Blog | Leon Consulting

DECEMBER 25, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'Cyber Insurance' Scam: Why They Denied Your Ransomware Claim.

Paying $20k a year for Cyber Insurance? Read page 40 of your policy. If you missed one MFA checkbox, your $1M payout is zero. Here are the 3 reasons claims are denied in 2025.

Cyber Insurance Ransomware Claims

→

DECEMBER 25, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'SOC 2' Mafia: Why You Have to Pay $30,000 to Sell a $50 Tool.

Trying to close your first Enterprise deal? Get ready for the 'SOC 2' shakedown. Here is why the compliance industry is a racket and how to survive the audit without going bankrupt.

SOC 2 Compliance Vanta vs Drata

→

DECEMBER 24, 2025 LEON TEAM

The Non-Compete Ban Is Dead. Why Quitting Now Could Cost You $100k in Legal Fees.

Did you read a headline in 2024 that Non-Competes are illegal? Bad news: The courts blocked the ban in late 2025. Here is why 'Trade Secret' lawsuits are exploding and how to protect yourself.

Non-Compete Agreement FTC Ban

→

DECEMBER 23, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'PIP' Is Not a Plan. It Is a Paper Trail to Fire You.

Did your manager put you on a Performance Improvement Plan? Start packing. In 2025, PIPs are weaponized tools to deny you severance. Here is exactly how the 'PIP Factory' works and how to negotiate your exit.

PIP Performance Improvement Plan

→

DECEMBER 23, 2025 LEON TEAM

Silence Is an Answer: Why You Haven't Heard Back After the Final Interview

It has been 5 days since your final interview. No email. No call. Here is the brutal truth: You are likely the 'Backup Candidate' or caught in the 2025 Visa Compliance trap.

Job Interview Ghosting

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'BOI' Trap: You Owe $180,000 for Ignoring an Email.

Did you ignore the 'Beneficial Ownership' notices in 2024? Bad news. The penalty is $500 per day. Here is why your dormant LLC just bankrupted you.

BOI Reporting Corporate Transparency Act

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The '1099' Trap: Why Your 'Freelancers' Are Legally Employees (And Why You Owe Back Taxes)

Think you can hire full-time engineers as 'Contractors' to save on taxes? Think again. The 2025 DOL rules say they are employees. Here is the $25,000 fine you are risking.

Contractor Misclassification DOL Audit

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'FBAR' Crypto Trap: The $10,000 Penalty for Your Binance Account

Do you have crypto on Bybit, Binance, or KuCoin? If the value touched $10k for even one second, you owe the IRS a special form. The penalty for missing it is brutal.

Crypto Taxes FBAR

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'Founder Divorce' Bomb: Why Your Ex Owns Your Board Seat.

Prenups usually cover cash. They rarely cover 'Voting Rights.' Here is how a divorce can force a liquidation event for your startup.

Founder Divorce Prenup for Startups

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'Post-Money SAFE' Trap: Why You Own 10% Less of Your Company Than You Think

Signed a 'Standard' YC SAFE note? You might have accidentally agreed to dilute yourself, not the investor. Here is the math behind the 'Post-Money' trap that kills founder equity.

SAFE Notes Post-Money vs Pre-Money

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'QSBS' Mistake: You Just Lit $10 Million on Fire.

Planning to sell your startup tax-free under Section 1202? Be careful. One wrong 'Stock Buyback' or 'LLC Conversion' can disqualify your entire exit. Here is how to protect your $10M exemption.

QSBS Section 1202

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'SaaS Sales Tax' Time Bomb: You Owe Taxes in States You've Never Visited

Think you only owe tax in Delaware? Wrong. If you have 200 customers in Ohio, you are technically evading taxes. Here is the 'Economic Nexus' nightmare explained for SaaS founders.

SaaS Sales Tax Economic Nexus

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'Section 174' Tax Bomb: Why Your Profitable SaaS Is Technically Bankrupt

Did your CPA just tell you that you owe $200k in taxes despite having $0 in the bank? Welcome to Section 174. Here is why software salaries are no longer deductible and how to survive the audit.

