple years. 

Level 3: Angel investing

Level three brings us into investor territory, when your business is showing enough growth and revenue to start sourcing major funding. For example, the owner of a bed and breakfast could be making $150,000 in annual revenue and decide to open up a second location. 

The biggest advantage to investment is that, unlike loans and credit, there's nothing for you to repay — it's a cash-in transaction. But giving up equity means more people involved, so think of every investment as a relationship. Can you commit to this person asking about your revenue and weighing-in on decisions? 

The most important factor for you to prove to an angel investor is that they'll get a return on their money. Most are willing to take risks, but they won't make the commitment if you can't demonstrate a promising track record.

Angel investors can bring valuable mentorship and expertise to your business, since they are often experienced business owners and tend to invest within the industries they know. 

Level 3: Venture capital

Venture capital will affect your small business much the same as angel investments — capital gained is equity earned. But apart from pitching an individual, you can seek venture opportunities from the many VC firms across the country, looking to invest in promising startups and small businesses.

Loren says many entrepreneurs ask her why they should seek capital of any kind if they can start their business from personal savings. She tells them: "You can do a lot more with $50,000 in capital and you can scale a lot faster, versus if you just did $100, $300, $500 every pay period, it's going to take a lot longer to build the business."

The Jessica Chastain-starring action movie, "Ava," surged in popularity on Netflix this week, taking the top spot.

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which movies have been most prominent on Netflix's daily top-10 lists that week. On Reelgood, users can browse Netflix's entire movie library and sort by IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

The new Netflix original, "The Prom," debuted on Netflix's top 10 rankings after landing on the streaming giant earlier this month.

There were still plenty of holiday movies on this week's list, too, ahead of Christmas next week, including a new Netflix original, "A California Christmas."

SEE ALSO: The top 9 streaming TV shows this week, from 'The Mandalorian' to 'Cobra Kai'

9. "Marauders" (2016)

Description: "A series of high-stakes thefts at banks owned by a manipulative millionaire sparks an FBI agent to suspect a sinister plan behind the deadly heists."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 24%

What critics said: "One assumes that every film has a creative impetus at some point in its production, but it's incredibly hard to find one buried underneath this morally vile, incompetently made thriller."— RogerEbert.com 

8. "The Christmas Chronicles" (2018, Netflix original)

Description: "After accidentally crashing Santa's sleigh, a brother and sister pull an all-nighter to save Christmas with a savvy, straight-talking St. Nick."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 67%

What critics said: "In the end, the film succumbs to the tropes and emotional contrivances of the family melodrama at its core, ending up as a serviceable yet mostly forgettable addition to the already overstuffed genre of holiday-themed films."— Slant Magazine

7. "Peppermint" (2018)

Description: "After her family is murdered, a mild-mannered mom remakes herself into a badass vigilante in order to exact violent justice."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 12%

What critics said: "Peppermint seems to be an action movie two decades too late. Surely, Garner deserves better than this."— Austin Chronicle

6. "Triple 9" (2016)

Description: "A group of dirty Atlanta cops blackmailed by the Russian mob plan a seemingly impossible heist that sets off an explosive chain reaction of violence."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 54%

What critics said: "The movie involves a pair of heists, a prisoner abroad, corrupt cops, mobsters, gangsters, and more, and the parts are considerably better than the messy, unfocused whole. But oh, the parts can be a pleasure."— Buzzfeed

5. "A California Christmas" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "With his carefree lifestyle on the line, a wealthy charmer poses as a ranch hand to get a hardworking farmer to sell her family's land before Christmas."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

4. "The Christmas Chronicles 2" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Unhappy over her mom's new relationship, a now-teenage Kate runs away and lands at the North Pole, where a naughty elf is plotting to cancel Christmas."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 71%

What critics said: "'The Christmas Chronicles 2' — so typical of holiday fare in the streaming era - is more convincing as a reminder that we're sometimes justified in lamenting what we've lost."— Indiewire

3. "The Prom" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "A group of down-on-their-luck Broadway stars shake up a small Indiana town as they rally behind a teen who just wants to attend prom with her girlfriend."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 59%

What critics said: "There's too much of Corden to ignore in The Prom, but there isn't much to like."— Polygon

2. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)

Description: "The Grinch decides to rob Whoville of Christmas — but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 49%

What critics said: "Cloying fancy gives way to gross-out comedy, twisted social commentary, affecting pathos, and weirdly sexualized romance in this lurid live-action version of the classic children's book."— Chicago Reader

1. "Ava" (2020)

Description: "An elite assassin wrestling with doubts about her work scrambles to protect herself — and her estranged family — after a hit goes dangerously wrong."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 15%

What critics said: "One of our most expressive actresses joining two of our most insistent hams in an action movie? How do you screw something like that up? Well, maybe by just stopping at the concept and calling it a day."— Vulture

If your business uses Instagram, you probably know it takes a lot of creating, editing, and planning to ensure your post captures the attention of potential customers. Doing this can be challenging, since you only have a few seconds before they scroll away. But there are a few extra apps that can help entrepreneurs build their customer base in 2021.

Using Instagram alone, you can create a draft post, but you can't schedule it for later. You're also limited to the fonts, graphics, and filters the app offers, which can grow stale if you want branding that's fresh and unique to your business. 

That's where the extra apps come in — they can make posting to Instagram easier, faster, and more engaging.

Business Insider asked small business owners what apps they use to make the perfect posts, from editing photos to scheduling content ahead of time. 

Here are 10 apps they use.

SEE ALSO: Instagram's 'explore' page is the best way to grow your brand's audience. Here's how an entrepreneur gets an average of 300 followers per day.

MUST READ: How brands should be marketing to the $143 billion Gen Z market if they want their products to go wild on social media

Preview

Website:www.thepreviewapp.com

Cost: Free for basic features. A pro subscription with analytics starts at $6.67 per month. 

Jessica Morelli owns Palermo Body, a natural skincare line sold online, on Etsy, and in retailers like CB2. She uses the Preview app to edit and plan out her photos. "It's great for designing how our feed will look," she said. 

Preview allows users to map out how each photo will look on their Instagram beforehand. This can be helpful if you want a uniform look across your account. The app also offers free editing tools and preset filters.

With a subscription, the app can track your top-performing hashtags and account analytics. 

Planoly

Website:www.planoly.com

Cost: Free to connect two profiles, with up to 30 uploads per month. Advanced accounts start at $7 per month. 

Jaclyn Johnson, the founder and CEO of Create & Cultivate, a community and event planner for professional women, says her team uses Planoly to schedule the company's posts. "You can really plan out and see what your grid looks like," she said.  

Stories Edit

Website:www.storiesedit.com

Cost: Free

Johnson said her team at Create & Cultivate also uses Stories Edit, a design tool by Planoly, which makes it "really easy to create beautiful Instagram stories," she said. "You don't need a graphic designer in house." 

UNUM

Website:www.unum.la 

Cost: Free for an "essential" plan which allows 500 uploads per month. Subscriptions for more uploads and features start at $6.99 per month. 

Angela Wator is the creator of Bash Party Goods, an online and Etsy shop that sells party supplies and stationary. She uses UNUM to organize her Instagram feed and plan content. "It's helpful to see future posts plotted out to ensure the feed will look dynamic and representative of my brand," she said.

Lightroom

Website:www.lightroom.adobe.com

Cost: Free to download and use most features. Premium plans start at $4.99 per month. 

Abbey Moore, who makes hand-poured candles for her business The Perfect Little Life, said having the right equipment makes all the difference for professional-looking product shots. Her husband is a photographer, so along with help from her team, she has high-quality cameras and lights at her disposal. 

But whether you're working with a DSLR camera or an iPhone, she said business owners can take great photos and edit them with a variety of editing apps. She uses Lightroom, VSCO, and A Color Story. "Those photo-editing apps are lifesavers," she said.

The Lightroom app is one of the more advanced free photo-editing apps. It comes from Adobe, the same developer as Photoshop, so there are a lot of similarities in fine-tuning elements like color and exposure. It also has presets for easier editing. 

VSCO

Website:www.vsco.co

Cost: Free to download and use basic presets. Memberships cost $19.99 a year to access more than 200 presets and bonus features. 

Thanks to the emergence of "VSCO girls," or teens who wear oversized t-shirts, scrunchies, and carry reusable water bottles, this app has taken on a life of its own. But aside from being a buzzword of 2019, the app has editing tools for fine-tuning photos as well as preset filters that instantly add color and vibrancy. 

A Color Story

Website:www.acolorstory.com

Cost: Free for basic features. The ACS+ membership costs $24.99 per year.

A Color Story is another photo- and video-editing app Moore uses. The app has hundreds of filters, effects, and tools that focus on trending styles and pops of color. It also allows users to customize filters, schedule and plan out content, and batch edit multiple photos.

An annual membership gives access to more filters and features, like the Color+ tool that fine-tunes hue, saturation, and luminance.

ImgPlay

Website:www.imgplay.net 

Cost: Free for basic features. Unlock more features, starting at $1.99. 

Morelli said she also likes using ImgPlay to create GIFS, or short loop-videos, for her content. The app can turn photos and videos into GIFS, adding animations, text, and filters for fun effects. 

Unfold

Website:www.unfoldstori.es

Cost: Free to use basic templates. Additional fonts and templates start at $0.99 (one time fee per each).

For her Instagram stories, Morelli uses Unfold, an app that formats photos and text into pre-designed templates that resemble the look of magazine spreads. "Unfold is helpful in creating beautifully designed IG Stories," she said.

Canva

Website:www.canva.com 

Cost: Free for unlimited designs. Additional fonts, templates, and features with pro subscription starting at $9.95 per month. 

Matthew Cummings is the owner and glass blower behind Pretentious Glass Co. and Pretentious Beer Co., a taproom and beer brewery in Knoxville, Tennessee. One of the challenges of bootstrapping and running his own business has been designing materials as he needed them. "Over the course of seven years, there are a lot of things that don't quite meld together," he said. 

His team uses Canva for all their text-based posts or for in-store printouts. With a monthly subscription, business owners get access to more fonts, templates, and customization tools — like a brand kit. 

Canva is a free design program that has blank and pre-designed templates for social media posts, as well as flyers, menus, posters, logos, and pretty much any document you can print or share. You can login to Canva on your desktop or the mobile app to customize an unlimited number of designs with graphics, photos, and branding.

Cummings said he plans to roll out his own brand kit with Canva to create a more unified style across all of his marketing materials. This will give his team a style guide, custom branding, and a color wheel that syncs with the guide. 

• Bidet toilet seats and attachments offer a number of benefits, including a more thorough clean and less reliance on toilet paper.
• I put 22 bidet toilet seats and attachments through a variety of tests to determine which are the best for different needs and budgets.
• Of all the models we tested, the Coway Bidetmega 400 Electronic Bidet Seat was the best because it performed well in nearly all of our tests.
• You can also read our guides on how to install a bidet toilet seat and how to use a bidet.

A bidet is a useful tool for cleaning your nether regions more hygienically. Although there are variations of bidets, bidet toilet seats and attachments are the most popular options in the United States. In less than half an hour, you can install one to an existing toilet to get the full bidet experience. 

At its most basic, a bidet toilet attachment (it uses your existing toilet seat) sends a stream of water either toward your rear or your front areas, and you can adjust the water pressure to meet your comfort level. It's affordable (generally around $100 to $150), easy to install, and doesn't require electricity.

Things get fancy when you increase the budget ($250 and up), with added features like warm water, heated seat, lighting, self-cleaning, and more. The more expensive options tend to be complete toilet seat replacements and require electricity.

To narrow down our list of the best bidet toilet seats and attachments for testing, we researched reviews from owners and experts. Manufacturers then provided us with nearly two dozen bidets for testing purposes. From our tests (see below on how we tested them), we chose the models that performed well, included useful features that justify their price, and were enjoyable to use. 

Here are the best bidets:

• Best bidet overall:Coway Bidetmega 400 Electronic Bidet Seat
• Best bidet for custom water flow control:Omigo Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat
• Best high-end bidet:Bio Bidet Bliss BB2000 Smart Toilet Seat
• Best budget bidet:Brondell LE89 Swash Electronic Bidet Seat
• Best non-electric bidet:Tushy Spa Premium Warm Water Bidet Attachment

Updated on 12/18/2020. We updated prices, links, and formatting.

SEE ALSO: The best shower heads you can buy

The best bidet toilet seat overall

For a reasonable price, the Coway Bidetmega 400 Electronic Bidet Seat offers all of the common high-end amenities, including a nightlight, warm air dryer, and an intuitive remote controller.

Pros: Strong water pressure, water heated up to 97 degrees in our tests, easy to use, heated seat, warm air dryer, adjustable nozzle positions for front and rear washes, easy to install

Cons: Remote doesn't pair with seat automatically, minimal one-year warranty

The Bidetmega 400 Electronic Bidet Seat is one of three Coway bidets I tested for this guide. I put the 400 on top because it received high marks in every category except warranty. It only has the industry-standard one-year warranty, while a few other units in our guide offer longer warranties.

The Bidetmega 400 heated water up to a comfortable 97 degrees Fahrenheit in my tests and produced strong enough pressure for a thorough cleaning. Plus, there are four temperature options and three pressure strengths to cater the water flow to your needs. The basic functions are intuitive to use with the handy remote control, though I was a little annoyed that the remote didn't automatically pair with the seat once I powered it up. I had to reference the user manual for that step, but it was easy enough to make the connection by following the instructions.

The seat fits my toilet well and stays in place. The seat is wider than most, which I appreciated because I have a larger posterior. The lid of the seat was also supportive and comfortable for sitting. 

The Bidetmega 400 features most of the amenities you'd expect from a high-end bidet toilet seat. The blue night light illuminates the toilet seat, which makes it easier to use the bathroom in the middle of the night without turning on harsh overhead lights. The dryer has four levels of heat and gets plenty hot. It does an excellent job of drying after washing, which minimizes the need for toilet paper. There are also four levels of seat heating — up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit — or you can keep it off to save energy.

Lastly, the 400 has three preprogrammed cleaning modes: basic, active, and soothing. Basic is designed for general use. The active mode moves the stream of water around for a more thorough cleaning, while the soothing mode offers more gentle care. The Bidetmega 400 is my main bidet, and I mainly use the active mode.

The best bidet toilet seat for custom water flow control

With the Omigo Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat, you can control the nozzle position, pressure, and spray width to customize the water flow to meet your needs.

Pros: Three-year warranty, three spray width options, seven nozzle positions for the front and rear, easy to use remote controller, strong pressure, simple installation

Cons: Lid is unpleasant to sit on, need to have an outlet near the toilet or an extension cord to operate (as is the case with any electric unit)

What sets the Omigo Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat apart from other bidets in our guide is the adjustable spray width. You can pick from three settings, ranging from a targeted cleaning to a broader wash. Additionally, as with all bidet seats, you can adjust the water pressure, which gets plenty strong. The Omigo Luxury offers seven nozzle positions in both the rear and front, which is more than most electric seats. Alternatively, you can choose to have the nozzle oscillate.

The easy-to-use remote, array of features, and overall design remind me of my previous favorite bidet, the Brondell Swash 1400, which has been surpassed by a few worthy contenders, including other Brondell models. The Omigo Luxury is about $65 cheaper than the Swash 1400, and in my tests, it tended to do a better job of heating water. I also found the heated seat and air dryer stayed plenty warm.

The Omigo Luxury has an outstanding three-year warranty so you can count on it lasting. Plus, the installation process was seamless, and the seat fit my bowl perfectly and stayed put. 

The biggest negative for me is the lid design. It has a 270-pound weight limit, and it's angled forward so much that it's unpleasant to sit on. The seat is nice and has a 330-pound capacity, but don't plan on sitting on the lid while clipping your toenails or performing other tasks.

The best high-end bidet

If you have extra money to spend and are looking for a bidet that provides nonstop warm water, the Bio Bidet Bliss BB2000 Smart Toilet Seat is an attractive solution.

Pros: Strong water pressure, vortex wash, attractive appearance, continuous warm water, hot air drying, heated seat, five nozzle positions for each the front and rear, three-year warranty

Cons: Unintuitive remote control, the nightlight is positioned on the side rather than illuminating the bowl interior

In my testing, the Bio Bidet Bliss BB2000 Smart Toilet Seat wasn't deficient in any category. It has an attractive appearance with a stainless-steel look. The remote control with its large, easy-to-read screen is the fanciest I've seen. 

My favorite part was the intensity of the water pressure. There are five pressure levels, including a "vortex wash" that is designed to "stimulate bowel movements" with its enema-like pressure. Sensitive individuals will want to avoid this feature, and everyone else should proceed with caution, but testing showed that it works as advertised.

There are three water temperature levels, but even on its highest setting, the BB2000 only got up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This is warm enough for most tastes, but at this price point, I would have liked to have seen higher temperatures. Fortunately, the water stays consistently warm, even during longer cleans.

Installation was a breeze: It only took me about 10 minutes, not counting the time I needed to remove the old seat, and I appreciate that the mounting plate keeps the seat in place without wiggling. The Bio Bidet Bliss is covered by a three-year full coverage warranty. 

The biggest negatives I could find were the nightlight and confusing operation. Instead of a night light in the toilet bowl, the BB2000's night light is on the side illuminating the on-seat controls. This might be helpful when sitting on the toilet but it's less so when taking aim while standing up in the middle of the night. Also, I didn't find the remote control to be intuitive. I had to leaf through the user manual to figure out the symbols and how to access all of the functions. 

The best budget bidet

The Brondell LE89 Swash Electronic Bidet Seat has most high-end features, including warm water cleaning, hot air drying, and a heated seat, without a high-end price.

Pros: Water gets up to 101 degrees Fahrenheit, heated seat, warm air drying, five front and rear nozzle positions

Cons: Pressure could have been stronger, no remote, the lid isn't comfortable for sitting

I've tested half a dozen Brondell bidets over the years, and the Swash 1400 was my main bidet for a long time, but I recently discovered that the LE89 Swash Electronic Bidet Seat works nearly as well for less than half the price. I was particularly impressed with how hot the water got in my tests. It reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

The heated seat and air dryer also achieved high temps. Plus, there are several comfort settings so you can go with lower temps or even choose Eco Mode, which provides a good balance of electricity use and comfort.

Installation should take you less than half an hour, and you can do it with nothing more than a flathead screwdriver, though you might also want a wrench. I liked how securely the seat fit my toilet bowl without any movement, and it looks nice on my toilet. However, the lid tilts forward and isn't the best for sitting on for long periods.

Aside from a few specialized settings, the controls are intuitive to use, but I don't like that they're installed on the seat so you have to turn to your right to see them. There's no remote controller. This might be a problem for individuals with mobility issues. 

