The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

Thinking about the people who shouldn’t use LLMs

Sex and the State • 27 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Digital Literacy AI Ethics AI safety Public Policy Social Impact
  1. About 14–17% of people trust LLMs completely, and that blind trust is dangerous because these models can hallucinate and cause real harm.
  2. A lot of people lack the capacity to use LLMs responsibly, and society has largely failed to identify and protect those with diminished decision-making ability.
  3. We need practical guardrails, acknowledgement of incapacity, and systems of care or restriction so vulnerable people are kept safe while others can still benefit from AI.

Open Thread 317

Astral Codex Ten • 2340 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Social media AI
  1. Some users who were supposed to be unbanned were not truly unbanned, leading to a need for them to reach out to get it fixed.
  2. Substack acknowledges issues with page and comment loading speed, with plans to improve that in the future.
  3. GPT-6's training might require only 0.1% of the world's computers, according to Ben Todd's findings, a significant discrepancy from previous estimations.

#47 - Thought Experiment - What if we stop 'fake approving' by humans?

OSS.fund Newsletter • 18 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
💼 Business Automation Operations Procurement Leadership Risk Finance Strategy
  1. Human approval chains for low‑value purchases are slow, costly, and often little more than ritualized clicks that add days and overhead without improving outcomes.
  2. AI agents can encode purchasing policy as rules, check budgets, vendors, and contracts in milliseconds, and create auditable logs that cut per‑order cost and cycle time while keeping controls intact.
  3. A practical path is to sample recent small POs, classify which truly need human judgment, then pilot simple auto‑approve rules with identity, logging, and time‑bound tests so people only handle the genuinely ambiguous cases.

Understanding the Tech Right

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 4023 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Political Influence Tech industry Conservatism Ideology Innovation
  1. Tech industry is becoming more involved in politics, particularly shaping right-wing movements
  2. Tech Right combines acceptance of inequality with openness to change, influencing views on capitalism, biology, and progress
  3. Tech Right's influence on American politics might be seen through funding politicians, exerting intellectual leadership, and pushing conservative ideals

Engineer to CEO in 3 years: These key lessons got me there

High Growth Engineer • 717 implied HN points • 23 Feb 25
💼 Business Management Startups Career growth Leadership Entrepreneurship
  1. Simplify your communication by sharing only the important details. It's better to answer the main question first and add more info later if needed.
  2. Look for gaps in your team or company where you can help. Taking initiative and proposing solutions can help you grow in your career.
  3. Listen to your team and find out what problems they face. Removing obstacles makes it easier for everyone to work better together.
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Best Practices in Retrieval Augmented Generation

Gradient Flow • 599 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Information Retrieval LLM AI Data Management
  1. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) enhances language models by integrating external knowledge sources for more accurate responses.
  2. Evaluating RAG systems requires meticulous component-wise and end-to-end assessments, with metrics like Retrieval_Score and Quality_Score being crucial.
  3. Data quality is pivotal for RAG systems as it directly impacts the accuracy and informativeness of the generated responses.

Getting better at 𝕏

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
💼 Business Community Building Technology Marketing Entrepreneurship Product Development
  1. To grow your audience on X, try following big accounts in your field and engaging with their posts. This way, you can gain followers by sharing your thoughts and support.
  2. Using SEO tags can help more people find you on Google, which is a smart way to increase visibility for your business.
  3. Creating a community for your product can foster discussions and improvements, even if it feels a bit empty at first. It's a great way for users to connect and share ideas.

Brands are busy romanticising 2016, but you have to be here for the best of marketing in 2026 so far

The Social Juice • 29 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
💼 Business Collaborations Branding Campaigns Agencies Retail Media Marketing Advertising
  1. Top collaborations focus on resonance, not reach — the most effective partnerships are built for a small, passionate audience that creates depth instead of noise.
  2. AI is reshaping marketing as agencies and brands roll out AI-driven platforms and ads, but low-quality or careless AI work is already provoking backlash and regulatory scrutiny.
  3. Marketers are using nostalgia, celebrity tie-ins, bold stunts and product-first innovations to stand out, from fashion and beauty launches to gaming, sports and experiential activations.

