The hottest Substack posts right now

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Founders, you’re being quietly screwed by VCs

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman • 129 implied HN points • 11 Aug 25
💼 Business Ownership Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Startups Investing
  1. Many founders don’t realize that a clause in their term sheet can take away their voting rights if they stop working at the company. This is often overlooked and can lead to significant power loss for founders.
  2. This clause is meant to protect against rogue founders who might cause trouble after leaving, but it often ends up hurting the good founders instead.
  3. Founders should carefully check their term sheets for voting rights related to employment. Understanding these terms can help them avoid losing influence in their own companies.

Hidden Forces

Lewis Enterprises • 196 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
💰 Finance Market Dynamics Asset Pricing
  1. Investors should focus on different dimensions of risk for expected returns in investment decisions, rather than trying to pick individual stocks
  2. Academic challenges exist in finding factors that perform well in out-of-sample tests for factor-based investing
  3. Traditional factor investing methods may face challenges when applied to asset-heavy passthrough entities like REITs

AI: Practical Advice for the Worried

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2419 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Uncertainty Careers Investing Ethics
  1. There are good reasons to worry about AI, but also reasons to be skeptical of imminent transformative AI.
  2. People often struggle to react appropriately to worrying AI information, either ignoring the risks or overreacting.
  3. In the face of AI uncertainties, living a 'normal' life is still valuable and preparing for the unknown while staying flexible is crucial.

Import AI 327: Stable Diffusion on phones; GPT-Hacker; UK launches a £100m AI taskforce

Import AI • 379 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity AI Research AI Governance
  1. Google researchers optimized Stable Diffusion for efficiency on smartphones, achieving fast inference latency, a step towards industrialization of image generation.
  2. Using large language models like GPT-4 can enhance hacker capabilities, automating tasks and providing helpful tips.
  3. Political parties, like the Republican National Committee, are leveraging AI to create AI-generated content for campaigns, highlighting the emergence of AI in shaping political narratives.
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Five things I believe about actually-existing AI today.

The Future, Now and Then • 162 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI Tech Ethics Data science Innovation Machine Learning
  1. Generative AI is really about doing what's good enough for certain tasks. It's useful when perfection isn't needed, like for basic reports or planning a simple trip.
  2. The way generative AI is used often depends on the interests of investors, not users. Those making decisions may prioritize profit over quality, affecting how useful AI can be in fields like journalism and medicine.
  3. We need to be careful with how we talk about AI, as calling it 'intelligent' can lead to misunderstandings and conspiracy theories. This can have real-world consequences if people start believing silly claims.

The Bear Cave #246

The Bear Cave • 559 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
💼 Business Market Analysis Corporate Governance Investing Management Finance
  1. Blue Orca Capital reported that Baldwin Insurance Group has been using some tricky financial practices to make their profits look better than they actually are. They claim the company has serious profitability issues.
  2. Recent leadership changes show a lot of turnover among company executives, with several CFOs and CEOs resigning or being let go. This could indicate bigger problems within those companies.
  3. There are also activist reports about Byrna Technologies, suggesting they might be exaggerating their business success. The reports claim many of their dealers don’t really exist or aren't effective.

Friday Macro Sitch Watching: The Grit from the Sandstorm Is Fierce!

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 207 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
💰 Finance Investment Macroeconomics Economic Policy Market Trends Risk management
  1. In uncertain times, it's wise to be cautious and build safety instead of taking big risks. Waiting and watching can help us avoid bad decisions when the future is unclear.
  2. The economy is facing challenges like stagflation, which means slow growth and high prices. It's hard to tell if we're headed for a recession or if things will get better soon.
  3. Some people still have hope for a positive change, similar to past economic recoveries. They believe that chaos could lead to new growth opportunities, but there's a lot of uncertainty about what will happen next.

