These 6 airlines offer beds in economy, with prices ranging from $150 to $2,600. Here's how to book them.

The "Relax Row" will give coach travelers a glimpse into what flying business class feels like.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP

• Air New Zealand pioneered the economy bed by adding flippable legrests that create a sleep surface.
• United Airlines has since licensed the idea for its "Relax Row," coming in 2027.
• Some carriers offer a bed in economy by charging extra for a guaranteed empty row.

For many economy flyers, the best long-haul sleep hack is simply lucking out with a row to themselves. A handful of airlines are betting some will pay to guarantee it.

United Airlines recently made headlines for its upcoming "Relax Row" — a set of three economy seats with legrests that flip up to create a fully flat bed-like space. It's designed to give budget-conscious travelers a taste of business class without the high price tag.

The move fits into the airline's broader push toward premium offerings as demand for more comfort booms. United reported an 11% year-over-year increase in premium revenue in 2025.

United didn't pioneer the coach bed, though.

The idea dates back to 2011, when Air New Zealand introduced its "Skycouch" with flippable legrests on Boeing widebody aircraft and patented the product. The airline told Business Insider it has since licensed the concept to other carriers, including fellow Star Alliance member United.

Air New Zealand has expanded on the idea, too. It is soon introducing a bunk-style "Skynest" to its economy cabin later this year, designed to complement the Skycouch. It's expected to be sold in hourly blocks for a fee.

United hasn't said what the price of its Relax Row will be yet. Similar seats on other airlines — some without flippable legrests that are more like benches — range from a few hundred dollars to over $2,500 each way.

Some carriers allow flyers to select the bed-style seat during booking, while others require it to be done after via a request process or at the airport. These airlines have beds in economy:

Air New Zealand's Skynest

I tried the Skynest in 2022. It was tight but cozy with linens, a seatbelt, and curtains for privacy. It's unclear what changes have been made since I saw it.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Air New Zealand markets its economy beds as added options for coach flyers. The Skynest is the newest product and will be two sets of three-high flat bunks with linens, curtains, and seatbelts.

Air New Zealand is showing its Skynest off to the public in New York City on April 14.

Air New Zealand's Skycouch

The author flew solo in Air New Zealand's Skycouch in 2022.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The legrest-equipped Skycouch revolutionized economy air travel and became a blueprint for other airlines. The legrests flip up 90 degrees via a button and lock into place to make the flat sleeping surface.

It comes with linens and a "cuddle belt" to wear when sleeping, but customers still get the regular economy meals and boarding position. I flew in the Skycouch for 16 hours in 2022 and thought it was comfortable and a great sleep solution if you have the budget. The bed is just over five feet long, though, so taller travelers may be more cramped.

Passengers can secure the Skyouch at the time of booking. The price can vary by season and route, but the most expensive one-way tickets are over $1,500. It can accommodate up to two adults and a child.

United Airlines' Relax Row

United is adding "Relax Rows" to certain Boeing widebodies. Customers can fly them starting in 2027.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP

Launching in 2027 on long-haul flights, the Relax Row mirrors the Skycouch and will be fitted onto more than 200 Boeing widebody planes by 2030.

It can be selected at booking and comes with two extra pillows, a blanket, and a mattress pad. It's unclear what the launch route will be.

All Nippon Airways' COUCHii

The COUCHii is located in the back of the main level of the A380.

All Nippon Airways

ANA, another Star Alliance member airline, sells the COUCHii on flights between Japan and Hawaii. It is bookable up to 48 hours before the flight, either by requesting it on the website or by phone.

COUCHiis are exclusively on Airbus A380 planes and stretch three or four seats with legrests that flip up to create a wide bed.

ANA's website shows the cheapest option is $130 for all four seats for four people traveling together during low season; the most expensive is $2,580 for four seats for one person during high season.

Lufthansa's Sleeper Row

The Sleeper Row is a row of empty seats with no legrests.

Lufthansa

The German flag carrier offers first-come, first-served "Sleeper Rows" that can only be booked at the airport for select long-haul flights of at least 11 hours, subject to availability.