Ticker Take: a weekly newsletter on investing.

Jon’s Newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 16 Jun 24
💰 Finance Economic Trends Stock Market Investing Market Strategies Financial Analysis
  1. Broadcom's stock has seen a significant increase, driven by high demand for its AI products, and investors are optimistic about its future.
  2. Experts, including AI leaders, warn that tech companies need to invest more in AI safety as competition grows, emphasizing the potential risks if AI surpasses human intelligence.
  3. The market for obesity drugs is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, with major companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly leading the way, indicating a strong investment opportunity.

Messi, Inc.

The Generalist • 2341 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Sports Investing Entrepreneurship Marketing
  1. Being considered the GOAT in a sport can lead to lucrative opportunities and wealth accumulation, as seen with athletes like Michael Jordan and Lionel Messi.
  2. Changes in social media, technology, and athlete earnings have given superstar athletes more power and control over their wealth and commercial endeavors.
  3. Lionel Messi's strategic moves, like moving to America and establishing Play Time, indicate a growing potential for immense wealth through business ventures beyond his football career.

Under the microscope: Dragon Force II (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Reverse Engineering Emulation Software Debugging Video Games Retro Gaming
  1. The Saturn game Dragon Force II contains hidden cheat codes that unlock a picture gallery, play character-specific credits, and enable developer debug screens.
  2. All cheats are entered from the Option screen using specific button sequences and Movies/Voice/Sound selections (for example setting Movies to 08 and pressing combinations like A+B+L+X, A+B+R+Z, then B+X+Y for the gallery).
  3. Reverse-engineering found the cheats work by toggling counters and a debug_enabled memory flag; input checks in menu code trigger those memory changes and reveal the features.

Why Tesla Robotaxis Are a Fantasy

lawrence’s Substack • 159 implied HN points • 22 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Automotive Artificial Intelligence Investing Social media
  1. Tesla robotaxis may not be a feasible reality, according to informed commentators. Full Self-Driving is far from being ready for autonomy tests.
  2. Michael McGrath explains why Tesla's Full Self-Driving is technically infeasible and flawed as a business model, offering a critical perspective.
  3. Matthew Enthoven and Edward Niedermeyer also provide valuable insights and critiques on Tesla's autonomous driving ambitions.

What I Learned This Week #4

Eventually Consistent • 79 implied HN points • 16 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Data Storage Rust
  1. Storage engines are categorized into OLTP and OLAP, optimizing for different access patterns like low latency vs. high throughput respectively.
  2. Data structures meant for in-memory usage need encoding for network or disk storage to ensure platform independence and self-containment.
  3. When writing data to a file system, the OS buffers data in memory for performance, requiring explicit flushing to prevent the risk of data loss in case of system crashes.

Oh no, don't look - it's Developer Marketing

Permit.io’s Substack • 39 implied HN points • 24 Jul 24
💼 Business Conferences Product Development Community Technology Marketing
  1. Marketing to developers is really different from regular marketing. You can’t just tell them they’re doing things wrong; you need to connect with their community and understand their challenges.
  2. At conferences, it’s important to engage with developers at different levels. Not everyone taking a sticker will become a customer, and that's okay. It's more about building relationships.
  3. Offering flexibility in your product is key. Developers have different needs, so let them use only what they want without forcing features on them.