The only other negative I found was I would have preferred more powerful water pressure, but I like it stronger. Most people will find that the LE89 is powerful enough for their needs. More sensitive individuals will appreciate the softer end of the five pressure settings.

The best non-electric bidet

If you don't have an electrical outlet near your toilet or just want to give a bidet a try before spending hundreds of dollars, the Tushy Spa Premium Warm Water Bidet Attachment is a stylish, versatile solution.

Pros: Doesn't require electricity, the water gets as hot as your water heater can supply, strong pressure, virtually limitless nozzle positions, nine color options

Cons: Easy for kids to squirt water all over; no high-end features like a heated seat, dryer, nightlight, etc.

For the most part, non-electric bidets aren't as good as electric varieties. However, the non-electric attachments do have their benefits. I think the Tushy Spa Premium Warm Water Bidet Attachment exhibits all of the superior features of the power-free units. 

The attachment has a hose that connects to the hot water inlet under your sink. After installing the hose, you may want to tape it to the floor to avoid a tripping hazard. Since you are relying on your home's hot water, the attachment can provide water as hot as your heater is capable of supplying. For me, it was 113 degrees Fahrenheit, which is too hot, but it's easy to adjust the bidet's flow to a more moderate temperature. 

If having a hot water hose running along your floor doesn't sound appealing, you can choose the Tushy Classic, which doesn't have warm water. Alternatively, you can skip installing the warm water hose of the Spa altogether.

The Tushy Spa also allows you to control the water pressure intensity and the nozzle position. Since both functions rely on levers, there are virtually infinite intensities and positions, and the pressure at its strongest is much more than you'll need. You'll want to be careful you don't turn it on too high.

Since there are so few functions, the Tushy Spa is easy to use and much less expensive than an electric seat. Plus, since it's just an attachment, you can use it with any toilet seat you want. Another great thing about Tushy is its nine color options. 

Read more about Tushy products

What else we considered

We tested nearly two dozen bidet toilet seats and attachments while researching this guide. Here are some of the units that barely missed the cut, as well as unique models worth considering:

Kohler C3-430 ($649): There's a lot to like about the C3-430. The water gets plenty hot and consistently stays at the temperature you want, the pressure is strong and adjustable, and the remote control is easy to use once you get the hang of it. But, at this price point, you'd expect the bidet to have a dryer. The almost $1,000 Kohler C3-230, which I also tested, does have a dryer, but it didn't perform as well as the C3-430 in other categories. I couldn't get either seat to stay securely in place.

Toto C100 ($354): I tested three Toto models for this guide, and they're all very good. The C100 is a solid choice because it has plenty of options for drying, the heated seat, nozzle position, and water temperature. The seat fit my toilet well and didn't move around, and the controls are intuitive. However, the controls are attached to the unit so you have to turn to make adjustments. The Toto C200, which costs about $60 more, uses a remote control, but I found the water pressure was inferior. The lids of both models were uncomfortable to sit on.

American Standard Advanced Clean SpaLet 2.0 ($397.15): American Standard has been a trusted name in the bathroom fixture space for nearly a century. The SpaLet 2.0 is a quality unit with excellent warm water and pressure cleaning. Plus, it has plenty of options for a custom wash. However, I feel strongly that if you're going to be spending more than $300 on a bidet seat, it should be able to dry you. This model doesn't have a dryer. 

Brondell GoSpa ($9.98): This one is for the bidet addicts. The GoSpa stays in my overnight bag and goes with me anywhere I travel. It's a travel bidet with a 13.5-ounce reservoir/bottle attached to a nozzle. You fill the bottle with tap water before you sit on the toilet. Once you're done, you aim the nozzle at the area you want to clean and squeeze the bottle for a makeshift bidet experience. The GoSpa in no way compares to any of the bidets in our guide, but it's better than just cleaning with toilet paper.

Brondell Swash S102 Non-Electric ($129.99): This is the best non-electric bidet toilet seat I tested. The S102 features a warm water hookup that attaches to the hot water connection under your sink — like the Tushy Spa. Or, you can save $10 and go with the S101, which doesn't have warm water cleaning. The pressure of the S102 is outstanding, and it looks nice. However, the unobtrusive knobs are hard to read, and as with other non-electric toilets, you're missing a lot of features that make bidets a luxury experience.

How we test bidet toilet seats and attachments

I installed 22 bidets on my Mansfield Waverly Toilet and put them through several tests for this guide. The most important bidet factors to consider are performance, ease of use, and adjustment options.

Here are the main attributes we look for and how we test them:

Ease of use: There are three types of controls used on most bidet seats: on-seat buttons, on-seat dials, and remote controls. The easiest to use are the remote controls because you need to twist to your right to view the other two options, which may be a deal-breaker for individuals with mobility issues. Another way to make bidet seats easy to use is to have clear, simple-to-understand graphics or words that tell you what each button is for. I examined the controls myself and also questioned my wife about her experiences to see if she could figure out the functions without reading the user manual.

Pressure: Whether washing dishes or using a hose, anyone who has used water to clean knows that stronger pressure means an easier, more thorough cleaning. Well, the same is true when cleaning your nether regions with a bidet. Since I don't have a device for measuring PSI, this was a subjective test based on my personal experiences. I tend to like very strong pressure. If a unit was strong enough for me and featured at least three pressure adjustment options, including a gentle flow for sensitive people, then it received high marks.

Water temperature: Upping the temperature of the water you're cleaning with will also help. So, I looked for bidet toilet seats that can produce hot water, usually around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not so hot that it will scald you, but warm enough to get the job done. I tested the temperature by running the bidet on its highest water temperature, collecting the water in a container, and measuring it with a probe thermometer. I also looked for at least three temperature options in addition to ambient.

Seat fit and look: If the seat doesn't fit right on your toilet, it won't function properly and will look awful. I took notes on how easy it was to securely install the seat. I also assessed how good the seat felt on my posterior and whether the lid was supportive and comfortable to sit on. Lastly, I looked at how attractive it looks on the toilet. Were the cords and hoses sticking out everywhere? Did the controls look ugly or intimidating?

Nozzle positions: We're all made differently, and we all have different preferences. Bidets should have enough nozzle positions to deliver water right where you want it without making you move around a lot.

Extra features: The best bidets have several less-than-necessary features that just make bathroom trips more enjoyable. At the top of the list is drying. Next is a heated seat, especially on those cold winter mornings. And, if you have a youngster in the house, you'll want a bidet that only activates when significant pressure is applied to the seat, like when you're sitting on it. Otherwise, your young one can send water everywhere.

Warranty: All but four of the bidets we tested have one-year warranties. The four outliers have three-year warranties, and each cost more than $500. In my 5+ years of owning bidets, I've never experienced a malfunction, but if you are particularly risk-averse, you may want to choose a bidet with a longer warranty.

How to choose a seat that fits your toilet

When shopping for a bidet toilet seat, you need to know whether your toilet is elongated or round.

The best way to determine this out is to use a tape measure and mark from the center of the bolt holes, where the current seat is attached to your toilet, to the front lip of the bowl.

Most round toilets are about 16.5 inches. Elongated toilets measure 18.5 inches. Armed with this information, pay special attention when shopping for a bidet to ensure you get the right style for your toilet. Fortunately, most bidet seats are offered in both sizes.

Check out more of our great guides for bathroom updates

• The best shower curtains
• The best bathtubs
• The best shower curtain hooks
• The best bath mats
• The best bath towels 

2020 was a challenging year, but it propelled a lot of growth for Microsoft as the pandemic forced a massive shift to remote work.

The company's Teams chat app, for example, grew to 115 million daily active users in November from 44 million in March. Teams will sustain those levels of engagement in 2021, one analyst said, while other experts predicted additional areas of strong growth for the company, as well. 

Here's what five experts say 2021 holds for Microsoft, including a major acquisition, continued growth in gaming and the cloud, and a "big year" for Surface devices:

Are you a Microsoft employee? Contact this reporter via email at astewart@businessinsider.com, message her on Twitter @ashannstew, or send her a secure message through Signal at +1-425-344-8242.

Prediction: Microsoft will make a major acquisition in the customer relationship management space, where it competes with Salesforce.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives predicts Microsoft will make a major acquisition in 2021: "We believe a $10 billion-plus acquisition could be in the cards," he told Business Insider.

Ives believes it's likely that Microsoft's next big acquisition will be in the customer relationship management space, where it competes with Salesforce, though he declined to speculate on specific acquisition targets.

While a $10 billion-plus acquisition would be rare for Microsoft — its two biggest-ever purchases were $26.2 billion for LinkedIn in 2016 and $8.5 billion for Skype in 2011 — it does have some recent motivation:

In what was widely seen as a bid to better take on Microsoft, Salesforce recently announced plans to buy workplace messaging app Slack for $27.7 billion.

Microsoft's sales chief Judson Althoff recently said the deal between Slack and Salesforce would "strengthen the competitive dynamic between our offerings and theirs" as far as Microsoft's Salesforce competitor Dynamics 365 is concerned.

Dynamics 365 has been growing quickly and analysts think it's well-position to become an even stronger Salesforce rival in 2021. That could be further helped by an acquisition.

Futurum Research analyst Daniel Newman told Business Insider that he expects Microsoft's customer relationship management businesses, in additional to its customer data platform and business analytics, to gain a "small but material market share as the integrated Microsoft stack continues to provide enterprise significant value."

Prediction: Microsoft Teams chat app will sustain its engagement numbers even better than rival Zoom.

Microsoft's collaboration and communications software Teams has become increasingly important for the company as it competes against videoconferencing and messaging apps including Slack, Zoom, and Google Meet.

Due to the pandemic-spurred shift to remote work, Teams now has 115 million daily active users — up from the 75 million it announced in late April.

Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi told Business Insider she expects Teams will sustain its engagement numbers better than rival Zoom, since its swell of engagement doesn't include as many social and consumer users. 

Teams (and also rival WebEx) have "stepped up and closed the gap on features" with Zoom and are "seen as more enterprise friendly when it comes to actually understanding enterprises." She also expects that Teams will "focus on bridging digital and real-life workflows" in 2021. 

Microsoft recently signaled the product's growing importance for company leaders when it changed the way it awards stock bonuses to executives in order to prioritize growing the company's Teams chat app. Now, a larger portion of executive stock bonuses will depend on whether the company can increase Teams monthly active users.

"The uptake of Teams has unlocked what we believe to be a new killer-app within the Microsoft portfolio that should pay dividends for years to come with respect to customer engagement with Microsoft's cloud suite," RBC Capital Markets analyst Alex Zukin wrote in a recent note to investors.

In addition to Teams, Futurum Research's Newman said he expects Microsoft products like the company's overall Microsoft 365 suite of business applications and low-code Power Platform tools to grow.

Milanesi also predicted another product, the Microsoft Graph developer platform, will start to see competition from other companies like Google and Cisco.

Prediction: Microsoft will continue to avoid Big Tech scrutiny.

Microsoft was notably missing this summer as peer companies Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook faced a Congressional antitrust hearing. Facebook and Google have since been hit with several lawsuits alleging anticompetitive behavior.

Creative Strategies' Milanesi believes Microsoft will continue to stay above the fray as regulators take aim at Big Tech companies.

"Microsoft should be able to remain mostly out of the politics around 'tech as evil' thanks to their focus on privacy, lack of social media play and commerce," Milanesi told Business Insider.

Antitrust experts told Business Insider that the company's absence from the hearing had less to do with the company's business practices, and more to do with Microsoft's ability to fly under the radar. 

The influence of Microsoft's president, Brad Smith, is a big reason the company has managed to avoid scrutiny that's followed its competitors for the last several years. 

Prediction: Microsoft's gaming business will grow, thanks to new consoles and a Netflix-like streaming service, as well as the multibillion-dollar acquisition of game publisher Bethesda.

Microsoft in September announced plans to buy ZeniMax Media – the company behind publisher Bethesda and hit video game franchises like "Fallout" and "The Elder Scrolls"– for $7.5 billion.

Microsoft also recently added cloud game streaming to its Game Pass service, giving gamers access to a Netflix-like catalog of Xbox titles that are playable from their Android phones. Last month, the company additionally launched new Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, seemingly well-positioned to take on the new PlayStation 5.

"Calendar 2021 will be exciting from a gaming perspective for Microsoft, given that they just released their new console," Morningstar analyst Dan Romanoff told Business Insider. "They recently acquired Bethesda so there are new titles coming, as well as the cloud gaming beta being expanded."

Creative Strategies' Milanesi also said she expects Microsoft's Xbox business to grow throughout the next year.

Prediction: 2021 will be a 'big year for Surface' after the release of the Surface Duo smartphone.

"I expect a big year for Surface," Futurum Research's Newman said, referring to Microsoft's line of smartphones, laptops, and tablets. 

Microsoft recently released the Surface Duo, a dual-screened smartphone that folds in half like a book, running on Google's Android operating system. The company in its most recent quarter reported Surface revenue was up 37%, but doesn't report specific revenue figures. 

"New form factors and continued high demand for Notebooks are going to leave Microsoft as a great option for those seeking premium devices that aren't made by Apple," Newman said. 

Creative Strategies' Milanesi also expects Microsoft's Surface business to grow next year.

Microsoft's chief product officer and Windows head Panos Panay recently talked to Business Insider about the launch of the Surface Duo, including the reasoning behind the decision to release the Duo on Android, a major reversal for a company once notorious for prioritizing Windows above all else.

Prediction: Microsoft Azure will gain 'major' market share in cloud computing.

Analysts, no surprise, expect continued growth for Microsoft's cloud computing business in 2021.

Wedbush Securities' Ives told Business Insider he expects Microsoft to further narrow the gap with AWS "as more enterprise cloud workloads move to Azure and the Microsoft ecosystem," Ives said. "We see major share shifts towards Microsoft on the cloud in 2021."

RBC Capital Markets' Zukin cited Microsoft's win of a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract — still playing out in the courts after a lawsuit from Amazon— and recent telecom company acquisitions as key cloud announcements that will propel growth in 2021.

"We continue to believe that Azure growth has long-term durability, as our research indicates multiple years of budget growth," Zukin wrote in a recent note to investors.

Futurum Research's Newman expects the cloud to "continue to be a tightly competitive battle between AWS and Microsoft, with both innovating very quickly and rivals like Oracle, IBM, and Google all working to gain share." 

Prediction: Microsoft will increase its buyback and dividend program.

Wedbush Securities' Ives also expects Microsoft to increase its buyback and dividend program, "given its rising treasure chest and massive cash generation."

The company's most recent buyback announcement was in September 2019, when it launched a $40 billion share-repurchase program and raised its dividend by 11%.

We rounded up the best sales and deals happening online today, with savings at Frontgate, Too Faced, Macy's, and more. 

Deals in this story are subject to change throughout the day. The prices listed reflect the deal at the time of publication. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out Business Insider Coupons.

The best deals available right now

• Visit Insider Reviews' deals page for more sales.

The best on-going sales and exclusive discounts happening right now

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Get up to 75% off sale items at Too Faced

Shop the Too Faced Holiday Hangover sale now.

Too Faced is offering shoppers up to 75% off sale items during its Holiday Hangover sale. Eyeshadow palettes,  primers, lip glosses, and much more are deeply discounted, making it a great time to shop for yourself or for gifts. Though it's not included in the sale, one of our top eyeshadow palette picks is from Too Faced, and you can definitely find similarly pigmented shadows discounted. Shipping is free on orders $75+.

Get up to 60% off gifts from Macy's

Shop the Macy's Holiday gift sale now.

With shipping in time for Christmas and extended returns until January 31, Macy's is a great one-stop-shop for your holiday gifting needs. Right now you can get up to 60% off gifts including apparel for men, women, and kids along with home goods and kitchen gear. Use promo code GIVE to snag an extra 15% to 20% off your purchase at checkout. 

Get 20% off sitewide from EyeBuyDirect.

Shop the EyeBuyDirect holiday sale now.

It's a good time to stock up on glasses: EyeBuyDirect is having a 30% off sitewide sale with promo code HOLIDAY. If you're a glasses-wearer, EyeBuyDirect is an accessible and affordable place to get frames online. It's also a good place to spend your FSA or HSA dollars before the year is up.

Get 60% off frames from GlassesUSA.

Shop the GlassesUSA Holiday Sale now.

Whether you're looking to spend some FSA or HSA dollars before the year is up or just need some new frames, right now is a good time to pick up a pair from GlassesUSA. With promo code DEAL60, you can get 60% off frames with basic Rx lenses. The brand sees deals somewhat often throughout the year, but a hefty 60% off is one of the best discounts we've seen.

Get up to 50% off from Adidas

Shop the End of Year sale at Adidas now.

Get up to 50% off right now from Adidas during its End of Year sale, free shipping included. It's not sitewide, but many styles are discounted including some of our favorite white sneakers. The sale only lasts through December 15, so act fast if you're hoping to put together a new fit at a discount. 

Get 20% off at United by Blue.

Shop from United by Blue with the Mission Brand Alliance discount here.

The Mission Brand Alliance was launched just this past week by United by Blue to gather together sustainable brands including Faherty, Patagonia, and many more. Right now you can get 20% off your order from United by Blue with promo code MISSIONBRAND. It's shocking how comfortable clothes made from recycled resources can be, yet after testing the Bison Puffer Jacket and Responsible Flannels, we found the brand's apparel to be soft, warm, and durable.   

Get 20% off at Faherty.

Shop from Faherty with the Misson Brand Alliance discount now.

Another member of the Mission Brand Alliance, Faherty is a brand with sustainable and ethically-sourced materials that are comfortable to boot. Right now, with promo code MISSIONBRAND applied at checkout, you can get 20% off your order. Though it didn't quite make the cut, Faherty's work shirt was one of the top contenders for our best flannel pick. 

Get an extra 10% off sale items at M.Gemi.

Shop the M.Gemi Holiday Sale now.

M.Gemi having sale items may already sound too good to be true, but right now, you can snag an extra 10% off with promo code EXTRA10. The sale is limited to the holiday season — it ends December 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET. We've tested and reviewed a handful of M.Gemi styles, including the Corsa boot and the Felize loafer.

Get 15% off multiple pairs of glasses at Warby Parker.

Save $30 or more when you buy 2 or more pairs at Warby Parker.

Shop stylish and affordable frames from Warby Parker for both men and women with the added bonus of 15% off when you buy 2 or more pairs right now. Even if you aren't looking to stock up on frames for daily wear (though this is a great chance to), prescription sunglasses are also included in the sale. Learn about more about Warby Parker and its extended frame sizing here.

Save all month long at Sephora.

Shop the 30 Days of Sephorathon sale.

All month, Sephora is offering weekly deals and product launches for its Beauty Insiders. You don't have to be a VIB or Rouge member to reap rewards, but the perks do get better as you climb up the membership ladder. This week, members can get $15 off orders of $75 or more; read about the rest of the Sephorathon sales here.