Essentially, Lufthansa passengers can pay extra right before their flight to secure an empty row that would otherwise have gone unsold.

It doesn't have flippable legrests, but it comes with "business-class quality" linens and space to stretch out. The per-segment cost ranges from $209 to $299.

Air Astana's Economy Sleeper

The economy sleeper is meant for one person.

Air Astana

The Kazakh airline allows travelers to pay to reserve a row of three seats on select flights to Beijing, London, and Frankfurt. It comes with a blanket, mattress cover, and pillow, but no flippable legrests.

The ticket also includes business-class lounge access, priority check-in, and two extra checked bags. Air Astana says the experience is a "nominal" increase over the regular economy fare.

Vietnam Airlines' SkySofa

The economy seats on Vietnam Airlines' 787, one of the planes that has the sleeper option.

Vietnam Airlines

The SkySofa is another upcharge for a guaranteed row of three empty seats for one person; it can be added at booking or after.

Vietnam Airlines offers the option on flights between Vietnam and 18 countries, including the US. It includes personal amenities, like an eye mask and socks, and meals equal to those in premium economy.

The SkySofa price ranges from $150 to $650 one-way, depending on the economy fare type booked and the route.

Some early adopters abandoned economy beds.

China Airlines' Family Couch.

China Airlines

China Airlines began marketing the "Family Couch" in 2014 but pulled it in 2018 due to low demand. Defunct UK airline Thomas Cook had a "Sleeper Seat" that flew until the airline declared bankruptcy in 2019.

Azul Brazilian Airlines, which once offered a four-seat-wide "Sky Sofa" on Airbus A330s, told Business Insider that the product was "discontinued due to fleet renewal and the configuration of current aircraft."

French carrier Air Austral's website mentions a bed-like "Extra Couchette" on Boeing 777s, but current seat maps and booking options don't show it. It's unclear if it's been discontinued; the airline didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Would recording every meeting make the world a better place? This hedge fund cofounder thinks so

Coatue Management cofounder Thomas Laffont argued for recording work meetings so that "you know what the problem is."

Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Hill & Valley Forum

• Coatue Management's Thomas Laffont likes the idea of recording and analyzing meetings to flag worrying behavior.
• The hedge fund leader told TBPN that recording meetings would lead to a "better world," though it would likely hurt morale.
• Ray Dalio's Bridgewater famously tried recording meetings in the past in an effort to boost transparency.

In the era of Zoom calls and hybrid work, white-collar workers are used to being on camera. Whether their employer should analyze the footage is another question.

Thomas Laffont, cofounder of the hedge fund giant Coatue Management, made his case for the idea on TBPN this week: "I believe that meetings should be recorded."

Laffont said that while a compliance department might say "we can't have meetings being recorded because it creates a paper trail," doing so would lead to a "better world."

Laffont referenced two hypothetical scenarios with a bad actor. In the first, meetings are not recorded, and someone speaks out a decade later to say there was a "pattern of deception" but that "nothing happened."

In the second, meetings are recorded. When the individual acts poorly, they get an email from the compliance system. The next time, they get flagged to human resources.

"I would much rather live in world number two," Laffont said. "You know what the problem is. There's a system."

Laffont presented the idea as merely a theory: "Let's not even talk about Coatue specifically," he told the TBPN hosts. When Business Insider asked whether Coatue Management records its meetings, the hedge fund declined to comment.

Evan Fray-Witzer, an employment lawyer from Boston, said that the legality of Laffont's idea would vary state by state, but that it would likely be legal if employees were notified in advance as a "condition of employment." How such recordings would be kept could present another issue, Fray-Witzer said, as storing confidential information in the cloud could create compliance problems.

Laffont didn't seem intent on the idea of storing the calls, and drew a distinction between transcription and recording. He wasn't looking for a database of all the call transcripts, he said. Instead, he wanted key takeaways, what was agreed upon, and whether anything was done in violation of compliance.

"I like the option of deleting," he said.

Fray-Witzer also said that there were many reasons not to record your employees on a strategic level, not a legal one.

