The hottest Substack posts right now

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Ten Categories of Undying Beings

The Future of Life • 19 implied HN points • 13 Jul 24
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Ethics Futurism Existence
  1. There are ten interesting ways to think about immortality. Each category represents a different aspect of how one might achieve or understand being undying.
  2. Categories like 'Biological Stasis' and 'Regenerative Longevity' suggest methods related to physical health and recovery.
  3. More abstract ideas like 'Conceptual Persistence' and 'Ontological Necessity' explore deeper philosophical notions about existence and being.

Quant Letter: December 2025, Week-2

The Parlour • 21 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
💰 Finance Risk management Algorithmic Trading Portfolio Management Machine Learning Quant Finance Derivatives
  1. Reinforcement learning and other AI methods are increasingly used for investment decisions, portfolio optimization, and pricing, with a clear push toward simpler, explainable, and reliable strategies rather than black-box complexity.
  2. Researchers are building better risk models for tail events, jumps, and volatility calibration to capture heavy-tailed returns and interest-rate dynamics, aiming for more accurate pricing and stable capital allocation under stress.
  3. Open-source tools and model-evaluation frameworks are accelerating automation and workflow in quant finance, but the rise of algorithmic and passive trading is also heightening systemic risks, especially in emerging markets.

Money Supply Growth Surges to Multi-Year High

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 26 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
💰 Finance Central Bank Quantitative Easing Macroeconomics Interest Rates Banking Monetary Policy Money Supply
  1. The money supply has accelerated in recent months, with TMS at a multi-year high and M2 hitting record levels above $22 trillion.
  2. That surge is happening despite weak economic signs like rising layoffs, bankruptcies, and rising delinquencies, which makes the growth surprising.
  3. Fed easing (rate cuts and slower quantitative tightening) plus commercial bank lending are driving the increase, and a large share of today’s money stock was created since 2009 and especially since 2020.

How Do Investors Protect Themselves from Downrounds Through Weighted Average Anti-Dilution Protection? | Paul Graham's Article & More

Venture Curator • 239 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
💰 Finance Investment Remote Jobs Venture Capital Valuation
  1. Investors use Anti-Dilution Protection to safeguard against down-round situations, like Stripe's valuation decrease from $90 billion to $50 billion.
  2. There are two types of Anti-Dilution Protection: Full Ratchet and Weighted Average, each impacting investor ownership differently.
  3. Weighted Average Anti-Dilution Protection involves calculating new share conversion prices to adjust ownership percentages after a down round, ensuring fair investor protection.
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How Do LPs Evaluate VC Fund Performance? | How Much Should You Raise For Your Startup? | Small vs Large Market Focus | VC Remote Jobs & Internships

Venture Curator • 239 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Remote Jobs
  1. Limited Partners (LPs) evaluate the performance of a VC fund using terms like DPI, RVPI, and TVPI.
  2. When raising funds for a startup, VCs look for reasonableness in the amount raised relative to progress and goals. The amount raised can reflect valuation expectations and the company's runway.
  3. Understanding financial factors like cash in, cash out, and achieved milestones can make VC meetings smoother and increase the chances of getting funded.

Energy-as-a-service

GEM Energy Analytics • 239 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Innovation Renewables Sustainability Services Energy
  1. Energy-as-a-service is a new way to think about energy. Instead of paying for the electricity you use, you would pay for the services it provides, like heating or lighting.
  2. Mini-grids in Africa show how flexible energy solutions can work. These small systems can innovate with different pricing models to meet local needs.
  3. Smart technology could make it easier for consumers to handle their energy use. If providers take care of the complexity, people could just enjoy reliable services without worrying about fluctuating prices.

A Guide on Semiconductor Development

Irrational Analysis • 239 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Packaging Manufacturing Verification Design
  1. Semiconductor development involves a complex process that can take 2-4 years to create a leading-edge chip, starting from digital design to post-silicon validation.
  2. Timing closure is a crucial step in the design process, ensuring that the delays of various circuit elements are aligned with reference clocks to optimize chip performance.
  3. Pre-silicon verification is essential before tape-out to catch physical design flaws that might impact the functionality and performance of the chip.

What's Wrong with Moderation?

Humanities in Revolt • 239 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
📖 Philosophy Freedom Feminism Equality Ethics
  1. Social progress often comes from principled conviction rather than compromising between extremes.
  2. Historical movements for justice and social transformation have often required radicalism, advocacy, and personal sacrifice, rather than moderation.
  3. Feminist foremothers teach us that true social change necessitates dissent, defiance of norms, and enduring discomfort to combat oppression and injustice.