Get up to 70% off bestsellers from M.M.LaFleur

Shop the M.M.LaFleur Unprecedented Times Sale.

Save up to 70% on best-selling styles and apparel — a sale without precedent, as the title suggests. M.M.LaFleur almost never holds sales, so not only is this a rare chance to snag a deal, it's a hefty 70% off being offered. M.M.LaFleur work pants are one of our favorites that we've reviewed, and the sale includes much more.

• To ensure babies stay safe and warm without a blanket or swaddle, many parents buy sleep sacks, which are essentially wearable blankets.
• After much research and testing, we found the Halo Sleep Sack Wearable Blanket to be the best sleep sack for most babies.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents keep blankets, toys, and other objects out of the crib for the first 12 months to limit the risk of suffocation and of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Many parents decide to buy sleep sacks in lieu of blankets to keep their newborns warm.

Sleep sacks are basically zippered cloth sacks with armholes. You don't have to worry about extra material interfering with a baby's breathing or a baby becoming uncovered at night. 

Sleep sacks come in a variety of materials and sizes. When I first started using them, I felt overwhelmed by the choices. Plus, depending on the season and where you live, you have to choose from different weights or thermal overall grades (TOG), which tells you how much insulation is in the material. 

When I looked at the best sleep sacks for babies, I evaluated each one based on material, design, and cost. I also relied on my own personal experience to select the best sleep sacks.

Here are the best sleep sacks you can buy:

• Best sleep sack overall: Halo Sleep Sack Wearable Blanket
• Best wool sleep sack: Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag for Babies
• Best winter sleep sack: Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Sleeping Sack
• Best summer sleep sack: The Nested Bean Zen Sack Classic
• Best organic sleep sack: Burt's Bees Baby Beekeeper Wearable Blanket

The best overall

The Halo Sleep Sack Wearable Blanket is super soft, high quality, and well designed. 

Pros: Super soft, roomy and hip-friendly design, high-quality

Cons: Need different ones for each season

Halo Sleep Sack Wearable Blanket is super soft and available in a range of sizes and weights for any season. The bag has two-way zippers to make nighttime diaper changes easier. 

The roomy design allows babies plenty of room to move around and doesn't constrict the hips. The sack comes with a seal of approval from the Hip Dysplasia Institute. I started using these sleep sacks with my baby around the 2-month mark after using swaddles. 

My absolute favorite was the Halo Sleep Sack Plush Dot Velboa Wearable Blanket. The sleep sack comes at a TOG 1.0, which is suitable for fall or early winter. If you want a warmer winter sleep sack, I also used the winter-weight Halo at a TOG 2.5 for cold winter nights. 

The Halo sleep sack is by far the best choice you can make when it comes to wearable blankets. My only criticism is that you need multiple sacks to cover different temperatures and seasons. You also need to have two sacks of the same weight in case of accidents. 

The best wool sleep sack

The Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag for Babies offers excellent temperature regulation for any season.

Pros: Regulates temperature, grows with baby, good for all seasons, super soft and cozy

Cons: Expensive, handwash only

While I adore Halo sleep sacks, the Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag is another great option, although it is pricey. However, the quality and longevity of the sleep sack really do justify the cost. With other sleep sacks, you'll need to buy at least two for every season, but with Merino Kids, you only need one sack for the first two years. 

Wool regulates body temperature better than cotton or polyester. I never worried about either of my children being too hot or too cold when they wore the Merino.  Not only does the Merino regulate body temperature, but it's also exceptionally well-made.

After almost three years of using the same sleep sack between two children, it's held up well. Just be to use specially formulated wool shampoo when you wash the sleep sack. I used NikWax Wool Wash. You also have to line dry to avoid shrinkage or the moisture-wicking ability of the sleep sack. But the odor-resistant qualities of wool, require you to wash it less frequent washing.

The best for winter

The Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Sleeping Sack keeps hands, feet, and toes warm through cold winter months.

Pros: Breathable, soft material, ideal for winter

Cons: Pricier than other sacks, not for all seasons, large head opening

The winter weight 2.5 TOG Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Sleeping Sack keeps your baby warm at night. The quilted duvet material adds an extra layer of warmth to the 100% cotton exterior. It will be hard to find a winter-weight sleep sack better than the Baby Deedee.

Not only is the sleep sack super warm, but the fabric is also breathable, so you don't have to worry about them sweating. Putting a baby in the cocoon-like design is more comfortable with its equally smart shoulder straps. The straps lay flat, making it easier for you to place your baby in the sack and then snap the shoulder straps together. You don't have to lift up the arms and move them through the holes, possibly waking up your baby.

From the high-quality materials to the smart and warm design, you can't go wrong with the Baby Deedee from the first winter storm to the smell of spring. The company also has a Sleep Nest Travel sack for camping or outside use. 

The best for summer

The Nested Bean Zen Sack Classic mimics a parent's touch with its lightly weighted center that can soothe fussy babies.

Pros: Light and soft material, mimics a loving touch, adjustable straps, reversible, two-way zippers

Cons: Expensive, need more than one as your baby grows

The Nested Bean Zen Sack Classic comes in soft, breathable cotton, making it perfect for hot summer nights. At a .05 TOG, you won't find a sleep sack lighter than this weight. The bag can also be used year-round depending on clothing and temperature. 

The most unique design feature is a gently weighted pressure pad on the center of the chest to give the sensation of a parent's touch. Before greeting the world, babies spend nine months snug in the womb, and once outside, they need constant contact. The Nested Bean mimics the soothing touch of a caregiver.

The smart design also has two-way zippers to facilitate quick middle of the night diaper changes, adjustable straps, and is reversible for stomach sleepers. While back is best until your baby rolls over, once they do, your baby might prefer the tummy frog position. For those with swaddling needs, Nested Bean also offers the Zen Swaddle Classic in a similar design and material.

Read our full review of the Nested Bead Zen Sack here.

The best organic sleep sack

The Burt's Bees Baby Beekeeper Wearable Blanket is an organic cotton sleep sack that will keep your baby warm at night.

Pros: 100% organic, gentle on sensitive skin, zipper guard, cute designs

Cons: Not for all seasons

Burt's Bees Baby Beekeeper Wearable Blanket is made with 100% certified organic cotton. It's certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). You can really feel the softness of this sleep sack's material to give babies extra comfort.

The design features a bottom zipper to allow for quick diaper changes and an interior zipper guard and snap tab zipper pull for safety. You won't have to worry about accidentally zipping up your baby's skin.

At a TOG of .05, the Beekeeper is perfect for the warmer months; pair it underneath a jacket or blanket to add an extra layer of warmth for the cooler seasons.

Check out our other baby gear guides

The best baby swaddles

While swaddling does come with some controversy, it's hands-down one of the best ways to get a fussy baby to sleep. But like all baby products, swaddles come in all shapes and sizes. Here are the best baby swaddles you can buy.

The best video baby monitors

Video monitors allow caregivers to keep both eyes and ears on the baby, answering questions that a simple audio monitor cannot. We tested nine of the top-ranked video baby monitors with my now 10-month-old across several categories.

The best baby bouncers

Babies find bouncing incredibly soothing, and a baby bouncer can be a real lifesaver when you need a break. To make our picks, we researched available options and tested some models to find the best baby bouncers. 

The best baby carriers

A baby carrier lets you and your little one explore the world together. You'll be glad to have your hands free and your child nestled close, while babies love feeling warm and secure. These are the best baby carriers you can buy.

The best car seats

Car seats are one of the most critical pieces of gear parents with young kids need, but they're also one of the most overwhelming items to buy. We've cut through the myriad options to find the best car seats and boosters for kids of all ages.

The best travel car seats

A travel car seat can help your kid stay safe and comfortable on any trip, and finding one that's light and compact makes life so much easier. To save weight and space, travel car seats don't have all the bells and whistles of other seats, making it hard to choose which features are most important to you and which you can do without. 

The best strollers

With the right stroller, you and your young one are ready for anything, from a quick trip to the store to a long trip. Whatever your needs or use-cases may be, here are the best strollers to consider.

The best umbrella strollers

An umbrella stroller is a smart investment to make when it comes to buying baby products. Once your child needs a sippy-cup holder and footrest, it's time to purchase an umbrella stroller.

The best jogging strollers

There's a huge difference in quality between the best and worst jogging strollers. But once you near the top, there are several amazing options. Which one you should get depends on preference and priorities. So here are the best of the best in a variety of categories.

The best baby bottles

When it comes to choosing the right bottle for feeding your baby, it can be overwhelming. To help you find the best baby bottle, we put together this guide by testing all of the bottles with a baby, from the age of newborn through 8 months old.

The best bottle warmers

Even though baby bottle warmers come in lots of designs, choosing the perfect one for your specific needs can be challenging. When researching and choosing the best baby bottle warmers, we took into consideration five essential criteria: safety features, warming efficiency, cleaning ease, bottle type, and cost.

The best breast pumps

Whether you're running an errand, taking a short trip, or heading back to work full-time, you'll need a good breast pump to get you through those times when you can't breastfeed your baby directly. These are the best breast pumps you can buy.

The best nursing bras

When newborns are hungry, they let you know, and they're not very patient. Thankfully, nursing bras make it quick and easy to feed your baby. There are a wide range of nursing bras to choose from, making it hard to know which type best meets your needs and which brand and style you should go with.

The best baby thermometers

We consulted a pediatrician, looked at current research, and talked to parents to select 11 of the most popular digital baby thermometers to test. Depending on your child's age, you will want to use a rectal, temporal artery, tympanic, or oral thermometer.

The best diaper delivery

Once you become a parent, diapers are a fact of life. Save yourself a bit of time and hassle by having diapers delivered to your door by a great diaper delivery company.

The best cloth diapers

Cloth diapers are easy to use, economical, and better for the environment. To narrow down the options to the five best cloth diapers, we consulted other parents, researched user reviews and product specs, and relied on personal experience to find the best cloth diapers.

The best diaper bags

Whether you're looking for a well-organized bag that can store all the things or you want something that looks cute while you carry it around, there's a diaper bag to meet your needs. We tested a variety of styles to find the best diaper bags you can buy.

The best baby wipes

Baby wipes are an essential supply for diapering. They're also ideal for all sorts of other uses, including wiping bigger kids' hands, cleaning messes off tables before and after meals, and attacking spills before they set in and leave a stain.

2021 is fast approaching, and the startup market is red-hot as VCs fight harder than ever before to get into deals.

It's a stunning transformation from the beginning of the pandemic, when venture firm Sequoia famously released its Black Swan memo advising its portfolio companies to cut their cash burn in anticipation of hard days ahead. 

The spring of 2020 ushered in a wave of layoffs in the startup community but by the end of summer, the bull market was back with a vengeance.

Some 223 deals of $100 million or more have closed through the first nine months of 2020, on pace to set a new annual record for VC mega-deals, at about one per day, reports PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. Much of that has occured since the summer, when lock-down restrictions worldwide began to ease.

In that backdrop, we asked a selected list of Silicon Valley's top venture capital firms which startups they think will take off in 2021.

We had two ground rules for participation:

1. The VC must tell us about one startup in their portfolio. After all, they were impressed enough to invest. 

2. And they must also tell us about one startup where they have no financial ties or any other interest. After all, they are the startup world experts, even when they don't invest.

The result is a fascinating list of companies to watch, ranging from tiny, seed stage startups to under-the-radar growth companies, organized alphabetically. They come from industries as diverse as consumer, cybersecurity, fintech, ecommerce, and telehealth.

We've also noted each startup's estimated total funding based on information from deal database Pitchbook. 

Here are the 81 startups that the VCs named: 

Abacus.ai: AI-powered data science for companies

Startup: Abacus.ai

VC: Satish Dharmaraj, Redpoint

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.  

Total funding raised: $40.25 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: helps companies make accurate predictions using AI in any system that collects data.

Why it will boom in 2021: Abacus brings "state-of-the-art AI techniques to companies of all sizes," says Dharamaraj. "Their technology is especially helpful where there is noisy, incomplete, or little training data, and with companies pulling in more data sources than ever before, they are destined to have a big year next year," he added.

Albert: personalized financial advice

Startup: Albert

VC: Sumi Das, CapitalG

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $71.83 million 

Headquarters: Walnut, CA

What it does: helps people automate their financial well-being by tracking bills and spending habits, how much money you make, investments, and more.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Albert is leveraging automation and machine learning to improve consumers' financial wellness through their holistic, mobile financial advisor that Americans can actually afford," Das said. 

Anyscale: distributed computing projects

Startup: Anyscale

VC: Jerry Chen, Greylock

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $60.74 million

Headquarters: Berkeley, CA

What it does: helps run distributed computing projects through an open-source project called Ray.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Anyscale is the next step in cloud computing evolution, allowing developers to easily build distributed applications across the cloud. It effectively turns the cloud into one giant computer," Chen said.

Armis: cybersecurity for enterprise Internet of Things devices

Startup: Armis

VC: Derek Zanutto, CapitalG

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $112 million

Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA

What it does: security platform to help companies protect Internet of things (IoT) devices from cyberattacks.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Many IT departments desire to adopt enterprise IoT devices but opt not to due to the significant cybersecurity risks that accompany large-scale deployments," Zanutto said.

"Through its industry-leading, agentless device and security platform, Armis is uniquely positioned to help enterprises leverage the potential of IoT while keeping their cybersecurity risks in check," he said.

Armorblox: stopping data loss from emails

Startup: Armorblox

VC: Karim Faris

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $16.5 million

Headquarters: Cupertino, CA

What it does: stops attacks and data loss across email, messaging, and file-sharing devices.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Email is one of the most common attack vectors, and the effectiveness of traditional methods [to stop attacks] is fading as phishing and business email compromise attacks surge," Faris said. "Armorblox works in the background to protect users with no change to your daily routine."

Bigeye: cleaning up data for big-data projects

Startup: Bigeye

VC: Bogomil Balkansky, Sequoia

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $3.9 million

Headquarters: Daly City, CA

What it does: data monitoring platform that uses machine learning to help businesses maintain the quality of their in-house data.

Why it will boom in 2021:"As every organization is becoming data driven, the quality of that data becomes paramount. Bigeye provides the transparency data engineers, scientists, and analysts need to ensure their pipelines are producing data that's reliable enough for high-stakes business intelligence and machine learning applications," Balkansky said.

Bloomscape: e-commerce for plants

Startup: Bloomscape

VC: Johnson Yang, General Catalyst

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $24.2 million

Headquarters: Detroit

What it does: a plant shopping platform that delivers fully-grown potted plants to customers.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Bloomscape has figured out how to ship thriving, beautiful plants in a box all across the country 365 days per year, resulting in better quality, variety, and convenience than your typical big box store Garden Center offers," Yang said.

"It's never been easier for new plant enthusiasts to buy and care for plants thanks to Bloomscape," he added.

Builder: designing ecommerce sites without any code

Startup: Builder

VC: Mike Duboe, Greylock Partners

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $3.25 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Builder helps merchants create their own ecommerce sites through a drag and drop visual editor, without needing to type a single line of code.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Ecommerce will continue its rapid ascent in 2021 and the fastest growing segment -- merchants who are doing millions of revenue and have built their offering largely on Shopify and its partner ecosystem -- operates with minimal engineering support," Duboe said. 

He believes Builder will be a "game-changer" for these merchants by offering them a no-code solution to building their own online ecommerce stores. 

Celona: private 5G platforms for companies

Startup: Celona

VC: Matt Howard, Norwest Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $40 million

Headquarters: Cupertino, CA

What it does: provides a private 5G platform for companies to help them operate their own super high-speed cellular networks.

Why it will boom in 2021: Celoan gives companies the opportunity of building their own reliable mobile voice and data wireless networks using high-speed cellular technology, Howard said.

"More and more of these mission-critical applications, such as critical care voice communications in hospitals, simply can't reliably run over conventional enterprise wireless technology that suffers from inherent latency, delay, and interference issues," he added. 

ChartHop: helping managers run their teams

Startup: ChartHop

VC: Logan Bartlett, Redpoint Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool 

Total funding raised: $19 million

Headquarters: Brooklyn, NY

What it does: A tool that automatically builds org charts and helps managers do recruitment planning and compensation planning tasks.

Why it will boom in 2021: Bartlett said the company is "particularly important in a COVID world, as people aren't meeting new coworkers in person and there's uncertainty around hiring."

Clay Software: reconnecting with forgotten friends

Startup: Clay

VC: Peter Boyce II, General Catalyst

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: NA

Headquarters: New York

What it does: a social networking app designed to help users connect with the people they've met throughout their life.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Clay is a beautiful and private rolodex that helps you remember and be more thoughtful with the people in your life," Boyce said, adding that the app can serve a variety of functions, including revitalizing old family relationships and surfacing potential job opportunities. 

Cmd: the cybersecurity gate for Linux

Startup: Cmd

VC: Karim Faris, Google Ventures

Relationship: Investor 

Total funding raised: $21.6 million

Headquarters: Vancouver

What it does: Cmd is a security tool that helps track and authorize the people who have access to a company's cloud servers running the open source operating system Linux.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Workloads continue their move to the cloud at a torrid pace. At scale, security controls are harder to implement or only provide narrow forms of protection," Faris said. "The modern enterprise needs tooling that's purpose-built to protect data in the cloud and who has access to it. Cmd can help."

Coder Technologies: Cloud software development tools

Startup: Coder Technologies

VC: Ethan Kurzweil, Bessemer

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $44.78 million

Headquarters: Austin, TX

What it does: Cloud-based platform for managing and collaborating around software development.

Why it will boom in 2021: "The software world is increasingly a cloud-based one," Kurzweil said. "However, the actual development environment where programmers do their work is still dominated by local tools that are installed and saved locally." 

Coder offers "the benefits of the scalability of the cloud" without sacrificing security, he said.

Crossbeam: finding overlapping customers for companies

Startup: Crossbeam

VC: Logan Bartlett, Redpoint Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $40.85 million

Headquarters: Philadelphia

What it does: Crossbeam is a tool that allows companies who enter into partnerships to find the customers they have in common while keeping their respective data private.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Crossbeam has a networking effect built into it. As companies join, they invite other partners to join as well making it that much more effective. They've seen explosive growth this past year with companies quickly realizing the ROI. So we're confident this growth will only continue to expand in 2021," Bartlett said.  

Dgraph: fully-managed GraphQL backend service

Startup: Dgraph

VC: Satish Dharmaraj, Redpoint Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $14.41 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Dgraph is a database for developers working with GraphQL, a popular open-source tool that helps programmers work with application programming interfaces (APIs). 

Why it will boom in 2021:"The Graph market itself is expected to grow 100% each year and Dgraph is in a unique position where it can apply the power of Graphs on both complex as well as the more everyday problems engineers face," Dharamaraj said.