"It'll probably be horrible for employee morale," he said. "It just has such a Big Brother feel to it."

Ray Dalio, the founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, was famously a fan of keeping logs, with the firm recording meetings and playing them back to employees in the 2010s. Bridgewater later began taping and keeping fewer meetings, Rob Copeland wrote in his book "The Fund," on the recommendation of former deputy attorney general Jamie Gorelick.

Laffont also noted analytics systems were getting better. "They're going to be able to look at your WhatsApp and your messages and your emails and all of your calls and they're going to be able to say, 'Hey, by the way, don't say this,'" he said.

Many employees are already recording their meetings — not to document bad actors, but to keep notes. AI notetaking agents are all the rage in Zoom and Teams calls, spawning a cottage industry.

Laffont said the idea wouldn't necessarily be to only penalize employees presenting problematic behavior; the goal would be to set them on a better path.

"Maybe that person, if they had gotten that first warning, might have realized: 'Oh wait, you're right, I'm being abusive,'" he said.

Should meetings be recorded? Take our survey

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The $200 billion functional drink boom is turning into a wellness arms race

These days, it's hard to find a beverage that's just a beverage, as brands add ingredients like fiber, protein, adaptogens, and nootropics to their recipes.

Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images

• As Americans focus more on wellness, the beverage industry is changing.
• Drinks are now laden with healthful ingredients like fiber, protein, adaptogens, and nootropics.
• The growing functional beverage segment has brands battling to keep up with demand.

Walk into a grocery store or scroll TikTok, and it's increasingly hard to find a beverage that's just a beverage. Instead, cans and powders promise everything from better sleep to sharper thinking to improved digestion, often all at once.

The global functional beverage market was worth about $208 billion in 2024 and is projected to more than double over the next decade, according to Zion Market Research. As the category explodes, so does the competition — and the number of ingredients and promises brands are cramming into every sip.

"It's like a smorgasbord of beverages," Michael Della Penna, chief strategy officer at InMarket, told Business Insider as the trend's momentum accelerated late last year. "There's one for hydration, one for health, and one for fun."

That shift is being driven in part by younger consumers, who are turning their daily beverages into a kind of DIY wellness routine, each serving a different purpose: protein coffee in the morning, a fiber soda in the afternoon, and a nootropic or adaptogen blend at night.

Much of that experimentation is being fueled by social media, where wellness trends spread quickly and consumers are encouraged to constantly try new routines.

"There's a lot of different botanicals and adaptogens and ways they can affect you," said Jon Kreidler, cofounder of Tattersall Distilling, which launched its first line of functional beverages in November. "I think that's where this next wave is headed: maybe this one's gonna help your gut, or help your mind in general; calm you down, relax you."

Less than six months after launching, Tattersall's functional beverage sales now account for about 10% of its business.

Celebrities are helping accelerate the segment. Dwayne Johnson's ZOA Energy leans into vitamins, antioxidants, and natural caffeine, while Kylie Jenner has expanded her Sprinter brand into hydration powders with collagen and electrolytes, and Snoop Dogg has entered the space with hemp-infused beverages aimed at relaxation.

Their involvement underscores how quickly functional beverages have moved from niche wellness products to mainstream — and highly marketable — lifestyle brands.

Reshaping not only what people drink, but why they drink at all

Across more than a dozen interviews, analysts, founders, and operators pointed to a broader cultural shift that accelerated during the pandemic — one in which consumers became more focused on health, more skeptical of traditional systems, and more interested in taking control of their own well-being.

"I think the pandemic really helped a lot of people wake up to the fact that how they take care of their bodies defines their reality," said Yasmin Santos, founder of the functional herbal tincture brand Altar Native.

That shift is also playing out in declining alcohol consumption, particularly among younger consumers, and the rise of alternatives designed to deliver similar social or emotional effects without the downsides.

"What we're seeing is people still want to feel something," Kreidler said. "They still want to be a part and partake and have something adult, but just are kind of fed up with the hangovers."

Functional beverages are increasingly stepping in to fill that gap — whether through THC-infused drinks, calming adaptogens, or "herbal mixology" concepts that blend traditional plant remedies with modern formats.