Section 174 R&D Tax Credit

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'Paper Millionaire' Trap: How Your Startup Options Can Bankrupt You

Sitting on $1M of startup equity? Be careful. If you exercise your options wrong, you could owe the IRS $200k in taxes on stock you can't sell. Here is the 'AMT Nightmare' explained.

Startup Equity ISO Stock Options

→

DECEMBER 18, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'Exit Tax' Surprise: Why Moving to Dubai Costs 23% of Your Net Worth.

Thinking of renouncing your US citizenship to move to a Tax Haven? The IRS has a parting gift: The Exit Tax. It treats you as if you sold EVERYTHING the day you leave.

Exit Tax Expatriation

→

DECEMBER 6, 2025 LEON TEAM

Lying on Your Resume: What Background Checks Actually See in 2025

Thinking about extending your employment dates to cover a gap? Be careful. Here is exactly what 'The Work Number' and modern background checks reveal to employers.

Background Checks Resume Tips

→

DECEMBER 5, 2025 LEON TEAM

The 'AI Wrapper' Scam: Why You Are Paying $30 for a Free Prompt

Buying a subscription for a 'PDF Chatbot' or 'AI Copywriter'? Stop. You are likely paying for a 'Wrapper' that does nothing but call ChatGPT. Here is how to spot the scam.

AI Wrappers Shadow AI

→

DECEMBER 5, 2025 LEON TEAM

Stop Fighting Over GPT vs. Gemini. They Are Just Tools.

Still arguing if GPT-5 or Gemini 3 is better? You are asking the wrong question. Here is why 'Model Loyalty' is making you slow and how Senior Engineers actually use AI in 2025.

ChatGPT vs Gemini GPT-5

→

DECEMBER 5, 2025 LEON TEAM

Stop Sending 'Video Resumes.' They Are Cringe and Illegal.

Did a TikTok guru tell you to send a 'Video Pitch' to the hiring manager? Don't do it. HR departments auto-delete them to avoid lawsuits. Here is why the PDF is still king.

Insights Unconstrained

Latest Writing

The 'Cyber Insurance' Scam: Why They Denied Your Ransomware Claim.

The 'SOC 2' Mafia: Why You Have to Pay $30,000 to Sell a $50 Tool.

The Non-Compete Ban Is Dead. Why Quitting Now Could Cost You $100k in Legal Fees.

The 'PIP' Is Not a Plan. It Is a Paper Trail to Fire You.

Silence Is an Answer: Why You Haven't Heard Back After the Final Interview

The 'BOI' Trap: You Owe $180,000 for Ignoring an Email.

The '1099' Trap: Why Your 'Freelancers' Are Legally Employees (And Why You Owe Back Taxes)

The 'FBAR' Crypto Trap: The $10,000 Penalty for Your Binance Account

The 'Founder Divorce' Bomb: Why Your Ex Owns Your Board Seat.

The 'Post-Money SAFE' Trap: Why You Own 10% Less of Your Company Than You Think

The 'QSBS' Mistake: You Just Lit $10 Million on Fire.

The 'SaaS Sales Tax' Time Bomb: You Owe Taxes in States You've Never Visited

The 'Section 174' Tax Bomb: Why Your Profitable SaaS Is Technically Bankrupt

The 'Paper Millionaire' Trap: How Your Startup Options Can Bankrupt You

The 'Exit Tax' Surprise: Why Moving to Dubai Costs 23% of Your Net Worth.

Lying on Your Resume: What Background Checks Actually See in 2025

The 'AI Wrapper' Scam: Why You Are Paying $30 for a Free Prompt

Stop Fighting Over GPT vs. Gemini. They Are Just Tools.

Stop Sending 'Video Resumes.' They Are Cringe and Illegal.

Agile Is Dead. Scrum Is Just Micromanagement with Stickers.

The 'Agent' Delusion: Why Your AI Employee Is Just a Script That Burns Money

Stop Buying the MacBook Pro. You Are Writing Essays, Not Editing 'Avatar 3'.

Stop Fetishizing 'Blue Collar' Work. It Will Break You.

