The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

Me

Philosophy bear • 278 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Identity Mental health Buddhism Ethics
  1. It's important to express ourselves beyond just labels like race or gender. Relying too much on these labels can limit our understanding of a person and their experiences.
  2. People often crave certainty and security about their self-image, but this can lead to feelings of despair. Instead of clinging to an idealized self, focusing on doing good in the present moment can be more fulfilling.
  3. Many of us share a desire to be truly known by others. This feeling can lead to frustration when we feel invisible or misunderstood, but seeking genuine connections can help us combat that isolation.

What is the goal of anarchism?

The Novelleist • 347 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Conflict resolution Anarchism Political theory Society Governance
  1. Anarchism promotes the idea of living peacefully in small, self-governing communities. It believes people can manage their own lives without a large government.
  2. History shows that small communities often face threats from larger groups. To be safe, these small groups sometimes need to band together or rely on bigger organizations for protection.
  3. One way to achieve a peaceful, self-governing life may be to work within existing societies. By forming small communities where people can live as they want, we might promote harmony while still having some protection from the outside.

January 2024

Product Composition • 117 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Social media AI Apps Startups Tech news
  1. Alex Vilinskyy is looking for specific roles to fill in his ventures like Payment Integrationist, Email Expert, and Head of Design.
  2. He's also seeking partners interested in addressing issues in the Future of Work, Communication, Computing, Entrepreneurship, and Media.
  3. The post shares info about the authenticity of Instagram, upcoming plans for new products, and recommends cool apps like PhotoStudio and Factorio.

The Uber Driver Ratings Theory of Happiness

That Damn Optimist • 146 implied HN points • 03 Jun 25
📖 Philosophy Perspective Happiness Self-Improvement Mindset Relationships
  1. Drivers who rated their experiences positively often didn't see problems as a big deal. They focused more on the good aspects of driving, which helped improve their overall happiness.
  2. Building healthy relationships and having a sense of purpose were important for many drivers. They often mentioned doing their job for their families or to support side projects they loved.
  3. Shifting focus from personal problems to being curious about others can help reduce feelings of unhappiness. Engaging with others can remind us that our own problems might not be as significant.
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The return of the press release

Alex's Personal Blog • 98 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
💼 Business Economics AI Startups Marketing Finance
  1. Press releases are becoming more important again because companies want to share news, and AI tools are hungry for information. This makes companies release more press releases to get noticed in AI searches.
  2. With the rise of AI, press releases may start to be longer and more focused on providing a lot of information instead of being catchy for humans. This could change the way companies communicate important updates.
  3. As press releases grow more valuable, companies may make bolder claims without the usual human skepticism. This means PR work will become even busier and might lean more on AI tools.

Ticker Take: a weekly newsletter on investing.

Jon’s Newsletter • 59 implied HN points • 13 Apr 24
💰 Finance Economics Corporate Finance Market Analysis Stock Market Investing
  1. Market corrections can happen quickly, but historically, the S&P 500 often recovers most losses in just a few months. It's usually better for long-term investors to hold on rather than sell during downturns.
  2. Apple is working to integrate AI into its products, aiming to boost sales, especially in its Mac line. However, the overall impact might not be enough to offset current weaknesses in iPhone sales.
  3. Several tech companies are expected to see significant sales growth in the coming years. Nvidia, Micron, and Shopify are leading the way, showing that tech is still a strong sector for investment.

Using Matplotlib To Create The 50th Article Cover Mosaic Animation (#50 Part 2)

The Python Coding Stack • by Stephen Gruppetta • 119 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Visualization Programming Animation
  1. You can use Matplotlib to create animations, like a mosaic of previous article cover images, by following a step-by-step tutorial.
  2. Before starting the animation, ensure you have images ready and the necessary libraries installed like Matplotlib, NumPy, and Pillow.
  3. You can control how images are plotted, resize images in the animation frames, and save the animation as a movie file like an mp4 or an animated GIF using libraries like Matplotlib or PillowWriter.

BLT: Byte Latent Transformer

Gonzo ML • 315 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Data processing Innovation
  1. The Byte Latent Transformer (BLT) uses patches instead of tokens, allowing it to adapt based on the complexity of the input. This means it can process simpler inputs more efficiently and allocate more resources to complex ones.
  2. BLT can accurately encode text at a byte level, overcoming issues with traditional tokenization that often lead to mistakes in understanding languages and simple tasks like counting letters.
  3. BLT architecture has shown better performance than older models, handling tasks like translation and sequence manipulation more effectively. This advancement could improve the application of language models across different languages and reduce errors.