Divvy: corporate credit cards that help employees with expense reports

Startup: Divvy

VC: Ben Narasin, NEA

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $1 billion

Headquarters: Draper, Utah

What it does: Divvy provides corporate credit cards to a company's individual employees, and helps employees automatically fill out their expense forms.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Divvy will explode next year as companies scramble to get control of their remote workers and use Divvy for corporate cards tied to real time expense management and budgeting," Narasin says. "Swipe your card or pay with your phone and the charge feeds instantly to your expense account, saving time and improving management visibility and control," he added. 

Docsend: secure document sharing platform

Startup: Docsend

VC: Ben Ling, Bling Capital

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool

Total funding raised: $14.70 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: a secure document-sharing platform that lets users know when documents are opened and read.

Why it will boom in 2021: Ling says that DocSend has become "the standard for investor communication and fundraising." 

Double: connecting busy executives with part-time assistants

Startup:Double

VC: Peter Boyce II, General Catalyst

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $12.31 million

Headquarters: New York

What it does: Double connects busy executives with part-time assistants and delegation tools. 

Why it will boom in 2021:"As individuals and companies explore new ways and styles of working, Double can be a platform that amplifies the amount of high-impact work done by executives and employees who use their service," Boyce said. 

Envoy: tracking who is in the office

Startup: Envoy

VC: Matt Murphy, Menlo Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $59.5 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Envoy helps companies track who is in the office on a given day and manages routine office tasks, like notifications for things like when a conference rooms runs out of sanitizer. 

Why it will boom in 2021:"Even post pandemic, many workers will only be in the office part-time, and Envoy will help companies best use their office footprint for the flexibility expected by tomorrow's workforce," Murphy said. 

Everlywell: at-home food sensitivity and COVID tests

Startup:Everlywell 

VC: Aileen Lee

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool

Total funding raised: $266.1 million

Headquarters: Austin, TX

What it does: provides consumers with at-home lab tests ranging from food sensitivity tests to metabolism tests.

Why it will boom in 2021: The company recently launched an at-home COVID-19 test, which Lee says will drive its growth numbers.

"Consumers are increasingly stressed about their health and well being, and have time to investigate and adopt new, more convenient and affordable ways to address their healthcare needs," Lee said.

Expel: a cloud service that helps companies respond to cybersecurity issues

Startup:Expel

VC: Gene Frantz, CapitalG

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $117.5 million

Headquarters: Herndon, VA

What it does: a cybersecurity monitoring service that offers companies simple instructions if it sees something amiss.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Securing the enterprise has become an increasingly unmanageable problem for business leaders given the continually expanding cyber threat landscape and endemic shortage of cybersecurity personnel," Frantz said. 

The cyberdefense capabilities Expel offers will be even more critical in a "COVID-affected, widely-distributed work world," he said.

Fishtown Analytics: open-source data engineering

Startup: Fishtown Analytics

VC: Josh Kopelman, First Round; Derek Zanutto, CapitalG; and Ethan Kurzweil, Bessemer

Relationship: No relation. VCs just think it's cool. 

Total funding raised: $42.4 million

Headquarters: Philadelphia

What it does: Fishtown Analytics created the commercial version of DBT, a popular open source analytics tool that helps data scientists more efficiently process data. 

Why it will boom in 2021:

"Fishtown stands out as a company that has built not only a great product but a rabid community of companies and practitioners," Kopelman said.

"The quantity of data generated and stored by enterprises is exploding just as more business users are requiring access to that data," Zanutto said.

Fishtown's tool set is timely "given the unstoppable trend for big companies to store more and more data in their data warehouse," Kurzweil said.

Flexe: distribution and warehousing for ecommerce companies

Startup:Flexe

VC: Scott Jacobson, Madrona Venture Group

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $133.62 million

Headquarters: Seattle

What it does: Flexe runs an online marketplace that provides warehousing spaces on-demand for ecommerce companies, resolving issues like inventory overflow by connecting retailers with warehouse operators. 

Why it will boom in 2021:"As ecommerce continues to increase massively in volume (in part due to COVID-related shifts), companies need scalable and high capacity fulfillment solutions to allow them to meet rising demand. Flexe is well positioned to meet their needs and has continued to see strong growth throughout 2020," Jacobson said. 

Flock Freight: optimizing freight shipping services

Startup:Flock Freight

VC: Chris Farmer, SignalFire

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $184.45 million 

Headquarters: Solana Beach, CA

What it does: a shared freight shipping service that pools deliveries from multiple customers into a single truck.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Traditionally, half-empty trailers dump goods at a depot for delivery later, leading to late fees and broken items. Flock Freight's algorithms efficiently route a single truck to make all the pickups and deliveries to minimize loading and unloading while ensuring timely arrival," Farmer said. 

Folx Health: healthcare for LGBTQIA+ people

Startup:Folx Health

VC: Chelsea Stoner, Battery Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool. 

Total funding raised: $4.35 million

Headquarters: Boston

What it does: Folx Health is a digital health company designed for LGBTQIA+ people specifically, offering services like hormone replacement therapy, HIV prevention, and fertility testing. 

Why it will boom in 2021:"LGBTQIA+ people often meet with clinicians who don't understand their bodies or their needs, resulting in often difficult and sometimes traumatic experiences. Folx is reimagining healthcare for this population from first principles with a medical team made up of leading queer- and trans-care specialists," Stoner said. 

Forage: career discovery platform

Startup:Forage

VC: Mercedes Bent, Lightspeed Venture Partners

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $12.06 million

Headquarters: Sydney, Australia

What it does: Forage is a career discovery platform that lets employers create courses simulating what it's like to work at their firms.

Why it will boom in 2021: Bent likes how job candidates on Forage can use it for both "casual learning and intense job searches," and how the courses on the platform are designed by actual employers, as opposed to third-party providers. 

ForAllSecure: automating application security bug hunting

Startup:ForAllSecure

VC: Aaron Jacobson, NEA

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $14.7 million

Headquarters: Pittsburgh

What it does: creates cybersecurity tools that finds and fixes software vulnerabilities for clients like the US Department of Defense and Cloudflare.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Given the shortage of cybersecurity talent, enterprises are unable to keep up with discovering, monitoring, and fixing [software] defects," Jacobson said.

"ForAllSecure is pioneering autonomous application security with an advanced fuzzing solution that can discover known and unknown vulnerabilities without manual testing," he said.

Found: business banking for the self-employed

Startup:Found

VC: Bill Trenchard, First Round Capital and Mark Goldberg, Index Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VCs just think it's cool.

Total funding raised: $15.2 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Found assists self-employed people with business banking services like expense tracking and tax savings.

Why it will boom in 2021: Trenchard said he's "impressed with the simplicity of the product" Found offers. "It radically simplifies finance tasks that millions of self employed people struggle with, including knowing what their taxes owed are in any given quarter (estimated payments) or what they can deduct."

"It's a major headache for freelancers to set aside the appropriate amount of money to pay in taxes, and Found combines banking with expense tracking to do this automatically. With a killer team, this is a company to watch in 2021," Goldberg said.

Glympse Bio: AI for detecting, treating diseases

Startup:Glympse Bio

VC: Ludwig Schulze, Alumni Ventures Group

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $72.79 million

Headquarters: Cambridge, MA

What it does: uses AI to better detect, track, and treat diseases.

Why it will boom in 2021: Glympse just secured a partnership with Gilead to apply its technology for liver disease treatments, according to Schulze. He says that the business is also set to take off as it begins "preclinical testing for applications to cancer and infectious diseases like COVID-19."

Hinge Health: digital healthcare for treating back and joint pain

Startup:Hinge Health

VC: Roger Lee, Battery Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $127.09 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: digital healthcare programs for chronic conditions such as back and joint pain.

Why it will boom in 2021:"As physical therapy and surgery continue to be postponed during the pandemic, folks with chronic conditions and pain are at risk for being left untreated," Lee said.

"Hinge Health provides a truly end-to-end solution by democratizing access to critical resources and quality services at a lower cost, and more conveniently to members," he said.

Hone: live classes for professional development

Startup:Hone

VC: Aileen Lee, Cowboy Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $6.35 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Hone provides live professional development classes with experts on workplace topics like diversity and inclusion, remote 1:1 sessions, and trust building.

Why it will boom in 2021:"As companies are increasingly distributed in 2021, Hone is perfectly positioned to replace location-based training and professional development classes with an even more engaging, convenient and impactful solution," Lee said. 

Hopin: digital events

Startup:Hopin

VC: David Thacker, Greylock Partners

Relationship: Greylock is a Hopin customer.

Total funding raised: $172.18 million

Headquarters: London

What it does: a virtual events platform dedicated to recreating the in-person event experience through features like virtual reception areas, backstages, and user profiles.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Even as the COVID pandemic fades away, many events will continue to be held virtually (instead of in-person) as companies have found them to have higher attendance, better engagement, and they are much less expensive to produce," Thacker said. 

Kandji: managing employees' Apple devices

Startup: Kandji

VC: Josh Kopelman, First Round

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $28.44 million

Headquarters: San Diego

What it does: Provides a platform for large companies to manage employees' Apple devices.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Given the recent adoption of remote and work-from-home culture, Kandji stands to gain by providing the most robust and flexible [device management] solution on the market," Kopelman said.

Kettle: reinsurance for climate change

Startup: Kettle

VC: Lauren Kolodny, Acrew Capital

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $4.71 million

Headquarters: Kensington, CA

What it does: Kettle uses machine learning to generate risk predictions for climate-change related events like wildfires, and then provides reinsurance for those events to insurance carriers.

Why it will boom in 2021:"The prevalence of wildfires on the West Coast (and throughout the world) is increasingly at a rapid clip. Existing insurers are unable to accurately predict and cover for losses due to a reliance on antiquated models," Kolodny said.

"Traditional reinsurers are hesitant to provide capacity in the absence of more predictive underwriting. Kettle can fill that extremely time sensitive gap," she added. 

KitchenMate: Food-as-a-service for offices

Startup: KitchenMate

VC: Ed Yip, Norwest

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $6.76 million

Headquarters: Toronto

What it does: Offers businesses an alternative to hot pantry cafeterias with "smart meal-pods" that are heated in a "smart cooker."

Why it will boom in 2021: "While it might not seem like the right time for any sort of office service, KitchenMate is heating up among essential industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and distribution who need onsite meal options while nearby restaurants and food services remain closed," Yip says.

Labelbox: labeling data needed to train AI systems

Startup:Labelbox

VC: James Cham, Bloomberg Beta

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $38.90 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: provides services to create, manage, and maintain data sets for machine learning applications.

Why it will boom in 2021:"Mainstream companies are starting to realize that the heart of machine learning is the work of humans teaching machines. Labelbox represents the next wave of companies building tools to address that," Cham said. 

Lark: healthcare advice from AI and human coaches

Startup: Lark

VC: Anis Uzzaman, Pegasus Tech Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $120.15 million

Headquarters: Mountain View, CA

What it does: Provides health counseling powered by AI and humans to people with chronic or persistent illness.

Why it will boom in 2021: In addition to several successful funding rounds, Lark just closed a deal with Anthem, one of the nation's largest health insurance providers, according to Uzzaman.

"The need for digital healthcare support has become even more evident during COVID and this company has advanced products for diabetes, hypertension, and behavioral health treatment," Uzzaman said.

Lumanu: data analytics for influencer-brand partnerships

Startup: Lumanu

VC: Chris Sklarin, Alumni Ventures Group

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $5.03 million

Headquarters: New York

What it does: Lets brands and influencers easily share metrics related to sponsored partnerships.

Why it will boom in 2021: Skarlin anticipates that brands partnering with influencers for marketing will increasingly turn to Lumanu to track and amplify their content.

Lydia: PayPal of mobile payments

Startup: Lydia

VC: Amit Jhawar, Accel

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $72.78 million

Headquarters: Paris

What it does: Provides mobile payments, loans, checking accounts, and credit cards to a primarily French user base.

Why it will boom in 2021: Lydia has become the dominant peer-to-peer payment platform in France, and Jhawar expects it to continue to expand as it rolls out new features like online checking accounts.

"Lydia has become a verb in France and next year will bring a whole set of new capabilities to continue the momentum," he said.

Malomo: marketing platform built into online stores' shipment tracking

Startup: Malomo

VC: Gabby Cazeau, Harlem Capital

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $5.42 million

Headquarters: Indianapolis

What it does: Lets e-commerce brands turn customers' shipment tracking into a brand marketing channel.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Through the pandemic, we've seen a massive shift towards e-commerce that will be the norm in the post-COVID era," Cazeau said, adding that Malomo lets companies "deliver on their brand promise through a delightful user experience post purchase."

Melio Payments: bill payment platform for small businesses

Startup: Melio Payments

VC: Lauren Kolodny, Acrew Capital

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $143.5 million

Headquarters: New York

What it does: Provides a one-stop platform for small businesses to pay vendors and contractors.

Why it will boom in 2021: While peer-to-peer payments companies like Venmo and CashApp have seen booming popularity, Melio brings a similar function to business-to-business transactions.

"With the majority of [small and midsize business] payments still happening via check, there's still a huge opportunity for digitization here," Kolodny says.

Netlify: automating repetitive tasks for web developers

Startup: Netlify

VC: James Cham, Bloomberg Beta

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $97.51 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: A web developer platform that can be used to build, deploy, and run web projects.

Why it will boom in 2021: "31 years into the web, Netlify defined a new way to think about web development," Cham said, adding that the founders are "leading a shift in the core business model of the web—from feature based subscription pricing to value and consumption based pricing."

OctoML: making machine learnings models run more efficiently

Startup: OctoML

Investor: Matt McIlwain

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $19.6 million

Headquarters: Seattle

What it does: helps engineers make their machine learning models run more efficiently on different types of hardware. 

Why it will boom in 2021: McIlwain says OctoML allows machine learning models to be run anywhere, whether that's on a computer chip, a physical device, or in the cloud.

He added that OctoML will become "a key component of the modern MLOps value chain," referring to the process of developing, deploying, and monitoring the machine learning models that are now used in industries ranging from transportation to healthcare. 

Outschool: online classes for small groups

Startup: Outschool

VC: Alex Taussig, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Mike Duboe, Greylock Partners

Relationship: Taussig is an investor. Duboe has no relation to the company. 

Total funding raised: $57 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: A marketplace that offers live, scheduled online classes that students or parents can buy from a variety of teachers across subject areas.  

Why it will boom in 2021: "The pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption of online learning, and Outschool met the moment this year, growing over 30 times in just a few months earlier this year," Taussig said. 

"While models like Outschool gained momentum out of necessity during the pandemic, the duration of COVID has opened parents' eyes to what schools do and don't offer to students," Duboe added. "Video learning has been normalized, and even as students go back, Outschool plays a valuable role in enrichment content."

Particle Health: parsing medical data for healthcare companies

Startup: Particle Health

VC: Sumi Das, CapitalG and Greg Yap, Menlo Ventures

Relationship: Yap is an investor. Das has no relation and just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $14.34 million

Headquarters: New York

What it does: Provides APIs for healthcare companies to access and parse through comprehensive medical datasets. 

Why it will boom in 2021: "Just as we're seeing an open banking renaissance within fintech, we're also seeing the healthcare industry beginning to demand improved data communications and interoperability," Das said.

"I believe 2021 will mark the turning point in health data interoperability and that Particle Health will play a key role in the solution," Yap added.

Passbase: privacy-preserving ID verification

Startup: Passbase

VC: Ted Wang, Cowboy Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $4.38 million

Headquarters: Berlin

What it does: An API for companies to verify individuals' identity on their website, app, or checkout screen.

Why it will boom in 2021: "With the internet becoming even more prevalent in the remote-first mentality carrying into 2021, software like Passbase will be increasingly important for companies to validate [that] individuals are who they say they are," Wang says.

Plant Prefab: sustainable homes built from prefabricated designs

Startup: Plant Prefab

VC: Ludwig Schulze, Alumni Ventures Group

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $15.03 million

Headquarters: Rialto, CA

What it does: Custom builds sustainable homes using prefabricated designs that take half the time of a site-built home to construct.

Why it will boom in 2021: The startup's commitment to sustainability — along with its fast construction times — set it apart from competitors, Schulze says. Plant Prefab aims to be a fully carbon-neutral business by 2028, which would make it the first prefabricated home builder to do so.

Pulumi: cloud engineering platform for developers

Startup: Pulumi

VC: Gene Frantz, CapitalG

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $57.5 million

Headquarters: Seattle

What it does: Pulumi's cloud platform lets developers build and automate modern infrastructure using standard languages like Python and Javascript.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Pulumi provides a low barrier, feature-rich way for developers and dev teams to access the capabilities and advantages of cloud infrastructure without needing to write code in languages other than the ones with which they're familiar," Frantz says.

Redox Engine: connecting hospitals with medical vendors

Startup: Redox Engine

VC: Chelsea Stoner, Battery Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $50.16 million

Headquarters: Madison, WI

What it does: Hosts a cloud API that connects hospitals, doctors and labs with healthcare products and services.

Why it will boom in 2021: The startup recently surpassed 1,000 clients, according to Stoner, as healthcare organizations increasingly turn to digital health tools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are in the very early innings of digital health, and Redox is well positioned to be a key enabler of the market in 2021 and beyond," Stoner said.

Retool: low-code platform for building internal tools

Startup: Retool

VC: Chris Farmer, SignalFire

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $69.64 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: a software development tool that lets companies build custom business tools without having to code extensively.

Why it will boom in 2021: "The last things developers want to spend their time on are internal tools," Farmer says. "2021 will be Retool's year, as COVID-prompted layoffs and belt-tightening push enterprises to buy less and build more with smaller engineering teams."

Rockset: A real time cloud database for developers

Startup: Rockset

VC: Jerry Chen, Greylock Partners

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $61.67 million

Headquarters: San Mateo, CA

What it does: Provides a cloud database for developers building data applications.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Enterprises need to build apps and make decisions on the freshest data and the only solution today is Rockset," Chen said.

SambaNova Systems: heavy-duty computing systems for running AI programs

Startup: SambaNova Systems

VC: Anis Uzzaman, Pegasus Tech Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $460.6 million

Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA

What it does: Developing new hardware and software meant to run demanding AI programs.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Nvidia is still the dominant player for AI compute with their GPUs and there is no competitor in sight. SambaNova has been developing a next generation computing platform that could challenge Nvidia in the fast growing datacenter business," Uzzaman says.

Shef: marketplace for homemade meals

Startup: Shef

VC: Johnson Yang

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $8.95 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: A peer-to-peer, community-based online marketplace for homemade meals.

Why it will boom in 2021: Shef wants to give rise to amateur chefs, a "whole new category of gig economy workers," Yang said. 

