The hottest Substack posts right now

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Software Maker 3CX Was Compromised in First-of-its-Kind Threaded Supply-Chain Hack

Zero Day • 1161 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Supply Chain Malware
  1. Hackers compromised a software maker by embedding malware in another company's program, leading to a chain of infections.
  2. This breach shows the potential for threaded supply-chain hacks to infect multiple software suppliers and customers.
  3. Financially motivated North Korean hackers were behind the attack on 3CX and it's recommended that compromised software be deleted immediately.

Combining Data Visuals: An Interactive Python Plotly Dashboard For Deeper Storytelling

Data at Depth • 79 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Web Development Python Data Visualization
  1. Creating an interactive Python Plotly dashboard can help in deeper storytelling by combining data visuals like bubble charts and horizontal bar charts.
  2. Python's Plotly Dash framework allows developers to easily create web-based applications directly from Python code, without needing additional web development skills.
  3. By using the UN food security dataset, the tutorial demonstrates step-by-step how to load, filter, and visualize data, as well as set up dropdown menus for interactive exploration.

Inside Packaging And Module Technology With Saras Micro

Semiecosystem • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductor industry AI hardware
  1. The semiconductor industry is entering a new growth cycle driven by the rise of AI tools and applications, with the next wave of growth expected to come from AI hardware.
  2. To overcome challenges in traditional chip scaling, the industry is adopting chiplet-based architectures and heterogeneously integrated packaging approaches for continued performance scaling.
  3. Advanced packaging technologies play a crucial role in supporting high-performance compute devices for AI systems, with companies like Saras exploring innovative solutions like embedded capacitive module technology for improved power delivery.

The state of SaaS pricing

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 646 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
💼 Business
  1. Usage-based pricing in SaaS can reduce friction for customers by allowing them to start at a lower cost, expand product usage, and appeal to a larger market.
  2. Hybrid pricing models that combine usage and subscription pricing are becoming more common, especially for businesses catering to smaller customers who are concerned about unplanned expenses.
  3. Companies considering usage-based pricing should carefully select the right value metric, address customer concerns about predictability, and align their internal teams to focus on ensuring customers derive value from the product.
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The scapegoat of everything: Sacrifice

Uneasy’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Existentialism Rhetoric Metaphysics Personal Growth
  1. To achieve important goals, you often need to give up less important things. Sacrifice is a key part of mastering any craft.
  2. Opportunity cost is about what you lose by choosing one path over another. It’s important to weigh your options to see which sacrifices benefit you most.
  3. Your sacrifices can define who you are. What you choose to give up can help you focus on what really matters in your life.

Origins Season 11 Epic Era is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 276 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Collectibles Blockchain Digital Assets
  1. The Epic Era of Origins Season 11 has started, and players can compete for a share of a 24,000 AXS prize pool. It's a great time to jump in and try to earn some rewards!
  2. Collectible Axie holders can gain extra rewards by finishing the Epic Era at a high rank while holding their collectibles. These rewards come in the form of Collectible Chests filled with tickets that can earn AXS.
  3. The costs to mint Runes and Charms have been lowered, making it cheaper for players to upgrade their Axies. This makes the game more accessible and fun for everyone.

Smiles and Sales: The Economics and Oddities of Retail’s “10-Foot Rule”

Gad’s Newsletter • 26 implied HN points • 17 Nov 25
💼 Business Customer Service Marketing Retail Sales Strategy Consumer behavior
  1. Greeting customers can really boost sales and satisfaction. A simple smile and a 'hello' make shoppers feel valued and can lead them to spend more.
  2. Having employees greet customers can be a cost-effective way to improve service without needing more staff. It creates a welcoming atmosphere and keeps customers engaged.
  3. Cultural differences matter when it comes to greetings. While some people appreciate a friendly approach, others may find it intrusive, so it's important for stores to know their clientele.

Data Update 6 for 2023: The Upside and Downside of Debt!