Endorsements for My Book From Heizo Takenaka and Other Notables

Japan Economy Watch • 219 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
💼 Business Publications Entrepreneurship
  1. The author's book on reviving entrepreneurship in Japan has received noteworthy endorsements from Heizo Takenaka, Gerald Curtis, Bill Emmott, Zoltan Acs, and David Audretsch, all experts in economics and politics.
  2. The endorsements highlight the potential for Japan to experience an entrepreneurial renaissance fueled by factors like digital technology, demographic changes, and government support.
  3. The book challenges the traditional belief that Japan lacks entrepreneurship, providing a fresh analysis that argues for the importance of fostering new companies.

The Making of a Senior Engineer 💡: Guest Post by Addy Osmani

High Growth Engineer • 1238 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Skills Development Leadership Engineering Career development Management
  1. To transition into senior engineering roles, you need to shift from hands-on work to systems thinking, focusing on strategic leadership and fostering team autonomy.
  2. Senior engineers lead through influence rather than pure authority, emphasizing building trusted relationships, setting vision, and empowering teams.
  3. Developing critical leadership skills as a senior engineer involves improving empathy, communication, collaboration, systems thinking, and execution orchestration, while overcoming common pitfalls like losing sight of the big picture and excessive control.

Job-to-be-done Theory and Comparison Table

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 26 Jul 24
💼 Business Market Analysis Customer Needs Product Development Innovation Strategies
  1. Job-to-be-done theory helps define your market by focusing on customer needs and their desired outcomes. Understanding what users want makes it easier to tailor your product.
  2. Creating a survey can help you collect valuable feedback from customers about their unmet needs. This insight can guide you in improving your product and identifying opportunities.
  3. Improving your landing page with comparison criteria and customer testimonials can make it more appealing. It’s important to keep iterating based on customer feedback to better serve their needs.

Massachusetts Chevy dealership's A.I. chatbot predicts Chiefs to win and also Niners to win

Read Max • 1238 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Chatbot Sports Business Automotive
  1. A Chevy dealership's A.I. chatbot predicted both the Chiefs and Niners to win the Super Bowl.
  2. The chatbot's analysis included inaccuracies like thinking Brock Purdy still plays for Iowa State and Jimmy Garoppolo is still with the Niners.
  3. Despite limitations, Quirk Chevrolet's chatbot predicted the Chiefs to win 31-27 in one conversation.

Making Sense of the Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report

Security Is • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Data Breaches AI Phishing Information Security
  1. Most breaches are due to simple mistakes, like employees accidentally sending confidential info to the wrong place. Security teams need to focus on basic issues before tackling more complex problems.
  2. A large portion of breaches starts with phishing or stolen credentials. Companies should invest more in security measures like multi-factor authentication and employee training to lessen these risks.
  3. Generative AI hasn't impacted security breaches significantly yet. Most attackers are still using traditional methods, and no one seems to be targeting AI systems directly.

It's time to build

benn.substack • 1278 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Data Analytics Startups Software AI
  1. The modern data stack ecosystem is shifting as interest in generative AI takes over.
  2. The hype surrounding data tools can lead to rapid product development but also instability and distraction.
  3. Startups can find success by focusing on rebuilding existing ideas in a more deliberate and stable manner.

The AI Application Land Grab

Generating Conversation • 163 implied HN points • 17 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Startups AI Acquisitions Data Trends
  1. There has been a trend of big companies acquiring smaller AI firms to stay competitive, driven by fears of not keeping up with the latest technology. This could mean more interesting developments in the AI space in the near future.
  2. Many major tech companies are looking to acquire not just applications but also data management firms, as having the right data is crucial for AI success. This means we might see more acquisitions focused on data management.
  3. While some startups are getting acquired, many leading infrastructure companies are staying independent, possibly because they are doing well on their own or the big companies feel confident in their existing infrastructure. This shows a different strategy in the market right now.