"I believe Shef can do to the restaurant industry what Airbnb did to the hospitality industry, but similar challenges with regulation, operations, and growth hacking have to be surmounted," he added.

Shopmonkey: mobile software for auto shops

Startup: Shopmonkey

VC: Byron Deeter, Bessemer Venture Partners

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $35 million

Headquarters: San Jose, CA

What it does: Provides cloud software and mobile apps to help autoshops manage their business and customer service needs.

Why it will boom in 2021: "One of the next big cloud waves is vertical SaaS," Deeter said, referring to cloud software geared to a specific industry.

"The automotive repair and maintenance industry represents an $800 billion market that is going to have a massive tailwind post-COVID as the world goes back to traveling and commuting," he added.

ShopShops: Online shopping via livestream

Startup:ShopShops

VC: Eurie Kim, Forerunner Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $23.14 million

Headquarters: New York

What it does: Lets people remotely shop from brick and mortar stores via online live-streamed events.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Live stream commerce has been thriving in Asia for years, and is projected to drive [roughly] $170 billion in market value in China this year. We are just beginning to see this behavior take off in the US," Kim said, adding that she believes ShopShops will be at the forefront of that trend.

Socure: identify verification for online transactions

Startup: Socure

VC: Amit Jhawar, Accel

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $99.05 million

Headquarters: New York

What it does: Socure uses AI to guard against fraud by examining behaviors to find indications that customers or business partners are not who they say they are.

Why it will boom in 2021: "As we see an increasing number of companies enter financial services, and more legacy players innovate online, Socure will be a vital part of the stack that enables them to deliver consumer and B2B solutions in a secure and low-fraud way," Jhawar says.

SoLo Funds: a way to get, and give, small loans

Startup: SoLo Funds

VC: Mercedes Bent, Lightspeed Venture Partners

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $23.93 million

Headquarters: Los Angeles

What it does: A peer-to-peer lending system that lets people provide loans of $50 to $1,000 without interest.

Why it will boom in 2021: "In stressful times like the pandemic SoLo is allowing users to more easily and affordably access short-term emergency loans," Bent said. "Many people are still under financial distress and in need of personalized lending solutions."

Sonrai Security: securing public cloud computing for businesses

Startup: Sonrai Security

VC: Venky Ganesan, Menlo Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $38.5 million

Headquarters: New York

What it does: Sonrai's software finds security holes in companies' infrastructure when using public cloud services like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Sonrai Security solves a pervasive problem that will only become more prevalent as the trend towards public cloud usage grows in 2021 and beyond," Ganesan said.

Sorcero: AI that rapidly reads and processes scientific papers

Startup: Sorcero

VC: Chris Sklarin, Alumni Ventures Group

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $5.46 million

Headquarters: Washington, DC

What it does: Sorcero's language intelligence platform rapidly reads and digests large amounts of scientific and medical publications, producing insights for its client base of insurance firms and life science companies.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Sorcero has incredible insights into markets and how to build technology that is powerful and differentiated. They move fast, are very quick to course correct and are capital efficient," Skarlin said.

"In 2021, I expect them to smash through their targets and make serious strides towards transforming decision-making for key technical industries that power the world," he said.

Starburst Data: A data analysis platform for enterprises

Startup:Starburst Data

VC: Matt McIlwain and Sudip Chakrabarti, Madrona

Relationship: No relation. VCs just think it's cool

Total funding raised: $63.25 million 

Headquarters: Boston

What it does: Provides the commercial version of Presto, a very fast open source data analysis platform that works with big data, even when that data is located in lots of different spots.

Why it will boom in 2021:"With the proliferation of data volume, complexity and sources, modern enterprises are increasingly looking to analyze data across multiple data silos without moving any of that data. Starburst is solving that critical need with a fantastic enterprise product built on top of Presto," Chakrabarti said.

Steno: remote depositions and court reporting

Startup: Steno

VC: Todd Jackson, First Round Capital

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $16.48 million

Headquarters: Los Angeles

What it does: Steno is a court reporting agency that lets clients conduct remote depositions (as well as traditional depositions) and provides an option to defer payments until a case is resolved.

Why it will boom in 2021: Steno's remote deposition tool has boomed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the startup's revenue grew by nearly tenfold in 2020.

"We believe the trend of remote litigations will continue through 2021 and beyond as many folks across the legal industry are adopting remote work as the new normal and seeing the cost-saving benefits as a result," Jackson said.

Step: digital banking for teens

Startup: Step

VC: Todd Jackson, First Round Capital

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $76.3 million

Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA

What it does: Step's digital banking platform is geared toward teens opening their first bank account. It offers a free, FDIC-insured bank account and a secured spending card meant to help them build positive credit, as well as its own person-to-person payments platform.

Why it will boom in 2021: "[Gen Z] has been very vocal about wanting more modern financial resources and Step not only provides those but also markets directly to them," Jackson said.

"At the end of the day, this generation already has massive spending power so if Step can capture these users now, it's bound to be very lucrative," he said.

Stir: business tools for influencers and content creators

Startup: Stir

VC: M.G. Siegler, Google Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $3.69 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Stir markets a suite of tools that help content creators track the number of people they reach across social media platforms, how much money they can expect to bring in from ads and subscribers, and keep tabs on their online sales.

Why it will boom in 2021: Most influencers make money from a variety of channels, including YouTube, Patreon, Shopify, Substack, and individual brand deals. Stir's strength is that it consolidates those in one place, according to Siegler.

"If you believe that creators are not just going to use one platform to monetize, this product is going to be increasingly needed as new avenues to monetize come online and diversifying revenue streams become more important," Siegler says.

StockX: online marketplace for hypebeasts

Startup: StockX

VC: Roger Lee, Battery Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $565 million

Headquarters: Detroit

What it does: StockX's marketplace lets people buy and sell high-demand sneakers, streetwear, bags, and collectibles with a focus on rare and limited edition items that fetch high prices.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Despite unprecedented, industry-wide challenges in retail, StockX's digitally-native and asset-lite business model has proven to be quite resilient, allowing them to serve their consumers throughout COVID-19 with minimal disruption," Lee says, adding that the company is quickly expanding beyond its core Gen-Z demographic.

Substack: newsletter platform for independent writers

Startup: Substack

VC: Alex Taussig, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Eurie Kim, Forerunner

Relationship: No relation to either VC, but Taussig publishes his own (free) newsletter on Substack.

Total funding raised: $21.21 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Substack's platform lets writers create newsletters which can be sent exclusively to paying email subscribers or published publicly online. 

Why it will boom in 2021: Taussig notes that Substack "has been able to attract top talent from big publishers across the media ecosystem," including writers who recently left established outlets like Vox and New York Magazine to start their own newsletters. 

"In a world where large publications must cater to a mass audience, Substack allows readers to vote with their dollars on content they want to see and this trend is likely to accelerate in 2021," Kim adds.

Tempo: AI-powered gym for at-home strength training

Startup: Tempo

VC: Ben Ling, Bling Ventures and Ed Yip, Norwest

Relationship: Investors

Total funding raised: $77.42 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Tempo's home gym uses AI-powered 3D mapping to guide users through weight lifting regimens and give them feedback on their form.

Why it will boom in 2021: Ling says Tempo's strength is its "amazing product market fit with strong customer love and engagement," and that it's poised to capitalize on the growing at-home fitness trend.

"Consumers who were once too busy to commit to the gym or who were intimidated by classes are now hopping on the at-home workout train," Yip adds.

Temporal: helps developers fix issues in microservices

Startup: Temporal

VC: Bogomil Balkansky, Sequoia; Jerry Chen, Greylock; Sudip Chakrabarti, Madrona; and Aaron Jacobson, NEA

Relationship: Balkansky and Chakrabarti are investors. Chen and Jacobson have no relation and just think it's cool.

Total funding raised: $25.5 million

Headquarters: Bellevue, WA

What it does: App developers are increasingly adopting a "microservice" architecture, in which a large app with lots of features is broken up into small, independent parts that talk to one another. Temporal's software makes it easier for developers to fix problems when one of their microservices fails.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Creating software applications that handle failures gracefully is a very complex and time-consuming engineering problem,"Balkansky said. "Temporal solves this." 

With customers like Snap, Box, Coinbase and Checkr, "we anticipate greater demand next year as more companies continue to migrate to microservice architectures," he added.

Chakrabarti said that Temporal helps "developers build invincible applications."

By hiding complex data engineering from developers, Temporal is "making it easy to build and orchestrate these apps," Chen said.

"Temporal's open-source 'workflow-as-code' solution bakes in resiliency from the start, freeing up developers to focus on writing impactful business logic code," Jacobson said.

Tonal: an AI-powered home gym and personal training

Startup: Tonal

VC: Matt Murphy, Menlo Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $276.7 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: A rising star in the booming home fitness market, Tonal sells a smart mirror with adjustable pulleys that uses AI-powered computer vision to evaluate users' workouts and give them feedback, along with remote human-led classes.

Why it will boom in 2021: "The classes and AI to both motivate and improve your form are game changers. No question more people will be working at home post pandemic and home fitness will benefit from that shift," Murphy says.

Topicals: skincare for people with chronic skin conditions

Startup: Topicals

VC: Gabby Cazeau, Harlem Capital

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $2.6 million

Headquarters: Santa Monica, CA

What it does: Topicals sells skincare products geared towards people with chronic skin conditions like eczema and hyperpigmentation. 

Why it will boom in 2021: "While there's been considerable growth in the beauty category, there hasn't been as much focus on medicated skincare products," Cazeau said. "It is a massive market that hasn't seen much innovation and current products don't speak to the needs of millennials and GenZ."

She adds that "Topicals understands their community of 'skintellectuals' and engages with them in creative ways."

Trace Data: tools for sending and tracking sensitive data

Startup: Trace Data

VC: Matt Howard, Norwest Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks they're cool.

Total funding raised: $5 million

Headquarters: Wilmington, DE

What it does: Trace Data's software lets companies see where their data is being accessed and used to ensure it's kept private and secure.

Why it will boom in 2021: Amid remote work, "managing and securing data has never been a bigger priority," Howard says. "Trace Data keeps all data secure in connected systems with a single platform, making it easier to manage all data at once."

Transcend: Software for fulfilling users' data privacy requests

Startup:Transcend

VC: Mark Goldberg, Index Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $29.54 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Provides software for businesses to more easily comply with users' data privacy requests.

Why it will boom in 2021: Goldberg says Transcend will become increasingly popular as privacy becomes an expectation for consumers.

"Privacy will be one of the biggest themes of the next decade, and Transcend is the emerging category leader in it," Goldberg said.

Universe: tools for building mobile-first ecommerce sites

Startup: Universe

VC: M.G. Siegler, Google Ventures

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $17.32 million

Headquarters: Brooklyn, NY

What it does: Universe's platform lets merchants build ecommerce sites from their smartphones.

Why it will boom in 2021: "The company took the time during the unfortunate reality of COVID during 2020 to hone in on and focus on a core mission: to enable anyone and everyone to build on the web and to build businesses while doing it," Siegler said. "While we all hope COVID starts to dissipate in 2021, these types of businesses should be here to stay."

Upgrade: fintech platform focused on personal loans and credit cards

Startup: Upgrade

VC: Ben Narasin, NEA Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $211.27 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Founded by LendingClub founder Renaud Laplanche, Upgrade first launched with loans and credit card services and has more recently expanded into more banking tools like digital checking accounts.

Why it will boom in 2021: Narasin expects the startup to see "tremendous uptake" next year thanks to its service offering a low-cost traditional term loan of up to $30,000 that users can draw down with a credit card, "giving them a longer term (multi-year) payback period and lower loan-like rates," he said.

Uptycs: security analytics platform for preventing and detecting hacks

Startup: Uptycs

VC: Venky Ganesan, Menlo Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $40.25 million

Headquarters: Waltham, MA

What it does: Uptycs' platform provides a dashboard for security teams that lets them monitor what's happening across their company and investigate unauthorized intrusions.

Why it will boom in 2021: Cybersecurity teams need to be able to rapidly gauge potential security threats, Ganasan said, especially as they increasingly rely on cloud computing and shifting endpoints amid remote work.

Uptycs has applied advanced modeling and database techniques for "real-time pipeline processing," Ganesan said, meaning it can crunch through tons of security-related data quickly.

The result is "a security analytics platform for visibility and accelerated time to insight," he said.

UserLeap: tools for product developers to "micro-survey" their users

Startup: UserLeap

VC: Bill Trenchard, First Round and Sarah Guo, Greylock

Relationship: Trenchard is an investor. Guo has no relation and just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $20 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: UserLeap lets product teams build "micro-surveys" into their products that quickly gather feedback from people while they're using the product.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Every company needs a way to understand their customers in real time, and they don't have that capability right now. UserLeap fills that gap," Trenchard said.

"As businesses are increasingly dependent on digital experiences, we believe real-time qualitative data from users will become an competitive advantage," Guo added.

Utmost: software for managing contractors and non-employees

Startup: Utmost

VC: Sarah Guo, Greylock

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $11.2 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Utmost provides a tool for HR to find, track, and pay contractors and non-employees.

Why it will boom in 2021: "COVID has, of course, driven companies to completely rethink their approach to global talent, and their ties to physical office," Guo said.

"COVID-catalyzed digital transformation intensifies the turnover in workforce skills; the extended workforce is serving as a competitive advantage to companies going on the offensive in the post-COVID era," she added.

Wealthsimple: fintech platform for investing, crypto, and tax filing

Startup: Wealthsimple

VC: David Thacker, Greylock

Relationship: Investor

Total funding raised: $274.96 million

Headquarters: Toronto

What it does: The Canada-based startup began as an automated investing service and now also offers stock and crypto trading tools, savings accounts, a cash card, and tax filing software.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Consumers (especially millennials and Gen-Z) want modern financial products with low, transparent fees, a great user experience, and the convenience of using multiple financial products from a primary institution. This desire has created a massive opportunity to transform the Canadian financial services industry," Thacker says.

Webflow: Software development tools for beginners

Startup: Webflow

VC: Byron Deeter, Bessemer

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $74.9 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Webflow provides a platform for developing apps and websites tailored to low-code or no-code customers, enabling them to build and launch software without technical expertise.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Webflow marks a paradigm shift in the future of how we work by democratizing software development," Deeter said. "The outstanding product love and network effects are some of the strongest we've seen."

Wheel: Telemedicine and compliance for health startups

Startup: Wheel

VC: Greg Yap, Menlo Ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks they're cool.

Total funding raised: $16.1 million

Headquarters: Austin, TX

What it does: Provides telemedicine software and a marketplace that helps startups find healthcare providers and quickly ramp up virtual offerings.

Why it will boom in 2021: "Demand for virtual care and telemedicine has accelerated during the pandemic, but building and managing national pools of physicians and other healthcare professionals is difficult," Yap says.

"Wheel has built a platform to efficiently attract health care providers and enable digital health companies to staff up quickly and flexibly," he said.

Whisper.ai: AI-powered hearing aids

Startup: Whisper.ai

VC: Ted Wang, Cowboy ventures

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $53 million

Headquarters: San Francisco

What it does: Whisper builds AI for voice recognition and uses it to power hearing aids, which distinguish spoken words from background noise.

Why it will boom in 2021: "The application of AI to hearing loss is an ideal fit," Wang said. Next year "will see the product rollout at scale and continue to increase its lead over conventional hearing aids."

Wyze: Internet-enabled smart homes devices

Startup: Wyze

VC: Scott Jacobson, Madrona

Relationship: No relation. VC just thinks it's cool.

Total funding raised: $36.30 million

Headquarters: Kirkland, WA

What it does: Best known for selling a $20 smart home camera, Wyze is now expanding into other internet-connected home devices.

Why it will boom in 2021: Wyze boasts a "strong team, great product at a great price and awesome growth," Jacobson said.

Progressives helped Joe Biden get elected. But their help wasn't free.

They view the incoming White House as their best chance to get the ball rolling on topics that took a back seat over the last four years, including climate change, police reform, and labor policies.  They also know it will require at least some of their standard-bearers clinching roles in a Biden administration, though there's no guarantee anyone from the Democratic party's left flank could get confirmed if Republicans maintain their Senate majority.

Against that backdrop, progressive lawmakers, media heavyweights and outside groups involved in everything from the environment to criminal justice reform say they will be watching Biden's every move. Many have big megaphones and can make more than enough noise to cause the new president some political problems.

So far they've given measured approval of Biden's pick of former Secretary of State John Kerry as the international climate envoy, as well as Gina McCarthy as the national climate czar and Rep. Deb Haaland as head of the Interior Department. 

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has given her stamp of approval to Biden's climate appointees: "I think Biden's climate appointments actually represent progress — real progress," she said. 

Here's Insider's list of 32 of the top progressives primed to help the Biden administration — or cause it headaches. It will be updated periodically.

Read more: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the progressives' delicate truce with centrist Democrats is over

SEE ALSO: oe Biden's Cabinet-in-waiting: Meet the people in play for a new administration, who could fill key roles like secretaries of state and defense, COVID czar, and chief of staff

Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator

While progressives count Sanders as a dream candidate for a Biden administration — and there have been rampant rumblings he could become Labor secretary — some urged he could more effectively pressure Biden from the outside, as he has done for several presidents. Sanders has already pushed some of Biden's agenda to the left through the unity task forces both camps formed this summer. 

But some Sanders supporters want him inside Biden's cabinet. They say at 79, and after two presidential elections, four terms as a mayor, 16 years in the House and 14 years in the Senate,  it's time for Sanders to push for change within an administration. 

Sanders on Saturday used a congratulatory tweet to remind Biden he'll be watching for big changes. "In this incredibly difficult moment in American history, I wish them the best as they attempt to bring our nation together around an agenda of economic, social, racial and environmental justice," Sanders tweeted.

Gina McCarthy, White House climate czar

The influential climate change group Sunrise Movement is pretty happy with Biden's choice for his first national climate czar: Gina McCarthy, the former president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

McCarthy previously ran the Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama and helped efforts to curb greenhouse gases. She'll now lead the newly created White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy.

But groups like Sunrise Movement will be watching just how much the Biden administration does when it comes to climate change. In a statement about McCarthy's appointment, the group said the "real test" will be "Biden's commitment to his bold climate plan." 

Rep. Deb Haaland, Interior Department head

New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland made history in 2018 in becoming one of two Indigenous women to be elected to Congress. And she's poised to do the same if confirmed by the Senate next year as head of the Interior Department. 

Progressive had pushed to have a Native American at the Interior Department. Haaland has said she wants to promote renewable energy and try to curb climate change. 

"A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior," Haaland tweeted after the announcement. "Growing up in my mother's Pueblo household made me fierce. I'll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land. I am honored and ready to serve."

Heather Boushey, Biden advisor

Boushey, the president, CEO, and co-founder of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth has served as one of three key informal advisors to Biden on the economy alongside former White House economic advisor Jared Bernstein. Boushey also served as the chief economist for Hillary Clinton's transition team in 2016. 