The 'Bossware' Epidemic: Yes, Your Boss Is Taking Screenshots of Your Desktop.

The $50,000 Typo: Why the Cloud Is a Financial Death Trap

The 'Contract-to-Hire' Lie: Why 90% of Roles Never Convert

Stop Trying to Be a 'Pentester.' The Cybersecurity Lie.

Stop Studying Data Science. The 'Sexiest Job' Is Now a Trap.

Stop Trying to Be a 'Data Scientist.' You Are Just a Data Janitor.

Databricks Interview Response Time: The Post-Final Round Timeline

The 'Digital Nomad' Lie: Why Working from Bali Is a Tax & Mental Health Nightmare

Stop Being Honest in Exit Interviews. It Will Only Hurt You.

The 'Fake Reference' Trap: Why Your Friend Can't Be Your Boss

The 'Full Stack' Scam: Why You Are Doing 3 Jobs for 1 Salary

Why You Can't Find a Job: The 'Ghost Job' Epidemic of 2025

Stop Paying $10/Month for Shared Hosting. You Are Being Scammed.

How to Beat the ATS Resume Robot in 2025

How to Pass an AI Interview in 2025 (Without Being a Robot)

The Startup 'Vibe Check': How to Pass the Culture Round

Is Data Annotation Legit? The Truth About $40/hr AI Training Jobs

IT vs. OT Security: Why Protecting Factories Pays More Than Websites

The Junior Developer Crisis: Why 'Entry Level' Is Dead

The 'Kubernetes' Cult: You Are Not Google. Stop Acting Like It.

The 'Loyalty Tax': Why Staying at Your Job Is Costing You $50k

Don't Become a Manager. It's a Career Change, Not a Promotion.

NVIDIA Interview Response Time: The Truth About the Wait

OpenAI & Databricks Interview Guide: The New FAANG

OpenAI Interview Response Time: The Chaos Explained

You Are Too Smart to Get Hired: Why You Need to 'Dumb Down' Your Resume

The 'Passive Income' Lie: Why Your Side Hustle Is Just a Second Job

The 'PIP' Lie: Why You Should Never Try to Pass a Performance Improvement Plan

The 'Polyworking' Guide: How to Work Two Remote Jobs (Without Getting Caught)

Return to Office (RTO) Is Not About 'Culture.' It's a Soft Layoff.

The 'SaaS Renewal' Trap: Why Your Software Bill Just Doubled (And How to Fight It)

Stop Building a 'Second Brain.' You Aren't Using Your First One.

Startup Equity is a Scam: Why Your 'Millions' Are Worth Zero

The 'Take-Home' Assignment Scam: You Are Working for Free

The 'Unlimited PTO' Scam: Why You Should Negotiate for Accrued Days

Your Codebase Is Toxic: The Hidden Cost of 'Vibe Coding'

Why 'Boring' Tech Pays More (Stop Learning React)

Copy-Paste Salary Negotiation Scripts for Contractors

System Design: Why You Failed the Staff Engineer Interview

Rust vs. Go: The $300k Interview Guide

5 Resume Mistakes That Kill Your ATS Score (And How to Fix Them)

Remote Work Tools 2025: If You Aren't Using These, You Are Doing It Wrong

Contract vs Full-Time: Real Take-Home Pay in 2025

Explain Technical Debt to Non-Technical Interviewers

Stop Trying to Learn to Code. Do These Jobs Instead.

12 Highest Paying IT Certifications in 2025

IT Support to DevOps: The Only Roadmap That Actually Works

Mac vs. Windows for Programming: The Honest Truth

Manual QA to Automation: The Only Roadmap That Works

Behavioral Interviews Are a Test of Your Acting Skills. Here is the Script.

Career Growth Plans Are Usually BS. Here is One That Actually Works.

Your Degree Expired 5 Years Ago. Start Learning or Get Fired.

Google Will Ghost You for 4 Weeks. Here Is Why.

How to Ask for a Promotion and Actually Get It

Soft Skills Are Hard. That's Why You Are Unemployed.

Insights
Unconstrained