Thank You for 100k: A Journey Through 2024 and Beyond

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 294 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
💼 Business Consulting Community Building Leadership Content creation Data Analysis
  1. In 2024, I gained over 100,000 subscribers on both YouTube and Substack. I really appreciate the support and plan to create even better content next year.
  2. This year showed trends like cloud data migrations and smaller, fractional data teams, which are changing how companies handle data. It's important to keep an eye on these shifts in the data world.
  3. Looking ahead to 2025, I want to finish my book on data leadership and offer more webinars and mini-courses. I'm excited to engage even more with my readers and build a community.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers (5/6)

Human Capitalist • 59 implied HN points • 06 May 24
💼 Business Job Market Talent Acquisition Workforce Insights Employment Trends Corporate changes
  1. Many people are changing jobs, and this can create interesting dynamics in their new companies. It’s important to keep an eye on these shifts.
  2. Some notable job changes include a move from Salesforce to Scale AI and a return to HubSpot by a tech marketing expert. Such shifts can impact the companies involved.
  3. Tracking these job changes can help investors and recruiters learn about new opportunities and talent in the market.

💥💥 Two takes on America’s emerging (maybe) productivity boom

Faster, Please! • 822 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
💰 Finance Economics Clean Energy Policy AI
  1. There are signs of a significant economic transformation with productivity growth outpacing historical averages.
  2. The American economy may be experiencing a new productivity boom, setting it apart from other advanced economies.
  3. The recent productivity upshift is likely a response to a tight hiring environment, prompting firms to boost efficiency and automation.

Money Market Update

Concoda • 318 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
💰 Finance Debt Instruments Market Analysis Monetary Policy Liquidity management Investment Strategies
  1. The Federal Reserve is not worried about the debt ceiling impacting its plans to reduce its balance sheet. They believe liquidity in money markets is still high.
  2. The U.S. Treasury has enough resources to manage until around mid-2025, but any delays in addressing the debt ceiling could create funding issues.
  3. Equity repos, which involve borrowing cash using stocks as collateral, are becoming more popular. This trend is linked to rising demand and values of equities.

The Journal of Dangerous Ideas

Secretum Secretorum • 808 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Thought Journal Ideas Creativity Morality
  1. The idea of dangerous ideas includes those that can harm the world, pose threats, or are inherently dangerous in various aspects like technology, science, or philosophy.
  2. The concept of 'white balls' representing beneficial ideas and 'black balls' representing pernicious ideas explores human creativity and the potential risks and benefits of various thought processes.
  3. The post challenges readers to consider whether pursuing dangerous ideas, like founding a Journal of Dangerous Ideas, is a bold approach worth taking or if it leads to unnecessary risks.

Most Human Wins

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 270 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
💼 Business Technology AI Economics Strategy
  1. As technology advances, many skills we thought were unique to humans are becoming easier for machines to do. However, this doesn't mean that humans are being made irrelevant; rather, we need to find what makes us unique.
  2. The process of commoditization means that things that were once rare and valuable are now easier and cheaper to access. This opens up new opportunities for what skills can be considered valuable in a changing economy.
  3. It’s important to adapt and use the tools at our disposal creatively. As machines take over more tasks, we should focus on our human strengths and experiences, making them central to our endeavors.

Overview of Portfolio Construction & Risk Management - Owl and Iguana

DeFi Education • 1398 implied HN points • 12 Nov 21
🔮 Crypto DeFi Investing Finance Portfolio Management Risk management
  1. When building a crypto portfolio, it's important to balance between keeping your money safe, growing your investments, and managing your emotions. This helps ensure you're making smart decisions.
  2. It's smart to have a good chunk of your portfolio in Bitcoin and Ethereum before diving into other high-risk projects. This way, you can still benefit from their growth while taking some risks with other assets.
  3. Understanding the volatility of your investments can help you decide how much to invest in each asset. More volatile assets might require smaller investments to manage risk and avoid big losses.

SB 1047 with Socialist Characteristics: China’s Algorithm Registry in the LLM Era

ChinaTalk • 355 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Global Governance Data security Policy Analysis AI Regulations
  1. China has introduced strict rules for generative AI, requiring all output to reflect socialist values. This highlights the government's focus on controlling AI content that interacts with the public.
  2. There are two separate registration processes for algorithms in China: a simpler one for regular algorithms and a more complex one for generative AI. The more complicated process involves direct testing by authorities, making it tougher for companies to launch AI products.
  3. The regulatory environment is still evolving and can be confusing for companies. Some might face delays in getting their models approved, which could lead to a preference for targeting businesses over regular consumers.