Boushey also helped oversee an informal group of progressives tasked with producing ideas for what the first day and the first 100 days of a Biden administration would look like. Her role as an advisor had progressive participants whispering that she might be vying for a key administration post. 

Boushey is highly regarded for her expertise on how economic issues impact families. And her role in a Biden administration could shift him a tad more to the left when it comes to his economic policies. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York congresswoman

You know who she is.

With just one term in Congress under her belt, Ocasio-Cortez has emerged as a leading voice on the left. She has pushed her caucus to consider more progressive approaches to healthcare, climate change, and policing, while becoming a bogeyman for conservatives. 

After New Yorkers resoundingly elected her to a second term, expect to see Ocasio-Cortez using her platform to urge Biden to move his policy proposals in a more progressive direction.

She has sharply criticized Biden's team for reportedly considering Emanuel, the former Chicago Mayor and one-time Obama White House chief of staff for any job in his administration.

"What is so hard to understand about this? Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership. This is not about the "visibility" of a post. It is shameful and concerning that he is even being considered,"AOC tweeted. 

McDonald was a 17-year-old African American boy shot and killed by police during Emanuel's tenure as mayor.

Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts congresswoman

Pressley, who made history in 2018 as the first black Congresswoman elected from Massachusetts, quickly established herself as one of the most outspoken new members of the 116th Congress, centering progressive policies and racial justice at the heart of her work.

Along with Ocasio-Cortez, she's one of the four members that make up the so-called Squad of progressive congresswomen elected in 2018. But she's not afraid to break from the group.

She endorsed Warren in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, unlike her other squadmates, who backed Sanders. Pressley served on Boston's city council before heading to Washington.

Rashida Tlaib, Michigan congresswoman

Tlaib made history in 2018 as one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, along with Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Shortly after arriving in Washington, Tlaib drew the attention and ire of both Democrats and Republicans when she profanely declared that Democrats were going to impeach Trump. Two years later, they did.

She has also become one of the most prominent progressive voices in the country.

With that rising profile came relentless criticism from Trump, who singled her out along with Pressley, Ocasio-Cortez, and Omar as he made racist attacks against them at his campaign rallies. Republicans tried to make Tlaib and her peers progressive boogey-women during the 2020 election, but all four won re-election this year despite the attacks.

Look for Tlaib to play a role in intra-party debates about Democratic House losses this year and how to influence Biden's policies.

Ilhan Omar, Minnesota congresswoman

Of all the Squad members besides Ocasio-Cortez, Omar has borne the worst attacks from conservatives. Many attacks are rooted in her Somalian heritage and her Muslim faith. She just won a second term and could speak up in an effort to make Biden consider more progressive policies and personnel.

Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts senator

Warren is one of the most prominent progressive voices in the country. The Massachussetts Senator and erstwhile 2020 presidential candidate has made economic inequality her signature issue, leading some Democrats to speculate she should run the Treasury Department under Biden.

Even if she doesn't join his Cabinet, expect Warren to push the president-elect and her colleagues on Capitol Hill to take more aggressive action to alleviate the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Rachel Maddow, MSNBC TV show host and co-anchor

During the Trump administration, all eyes were on Fox News and its primetime hosts, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham as well as the cast of Fox and Friends, who seemed to telegraph messages to the president and vice versa on air.

While nobody should expect the same kind of symbiotic relationship in a Biden administration, MSNBC is positioned to emerge strongly as a platform for the Democratic sorta-left. And Rachel Maddow, its most popular host, stands to retain her perch as a prominent media voice during this time.

Chuck Rocha, Democratic strategist

This longtime Sanders lieutenant worked on both his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. Rocha focused on expanding Latino representation within the campaign and among Sanders' base.

The political strategist has made outreach to Hispanic and Latino voters his top priority, and as Democrats soul-search after losing these voters in Florida, his voice could rise to the top.

Vanita Gupta, civil rights attorney

Progressives want the Biden team to give Gupta — a veteran civil rights attorney — a serious look as attorney general. That would allow progressives to have a policy expert advance some of their agenda. 

Gupta served as acting assistant attorney general and head of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division during the Obama administration from 2014 to 2017. She is currently the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Chiraag Bains, civil rights attorney

Bains is the top lawyer at Demos, a progressive think tank focused on civil rights. He worked in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division during much of the Obama administration. 

This spring, he helped craft a series of policy proposals on criminal justice issues on the Biden-Sanders unity task force.

Diane Yentel, affordable housing policy expert

Yentel is the president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Initiative. The affordable housing policy expert understands all dimensions of low-income housing from a policy perspective, some of her progressive backers told Insider. 

Yentel also served as director of the Public Housing Management and Occupancy Division at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2011. Some progressives want to see her land in that department again. 

Analilia Mejia, progressive activist

Mejia was the national political director for Sanders' unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign. She also helped coordinate the Biden-Sanders unity task forces. She previously served as the executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, an affiliate of the Working Families Organization.  

The progressive activist who has expertise in campaigns and labor issues could serve as an important link between the Sanders and Biden world should the newly elected president want to incorporate what he's learned from the unity task forces. 

Mejia could also prove to be a vocal critic of Biden's policies. In March, she tweeted,"Quick, name one policy Joe Biden is campaigning on (that isn't Obama nostalgia)."

Jeff Merkley, Oregon senator

Merkley wrote a 2017 bill — along with Sanders, Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Edward Markey — that would offer renewable energy companies a 10% tax credit for providing good wages and benefits. And Biden has said he supports the measure.

That bill faces no chance in the Senate without a Democratic majority. Merkley's supporters say Biden should tap him Oregon's two-term senator to lead the Energy Department.

Robert Reich, economics professor and former Labor secretary

The unabashedly progressive author has built himself a loyal audience of more than 3.1 million followers on Facebook and 1 million on Twitter.

His followers are attracted by Reich's endless multimedia mix of wonky economic prognostications, legal updates, news analysis, and progressive political prodding.

Reich served as Labor secretary during the Clinton administration. Now he's a professor of economics at University of California, Berkeley. Expect him to become one of the most notable insider-voices-on-the-outside during the Biden administration — one the Democrat's team will find hard to ignore.  

Varshini Prakash, environmental activist

Prakash is the co-founder and executive director of the Sunrise Movement, a group of youth activists pushing got bolder, more urgent climate action.

She's been an activist for years but gained national notoriety when she staged a sit-in of youth activists outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office a week after the 2018 midterm elections, alongside Ocasio-Cortez. 

Prakash and her group want climate change policies, even small changes, ASAP. And she'll have the help of AOC and other high-ranking progressive lawmakers to help push for anything close to their preferred Green New Deal.

When Biden recently announced he'd picked Kerry to become the climate czar, Prakash said in a series of tweets that she approved of his appointment, but noted that there was a lot she disagreed with the former secretary of State on.

"I served w/ Sec Kerry this summer on the Biden-Sanders taskforce & one thing is clear: he really does care about stopping climate change. That's something we can work with. An encouraging move from the Biden team - now I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a domestic equivalent!"she tweeted.

Erika Andiola, immigrant rights activist

Andiola is a leading immigration rights activist and chief advocacy officer for RAICES Action in San Antonio, Texas. The group has been fighting against detention of migrant families and children in Texas.

She came to the United States undocumented and became critical of Obama's immigration policies. When the Democratic National Convention included a video about immigration with Obama's voice, Andiola tweeted that it was "like putting salt on the wound."

"Narrated by Obama? Come on. Yes, I am angry because it was his administration who almost deported my mother and then Trump came to try to deport her again," Andiola wrote. "I get it. This is politics, but I am a human. This hurts."

Lee Saunders, labor union leader

In August, Biden delivered remarks at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees annual convention, vowing to address economic, health and racial injustice should he be elected.

Saunders, the president of AFSCME, helped to rally his 1.6 million members — all active or retired public service workers — to support Biden. He'll be looking out for a key Biden promise to the many essential workers throughout the nation: more federal aid. 

Expect Saunders to amp up pressure should that aid be delayed or not come at all.

Angela Ramirez, congressional staffer

Ramirez is a veteran congressional staffer who is chief of staff to New Mexico Democratic Rep. Ben Ray Lujan. She also has served as the executive director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Ramirez is already on the radar of Biden's advisors as she has worked on his transition team since June. 

Ruben Gallego, Arizona congressman

Gallego is a Marine Corps combat veteran, Harvard educated, Latino congressman who has represented Arizona since 2014. He's also a member of Biden's Latino Leadership Committee. In August, Gallego transferred $500,000 from his campaign to the Democratic National Committee to help boost Biden's chances in Arizona.

Jon Soltz, veterans' activist

Soltz runs VoteVets, the influential left-leaning political action committee that helps elect veterans to public office.

The Iraq War vet is someone the Biden administration might not want on the outside. Progressive supporters say he could be a good fit as Army secretary or running the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Abdul El-Sayed, epidemiologist

The epidemiologist and former Detroit health commissioner is a Sanders supporter and CNN commentator. He ran unsuccessfully for Michigan governor in 2018. 

El-Sayed's health expertise during the coronavirus pandemic could prove useful in a Biden administration and provide a small olive branch to the left should top progressives not land key posts in a new administration. 

One progressive backer described El-Sayed as "the most credentialed man in America."

He's a published professor, a Rhodes Scholar, and holds a PhD in public health. Some want to see him land within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Pramila Jayapal, Washington congresswoman

Jayapal just won her third term in Congress. She'll be the sole leader of the influential  Congressional Progressive Caucus when Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan steps down as co-chair in January. 

First elected in 2016, Jayapal has worked behind-the-scenes to push House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to advance progressive policies. 

The Indian-American made headlines in August after telling the Daily Show host Trevor Noah that she considered Biden "moveable" on key issues near and dear to progressives.

Jayapal said the president-elect had already moved to the left simply by forming the Sanders and Biden unity task forces. And she'll do her best to ramp up pressure to get key elements of the Green New Deal accomplished during Biden's time in office, she said.

Lily Eskelsen Garcia, education leader

Garcia is the former president of the National Education Association. Her name has come up as a potential Education secretary.  

Progressives like her thinking on student debt — putting people over corporations — which is more in line with the Sanders faction of the party than Biden's platform. They say she understands just how crippling student debt can be, including the racial disparity behind student loan debt.

Cori Bush, newly elected congresswoman and racial justice activist

Bush in January becomes the first Black congresswoman in Missouri's history and will be a powerful voice for people traditionally underrepresented in politics. She's a Black Lives Matter activist who supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.

"My message today is to every Black, brown, immigrant, queer, and trans person, and to every person locked out of opportunities to thrive because of oppressive systems: I'm here to serve you," she said during her victory speech.

The 44-year-old registered nurse upended a political dynasty with her 2020 primary upset. 

From 1969 to 2001, Democrat Bill Clay represented Missouri's 1st congressional district in St. Louis. Clay's son William Lacy Clay took over in 2001. That's who Bush beat in the Democratic primary in August before going on to an easy win in the general election.

Jamaal Bowman, newly elected New York congressman

Political watchers dubbed Bowman, a 44-year-old from New York City, the second coming of AOC. Much like the breakout star of 2018, Bowman challenged and beat 15-term Democratic incumbent Eliot Engel.

The progressive Justice Democrats recruited Bowman to challenge Engel. Sanders, Warren, and AOC all endorsed him.

Bowman will arrive in Congress as the Democratic Party begins what is sure to be a contentious postmortem of its performance in the 2020 elections. While Democrats retained their control of the House, they lost seats, and their chances of gaining a Senate majority hinge on two difficult runoff elections in Georgia in January. More moderate members of the party are already blaming progressive politicians and their stances on policing, healthcare, and other policy issues for driving away voters.

Ro Khanna, California congressman

The two-term congressman from California served as co-chairman of Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. He has established himself as a force from the left — a somewhat unlikely one. Khanna once worked as a corporate lawyer and openly courted the support of Republicans and pro-business independents during previous unsuccessful runs for Congress. 

But in 2016, Khanna defeated long-time congressman Mike Honda in a Democratic primary, largely on the strength of his remake as wage subsidy-supporting, tax-the-rich, left-of-left-of-center fighter for the little guy. Like the Squad, Khanna is also a member of the Justice Democrats, a political committee that supports a slate of liberal policy positions with the goal to "transform the Democratic Party."

Mark Pocan, Wisconsin congressman

Pocan ranks by many measures as one of Congress' most liberal members. He even eclipsed Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib in the League of Conservation Voters' 2019 national environmental scorecard.

He's stepping down as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in January, which could signal his ambitions for a leadership position elsewhere within the House.

Keith Ellison, Minnesota attorney general

The Minnesota attorney general represented his state in Congress from 2007 to 2019 and is a former co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He was the first Muslim elected to Congress and has proven to be a bridge-builder between Democratic Party liberals and moderates, having worked as Democratic National Committee deputy chairman from 2017 to 2018.

Carmen Yulín Cruz, mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico

While she lost her bid this year to become Puerto Rico's governor, Cruz remains nationally recognized for her withering criticism of Trump's response in 2017 to Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island.

Cruz was a national co-chair of Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. Expect her to press the Biden administration on issues ranging from economic aid to environmental justice, especially as they affect the island territory.

• The end of the year means time for reflection, and 2020 certainly came with ups and downs.
• But through it all, the Insider Reviews team continued to test and review countless products and services to find the very best.
• Here are our standout favorites from the year.
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.

At Insider Reviews, we spend a lot of time testing out products and services to find out what's really worth it and which ones outshine the competition. We test hundreds of items in a given year, but only a few stand out enough to become our go-to favorites and top picks.

As this year winds down, I asked my fellow colleagues to help me curate a list of the absolute best products and services we tried in 2020. We cover a wide range of topics, so our choices include tech must-haves, kitchen gadgets, beauty products, streaming services, travel options, and more.

Here are the 34 best products we tried in 2020:

A non-stick pan impossible to destroy

HexClad Nonstick Frying Pan, available on Amazon, $218.91

Nonstick coatings are usually toxic and almost always short-lived. Hexclad is inherently nonstick, made of stainless steel, aluminum, and carbon dust, leaving them as rugged and forgiving as any stainless steel cookware I've found to date. If I had the budget, I'd replace most cookware in my kitchen with Hexclad's easy to use, easy to wash, and almost impossible to destroy pans. — Owen Burke, reporter

Read our review:HexClad skillets work for any and all cooktops — here's why it's the only nonstick pan you'll find in my kitchen

A calming facial spray that gives me a glow

Mario Badescu Facial Spray, available at Ulta, $7

I used to feel about facial mists the way that "realists" feel about Valentine's Day — a shameless commercial opportunity. But, I tried the rosewater and aloe facial sprays from Mario Badescu at the recommendation of my coworkers, and I'm an enthusiastic convert. I have combination skin that skews dry and can be acne-prone, and facial mists have become my key to achieving dewy, Glossier-level hydration without looking greasy or clogging pores. I spritz it onto my face and neck every few hours. Constantly reapplying moisturizer throughout the day is more involved, and I prefer the lit-from-within glow I get with mists over the sheen that moisturizers can impart. (To be clear, I use moisturizers at night and in the morning). Lastly, while it may seem silly, a rosewater spritz has become a nice calming ritual in an anxious nine months. — Mara Leighton, senior reporter

Soft and cozy fleece lounge pants

Brooklinen Baltic Pant, available at Brooklinen, $90

The cliche of WFH in 2020 is that "real" pants are a thing of the past — and thanks to these fleece lounge pants, going back to jeans and work pants feels nearly impossible. They're really soft and cozy, with a cropped wide leg and supportive, stretchy waistband. While I usually wear them around the house, I've also fallen asleep in them countless times and they never feel too hot or stifling. Of all the physical comforts of this rollercoaster year, this pant stood out as my go-to favorite. — Connie Chen, senior reporter

A powerful cordless vacuum

Dyson V11 Outsize Vacuum, available at Best Buy, $699.99

The unspoken understanding of my moving back home during the pandemic was that I pull my weight in household tasks and chores. Surprisingly, I actually looked forward to cleaning the whole house with this vacuum, Dyson's latest and largest in its cordless stick vacuum series. If you live in a small apartment, I recommend the earlier V11 Torque Drive, but if you have a lot of area to cover and not that much time, I'd choose this more powerful and efficient iteration. It has a large bin and cleaning head and isn't too heavy to use. There are three different cleaning modes and also an LCD screen that tells you how much battery is remaining. And it works especially well on carpets and rugs. — Connie Chen, senior reporter

Read our review: Dyson's newest vacuum is more powerful, convenient, and efficient than its predecessors, but I'd only recommend it for large homes

Upgraded smart speakers

Amazon Echo, available at Target, $99

Amazon's newest Echo smart speaker feels like a massive upgrade when it comes to design and functionality, all for the same $100 price. It comes with a new spherical design that's more attractive and blends in more seamlessly with your home decor, better audio, and an integrated smart home hub that makes it easier to set up other Internet-connected appliances. It's a welcome update to a smart speaker that was already among the best. — Lisa Eadicicco, senior tech correspondent

Read our review: Amazon's new Echo packs powerful sound and smarter features into a $100 speaker, signaling a big upgrade for the company's popular smart home device

A smart cutting machine to take crafting to the next level

Cricut Maker, available on Amazon, $588.99

As a crafter, getting a Cricut Maker this year changed my creating game. It's the strongest of the Cricut series and I love using it for felt, cotton, craft foam, and more. Ease aside, the time I save by scheduling out cuts while I go out or do chores makes it worth it alone; the Cricut also cuts much cleaner than I ever could. Right now I'm using mine to make dozens of felt flowers for my wedding next year, and this purchase has saved my sanity. — Sarah Saril, deals reporter

Read our review: This 'smart' $400 cutting machine can cut hundreds of material seamlessly — and it turned me into a regular DIY-er

A soothing weighted blanket

Gravity Weighted Blanket, available at Gravity, $205.00

I've always loved the calming, restful effect that weighted blankets have on me — they feel like being hugged. And now that I'm not exercising as much or leaving the apartment often, I'll take all the extra help I can get for a good night's sleep. The Gravity Cooling Blanket is the best one that I've tried. It's more aesthetically pleasing than others, and it's also more breathable. But, if your main concern is money, I also really like this $65 version from YnM.  — Mara Leighton, senior reporter

Read our review: Gravity's cooling weighted blanket helps me sleep deeper and keeps me from overheating at night — and it's 25% off right now

An educational membership

Masterclass, 2 Memberships for $180

I loved my annual MasterClass membership. I've taken other traditional online courses in the past, and I liked that MasterClass is closer to edutainment— it makes it easy to customize to your commitment level. You can dip in for surface-level learning while you're cooking dinner or dive in for deep learning that involves doing some homework. So far, the class I've enjoyed the most was Margaret Atwood's Creative Writing course. — Mara Leighton, senior reporter 