Software Is Fine

Software Snack Bites • 21 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
💰 Finance Markets Trading Investing Venture Capital Valuation Tech Stocks
  1. AI-native startups will be able to build and maintain custom software more cheaply and could disrupt incumbents, but real-world issues like trust, ongoing maintenance, and company adoption still limit immediate wholesale replacement.
  2. The recent drop in many software stocks is driven largely by market flows, hedging, and correlated selling with semiconductors and datacenter names, not a fundamental ‘end of software’ story.
  3. Top-quality software companies are relatively resilient, but founders of legacy or pre-AI products need to add clear AI-driven growth hooks to earn premium multiples as markets reprice.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 526

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 419 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Analytics Machine Learning AI Data science Software Development
  1. Generative AI is changing how we work with tools, improving the Human-Tool Interface. This can help us use technology in ways we never could before.
  2. Support Vector Machines (SVMs) can be very effective for prediction tasks, often outperforming other models in error rates. However, they aren’t as commonly used, possibly due to their complexity.
  3. Deep multimodal fusion is useful in surgical training. It helps classify feedback from experienced surgeons to trainees by combining different types of data like text, audio, and video.

The psychology of evil

Building the Builders • 19 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Personal Growth Ethics Moral Psychology Virtue ethics Self-deception Political Ethics
  1. Evil often grows from self-deception: when anger and grievance get untethered from real values, people justify rumination and victim narratives that can escalate into destructive behavior.
  2. The key choice point is what you do when you notice you’re spiraling — either honestly examine your motives and reorient toward constructive aims, or rationalize and double down, and those repeated choices determine whether you heal or become corrosive.
  3. The antidote is to reorient toward building real values: take responsibility, calibrate your feelings to the facts, limit rumination, and pursue constructive solutions instead of getting energy from others’ downfall.

How to sell bread with quantile regression

Mindful Modeler • 339 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Modeling Predictions Data science
  1. Quantile regression can be used for robust modeling to handle outliers and predict tail behavior, helping in scenarios where underestimation or overestimation leads to loss.
  2. It is important to choose quantile regression when predicting specific quantiles, such as upper quantiles, for scenarios like bread sales where under or overestimating can have financial impacts.
  3. Quantile regression can also be utilized for uncertainty quantification, and combining it with conformal prediction can improve coverage, making it useful for understanding and managing uncertainty in predictions.

Da fuq is an “LLM?”

Sex and the State • 26 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Natural Language Computer Vision Generative AI Robotics AI safety Artificial Intelligence
  1. An LLM (large language model) is an AI system that mainly reads and writes natural language and powers modern chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
  2. AI is a big umbrella with many types of tools — image generators, detectors, chat interfaces, and world models — and LLMs are just the language-focused slice, not the same as models that work with images or spatial data.
  3. Many leading researchers argue LLMs alone probably won’t produce human-level or general intelligence, because language only points to thought; building AGI likely requires spatial or "world" models that learn from videos, perception, and interaction.

How I made $750k in the last 6 months

Kenny’s Sub • 379 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Lifestyle Personal Development Marketing Finance
  1. Many success stories online lack important context and can be misleading. It's essential to look deeper into the circumstances behind these successes.
  2. Instead of comparing yourself directly to others, ask yourself key questions about your own situation. Consider your job, resources, and personal life before setting expectations.
  3. Stay curious and inspired by success stories, but remember to adapt their strategies to your unique circumstances for more realistic goals.

The GitHub Markdown feature you MUST know!

The Open Source Expert • 59 implied HN points • 03 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Communication Programming Web Development Software Tools
  1. Using Alerts in GitHub Markdown helps highlight important information, making it easier for readers to notice. There are different types of alerts like notes, tips, and warnings that you can use.
  2. To create an Alert, you simply need to use specific Markdown code, starting each line with a '>' symbol. This format makes your content stand out more effectively.
  3. It's important not to overuse Alerts, or they might lose their impact. Use them sparingly to ensure readers pay attention to the key points.

How I Write

Democratizing Automation • 395 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Writing AI Communication Creativity Learning
  1. Writing improves with practice and prioritization. The more you write, the better you get at it.
  2. Finding your passion and voice is key to writing well. When you write about what you love, it becomes easier and more enjoyable.
  3. AI tools can support writing, but they also make it harder for new writers to learn. With auto-complete options, it takes more effort to become a good writer.