Understand Math Behind Secondary Sales, Measuring Startup Tractions, VC Daily Digest & More

Venture Curator • 239 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Financial Education Entrepreneurship Investment Strategies
  1. Secondary sales involve shareholders selling shares to buyers, different from primary sales where new shares are issued.
  2. Understanding the math behind secondary sales helps grasp ownership changes and value fluctuations for founders and investors.
  3. Evaluation of startup traction can be challenging for VCs due to factors like new markets, inexperienced founders, and limited financial history.

How Do Investors Protect Themselves from Downrounds ? | MOAT For AI Startups & More

Venture Curator • 239 implied HN points • 17 Jul 23
💰 Finance Funding Rounds Investors Startups
  1. Investors protect themselves from downrounds by using Antidilution Protection, which adjusts share values to prevent loss in valuation.
  2. Down rounds can happen due to various reasons like market changes or financial needs, prompting founders to seek lower valuations for investment.
  3. There are two types of Antidilution Protection: Full Ratchet and Weighted Average, with Full Ratchet adjusting share prices based on new valuations to safeguard investors' investments.

Why SHAP needs to be estimated

Mindful Modeler • 239 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Interpretation Python Estimation Machine Learning
  1. SHAP values used in machine learning need to be estimated rather than calculated exactly, based on the concept of Shapley values from game theory.
  2. Estimating SHAP values is necessary due to the exponential increase in possible coalitions with a high number of features, requiring sampling techniques.
  3. The complexity of working with distributions in machine learning models necessitates the estimation of SHAP values using techniques like Monte Carlo integration.

Ergotron's MacTilt

Computer Ads from the Past • 384 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Computer Hardware Ergonomics History Innovation Product Design
  1. Ergotron is known for creating ergonomic solutions. They design products to help people work comfortably and reduce strain.
  2. The MacTilt stand helps improve computer use by adjusting the screen for better view and reducing glare. This leads to less fatigue and more comfort during prolonged computer work.
  3. The company's focus on ergonomics has been backed by studies showing that a well-designed workstation can boost productivity. Users of products like MacTilt have reported feeling more energized and productive.

Going Faster is the Greatest UX

Sung’s Substack • 79 implied HN points • 26 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Engineering Open Source
  1. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them.
  2. In data engineering, the focus on speed is increasing, with the need for tools to actually make users go faster, not just show possibilities.
  3. To improve workflow efficiency, demand every element to be faster without compromises.

The UX Recruitment Struggle Is Real: How to Find Participants

UX Psychology • 238 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🕹 Technology User Experience Strategies UX Research Recruitment
  1. Finding the right participants for UX research can be a major challenge, hindering the effectiveness of your study.
  2. Being resourceful in recruiting participants is key - leverage niche communities, engage with customer-facing teams, and consider using professional panels.
  3. When facing internal roadblocks, start small to showcase the value of UX research, analyze indirect user touchpoints, and conduct desk research or UX audits as alternative solutions.

i-SOON: Another Company in the APT41 Network

Natto Thoughts • 219 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance Cybersecurity Hacking Malware
  1. A lawsuit revealed potential business ties between Chengdu 404 linked to APT41 and Sichuan i-SOON, shedding light on the ecosystem of IT companies in which these hackers operate.
  2. Sichuan i-SOON has strong connections with universities, offers training programs, and possesses qualifications to work for state security, raising questions about its potential involvement in APT activities.
  3. The similarities between Sichuan i-SOON and Chengdu 404, along with i-SOON's capabilities in surveillance-related technologies, suggest a possible link to APT41 activities and other Chinese APT groups like RedHotel/Earth Lusca.

Eventify everything - Data modeling for event data

timo's substack • 117 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Analytics Data Modeling
  1. Data modeling for event data involves handling various source data and supporting diverse analysis use cases.
  2. Event data modeling can be organized into layers, from raw source data to consumption-ready data for analytics tools.
  3. Qualifying events to activities in event data modeling helps improve data usability and user experience in analytics tools.

8 Signs Your Startup Is a Zombie and 3 Things to Do About It ! | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 159 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
💼 Business Investing Venture Capital Startups Career development Entrepreneurship
  1. Recognize the signs of a 'zombie' startup, like stagnant growth and constant need for funding, to avoid being unattractive to investors.
  2. Decide whether to accept failure, pivot the business model for exponential advantage, or explore opportunities for acquihire when a startup is struggling.
  3. Knowing when to quit or pivot is essential for startup success - sometimes failure can lead to growth opportunities or valuable lessons learned.

Under the microscope: E.T. Interplanetary Mission (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 101 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Media Studies Game design Software Engineering Video Games Cultural analysis
  1. The game 'E.T. Interplanetary Mission' includes hidden messages, one notably expressing a sentiment towards Osama Bin Laden. This reflects the cultural context and sentiments surrounding 9/11.
  2. Players can unlock useful cheats in the game, like starting with 100 lives by entering a specific sequence at the title screen. This adds a fun twist for gamers looking for an easier experience.
  3. There's a hidden graphics editor that was likely used by developers, showcasing the behind-the-scenes work that goes into game design. This kind of feature is a cool insight into how games were created.