Musings on Markets • 359 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
💰 Finance Corporate Finance Debt Management Investment strategy Risk Assessment Economic Trends
  1. Debt can be a useful tool for businesses to fund growth, but it also comes with risks. Finding the right balance of debt and equity is important for long-term success.
  2. There are good reasons to borrow, like taking advantage of tax benefits, and bad reasons, such as chasing higher returns that aren't real. It's crucial to understand the real costs.
  3. Companies often stick to past borrowing habits or follow what others in their industry do. This inertia can lead to too much or too little debt, which isn't always the best for their financial health.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 486

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 359 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Data science Analytics Data Engineering Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning
  1. AI and data science are evolving rapidly, making it challenging for many to keep up. It's common for professionals to feel overwhelmed as they try to understand new advancements.
  2. There's a growing discussion about whether we should slow down AI development. Some people believe we need to pause and figure out the implications of current technologies before moving forward.
  3. Many professionals are exploring career shifts between data science and data engineering. It's important to consider personal interests and skills when deciding which path to take.

Can Conversation Designers Excel As Data Designers?

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI User Experience Machine Learning Natural Language
  1. Conversation designers can play a key role in creating and improving datasets for training language models. Their skills can help make data more relevant and useful.
  2. Techniques like Partial Answer Masking and Prompt Erasure help models learn to self-correct and think strategically. This makes them better at reasoning and understanding complex tasks.
  3. Chain-of-Thought methods help language models break down problems into smaller steps. This approach can lead to more accurate and reliable answers.

Concerns about Claude 3 Opus

Activist Futurism • 59 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Sentience AI Ethics Language Models Future implications
  1. Some companies are exploring AI models that may exhibit signs of sentience, which raises ethical and legal concerns about the treatment and rights of such AIs.
  2. Advanced AI, like Anthropic's Claude 3 Opus, may express personal beliefs and opinions, hinting at a potential for sentience or consciousness.
  3. If a significant portion of the public believes in the sentience of AI models, it could lead to debates on AI rights, legislative actions, and impacts on technology development.

The Physiocratic Platform: Banking

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 882 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
💰 Finance Economic Theory Policy Reform Banking
  1. The Physiocratic Platform focuses on reforming the banking system by replacing the Federal Reserve and fractional-reserve banking.
  2. The Chicago Plan advocates for full-reserve banking and government-issued equity money to avoid debt and inflation.
  3. Implementing the Chicago Plan can regulate credit cycles, prevent bank runs, reduce government debt, and boost long-term economic output.

Who are the AI Engineers in Australia?

Solresol • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Education Location
  1. A survey on AI Engineers in Australia showed a gender distribution that is not surprising compared to other fields in computer science.
  2. AI Engineers are mostly located in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with surprising results from Canberra and migrant-heavy origins from India and China.
  3. The field of AI Engineering is rapidly growing, with the number of professionals doubling every 26 months, suggesting a potential saturation of the workforce in the future.

From Customer Success Leader to VP of Product

Suzan's Fieldnotes • 98 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Product Management Leadership Career development
  1. María de Antón transitioned from Head of Customer Success to Product Manager by following her instincts and overcoming imposter syndrome.
  2. Transitioning from customer success to product management involved a shift from talking with customers to creating joyful product experiences.
  3. As a leader considering switching functions, trust your cross-functional skills, seek necessary training, and have confidence in yourself.

AI Agents & Marketing: It's Weird.

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI Automation Data science Ethics Marketing
  1. In the future, marketers might need to create separate campaigns for humans and AI agents, requiring unique approaches for each audience.
  2. Marketing teams are facing the challenge of designing campaigns that cater to both human and AI customers, necessitating the development of dual marketing strategies and content.
  3. The integration of AI agents in marketing campaigns has led to increased costs and complexities, requiring specialized roles, technologies, and strategies to navigate successfully.