Read our review: MasterClass is having a huge 2-for-1 holiday sale right now — here's what it's like to take classes from celebrities, plus the best courses offered and answers to all your FAQs

A light and versatile pan

Lodge Carbon Steel Pan, available at Amazon, $49.78

Despite all the hype surrounding cast iron skillets, I've tried enough cast iron pans that I know I hate dealing with the weight and maintenance. Carbon steel is a much better match for me. It's lighter, easier to take care of (you only need to dry and oil it after using), and still has great heat retention and searing abilities. Lodge's is affordable and comes pre-seasoned, so you can start cooking great meals right away. I made a large variety of dishes using only this pan, including crispy chicken thighs, steak, fried rice, yaki udon, and dosa. Though I moved around a lot this year and hated taking all my pans out of the moving boxes, this was the one pan I always made sure to have out. — Connie Chen, senior reporter

Read our guide: The best cast iron skillets and pans

Cozy and fluffy loungers

Fluff Loungers, available at Allbirds, $96

Allbirds' new Fluff Loungers combine the warm coziness of a traditional slipper with the practicality of a slip-on sneaker. I step into them first thing in the morning and, thanks to their SweetFoam sole, don't worry when I pop outside to grab the mail or go to the local grocery store. Plus, the wool is great at temperature control, so I don't get sweaty or overheated throughout the day like I do with my leather moccasins. I also love that I can wash them and replace the insoles to increase their longevity. And I love that the shearling-like exterior is unique, though I wouldn't recommend wearing them around a grimy city too often if you aren't a fan of washing them frequently. — Mara Leighton, senior reporter 

A weighted comforter that stays put

Weighted Comforter, available at Brooklinen, $249

I've never been a fan of weighted blankets because they slide around on top of my comforter — this weighted comforter solves that issue. My husband and I have a 30-pound King blanket, and it adds enough weight to calm restless legs for a better night's sleep. I appreciate that there are corner loops to secure it to a duvet cover, which I suggest using since you're technically not supposed to wash or dry the comforter. I still throw it into my dryer for 10-15 minutes every few months and it's been fine so far. — Jada Wong, senior editor

Vetted Airbnb listings with premium amenities

Airbnb Plus

While I've stayed in plenty of Airbnbs over the years, I tend to prefer hotels thanks to the elevated services and amenities that usually come with checking in at a high-end stay. However, with experts and the CDC recommending private vacation rentals as safer alternatives to hotels right now, I opted to only stay in Airbnbs on the few driving getaways I took this year. Sorting through listings and choosing a home can be a daunting task, but sorting by only Airbnb Plus listings helped me narrow down my choices and find truly luxurious rentals. Every Plus listing is vetted in-person by a third-party inspector for the highest levels of style, design, and amenities. And, all Plus homes follow Airbnb's new Enhanced Clean protocols, so I could have extra peace of mind. — Hannah Freedman, associate travel editor  

Read our review:Everything to know about Airbnb Plus, including how listings are vetted, if they cost more, and if it's worth it

The best noise-canceling headphones we've ever tried

Sony WH-1000XM4, available at BestBuy, $278

The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones have the best sound and noise cancellation that I've encountered so far without spending over $350.— Antonio Villas-Boas, senior reporter

Read our review:Sony's $350 wireless headphones join Bose as the gold standard in wireless noise-cancelling headphones 

A flexible work-from-home desk

SmartDesk 2 Premium, available at Autonomous, $429

I switched from a traditional desk to a sit-stand desk earlier in the year and my restless legs have been thanking me for it. I have an extra-long tabletop that fits two 32-inch monitors and there's still enough room for things like pens, face mists, hand lotion, and more that I keep around my desk. The table is sturdy, quiet when it changes heights, and customizable with a few tabletop and leg options to complement any office space. — Jada Wong, senior editor

A powder for your plants

HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer, available on Amazon, $16.99

I have a lot of indoor plants and a few of them attracted pesky little fungus gnats. They're not harmful to humans, but they're incredibly annoying so when I found myself often swatting them away when I was on video calls, I knew I needed to do something. I did some research and came across diatomaceous earth powder, or what I'm calling, a miracle. It's basically a powder you can sprinkle on top of your soil that will slowly suffocate the gnats so they're no longer a problem. Within a week, 90% of the gnats were gone and whatever was left was due to missed spots. You can also use this around the outside or inside of your house or apartment for bugs, spiders, and more. — Jada Wong, senior editor

An app for motivating home workouts

Nike Training Club, available at Nike, $0

I hate home workouts with a passion, bodyweight workouts even moreso. But when gyms closed down and my body started feeling achy and sluggish from not moving enough, I realized I had no choice. NTC was previously subscription-required (lifted at quarantine and never reinstated), which means their content is higher quality than most free apps. Their trainers are surprisingly motivating, even through the TV, and run you through interesting and dynamic movements. The workouts are quick enough, change up the moves enough, and are overall challenging enough (even without weights) that by the time I think about dipping out early, the workout is almost over. The best part is NTC is still free — although I would definitely pay for this programming if they ever put the paywall back up. — Rachael Schultz, health + fitness reviews editor

A quiet laptop with a long battery life

MacBook Air, available at Apple, $999

Apple's latest MacBook Air is among its first laptops to come with the tech giant's own M1 chip instead of an Intel processor, bringing big improvements to performance and battery life. The new MacBook Air may have the longest battery life of any laptop I've ever personally used; it lasted for more than 12 hours on a single charge. The M1 chip also makes the MacBook Air feel impressively fast for a laptop of its size and price. And since it's fan-less, you don't have to worry about your laptop sounding like a jet engine once it's under a little bit of stress. It was honestly hard to find anything bad to say about the new MacBook Air, except for the fact that unlike Windows device makers, Apple doesn't offer the option for a touch screen. — Lisa Eadicicco, senior tech correspondent 

Read our review: Apple's new MacBook Air blew me away with its long battery life and fast performance, but missing features hold it back from its full potential

A cheap slow cooker that doesn't sacrifice quality

Hamilton Beach 7 Quart Slow Cooker, available at Walmart, $34.96

I love, love to cook, but without restaurants and dinner with friends, cooking 3 full meals a day, every day for months on end burnt me out. Even though Instant Pots are the cool devices now, my mom would CrockPot growing up so the bigger slow cookers hold nostalgia for me. I bought this one at Walmart based solely on the low price tag ($35!) and now I live for taking 10 minutes in the morning to throw chicken, potatoes, carrots, and herbs into the pot; smelling it slowly turn into a meal all day; and then having a warm and healthy dinner ready whenever hunger strikes after logging off work (and lunch for the next two days). Surprisingly, the low price tag didn't compromise much — you can still set it to warming/low/high and how many hours to cook, and I personally don't need much more out of a slow cooker. — Rachael Schultz, health + fitness reviews editor

A cushy yoga mat

Manduka GRP Yoga Mat, available at REI, $128

One of the best things about working from home has been having the time to practice yoga more regularly. I had an older, cheaper mat I had picked up at T.J. Maxx about 10 years ago, and it was time for an upgrade. I decided to go with Manduka's GRP Yoga Mat after some research. It is grippier than most other mats and its 6mm thickness is nice and cushy compared to competitors. I use it just about every day when I manage to wake up early enough to do yoga. — Malarie Gokey, deputy editor

A game console with classics

TurboGrafx-16 mini, available on Amazon, $86.74

I like to consider myself a bit of a nut for retro games, particularly for getting to classic games that passed me by as a kid with limitless time but without expendable income. That's exactly why the TurboGrafx-16 Mini game console was such a welcome addition to my entertainment center. Its gorgeous, lovingly-designed interface and massive library of both American TurboGrafx-16 and Japanese PC Engine games makes for hundreds of hours of some of the best games of the era known today as cult classics. I just wish it came with a second controller in the box.— Joe Osborne, senior tech editor

A pass to access 100+ games

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, available at GameStop, $44.99

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to more than 100 games on Xbox, PC, and Android phones, including the latest Microsoft titles the same day they're released. 

This $15 monthly service has saved me hundreds of dollars on games I would've bought at full price this year, and it makes it easy to find games to play together with friends.— Kevin Webb, gaming and streaming reporter

Noise-canceling, wireless earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, available at BestBuy, $279

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are the next best thing after the Sony WH-1000XM4 for sound quality and noise cancellation if you're looking for wireless earbuds rather than over-ear headphones.  — Antonio Villas-Boas, senior reporter

Read our review: Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds have the best noise cancellation of any wireless earbuds we've tested, but they're expensive at nearly $300

A well-priced, premium phone

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, available on Amazon, $696.59

Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE is a well-priced premium Android phone that beats the competition with similar price tags for its versatile cameras, top-end performance, and excellent screen. This is the Android phone to get if you're not looking to spend close to $1,000 or more. — Antonio Villas-Boas, senior reporter

Read our review: The $700 Samsung Galaxy S20 FE hits the right sweet spot between value, performance, cameras, and design — and multiple retailers are knocking $100 off the price

A small streaming stick that packs a big punch

Roku Ultra, available on Amazon, $79

Roku's streaming devices are known for their reliable performance, and the latest Roku Ultra is the company's best model yet. Sure, some people find the interface to be a bit dated, but I actually prefer the straightforward design over other platforms, like Fire TV. Navigation is snappy and the player is capable of 4K streaming with HDR. Roku even added Dolby Vision support to this year's model, which was a key feature missing from older versions. As someone who reviews media devices, my entertainment center is packed with streaming players, but the Roku Ultra is the one I find myself using the most thanks to its speed and comprehensive set of features. That is, unless I want to watch HBO Max. HBO's service is the only major app missing, and that's the one drawback that I hope Roku can correct soon. — Steven Cohen, tech editor

Read our guide: The best media streaming sticks and devices

A pizza oven for making premium pies

Gozney Roccbox pizza oven, available at Gozney, $499

I love making homemade pizza, and sometimes, the oven just doesn't cut it. Gozney's Roccbox pizza oven uses either gas or wood to bake pizzas to perfection at temperatures up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit. Truth be told, there is no need to crank it up that high, and 400-500 will do. The licks of fire and the heat of the pizza stone ensure that every pie cooks to perfection and has that high-end pizzeria taste with leopard spot crust and a perfect crisp bottom. The included pizza peel also makes it easy to insert and extract the pizza. — Malarie Gokey, deputy editor

A standing desk with extra features

Branch Standing Desk, available at Branch, $699

The hardest part of transitioning to working from home was leaving my standing desk converter behind at the office. After working for months at an uncomfortably high table with the wrong chair, I finally got this standing desk from Branch. In addition to the up and down buttons, it has four buttons that you can use to program specific heights. That way, my desk always goes to the perfect ergonomic height for standing and sitting. It's a very study desk and it has extra features like a cable port so I can hide all my cables from sight. The light wood-toned tabletop and white legs match my office decor and my overall style. You can get it in all white, too. — Malarie Gokey, deputy editor

Wi-Fi that won't drop you mid video call

Google's Nest Wi-Fi, available at BestBuy, $269

Once I started working from home, I realized just how many devices I have connected and how badly that impacts my internet speeds. When I moved to a larger space, I found that I absolutely needed mesh Wi-Fi to meet my needs and ensure my video calls did not crash mid-meeting. Google's Nest Wi-Fi was the perfect answer. Not only does the router and point combo provide full coverage to my home, but the point also doubles as a smart speaker in my dining room. — Malarie Gokey, deputy editor

A booking site for private campsites and glampsites

 Tentrr campsites, starting from $30 per night

The pandemic upended the entire travel industry and my own travel plans for the year. For a safe weekend getaway closer to home, I opted for a camping trip so I could spend time outdoors and easily social distance. Tentrr took my camping trip to the next level and turned it into a relaxing glamping stay. The platform connects users with private landowners and many of its campsites come with a canvas tent or small cabin with a bed already set up. I had a stunning waterfall campsite all to myself, along with a cozy cabin. The fresh air and peaceful setting were just what I needed and the trip was a true highlight of 2020. — Hannah Freedman, associate travel editor

Read our review: I used Tentrr to book a private, secluded glampsite for a remote getaway — here's how the platform works and why I'll gladly be using it again

A weatherproof, wire-free home security camera

Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera, available at BestBuy, $179.99

I've always been a fan of home security cameras: They help me keep tabs on my cat when I'm away from home, make sure packages are safely delivered, and that my home is safe and sound. I recently added the Arlo Pro 4 to my older set of Arlo home security cameras, and it's been great. The 2K resolution and night vision feature ensure that I can see anything that happens no matter the time of day. The wire-free design and weatherproofing mean I can use it as both an indoor and outdoor camera. I tested it in both situations, and it worked perfectly. — Malarie Gokey, deputy editor

A warm and cozy comforter

Ultimate Luxe Down Alternative Comforter, Crane & Canopy, $169

I run cold, especially when I sleep. I had a Queen-sized comforter that was warm enough, but not big enough for our King-sized bed. I've long been a big fan of Crane & Canopy's sheets and duvet cover, and its Ultimate Luxe Down Alternative Comforter does not disappoint. It's super warm and well made with its baffle-box construction that keeps the fill in the squares. I went with the down alternative because sometimes down gives me allergies and I've never been a fan of little feathers escaping and poking me while I sleep. It has handy loops for ties in the corners, so I can attach my Nova duvet cover to it and neither will move out of place while we sleep. — Malarie Gokey, deputy editor

An astronaut-approved pen

Raw Brass Bullet Space Pen, available at Space Pen, $27

I love pens and stationery, and I was getting sick of using pens that either ran out of ink super quickly, would stutter on the page, or fail when held at the wrong angle. I started researching pens, and I found the coolest one (yes, this is a weird claim to make). Fisher has been making pens for astronauts since the Apollo 7 mission in 1968, and its pens are used on every NASA manned space flight. How cool is that? The thing is, most pens do not work in space because there is no gravity in the vacuum, but this one does. It can write on just about any surface, write at any angle (even upside down), work in temperatures from -30 to +250 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ink cartridges last up to three times longer than a normal pen, according to Fisher. I got the raw brass version, and it is already developing a beautiful patina. I have obviously not written with it in space, but I have used it on Earth every day since I got it, and it writes wonderfully. Plus, I have an amazing conversation starter at my desk, though it's not quite as fun as our favorite space toys. — Malarie Gokey, deputy editor

A travel mug that keeps drinks hot for hours

 Zojirushi Travel Mug, available on Amazon, $27.99

For me and many others, 2020 meant the death of the commute, so my inclusion of a travel mug as one of my best discoveries of the year might seem odd. But coffee goes cold regardless of whether you're out and about or sitting at your kitchen table, and I don't want that for us. I tested a dozen travel mugs this year to find the best one, and the Zojirushi Travel Mug kept coffee (or tea or cocoa) hot for the longest of any mug I tested by a large margin. It's also easy to clean, which is not something many travel mugs with complicated lid mechanisms can say. Just be careful; it will keep your drink so hot that you could still burn your tongue hours later. — Jen Gushue, associate guides editor

Read our guide: The best travel mugs

A virtual interior design package with 3D renderings

Modsy Packages, $159

One of the first things I wanted to do after buying a house was to redecorate all the interiors, so I turned to Modsy for virtual help. I uploaded photos and videos of my living room, bedroom, and entryway; added information about my style preferences and any pieces of furniture or decor I wanted to keep in the space; set a budget; and a few weeks later, I was presented with digital renderings of the rooms. I was shocked at how accurate the 3D renderings and even more shocked at how much prettier my space could look. The designer I worked with was open to my feedback and adjusted the decor to better fit my vision quickly, and offered a lot of helpful advice on saving or splurging on decor. I haven't quite had the time to buy new furniture and rearrange the layout of my spaces yet, but I'm inspired by how much better I know they can look. — Jada Wong, senior editor

Read our review:I used a virtual interior design service called Modsy to make over my TV room — it was affordable and easy to use, and I love how the room turned out

An affordable virtual interior designer

Havenly Online Interior Design Services, $79

I also used Havenly to see what potential my space had after my sister-in-law used it in her apartment, and now I can't figure out how to choose between my Modsy and Havenly designs — they're both so good. Havenly works similarly to Modsy except you're paired with a designer whose design aesthetic matches yours. You might have to wait until they're available (I had to wait more than a month for mine) but once you're matched, it's off to the races. The designer creates a mood board based on the style quiz you've taken and then you can work with them on colors and budgets so the room feels like home. I love how my Havenly-designed living room turned out and can't wait to rearrange the room and live with it to see how it feels. — Jada Wong, senior editor

Read our review: You can have any room in your home made over by an expert interior designer through this online service — here's how it works

With two of the best-known names in digital media — BuzzFeed and HuffPost — now united, speculation abounds as to which digital media outlets might be acquired next.  

BuzzFeed insiders have told Business Insider that the company is looking to acquire more companies; The Wall Street Journal since reported that BuzzFeed and fellow digital media company Group Nine Media are exploring deals to buy competitors or go public through SPACs, or Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, citing people familiar with the matter.

Meanwhile, SPACs and private equity firms are also circling the sector.

"There's no shortage of capital, so dealflow should be plentiful," media analyst Alex DeGroote said of digital media.

Read more: 8 companies that experts say could be acquired as digital advertising firms grow hot again

Aside from some of the big marquee names, "there are likely to be rollup plays for all the subscale sub-$15 million to $20 million businesses," said Karen McCormick, chief investment officer at venture and growth investment firm Beringea. "Lots are being shopped around."

Larger private equity firms are also increasingly taking aim at small, early-stage companies, McCormick said.

Business Insider recently spoke with eight digital media experts including media executives, consultants, analysts, and bankers about the digital media companies that could get snapped up in the coming months. The list of 10 companies, presented in alphabetical order, is speculative and not all of these companies are discussing deals.

Interestingly, one of the buzziest names in the business — Axios— is not gearing up for a sale, a source familiar with the matter said.

SEE ALSO: Investors are falling in love with digital ad stocks again — but they could be overlooking some massive flaws in the industry

Bustle Digital Group

Total funding: $80 million

Bryan Goldberg's Bustle Digital Group has established itself as an acquirer in recent years, largely buying distressed assets. Since 2017, it bought Elite Daily, Gawker, Flavorpill, Inverse, Mic, The Outline, and Nylon magazine. BDG also operates women's lifestyle website Bustle and parenting site Romper.

A company like Bustle could help an acquirer benefit from economies of scale and cost controls to become more profitable, said John Potter, principal consultant at technology and internet media consulting company McCooey and Potter Consulting.

He said Bustle could be attractive to a company like British-based Future PLC, which has been highly acquisitive in recent years (Potter was previously chief technology company at Purch, a publishing and technology company that sold its consumer content division to Future in 2018.)