At the same time, the category is becoming more crowded — and more competitive. Big players are already moving in: Starbucks doubling down on its line of protein drinks, PepsiCo's $2 billion acquisition of prebiotic soda brand Poppi, and Coca-Cola's functional launches, such as its gut health product Simply Pop, signal that legacy companies see the space as a major growth opportunity.

The road to scale isn't easy

For smaller brands, scaling remains a challenge. Santos said manufacturing requirements and regulatory hurdles can quickly become barriers, especially for products using newer or less understood ingredients.

"I had to switch manufacturers," she said, after discovering her original partner wasn't certified for broader retail distribution. The new setup required minimum orders "10 times" larger, forcing her to rethink her business.

There's also uncertainty around certain ingredients themselves, as simple "better-for-you" swaps, like low-sugar sodas or probiotic drinks, evolved into increasingly complex formulations. Today's functional beverages often combine tried-and-true ingredients like protein and fiber with less rigorously studied ones, like adaptogens, nootropics, and cannabinoids, each targeting a specific outcome.

Some plant-based compounds, such as kava or kanna, fall into regulatory gray areas and have already faced restrictions on certain marketplaces, Santos said. Others require extensive independent testing to support any claims.

Whether all of those benefits hold up scientifically remains an open question, but that hasn't slowed the pace of innovation. If anything, the pressure to stand out is accelerating it. Brands are layering in more ingredients, targeting more use cases, and expanding into new formats, including powders and tinctures, as well as ready-to-drink cans and coffee additives.

"We're moving from a reactive health culture to a proactive health culture," John Wiseman, the founder and CEO of Curious Elixirs, a line of adaptogen-blended alcohol alternatives, said, as more people look for ways to support their bodies before problems arise. "I don't see that slowing down; I see that accelerating."

The modern beverage isn't just about quenching thirst. It's about optimizing everything else, too.

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I'm a 65-year-old fitness trainer who stocks up on healthy foods at Costco. These are the 11 products I swear by.

I shop for kitchen staples at Costco.

Janet Osborne

• I'm a 65-year-old personal trainer who stocks my kitchen with healthy foods from Costco.
• My cart always has frozen protein sources, like wild shrimp and organic chicken breasts.
• I also love buying healthy snacks, including macadamia nuts and grass-fed beef sticks.

As a 65-year-old fitness trainer, I prioritize consistency and simplicity over perfection in my workouts and diet. I avoid fads and strict rules, instead sticking to simple, easy-to-follow habits I can maintain.

The key to following through on these habits is preparation — hence why I love grocery shopping at Costco. Buying food in bulk means I'm prepared to make meals that support my energy, strength, and overall health on even my busiest days.

Nutrition, like exercise, doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be maintainable, and certain products make that easier.

Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt is an excellent protein source when I don't want to cook an elaborate meal.

I buy the 1.36-kilogram tub of Greek yogurt from Costco.

Janet Osborne

I always have a tub of Greek yogurt in my refrigerator and reach for it almost every day.

I use it for yogurt bowls, which I dress up with berries and nuts, and sometimes mix it into my smoothies. It's also useful for cooking, as I often swap it for sour cream in recipes.

The yogurt has a rich, creamy texture, and the large container is an excellent value. Most importantly, it makes it easy for me to get more protein, which is important for aging women.

When I want a nutritious meal that feels special, I reach for the Nanuk Coho smoked salmon in my refrigerator.

I buy the Nanuk Coho smoked salmon.

Janet Osborne

Adding Coho smoked salmon to my meals instantly makes them feel more elevated.

It's rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality protein, and key nutrients like vitamin D and B12 — all of which are important for heart, brain, and immune health.

I love having smoked salmon ready to pull out when I host guests at my home. I have it with eggs and avocado for brunch and also arrange it on my charcuterie boards.

Kirkland Signature wild Argentine shrimp is a high-quality protein I can prepare in minutes.

The frozen shrimp is ready to serve in minutes.

Janet Osborne

Kirkland Signature wild Argentine shrimp is one of my freezer staples. It requires minimal cook time and makes meal-prep so much easier.