2.1 Ancient Ideas of Atomism & Plenism

Fields & Energy • 219 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Ancient Philosophy Physics
  1. The concept of atomism began in ancient Greece with philosophers like Leucippus and Democritus, who believed everything is made up of tiny, indivisible particles called atoms. They also thought a void exists where these atoms move.
  2. Democritus' ideas influenced later thinkers like Epicurus, who introduced the idea that atoms can swerve randomly, allowing for free will. Lucretius expanded on this by describing how tiny particles move in ways we can't always see.
  3. Aristotle challenged atomism with his idea of plenism, which suggests everything is filled with matter and there is no empty space. He argued that motion is continuous and depends on the presence of matter all around.

The ROI Problem of AI: Dazzling Capabilities, But Powerful Market Incentives Blocking Bottom-Line Corporate-Profit Gains

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 176 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Market Trends AI Economics Business Models Innovation
  1. AI technology is advancing quickly, but companies are struggling to turn that technology into real profits. Just having cool tech doesn't mean money will follow.
  2. When many companies are trying to give away AI services for free, it makes it hard for anyone to make a profit. This can lead to a situation where only a few big players survive.
  3. While users benefit a lot from new AI tools, the business world may not see the same gains. So, businesses need to be careful and think long-term about making money.

Shunning the Practical Plug-in Hybrid for the Microbus Electric-Koolaid Acid Dream

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 176 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Consumer behavior Electric Vehicles Market Trends Infrastructure Automotive
  1. Plug-in hybrids are great for most daily driving needs, but their sales aren't as strong as expected. Many people still prefer gasoline cars, even when driving less than 40 miles a day, which is well within the range of most plug-in hybrids.
  2. Electric vehicles like the VW ID.BUZZ can seem appealing, but they come with their own challenges, such as charging infrastructure and battery weight. Sometimes people choose them for fun or nostalgia rather than practicality.
  3. It can be tough to balance practical needs with personal desires when buying a car. Sometimes people opt for exciting options over the more sensible choices, even if it means spending more money.

A short history of SHAP

Mindful Modeler • 359 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Interpretability Research AI Ethics Explainable AI
  1. Shapley values originated in game theory in 1953 and contributed to fair resource distribution methods.
  2. In 2010, Shapley values were introduced to explain machine learning predictions, but didn't gain traction until the SHAP method in 2017.
  3. SHAP gained popularity for its new estimator for Shapley values, unification of existing methods, and efficient computation, leading to widespread adoption in machine learning interpretation.

Phi-3 Is A Small Language Model Which Can Run On Your Phone

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jun 24
🕹 Technology NLP AI Machine Learning Data science Software Development
  1. Phi-3 is a small language model that can run directly on your phone, making it accessible for local use instead of needing cloud connections. This means you can use it anywhere without relying on internet speed.
  2. Small language models like Phi-3 are good for specific tasks and regulated industries where data privacy is important. They can provide quick and accurate responses while keeping your data secure.
  3. Training for Phi-3 involves using high-quality data to improve its understanding of language and reasoning skills, allowing it to perform well on par with larger models, despite its smaller size.

My Claude Code workflow

Aliveness Studies • 13 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Programming AI Software DevOps Automation Tools Productivity
  1. Pay for the Max plan and run multiple model instances so you have enough usage and can parallelize feature work and background tasks.
  2. Use git worktrees (and a helper like worktrunk) plus plan-mode workflows to manage branches, run hooks, spin up per-branch dev servers, and have the model draft and implement features with tests and linting.
  3. Automate end-to-end: let the model ‘do it for me’ to run CLI tools, deploy, update DNS, run headless integration tests, and use browser or interview tools to gather info and fix problems without manual steps.

Understanding Luigi Mangione

Philosophy bear • 500 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Biography Social Psychology Agency Narrative Ideology
  1. Luigi Mangione's journey shows how complex a person's beliefs can be. He seemed to struggle with various political ideas throughout his life, often changing directions.
  2. People often don’t think strictly in political terms, but rather look for answers to different issues independently. This highlights the difficulty in fitting people into rigid ideological boxes.
  3. Luigi's story underlines the importance of feeling included in communities, especially for those wanting to make the world a better place. A lack of belonging can lead to frustration and misguided actions.