Capitalism that works

Japan Optimist • 314 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
💼 Business Sustainability Innovation Economics Leadership
  1. Japan is considered a potential economic superpower and role model
  2. Japan's social resilience, political stability, corporate competitiveness, technocratic pragmatism, and private sector innovation are seen as strengths
  3. Japan's demographic destiny is viewed as a positive force for next-generation leaders, citizens, and the rising Asian middle class

My Feast-or-Famine AI Bet with Holden Karnofsky

Bet On It • 296 implied HN points • 21 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI Change Forecasting Innovation Economy
  1. Holden believes AI will greatly change the economy, but he isn't sure if it will be for the better or worse. Bryan thinks that we won't see these big changes for a long time, maybe decades.
  2. They made a bet about the future economy, betting on whether AI will boost or damage the global economy by 2044. If the economy is either much better or much worse than it is now, Holden wins; otherwise, Bryan wins.
  3. Bryan will decide the winner of the bet, but they agreed on backup judges in case he can't. This shows there's trust between them in this friendly wager.

Earth Observation Use Cases

Space Ambition • 119 implied HN points • 17 May 24
🕹 Technology Disaster Management Space Technology Remote Sensing Data Analytics
  1. Earth observation is key for weather and climate studies. It helps scientists track weather patterns and understand climate change using data from satellites.
  2. Satellites are important for monitoring natural and human-made disasters. They provide real-time data that helps in managing disaster response and understanding impacts.
  3. Remote sensing data supports various sectors like finance, ecology, and infrastructure. It aids in resource management, economic predictions, and assessing environmental changes.

What makes a software engineer effective?

Elevate • 477 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Personal Development Problem Solving Communication Team Dynamics Software Engineering
  1. Effectiveness in software engineering is about focusing on what matters most and delivering value to users, the business, and career with the available time.
  2. Traits that help software engineers be effective include caring about user needs, being a good problem solver, and keeping things simple while prioritizing quality.
  3. To excel as an exceptional software engineer, embrace change, balance technical debt and innovation, and emphasize continuous learning and teamwork.

Languages don't need many words

John Ball inside AI • 39 implied HN points • 24 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Natural Language Speech Recognition Artificial Intelligence Data science Machine Learning
  1. You don't need many words to communicate in a new language. Just a small vocabulary can help you get by in everyday conversations.
  2. For understanding most spoken and written text, around 2000 words are usually enough. This covers about 80% of regular communication.
  3. Machine learning and AI can benefit from understanding language like humans do, by learning new words in context rather than just relying on a large vocabulary.

Star Trek or Mad Max?

Diane Francis • 619 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Digital Rights Artificial Intelligence Big Tech Virtual reality Internet
  1. Experts debate whether AI will lead to a better future like 'Star Trek' or a dystopian one like 'Mad Max.'
  2. Some say AI, like ChatGPT, doesn't really think or create but uses existing data, raising concerns about job losses and content theft.
  3. Regulation and accountability are important, as many believe tech companies should be held responsible for their actions instead of managing themselves.

Some thoughts on the Substack controversy

The Watch • 2631 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
💼 Business Monetization Income Subscription Platform Controversy
  1. Substack has faced controversy over hosting white supremacists and other objectionable content
  2. Switching platforms can be risky for content creators like the author due to potential loss of subscribers and audience
  3. The author suggests direct support via other payment methods for those who want to support writers on Substack without contributing to the company

Ticker Take: a weekly newsletter on investing.

Jon’s Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 18 Aug 24
💰 Finance Investing Stock Market Economics Financial News Market Analysis
  1. Stocks linked to housing and utilities might do well as interest rates drop. Investors are looking at companies like Lennar and Home Depot.
  2. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has recently bought shares in Ulta Beauty and Heico Corp, while also reducing its stake in Apple.
  3. Mars is buying Kellanova, which could change the snack food market by creating a stronger competitor to companies like Pepsi and Hershey.