It's a low-fat, high-protein option loaded with nutrients like selenium, vitamin B12, iron, and iodine. The shrimp also contains antioxidants and omega-3s that support overall health.

I prefer wild shrimp over farmed shrimp (I think it tastes better and is of higher quality), and because I don't always have the easiest time finding it, I like having this bag ready in my freezer.

Having Kirkland Signature organic chicken in my freezer keeps me from reaching for less nutritious options.

Chicken breasts at Costco

Janet Osborne

I buy organic chicken breasts or thighs in bulk and freeze them in small portions.

It saves money, reduces the number of trips I have to take to the grocery store, and ensures I always have a protein source ready to prepare.

Keeping chicken available is one of the simplest ways I stay on track. When I have healthy, delicious options at my disposal, it's much easier to make choices that align with my health goals.

Kirkland Signature grass-fed beef sticks are the perfect size to slip into my purse or travel carry-on.

Kirkland Signature grass-fed beef sticks from Costco.

Janet Osborne

Kirkland Signature grass-fed beef sticks, which each have 10 grams of protein, are one of my go-to snacks, especially when I'm running errands.

My days out of the house often last longer than I expect, so having a snack with me helps me avoid grabbing fast food or making impulsive choices when I get hungry.

The sticks are also a great travel snack. Because they're so easy to slip into my purse, I always have them with me.

Bags of Nature's Touch frozen mixed berries fill my freezer.

I put frozen berries in my smoothies and yogurt bowls.

Janet Osborne

I use this mix of frozen fruit to make smoothies and top yogurt bowls almost every day.

They're packed with antioxidants and fiber, and I love how affordable and convenient they are compared to fresh berries.

Frozen berries also carry all of the same benefits, and they're perfectly ripe whenever I need them.

Frozen riced cauliflower and broccoli make it easy to incorporate more vegetables in my diet.

Frozen cauliflower lasts long in my freezer.

Janet Osborne

I always store frozen organic broccoli and cauliflower rice in my freezer to make sure I eat enough vegetables.

They're just as nutritious as fresh vegetables. Plus, they're typically less expensive, take less time to chop, and don't spoil within mere days.

Avocados are one of the most versatile foods in my kitchen.

I buy avocados at Costco.

Janet Osborne

I pair avocados with eggs, mix them into salads, or just eat them on their own.

They're full of healthy fats, fiber, and important nutrients that support heart health and my overall well-being.

I also like to keep Kirkland Signature macadamia nuts on hand for snacking and dressing up my meals.

I buy macadamia nuts in bulk.

Janet Osborne

I often buy a range of nuts, but my current favorite is macadamia nuts. They're rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

I throw a couple of the nuts into my yogurt bowls or snack on a handful to keep me full between meals.

For cooking and making salad dressings, I use Kirkland Signature Italian extra-virgin olive oil.

I use the olive oil for cooking and salad dressings.

Janet Osborne

Kirkland Signature Italian extra-virgin olive oil is cold-pressed and high-quality. It's a kitchen staple, and I feel good using it daily for cooking and making salad dressings.

My dinner plates often include a small serving of Wildbrine raw organic sauerkraut.

Wildbrine raw organic sauerkraut.

Janet Osborne

I enjoy cooking with Wildbrine raw organic sauerkraut, often adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of it to simple recipes.

Because it's unpasteurized, it has probiotics that support my gut health.

Keep reading our Costco Diaries.

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RIP to the original Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon is ending support for older ereaders.

My beloved Kindle 5 with physical buttons is going to become useless soon.

Katie Notopoulos / Business Insider

• Amazon announced that Kindles released before 2012, including the first Paperwhite, will no longer be supported.
• You can still read your existing titles, but you can't add anything new.
• As a devoted Kindle 5 user, I'm pissed as heck!

Please be kind to me. I received some devastating news yesterday. An email from Amazon telling me that older model Kindles from before 2012 will no longer be supported, and I won't be able to add new titles to the device. This means my beloved Kindle 5 — the kind with physical buttons on the side to turn the page — is effectively useless to me.