$200 Billion in Bank Scams

DeFi Education • 739 implied HN points • 20 Sep 22
🔮 Crypto Banking DeFi Fraud Regulation Market Manipulation
  1. The banking industry has a long history of fraud and scandals, with $200 billion in fines paid for various crimes like money laundering and market manipulation. This shows that big banks often get away with serious misconduct.
  2. Critics argue that crypto is a hotbed for crime, but it's clear that traditional banks have also facilitated illegal activities repeatedly without facing serious consequences. This double standard highlights the need for fair scrutiny of both systems.
  3. DeFi (decentralized finance) offers solutions to prevent manipulation and enhance transparency. Technologies like blockchain could potentially do a better job of reducing financial crimes compared to traditional banks.

Introducing The Generalist's Reading and Deal Clubs

The Generalist • 260 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
💼 Business Community Reading Investing Startups Information
  1. The Generalist has started two clubs: a Reading Club and a Deal Club to share interesting articles, books, and startups.
  2. Every Friday, members can participate in the Reading Club by sharing and discovering new information and insights together.
  3. On Mondays, the Deal Club will focus on interesting startups and funding news, allowing members to discuss and learn from each other.

How to Use a Block Explorer

DeFi Education • 1039 implied HN points • 19 Apr 22
🔮 Crypto Blockchain Investing DeFi NFTs Security
  1. A block explorer like Etherscan lets you see Ethereum addresses and their transactions without needing to run a full node. It's much easier than downloading all the blockchain data yourself.
  2. You can use block explorers to interact with smart contracts, mint NFTs, revoke token approvals for security, and check if influencers actually minted NFTs or were sent them by others.
  3. Checking token vesting schedules and verifying contracts is important to avoid scams. Always verify contracts and be cautious about unverified ones, as they can be tied to risky projects.

Back of the envelope estimate of mortgage crackdown

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 126 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
💰 Finance Economics Mortgages Housing Debt Market Trends
  1. The number of mortgages has decreased significantly since the housing crisis. This drop is around 15 million more than normal due to stricter lending practices.
  2. Even with the growing adult population, fewer households are being formed, resulting in a shortfall of around 13 million mortgages that would have typically been expected.
  3. Long-term trends show fewer people per household and more unmarried adults, which contribute to the reduced demand for mortgages and homes.

The Pragmatists Handbook: Transjectivity

Divergent Futures • 2 HN points • 13 Sep 24
📖 Philosophy Aesthetics Metaphysics Epistemology Ontology Ethics
  1. Truth isn't just about what's real or what we feel; it comes from how we connect with the world around us. This idea is called transjectivity, showing that understanding comes from our interactions.
  2. The way we categorize things, like calling a chair a 'chair', is influenced by both what we see and how we use it. It's about finding what fits well in our lives, not just what exists independently.
  3. Our views and meanings can change based on our experiences and environment. This means that understanding truth is flexible and evolves as we learn and grow.

Sonder’s Sudden Collapse: What Went Wrong?

Gad’s Newsletter • 29 implied HN points • 24 Nov 25
💼 Business Investing Startups Leadership Operations Hospitality
  1. Sonder expanded too quickly without a solid plan. They treated their hospitality business like a tech startup, which led to high costs and financial problems.
  2. Sonder struggled to make money because their fixed costs were too high. Even when occupancy rates were good, they still lost money due to ongoing expenses that kept piling up.
  3. Partnerships can fail if companies are not aligned. Sonder's deal with Marriott seemed good, but their different customer expectations and technology issues hurt both businesses.

Why It's Smart to Write on Medium in 2023

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 419 implied HN points • 10 Feb 23
💼 Business Digital Media Content creation Freelancing Platforms Writing
  1. Writing on Medium can help you get exposure and build an audience, even if the pay isn't great. It's a good place to test your writing and try different topics.
  2. You get paid based on how much time readers spend on your stories, which means engagement is key for earnings. Even if the money is small, you can get paid quickly.
  3. Medium offers you creative freedom and flexibility to write on your own schedule. You can connect with others and even grow your reputation as a writer.