The Cold Ledger: When Greenland is Finally Green

Gad’s Newsletter • 23 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
💼 Business Commodities Shipping Supply Chain Trade Agriculture Mining Transportation
  1. Arctic shipping shortens distances but brings high extra costs and risks—ice‑class ships, slower speeds, higher insurance, and unreliable schedules—so only bulk, time‑insensitive cargo is likely to benefit in the near term.
  2. Greenland’s rare‑earth deposits can diversify and stabilize critical mineral supply for things like EV motors, but higher extraction and logistics costs mean a modest price premium rather than cheaper consumer goods.
  3. Glacial rock flour could materially lower fertilizer costs and boost crop yields, putting downward pressure on food prices long‑term, but that outcome hinges on solving expensive bulk shipping logistics or monetizing carbon credits to cover transport.

NVLink Fusion: Embrace, Extend, Extinguish

Mule’s Musings • 417 implied HN points • 27 May 25
🕹 Technology Networking Computing AI Hardware Silicon
  1. Nvidia has a strong edge in the market with its NVLink technology, allowing fast communication between chips. This positions Nvidia favorably against competitors who are still developing their own solutions.
  2. By licensing its C2C technology and selling NVLink chiplets, Nvidia is opening its technology to others while still maintaining a competitive advantage. This strategy helps Nvidia grow its influence and solidify its market position.
  3. The 'embrace, extend, extinguish' strategy means Nvidia is likely to dominate the market by allowing others to use its technology while quickly outpacing them with its own products and innovations.

Country Risk: A July 2023 Update

Musings on Markets • 739 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23
💰 Finance Risk Assessment Investment Analysis Global Markets Political Risk Economic Factors
  1. Country risk factors include political systems, corruption, legal protections, and violence, which all affect how safe it is to do business in different countries.
  2. Democratic countries often have continuous risks from changing governments, while authoritarian regimes can present sudden and severe risks, making it tricky for businesses to decide where to invest.
  3. Corruption adds hidden costs to businesses operating in affected regions, making it crucial for companies to understand both the visible and hidden risks in their chosen markets.

Speed Without Understanding - One of the Biggest Risks in Data Engineering

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 329 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Data Engineering Software Development Systems Design Data Management
  1. Speed in data engineering can be risky. Acting fast without fully understanding the consequences can lead to mistakes, like accidentally deleting important data.
  2. Every new tool or change can add complexity. If something breaks, it may cause confusion for others, so it’s important to think carefully about what you build.
  3. Having a mix of experienced and new team members is really helpful. It encourages sharing knowledge and can prevent big errors when someone leaves the team.

Machine learning never cheats but it may play flawed games

Mindful Modeler • 259 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Statistics Data generation Machine Learning Data Analysis
  1. Machine learning models may use shortcuts or exploit quirks in data, but it's important to consider them as playing the game according to the rules set by the data.
  2. Detecting flaws in prediction games is crucial, as models can unintentionally learn and act on misleading information from the data.
  3. Designing prediction games effectively requires a deep understanding of the data-generating process, tools like sampling theory, design of experiments, and a statistical mindset can be valuable in shaping prediction tasks.

💥 Tech Talks Weekly #24

Tech Talks Weekly • 59 implied HN points • 26 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Conferences Programming AI Data science
  1. Tech Talks Weekly is a free email newsletter that shares recent talks from dozens of tech conferences. It's a great way to catch up on what you missed!
  2. Readers can participate by filling out a short form to help improve the content. This makes it a community-driven resource.
  3. The newsletter highlights popular talks each week, making it easier for people to discover valuable insights from experts in tech.

Repost: Armed conflict investor survival guide

Klement on Investing • 6 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
💰 Finance Asset allocation Risk management Equities Commodities Inflation Macroeconomics Investing
  1. Don’t panic — most geopolitical shocks don’t hurt equity performance beyond a few weeks, so avoid rushing to sell and consider buying risky assets when they dip.
  2. Use a simple checklist before acting: ask whether infrastructure is damaged, whether inflation will stay high, and whether real interest rates will shift, since each outcome calls for different sector decisions.
  3. Only make major portfolio changes if the effects are persistent (more than a year) on inflation, earnings, or rates; short-term market fear is usually noise and a buying opportunity.