Four Things Friday

State of the Future • 2 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Cloud Funding Productivity Startups AI Security
  1. AI coding agents can become supply-chain attack vectors because they can read and write code, access build systems, and leak credentials. Teams need clear agent security policies and should limit write access.
  2. AI raises labour productivity on average but the benefits mostly go to firms that invest in workforce training and software/data infrastructure. Without that investment, smaller or slower firms will fall further behind.
  3. Winning in AI means building the full stack — inference infrastructure, sandboxing, models, and deployment — and big bets and acquisitions are reshaping who can compete. Regional players are mobilizing capital to avoid ceding dominance to US incumbents.

🎮 How is Gen. AI Impacting the Gaming Sector?

Overlooked by Alexandre Dewez • 157 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Infrastructure Gaming AI
  1. The gaming industry is challenging for infrastructure startups due to various factors like the long tail of independent studios and project-based nature.
  2. Generative AI tools can automate up to 50% of the gaming value chain, accelerating game development and enhancing quality.
  3. Gaming companies are at varying stages in adopting AI tools, from experimenting with asset generation to integrating AI into core game development operations.

BreakTime - Destroy Your Meetings

eieio games • 119 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Gaming Software Productivity Development
  1. BreakTime is a game that turns your meetings into a fun experience, literally by breaking bricks. You can play it inside Google Calendar instead of just looking at meeting times.
  2. When you play, BreakTime has an option to decline meetings for you after the game. This adds a humorous twist to handling a busy schedule.
  3. The creator of BreakTime was inspired by friends and enjoyed making it, showing how collaboration can lead to fun and creative projects.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 506

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 399 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Data science Robotics Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Data Engineering
  1. Integrating large language models into systems can be done using seven key patterns that balance performance and cost.
  2. Ethics in AI isn't just about explainability and fairness; we need a deeper understanding to prevent overall harm from AI systems.
  3. New approaches in robotics focus on current challenges and opportunities while advancing understanding of AI's role in planning tasks.

Young People Can't Get Jobs. Now What?

State of the Future • 228 implied HN points • 15 May 25
💼 Business Employment Economy Education Entrepreneurship Technology
  1. AI is causing entry-level jobs to disappear, especially for young graduates. Many of the roles that students are training for are fading away fast.
  2. Youth unemployment is increasing, with recent grads struggling to find work. The job market is looking worse for them compared to the overall workforce.
  3. We need new ideas and solutions to help young people find work. Programs that encourage entrepreneurship and skilled trades can help them build careers even as traditional job paths vanish.

The Bear Cave #249

The Bear Cave • 513 implied HN points • 24 Nov 24
💼 Business Market Analysis Executive Changes Corporate Governance Investors Finance
  1. Multiple activist reports have raised concerns about major companies like Roblox, Oklo, and elf Beauty, suggesting issues of financial integrity and management competence. These reports could indicate potential future problems for these companies.
  2. Several key executives have recently resigned from their positions, including CEOs and CFOs from various companies. This turnover can point to instability within these organizations, potentially affecting their performance.
  3. There are ongoing investigations into companies like Zeta Global for unethical practices. Allegations of deceptive marketing and revenue manipulation highlight the importance of transparency in business.

Reflexes, Desires, Actions, Emergence, & the Mirage of Machine Minds: What MAMLMs Still Ain't

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 176 implied HN points • 29 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Computing Data science Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Complex Systems
  1. Understanding complexity and emergence is crucial for grasping advanced artificial intelligence concepts. It's not just about scaling up technology but comprehending how simple rules can create complex behaviors.
  2. Human intelligence is a result of both evolution and shared knowledge as a species. We are already a network of minds working together, which influences how we create and interact with machines.
  3. The future of AI should focus on enhancing human capabilities rather than mimicking intelligence. We need to consider if we're creating true understanding or just sophisticated imitation.