However, two of the experts we spoke to said that while Bustle is a prime property to be acquired, they couldn't foresee a deal occurring until at least late next year. Plus, one source said, BDG has "steep expectations" on its valuation.

"BDG is focused on its mission of acquiring assets and growing its existing profits with an eye towards the public markets," said a company spokeswoman in a statement. (Business Insider parent Axel Springer is an investor in Bustle Digital Group.)

FuboTV

Market capitalization: $1.8 billion

Sports-focused streaming platform FuboTV might seem like an unlikely acquisition target, having only just gone public earlier this month, but experts told us not to rule out M&A activity because the market for streaming services is still hot.

"Fubo has had a lot of inbound over the past 12 months," said Jay MacDonald, CEO of investment banking firm Digital Capital Advisors. "At this point, because other folks made acquisitions, that space has been rolled up. Fubo is one of the last remaining independents and it will continue to be looked at."

FuboTV declined to comment.

Digiday previously reported that DAZN, Otter Media's Crunchyroll and other niche streaming services could also be attractive to potential buyers.

Fubo is growing nicely, its paying subscriber base having jumped 58% year-over-year to 455,000 in its third quarter. Total revenue rose 47% to $61.2 million, with the company benefiting from the crowded sports schedule and fall programming. Earlier this month, the company announced it acquired Balto Sports to bolster plans to enter the burgeoning sports gambling market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Group Nine Media, Vice Media, Vox Media

Total funding: Group Nine Media, $190 million, as of 2019; Vice Media, $1.7 billion, according to Crunchbase; Vox Media, $308 million, according to Crunchbase

The idea of a mega digital media rollup was first floated by BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti a couple of years ago. In an 2018 interview with The New York Times, he said that a bigger media company could take a bigger slice of the money Google and Facebook share with publishers. He name-checked Vice Media, Vox Media, Group Nine Media, and Refinery29 as potential targets.

Since then, Vice acquired Refinery29 and Vox combined with New York Media. This year's coronavirus crisis and associated advertising slump led to cost-cutting and layoffs. And, of course, BuzzFeed is picking up HuffPost.

As Business Insider reported, industry insiders are speculating that BuzzFeed is eager to tuck in more acquisitions. By consolidating, digital media companies can share resources, cut costs and pitch themselves to advertisers as a bigger force. 

BuzzFeed could also look to join with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company, or SPAC, to help it go public and hunt for more companies. And SPACs are most likely to favor media companies with name recognition such as Vice, Vox, and Group Nine. 

However, large traditional media owners own big stakes in the digital media darlings and some invested in them at high valuations, which could block, or at least complicate, the path to IPO. 

Vice and Group Nine declined to comment. Vox did not respond to a request for comment.

The Hustle

Total funding: $1.3 million, according to Crunchbase

Founded in 2016, The Hustle publishes a daily business news letter aimed at millennials, which the company monetizes through advertising and $299 annual subscriptions to its Trends product. The Hustle claims to be read by "well over 1 million people" each day. The San Francisco-based media outfit also has an events business.

"I'd put my money on The Hustle being the next to be acquired," said Rob Ristagno, founder of consultancy firm Sterling Woods. "The Hustle cracked the code on amassing a big list, then launching a premium product a subset of free subscribers are willing to pay for."

Ristagno said a larger, ad-driven media brand like Vox could buy The Hustle as a way to diversify its revenue. In that vein, last month, Insider, the parent company of Business Insider, acquired a controlling stake in daily business email and podcasting company Morning Brew.

Its investors include Nerdwallet CEO Tim Chen, startup investor and author Tim Ferriss, Wired Magazine and Federated Media co-founder John Battelle, and Transmedia Capital.

"We're very fortunate to have people come to us about M&A," emailed The Hustle founder Sam Parr. "We've built a great business and a wonderful audience with business builders! So it's easy to understand, and very flattering, that people are interested!"

Parr added that the The Hustle has been profitable "almost every year since starting" and predicted advertising is likely to generate less than 50% of revenue in 2021, thanks to the success of its subscription business.

Patch

AOL sold a majority stake in Patch to Hale Global in 2014. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Patch was a hyperlocal media also-ran, marred by writedowns and layoffs. But once released from the shackles of AOL, which sold a majority stake in Patch to Hale Global in 2014, Patch has been on the up, turning a profit in 2016.

A person familiar with the matter said Patch, which runs a network of local community news sites in more than 1,000 towns across the US, is "in a process" to sell. A separate person familiar with the company's financials said the company grew its third-quarter revenue by 46% year over year and that it remains cashflow positive.

The coronavirus crisis and US elections have sharpened the focus on local news, said Ian Whittaker, an independent media analyst. There's also now a greater understanding that Google and Facebook derive much of their revenue from small-to-medium-sized businesses, he added.

"A lot of people will be thinking [local media] is an opportunity to break into the SME market," said Whittaker. 

TheSkimm

Total funding: $28 million, as of 2018

Establishing a first-party data strategy has become a key priority for media companies as they prepare for a cookie-less digital advertising market.

Enter TheSkimm. Founded in 2012, the newsletter startup offers a daily news digest aimed at millennial women. The company's investors include Sara Blakely, the billionaire founder of Spanx; Shonda Rhimes; and Tyra Banks.

"They have [a] really good email list, which is key to first-party data in a cookieless world," said Sean Griffey, CEO of business journalism company Industry Dive. "They have an engaged audience and … [they] certainly are still cool and have heat."

Yet TheSkimm's star has faded recently. TheSkimm began looking for an investor or acquirer last year, having not raised funding since 2018. It's also felt the hit from the coronavirus pandemic and enacted deep layoffs amid the advertising downturn, Business Insider previously reported. 

The company has met with investment bank LionTree, women-aimed publishing giants Condé Nast and Meredith, and others. A relatively small cost base could make it more attractive to a buyer.

A spokeswoman for TheSkimm declined to comment.

TechCrunch

Acquired by AOL (now owned by Verizon Media) for a reported $25 million

With HuffPost soon to move out of the Verizon Media stable, speculation has turned to which of its other media properties could be next to follow, and TechCrunch, with its loyal audience of startup entrepreneurs and venture investors, is a likely candidate. Last year, the title introduced a subscription product, Extra Crunch.

Verizon already took a $4.6 billion charge to write-down Verizon Media in 2018 — a little more than the $4.4 billion it acquired AOL for in 2015 — and a charge of $200 million earlier this year, further writing down the value of the unit. Tumblr, the blogging site Verizon's Yahoo acquired for $1.1 billion back in 2013, was sold to WordPress.com owner Automattic Inc. for a "nominal amount" last year, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

"TechCrunch is super undervalued," said Hooman Radfar, a tech entrepreneur and venture partner at startup studio Expa. 

A Verizon Media spokesman declined to comment.

Wondery

Total funding: $15 million, as of 2019

Podcasting is on a tear. Podcast's share of overall audio consumption in the U.S. reached a record high of 6% in 2020, up from 2% in 2014, according to Edison Research. Meanwhile, the Interactive Advertising Bureau estimates podcast advertising spend will hit $1 billion this year.

It's little wonder that big media companies -- from Spotify, to iHeart and SiriusXM -- are making major landgrabs, valuing podcasting companies in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Next in line to get scooped up is likely to be Wondery, the 4-year-old company behind podcasts including "Dirty John,""Dr. Death,""Business Wars" and "American Scandal." The company was founded by former Fox executive and is backed by firms including Greycroft and Lerer Hippeau Ventures.

Indeed, at least four companies including Apple and Sony have held talks about buying Wondery, Bloomberg reported, citing sources close to the matter. Wondery is reportedly seeking between $300 million and $400 million and on track to generate more than $40 million in revenue this year, according to Bloomberg, which reported on the talks in November. 

The Wall Street Journal reported in December that Amazon was in exclusive talks to acquire Wondery at a valuation of more than $300 million. The company is expected to generate more than $40 million in revenue this year, according to The Wall Street Journal report, which cited people familiar with the matter.

Wondery did not respond to a request for comment.

• Whether it's for Mom, Dad, a friend, or a coworker, small kitchen accessories make nice gifts for just about everyone on your list. 
• We rounded up 346 fun and practical kitchen accessories that make great gifts, and they're all $50 or less. 
• Some of our favorite affordable kitchen gifts include a quality bottle of Brightland olive oil, a thoughtfully-designed apron, a modern twist on a bento box, and more. 
• Looking for gifts outside of the kitchen? Check out all of our gift guides for more inspiration. 

Whether they have a cookware collection that rivals Martha Stewart's or their most prized kitchen accessory is their drawer of takeout menus, any friend or family member on your gift list will appreciate a nice new kitchen tool to add to their space.

For a solid gift that you can bank on them loving, check out our list of kitchen accessories that'll please kitchen pros and newbies alike. It runs the gamut from practical to quirky and everything in between, plus you can find all of it for $50 or less. 

Make sure to check the holiday shipping deadlines of each retailer if you're looking for arrival by Christmas. But even if delivery is a little late, a useful kitchen tool is timeless.

The top 5 best affordable kitchen gifts:

1. A set of non-skid mixing bowls ($27.99)
2. A high-quality bottle of olive oil from Brightland ($37)
3. A modern bento box for adults ($35)
4. A small melting pan that lets them top everything with gooey, melty cheese ($9.99)
5. The ultimate apron from Food52 ($45)

The 34 best kitchen gifts under $50:

A pre-seasoned pizza stone

15-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, $42.95, available at The Lodge

This cast iron pizza pan has convenient handles for lifting on and off a hot grill — one of the thoughtful features that earned it a top spot in our guide to pizza stones. The 15-inch diameter surface is pre-seasoned with vegetable oil and conducts heat evenly for a perfect crust.

A set of non-skid mixing bowls

OXO Good Grips Mixing Set, $27.99, available at Amazon

A set of dishwasher safe mixing bowls is a must-have for every kitchen. With non-skid bottoms, rubber grip handles, and pouring spots, this set of bowls is perfect for whisking, mixing, and preparing meals.

A serving board

Circle Serve Board, $19.99, available at Target

This two-tone Acacia wood serving board is an elegant and practical kitchen item. The cut-out handle makes the 13-inch board easy to handle and hang up to save space.

A stovetop espresso maker

Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Coffee Maker (6-cup), $34.99, available at Target

For the coffee-loving types who have already tried just about every way to get their morning brew, give them this moka pot. Bialetti actually invented the first stovetop coffee maker in the early 20th century and, even after all these years, the original model is our favorite option out there. 

A thoughtfully designed apron

Five Two Ultimate Apron, $45, available at Food52

This is the apron to top all aprons. In addition to practical design considerations like extra-long waist ties and an adjustable neck strap, there are smart details like built-in pot holders, a conversion chart sewn into one pocket, and a narrow chest pocket to hold tools like pens and thermometers. 

A cheese melt pan

Cuisinart BBQ Cheese Melt Pan, $9.99, available at Amazon

If they're not already melting cheese on all of their favorite foods — they should probably start. Help them out with this pan that makes the gooey, cheesy topping of their dreams a reality. 

A useful microwave cover

Hover Cover, $14.99, available at Bed Bath & Beyond

Gone are the days of microwave overflows, resulting in a lengthy cleaning process that totally defeats the purpose of using a microwave in the first place. This cover guard protects food from microwave splatters, while the included steam vents assure that food still cooks evenly. 

A lazy Susan turntable

Copco Non-Skid Lazy Susan Turntable, available on Amazon, $5.99

They can use this lazy Susan for anything from condiment organization to food serving. It's easy to clean, can withstand weight, and it makes hard-to-reach items far more accessible.

A convenient take on the egg sandwich

Egg on a Bagel Maker, $25, available at Uncommon Goods

A bagel sandwich is a classic on-the-go breakfast, and this tool allows for mess-free, quickly cooked eggs each morning. All they have to do is whisk their egg (and chosen mix-ins) into the ceramic bowl, pop it in the microwave for 60 seconds, and enjoy. 

Editor's note: This gift may arrive after Christmas.

A smoothie set

Chef'n Smoothie Set, $34.95, available at Williams Sonoma

This set has all the little prep tools they never thought they needed. A strawberry huller, citrus juicer, and kale and green stripper will help them quickly turn their favorite fresh produce into a delicious smoothie. 

A cheeky pig trivet

Felt Pig Trivet, $34, available at Food52

Keep your countertops safe from hot pans and dishes with this trivet. It's made from 100% merino wool felt and is adorably shaped like a pig.

A mess-free garlic chopper

Vibe by Chef'n Garlic Chopper, $8, available at Target

They can ease the frustrations that often come with mincing garlic by simply peeling their garlic, popping it into this tool, and rolling it on the counter to chop. The tool is affordable and mess-free, so it's likely to become a staple in their kitchen. 

A rapid egg cooker

Dash Rapid Egg Cooker, $15.99, available at Amazon

Whether they like them hard-boiled, poached, or scrambled, this rapid egg cooker lives up to its name — it makes cooking eggs way faster and easier than ever before. 

A versatile spatula

GIR Premium Silicone Spatula, from $7.95, available at The Grommet

They'll never run out of uses for a silicone spatula, and GIR (short for Get it Right) does exactly that by making a spatula that's both heat resistant and strong. 

A foldable cutting board

Joseph Joseph Foldable Plastic Cutting Board, $12.79, available at Amazon

They probably already have a cutting board, but this one is a seriously smart upgrade. With a sturdy handle and sides that fold up when squeezed, this board will help them seamlessly chop and then pour into a pot or pan, without dropping any of the good stuff along the way. 

Mickey Mouse ramekins

Le Creuset Disney Mickey Mouse Ramekins (set of 2), $49.95, available at Williams Sonoma

Good ramekins are useful for baking and serving just about any dish —  and these Mickey Mouse ones are some of the cutest out there. They're adorable, but they're also made of seriously durable stoneware that'll last them a lifetime. 

A 3-in-1 avocado slicer

OXO Good Grips Apple Slicer, Corer and Divider, $9.99, available at Amazon

Much like the aforementioned avocado slicer, OXO's apple slicer also cleanly slices apples with ease. Whether they're preparing their next baking session or simply saving time when snacking, convenience is key.

Editor's note: This gift may arrive after Christmas.

A timesaving apple slicer

OXO Good Grips Apple Slicer, Corer and Divider, $9.99, available at Amazon

Much like the aforementioned avocado slicer, OXO's apple slicer also cleanly slices apples with ease. Whether they're preparing their next baking session or simply saving time when snacking, convenience is key.

Editor's note: This gift may arrive after Christmas.

A popcorn maker

Whirley Stainless-Steel Induction Popcorn Maker, $49.95, available at Williams Sonoma

A vintage-style stovetop popcorn maker that you crank by hand — this thing is the real deal. It's a little more effort, but they'll never want to return to the microwave stuff after this. 

A ravioli mold

Ravioli Mold with Roller, $26.95, available at Williams Sonoma

They could just pop some frozen ravioli into a pot of boiling water and call it a day, but the homemade version is undeniably more fun (and delicious) to make. This mold and roller set is a simple way to get them started. 

A mini rice cooker

Dash Mini Rice Cooker, from $19.99, available at Amazon

This appliance is small but mighty — it can make rice, stews, soups, pasta, and more. The two-cup capacity is good for making small meals and won't take up too much of their precious counter space. 

A spiralizer

Paderno 4-Blade Spiralizer, $49.95, available at Williams Sonoma

Zucchinis, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets — anything can be a noodle if you really believe, or if you use a spiralizer. Plus, these spindly shapes make eating veggies a lot more fun. 

A splatter screen

Silicone Splatter Screen, $24.95, available at Williams Sonoma

Save them from one of the perils of frying foods at home: the dreaded hot oil splatter. This screen has holes to release steam, so everything stays crunchy, but keeps all of the grease in the pan as it's intended to be. 

A s'mores maker

S'mores Maker, $49.95, available at Williams Sonoma

When it's too cold to head out to the fire pit, they'll appreciate this thoughtful set with all of the tools they need to get outdoor quality s'mores — without ever having to leave the kitchen. 

A state pride dish towel

State Dish Towel, $20, available at Uncommon Goods

Add some sentimentality to their kitchen with a dish towel of their home state. The bright towels include iconic names, landmarks, and images of what makes their favorite state so special. 

A sushi kit

DIY Sushi Kit, $39.95, available at Williams Sonoma

If they love sushi, and a good challenge, they'll love trying to make their own rolls with this set. It comes with tools and ingredients like rice, nori, and wasabi powder so they can recreate recipes from their favorite sushi spot from the comfort of their own kitchen. 

A molcajete

Molcajete, from $29.95, available at Williams Sonoma

An old-fashioned mortar and pestle set is the key to crushing and grinding everything from fresh herbs and spices to making perfectly smooth guacamole. 

An Oreo cup

Dunking Buddy, $14.95, available at Amazon

A thoughtful gift that shows you understand their cookie obsession, this cup helps them get the perfect dunk every time. It also comes with a pack of Oreos for good measure.

Editor's note: This gift may arrive after Christmas.

A bento box

Modern Large Bento Box, $35, available at Food52

This bento box is made up of multiple stackable components. It's dishwasher- and microwave-safe, and surely an upgrade to the brown paper bag.

An electric griddle

Family-Sized Electric Griddle, $24.99, available at Target

Though just five pounds, this electric griddle has 200 square inches of cooking surface that reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Minus the electric parts, the entire griddle is dishwasher safe, including the removable drip tray.

Fancy olive oil

Alive Extra Virgin Heirloom Olive Oil, $37, available at Brightland

A drizzle of good olive oil adds a flavorful punch to any dish. Brightland's high-quality olive oils are sharp, peppery, and come in sleek, coated glass bottles that will look nice on their kitchen counter. 

A cookie spoon pan

Cookie Spoon Pan, $18, available at Uncommon Goods

Indulge their sweet tooth with this innovative pan that lets them turn their favorite cookie doughs into spoon-shaped cookies. They can use them to scoop ice cream, stir their coffee, or dip into the Nutella jar — every use is equally delicious. 

An automatic pan stirrer

Automatic Pan Stirrer with Timer, $25, available at Uncommon Goods

Help them save time and elbow grease with this little gadget. All they have to do is place it in the pan, set the timer, and let it whiz around so they can do other kitchen tasks while their sauce is stirred for them. 

Editor's note: This gift may arrive after Christmas.

A pancake pan

Nordic Ware Silver Dollar Pancake Pan, $34.95, available at Crate & Barrel 

This pan lets them cook seven silver dollar pancakes at once and ensures that each one is a perfectly round circle. 

A food scale

Bamboo Food Scale, $29.95, available at Crate & Barrel

If they're serious about baking, they'll appreciate this food scale. It'll help them make sure they're using the exact measurements every time. Plus, the bamboo and sleek LED display make it look nice in their space.