Here's what the email said:

Thank you for being a longtime Kindle customer. We're glad our devices have served you well for as long as they have. Starting May 20, 2026 — 14 to 18 years after their initial launches — we are discontinuing support for Kindle devices released in 2012 or earlier. Here's what this means for you:

* You can continue to read books already downloaded on these devices, but you will not be able to purchase, borrow, or download additional books on them after that date.
* If you deregister or factory reset these devices, you will not be able to re-register or use these devices in any way.

Affected devices include Kindle 1st and 2nd Generation, Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5, and Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation.

Arrggggggg!!!! I love my Kindle 5! I like using the clicky buttons on the side instead of the touchscreens of the newer Paperwhites. Years after it was discontinued, my screen cracked, so I hunted down a $30 replacement Kindle 5 on eBay. I was that committed to the physical buttons.

Beyond the pleasing click of a real button, the bigger issue is that I'm left-handed. When the new Paperwhites came out, I went to a Best Buy to test one, expecting to love it. But I discovered that they had a right-handed bias: To turn the pages forward, you tap the right side of the screen (left for back). This is awkward if you're holding the device in your left hand! I read a fair amount on the Kindle app on my iPhone, which uses the same left/right page turn method, and I'm constantly flipping backward by accident. It's a frustrating experience for a lefty!

(Caveat here: not all newer Kindle models work this way; my husband has a Kindle Voyage, which has a different page turning method where you tap an upper button on either side for back, and a lower button for forward.)

It seems like it may still be possible to add new content to your old Kindle by alternative methods, like sending a file to your Kindle email address or using an actual USB cord to add a file. I asked Amazon for clarification here, and a company rep responded with a quote from the same statement they gave customers. They offered no further information.

There may be other unofficial ways, too. There's a whole world of people who "jailbreak" their Kindles, or change the file formats, or strip off the DRM (digital rights management) of ebooks to make them compatible with various types of devices.

Within this world, there is a subset of people who pirate ebooks. This doesn't appeal to me, not even on principle so much as practicality: It sounds annoying and hard to do. As a cheap person, I hate paying my hard-earned cash for books, too — but that's why I have a library card and use the Libby app for ebooks.

I am happy for anyone who finds satisfaction with this arrangement, but it is not for me. I want ease and convenience. I don't want to be messing around with downloading things to my computer first. I want to do a few taps on my phone and get a book instantly. I don't want to do any "jailbreaking" of this device. I don't want to mess around with weird third-party platforms. I like my Kindle for convenience and speed; I'm not looking to complicate things.

Amazon didn't give a specific reason for why it's stopping support for these older models, but this isn't unprecedented. It's not so unusual for older hardware to experience forced obsolescence like this — there's a reason you don't see people using an iPhone 1 too often these days. Supporting software updates for older models takes time and resources, and Amazon probably doesn't see it as worth it.

What makes this slightly unusual is that these old Kindles are workhorses that are operating just fine after 14 years. My Kindle 5 is one of the few personal tech devices that I haven't had to upgrade in the last decade. I've probably gone through six iPhones and at least two laptops in my Kindle's lifetime.

Will I get a new one? I guess. I have been curious about some other ereaders, especially the Boox Palma, which seems perfectly pocket-sized. But I'm not happy about it.

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Jamie Dimon shared a key career lesson he's 'learned and relearned' — don't make big decisions on Fridays

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says one of his biggest career lessons is to avoid making big decisions when you're tired on a Friday.

John Lamparski/Getty Images

• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said making big decisions when you're tired is a mistake.
• Dimon said avoiding decisions on Fridays is a key career lesson he has "learned and relearned."
• He said purpose — not happiness — is what really drives success in work and life.

Thinking about making a big decision at the end of a long week? JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says it's worth waiting.

"Making big decisions on a Friday when you're tired is a really bad idea," Dimon said in an interview with NPR's "Newsmakers" on Tuesday.

Dimon shared that insight during an answer about what he wished he knew earlier in life, after nearly 22 years running the world's largest bank by market capitalization, and after he turned 70 last month.