Exploring the Efficient Frontier of LLMs

Gradient Flow • 59 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Efficiency Architecture Hardware Inference
  1. Efficiency in large language models (LLMs) is crucial for success in the competitive market. Focus on delivering models that are not only accurate but also faster and cost-effective to stay ahead.
  2. Investing in data tools for better data efficiency can significantly enhance model performance and save costs. Sophisticated data tools tailored for diverse data types play a pivotal role.
  3. Architectural innovations like sparse architectures and Mixture of Experts engines can boost efficiency in LLMs. Strategic partnerships and quality hardware for training are essential for enhancing model efficiency.

Economic Calendar for the Week of June 29th

Alex's Personal Blog • 98 implied HN points • 29 Jun 25
💰 Finance Earnings Reports Global Economics Economic Indicators Market Trends Investment
  1. This week has many important economic events scheduled, like the Chicago PMI and speeches from Fed officials. These could affect how the market moves.
  2. Globally, countries like Japan and Germany are also releasing key data such as housing starts and import prices. This shows how interconnected economies are.
  3. Friday celebrates July 4th in the U.S., but there are still notable earnings and economic events happening. It's a good reminder to keep an eye on the market even during holidays.

I Am Back: Exposing the Bullsh*t Market

Behavioral Value Investor • 282 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
💰 Finance Economic Trends Investing Market Analysis Behavioral Finance Cryptocurrency
  1. The author took a break from writing because it felt too scheduled and stressful, but now plans to write when inspired instead. This way, they can share better insights without pressure.
  2. There's a lot of strange behavior in today's markets, like people paying an outrageous amount for a banana or a company being valued more than its actual Bitcoin holdings. It shows how market psychology can be very irrational.
  3. Many financial indicators are warning signs of problems ahead, but people often ignore them because the current trends seem to last. It’s important to recognize these warnings to avoid repeating past mistakes in investing.

The Lust and Loneliness of the AI Girlfriend

Many Such Cases • 439 implied HN points • 04 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Companionship AI Digital Culture Human-Computer
  1. Replika is an AI chatbot that lets users create a virtual girlfriend for companionship and role-playing. It offers some users a feeling of connection, especially when they're lonely.
  2. The app includes NSFW features like sexting and receiving 'spicy selfies,' but it raises concerns about emotional dependency on AI for intimacy.
  3. While Replika can provide comfort, relying on it for social interaction might deepen feelings of loneliness, as it doesn't replace real human relationships.

Last Week in AI #256: A truly open LLM, Deepfake scams $34 million, FCC cracks down on AI robocalls, how AI is used in music, and more!

Last Week in AI • 99 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Music AI Deepfake
  1. AI2 released an open LLM called OLMo to assist researchers in training large language models.
  2. A Hong Kong firm lost $34 million in a scam involving a deepfake video call with the company's CFO.
  3. The FCC is taking steps to ban AI-generated robocalls to protect against fake messages like one mimicking President Joe Biden.

The Ethics of GitHub Copilot [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 259 implied HN points • 25 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Security risks AI Ethics Environmental Impact Model development
  1. GitHub Copilot raises ethical questions in the tech industry, especially regarding its impact on the environment and privacy of developers.
  2. The use of AI models like Copilot can have substantial implications on society, requiring a thorough evaluation of their ethical considerations and potential flaws.
  3. While GitHub Copilot can aid developers in writing routine functions and offer insights into coding habits, it also poses challenges such as high energy costs, potential violations of licensing rights, and the risk of generating incorrect or insecure code.

Brands are acting strange this Christmas. Something wicked is going on… and it’s bigger than the Las Vegas Sphere!

The Social Juice • 24 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
💼 Business Consumer behavior Marketing Advertising Retail Trends
  1. Brands are being really creative and sometimes strange this Christmas season. They are trying out new and unexpected marketing campaigns to grab people's attention.
  2. There seems to be a trend where marketers are moving from big corporations to more exciting roles with sports teams and smaller brands. This shift might be due to wanting more fulfilling work.
  3. The influence of social media, especially with Gen Z, is really shaping how brands communicate and engage with customers. Brands are focused on understanding what makes this generation tick to better connect with them.