PostHog vs. The Industry

Alex's Personal Blog • 131 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Startups Software Funding Innovation Analytics
  1. PostHog is a startup doing things differently in the software world, like offering mostly free and open-source tools for product development. They focus on customer-friendly policies instead of typical sales tactics.
  2. There’s increasing investment in defense and AI startups, showing a trend towards innovation in these sectors. Companies like Helsing and xAI are raising significant funds to grow their projects.
  3. High costs for coding tools are becoming more common, as shown by Anysphere's price increase for its AI coding service. Developers might need to adjust to spending more to access advanced technology.

How I Built This In Public: Marko Saric

Build In Public Newsletter • 210 HN points • 10 Mar 23
💼 Business Open Source Content creation Entrepreneurship Startups Marketing
  1. Plausible Analytics was built in public from the first line of code, attracting early users and customers.
  2. Building in public brings transparency, feedback, and support from the community, but requires more than just sharing on social media for startup success.
  3. In building in public, create valuable content, be different, focus on creating a product people want, and learn effective communication strategies.

Last Week in AI #248: ChatGPT's 1st birthday, Amazon's new AI chatbot Q, the energy cost of generative AI, Sam Altman makes statement after return, and more!

Last Week in AI • 178 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Chatbots Leadership Changes AI Applications
  1. ChatGPT has made a significant impact in the past year with its interactive and conversational dialogue capabilities
  2. Amazon's new AI chatbot Q for companies has faced reliability issues, including hallucinations and data exposure during its public preview
  3. Generative AI, like image generation, consumes significant energy, equivalent to charging a smartphone, prompting a need to consider the environmental impact of AI technologies

State of AI: February 2026 newsletter

Guide to AI • 4 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Research Infrastructure Semiconductors Security Funding AI Policy
  1. Agentic AI is triggering a massive market repricing as autonomous agents and rapidly advancing frontier models threaten the long-term recurring revenue that justified high SaaS valuations, wiping hundreds of billions from software stocks. Investors are racing to re-evaluate how to underwrite tech companies in a world where core workflows can be rebuilt AI-first.
  2. Geopolitics and infrastructure constraints are reshaping the AI landscape: governments are clashing with labs over military use and export controls, states are limiting data center builds, and China is aggressively scaling talent and commercial AI, all of which will affect where training clusters and supply chains can be built. These policy and resource shifts will influence competition, investment, and national strategy in AI.
  3. Rapid agent proliferation has produced both theatrical emergent behavior and serious security problems: viral agent networks blurred the line between human and AI activity, while open-source agents exposed widespread vulnerabilities, leaked credentials, and growing shadow-IT risks for enterprises. The combination of autonomy, data access, and external actions makes agent security a top priority.

Thesis Drift

MD&A • 118 implied HN points • 29 Jun 25
💰 Finance Behavioral Finance Economics Investing Public Policy Market Analysis
  1. Investing can be a fun and intellectually stimulating puzzle, similar to solving crosswords or watching movies. If you enjoy it, picking stocks can be a rewarding hobby even if it's not always financially beneficial.
  2. Thesis drift is when investors create new reasons to hold onto a stock after their original reasons have failed. Instead of admitting they were wrong and moving on, they keep justifying their position and often end up losing more money.
  3. In both investing and life, it's important to recognize when a strategy isn't working. Instead of sticking to failed ideas, we should be willing to change course and learn from our mistakes to find better paths.

the biggest business myth is that PE-backed companies are well run

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman • 121 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
💼 Business Company performance Private Equity Investment Analysis Corporate strategy
  1. Private equity (PE) companies used to be seen as well-run, but many are now poorly managed and bloated. Unlike the past, there's no guarantee that a PE-backed company is better run than others.
  2. PE firms today often focus more on financial engineering and increasing their fees rather than actually improving the companies they buy. This has led to companies becoming more complicated without much actual performance improvement.
  3. If a top PE firm acquires a company from another top PE firm, the acquired company may not be able to provide significant improvements. The trend shows that the initial efficiency that PE firms once promised is largely missing now.

BI is not ready for AI

HyperArc • 3 HN points • 06 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Data science AI Business Intelligence Machine Learning
  1. Business Intelligence (BI) needs both good models and great data to be effective with AI. Without quality data, AI can't really show its true power.
  2. Many BI tools only focus on successful outcomes, like specific metrics, while ignoring the complete journey of discovery. This limited data can lead to missing important insights.
  3. To improve AI's effectiveness in BI, we should include a wider range of experiences and exploration paths, not just successful queries. This fuller picture can help create better AI training sets.