Sarah Chekfa: Stop Believing: The Data Center as Religious Monument

Do Not Research • 279 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Big Data Space Technology Environmental Impact Digital Infrastructure Data Centers
  1. Data centers are often like religious monuments, housing IT infrastructure and managing vast amounts of data that power modern life.
  2. Big data is considered almost mythical, with beliefs and values attributed to its insights and power, leading to comparisons with religion.
  3. Data centers have significant ecological impacts, consuming vast amounts of electricity and resources, leading to concerns over energy waste and pollution, with proposals for lunar data centers creating new environmental challenges.

De-dollarization Attack

Diane Francis • 559 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
💰 Finance International Trade Currency Economics Global Markets Monetary Policy
  1. The US Dollar is seen as a stable and reliable currency globally, much more so than other national currencies and cryptocurrencies. This stability comes from a strong economy and the trust in its government.
  2. Russia's attempts to promote the use of the Chinese Yuan and create a new currency are unlikely to weaken the dominance of the US Dollar. In fact, they may end up increasing China's dependency on dollar reserves for stability.
  3. While there is some competition in global currencies, none are poised to replace the dollar until they are backed by strong, dynamic economies that have military power and stable governments.

The Alchemy of Crisis

The Joyous Struggle • 276 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Crisis
  1. The concept of crisis should be viewed with discernment to free oneself from its hold and not default to crisis-thinking as the primary mode of existence.
  2. The alchemy of crisis involves transcending crisis-thinking to uncover hidden potential and engage in a meaningful way with the world, shifting from crisis-oriented language to exploring prefigurative elements of a better world.
  3. Different stages of crisis perception like crisis, polycrisis, permacrisis, metacrisis, and postcrisis reflect evolving relationships with crises, emphasizing the need to move towards a mature understanding of crisis as one aspect among many in societal dynamics.

The Large Language Model Landscape — Version 5

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 79 implied HN points • 25 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data science Natural Language Processing Software Development AI
  1. Large Language Models (LLMs) are evolving with more functionality, combining various tasks into fewer models. This helps in making them more efficient for users.
  2. There are different zones in the LLM landscape, each focusing on specific uses, tools, and applications, ranging from available models to user interfaces.
  3. Tech advancements like prompt engineering and data-centric tools are making it easier to harness the power of LLMs, opening up new opportunities for businesses.

Making API Documentation Dynamic

The API Changelog • 1 implied HN point • 06 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Frontend Developer Tools Documentation APIs UX
  1. High-quality documentation shapes how developers judge an API, so make docs easy to use and remove anything that creates friction.
  2. MDX lets you embed components and run JavaScript inside docs so users see personalized data and can try requests, which speeds onboarding and lowers Time to First Call (TTFC).
  3. MDX adds power but also build steps and maintenance overhead, so weigh that complexity against a simple Markdown README when resources are limited.

So... what is the lottery ticket hypothesis [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 159 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Deep Learning Mathematics AI Machine Learning Neural Networks
  1. The Lottery Ticket Hypothesis proposes that within deep neural networks, there are subnetworks capable of achieving high performance with fewer parameters, leading to smaller and faster models.
  2. Successful application of the Lottery Ticket Hypothesis relies on iterative magnitude pruning strategies, with potential benefits like faster learning and higher accuracy.
  3. The hypothesis works due to factors like favorable gradients, implicit regularization, and data alignment, but challenges like scalability and interpretability remain towards practical implementation.

How Employee Reviews Can Transform Your Small Business

The Power of Teamwork • 59 implied HN points • 13 Jun 24
💼 Business Leadership Development Employee engagement Performance reviews
  1. Employee reviews help clarify roles and expectations, making it easier for everyone to understand what they need to do. This leads to better teamwork and efficiency.
  2. Regular reviews can identify underperforming employees and provide actionable feedback, helping them improve and contribute more to the team. This can boost overall productivity.
  3. These reviews allow for open communication about career progression and skills development, helping to keep employees engaged and reducing turnover. When employees feel valued, they're more likely to stay.