3 Tests AGI Must Pass

Insight Axis • 237 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Computing Creativity Reasoning Testing
  1. Computers must excel at calculations to form the foundation for any further intelligence programming.
  2. After calculation, computers need to progress to reasoning - the ability to evaluate information and use it to make value-based decisions.
  3. The ultimate test for artificial intelligence is creativity - the capability to acknowledge rules but break them intuitively to create something new.

IMPORTANT: Tornado Cash Added To US Sanctions - $437 Million Blocked

DeFi Education • 919 implied HN points • 08 Aug 22
🔮 Crypto Blockchain Sanctions DeFi Compliance Regulation
  1. Tornado Cash has been added to the U.S. sanctions list, meaning it is illegal for U.S. citizens to engage with it in any way. This includes financial transactions or even visiting its website.
  2. Any assets held in Tornado Cash since the addition to the sanctions are considered 'tainted' and cannot be redeemed. This puts liquidity providers at risk of losing money.
  3. There are legal risks for U.S.-based Ethereum miners and exchanges that deal with Tornado Cash transactions, leading to increased compliance costs and possible changes in business operations.

Unity, divided

SuperJoost Playlist • 297 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Software Market Trends Mobile Gaming
  1. Roblox CEO emphasizes platform as a tool for communication and connection, amidst controversy and legal concerns.
  2. Unity's new fee structure based on installs sparks outrage among game developers, especially affecting smaller studios.
  3. Apple enhances high-end gaming on new iPhones, attracting popular franchises to mobile and competing with console versions.

Microsoft builds the bomb

benn.substack • 1508 implied HN points • 26 May 23
🕹 Technology Software Development Artificial Intelligence Data Management Cloud Computing
  1. The modern data stack aimed to revolutionize how technology is built and sold, focusing on modularity and specialized tools.
  2. Microsoft introduced Fabric as an all-in-one data and analytics platform to address the issue of fragmentation in the modern data stack.
  3. Fabric from Microsoft presents a unified solution but may risk limiting choice and innovation in the data industry.

How to train ChatGPT on your own text (train a text AI to generate content about your docs, book, website, etc)

Mythical AI • 235 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Applications AI Chatbots Models Training
  1. Large language models like ChatGPT can summarize articles, write stories, and engage in conversations.
  2. To train ChatGPT on your own text, you can use methods like giving the AI data in the prompt, fine-tuning a GPT3 model, using a paid service, or using an embedding database.
  3. Interesting use cases for training GPT3 on your own data include personalized email generators, chatting in the style of famous authors, creating blog posts, chatting with an author or book, and customer service applications.

What Does It Mean to Decentralise a Rollup?

Cryptocurrency and Friends • 235 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🔮 Crypto Smart Contracts Decentralization Blockchain Trust Rollups
  1. Decentralization in rollups is about prioritizing one honest party over a majority of validators.
  2. Rollups use a trusted third party like a smart contract instead of an honest majority to determine truth.
  3. The goal of decentralization in rollups is to empower one honest party to make decisions for the entire system in critical moments.

🧠 50 Ways to Leave Your Guidelines (And Actually Build a Brand)

the case for brand 💼 • 137 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
💼 Business Strategy Marketing Branding Growth Operations
  1. A brand is more than just a logo or a marketing plan. It's about how a business operates and the decisions it makes every day.
  2. Every interaction a customer has with a business is a chance to express the brand. From emails to packaging, every detail matters.
  3. To build a strong brand, it's important to think about how brand values influence everything, not just marketing. This includes team culture and customer experiences.

CISA and NCSC's Take on Secure AI Development

Resilient Cyber • 179 implied HN points • 01 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Security Data Protection Cybersecurity Software Development Risk management
  1. CISA and NCSC released guidelines for secure AI development that focus on unique security risks and the responsibilities of both AI providers and users. It's important for organizations to understand who is responsible for protecting AI systems.
  2. The guidelines emphasize practices like threat modeling and raising awareness of AI risks during the design phase. This helps organizations build secure systems by understanding potential threats upfront.
  3. Security doesn't stop at deployment; ongoing monitoring and incident response are crucial for maintaining safe AI operations. Companies need to keep an eye on how their AI systems behave and be ready to respond to any security incidents.

No Signal

In Bed With Social • 138 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Smartphones Digital detox Internet culture Tech accessories
  1. The trend of utilizing blocking tools to manage digital distractions is on the rise.
  2. An emerging movement focuses on balancing technology use with a desire for simplicity and genuine human interaction.
  3. There is a growing market for products and initiatives that promote disconnection from digital devices and encourage reconnecting with the real world.