Thomas Roulet, a professor of organizational sociology and leadership at the University of Cambridge, told Business Insider that Dimon is correct about the dangers of "decision fatigue."

"As a CEO, if you have taken decisions throughout the week without time to recharge, cognitive resources — a CEO's ability to juggle and process all information they have to make the right decision — are depleted by Friday," Roulet said.

A CEO might also be "in a rush to make a decision because of the end of the week approaching, which can mean lacking all information to make the right decision or lacking time to consult the right people," he added.

During the interview, Dimon pointed to emotional discipline as another key leadership skill.

"Anger doesn't help," he said, describing the kinds of habits that can quietly undermine judgment.

He framed these insights as lessons "learned and relearned" over time.

"I still make some of those mistakes, unfortunately," Dimon said.

Have a 'purpose in life'

Dimon said he was raised to "have a purpose in life, treat everyone well, do the best you can, leave the world a better place," and "that hasn't changed."

He also pointed to his latest annual letter to shareholders, released Monday, which highlights the USA's upcoming 250th anniversary as a moment to "rededicate ourselves to the values that made this great nation of ours — freedom, liberty, and opportunity."

In the interview, Dimon said the meaning of happiness in the phrase "the pursuit of happiness" from the US Declaration of Independence is often misunderstood.

"When they said the pursuit of happiness, they didn't mean happiness like we mean happiness," he said, but rather "purpose."

Dimon said the idea of purpose can take many forms — from business and politics to everyday life.

"That purpose could be an artist, politician, reporter, you know, business person," he said. "You could be just a caregiver, a mother."

He recalled reading an op-ed about a Medal of Honor recipient who, decades later, came to see that the real heroes were those who quietly helped others every day — though he did not specify which piece he was referring to.

"They never gave up, and they did it through health and sickness and things like that," Dimon said.

"So that's the purpose. You made the world a better place in the way you can contribute," he added.

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Repeat Y Combinator founders raise $2.2 million to fix vibe coding's pricing problem. Read their pitch deck.

OpenBuilder cofounders James Jiang and Paul Li.

Paul Li

• OpenBuilder is challenging dominant vibe coding startups with fixed pricing.
• The Y Combinator startup has raised $2.2 million in seed funding.
• Customers can pay for human support when they get stuck.

Vibe coding startup OpenBuilder wants to take on vibe coding giants like Lovable and Replit, arguing that the pricing models of dominant products are unsustainable and profit when non-technical users get stuck.

OpenBuilder participated in Y Combinator's Fall 2025 batch and has raised $2.2 million in seed funding from Focal, Founder Factor, Pascal Capital, and others.

While vibe coding is transforming software, OpenBuilder's cofounder and CEO, Paul Li, told Business Insider that bugs leave projects unfinished and drive up costs.

Rather than credit-based pricing, OpenBuilder charges a fixed subscription for unlimited use, with the option to pay for human developer support when needed.

The tool is built on open-source coding models from Z.ai and the Chinese startup DeepSeek, which are cheaper and offer greater flexibility. As AI costs fall over time, Li says pay-per-use business models will become untenable.

"Our bet is that over time, users are going to become educated and aware enough of the landscapes that eventually it will shift to more fixed pricing," he said.

In addition to OpenBuilder's three employees, the company works with four contractors to provide developer support. It will use the seed funds for hiring and marketing.

Li and cofounder and CTO James Jiang dropped out of the University of Waterloo to cofound a virtual reality gaming company called Mirage VR, and in 2023 pivoted to a coding assistant for software developers called EasyCode, which attracted roughly 1.5 million installs.

They went through Y Combinator with EasyCode, too, though they opted not to raise funds because the company was growing quickly and had already conducted a raise. Li said he regretted that decision as competition within the field intensified.

OpenBuilder targets non-technical builders, including hobbyists and aspiring entrepreneurs. It largely targets small businesses building tools to avoid pricey software products, Li said.

Here's a look at the pitch deck OpenBuilder used to raise its $2.2 million seed. Slides have been redacted so that the deck can be shared publicly.

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

OpenBuilder

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