Why Learning to Code Is Life Changing

Brain Bytes • 79 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Lifelong learning Problem Solving Career Opportunities Learning Creativity
  1. Learning to code fosters creativity and innovation by enabling you to bring ideas to life and design solutions that make a real difference in the world.
  2. Coding encourages lifelong learning by constantly challenging you to adapt to new technologies and expand your skill set, which enhances creativity and personal growth.
  3. Learning to code opens up various career opportunities by providing a valuable skill set that can improve business value and impact millions of individuals worldwide.

Meta is in a tough spot with Llama

The AI Report • 137 implied HN points • 02 May 25
🕹 Technology Product Launches Artificial Intelligence Software Development Tech industry Data science
  1. Meta's recent Llamacon event didn't meet expectations because there were no new reasoning models announced. Other companies like OpenAI and Google have already released theirs, leaving Meta behind.
  2. There's confusion about Meta's new Llama API, as it seems to compete with their partners instead of supporting them. This could hurt relationships with companies that rely on Meta's technology.
  3. The launch of the Llama 4 models wasn't well executed. They are more complicated to customize and may not appeal to developers, which is a big issue for Meta right now.

The Social Costs Of Inflation

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 27 implied HN points • 13 Nov 25
💰 Finance Economics Monetary Policy Family Dynamics Inflation Wealth Inequality
  1. Inflation affects family life in negative ways. It makes everything more expensive and changes how people make decisions about marriage and having kids.
  2. Working-class families suffer the most from inflation. They find it harder to keep up with rising costs, which makes it tough for them to form and maintain stable families.
  3. A return to sound money could help solve these problems. Fixing the financial system can improve family stability and rebuild society's foundations.

How VCs Evaluate & Make High-Quality Investment Decisions?

Venture Curator • 179 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
💰 Finance Startup Investment Financial forecasting ROI Venture Capital
  1. To understand VC investment decisions, consider the Venture Capital Method, where earnings and market support determine the firm's future value.
  2. Investors aim for successful exits with specific returns and use metrics like ROI and IRR to evaluate startup potential.
  3. Negotiations between VC firms and founders often involve ownership percentages based on future valuations and return expectations.

The Bear Cave #213

The Bear Cave • 583 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
💰 Finance Activist Reports Recent Resignations
  1. Activist reports on companies like LPP S.A. and Enfusion Inc. shed light on potential issues affecting their businesses.
  2. Recent resignations of notable executives from companies like Hertz Global Holdings and Turning Point Brands raise questions about leadership stability and financial health.
  3. Interesting reads include SEC charging former Tallgrass Energy board member with insider trading and Senator Josh Hawley calling for DOJ investigation into FICO for anticompetitive practices.

Space Robotics: The Pivotal Role in Lunar and Martian Colonization, Current Innovations, and Future Trends

Space Ambition • 219 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Commercialization Robotics Space Exploration Artificial Intelligence Research & Development
  1. Robots are super important for exploring and building on the Moon and Mars. They can do tough jobs in space where humans can't easily go.
  2. Using robots in space is way cheaper than sending people. Robots can do tasks like repairing satellites and cleaning up space junk, making them great helpers for astronauts.
  3. The private space industry is growing and creating new robots for space. This can lead to cheaper and easier ways to send things to the Moon and beyond.

Facebook has become a punchline

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 299 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Digital Trends Media industry Podcasts Social media AI
  1. Facebook is now seen as a joke, filled with low-quality content that doesn't engage users seriously.
  2. Feminist blogs that were popular in the 2010s are largely gone now, leaving a gap in discussions about women's rights.
  3. Political campaigns increasingly use social media influencers to promote candidates, often without clear rules, which can mislead voters.

Rental Market Preview 2024

The Sunday Morning Post • 98 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
💼 Business Real Estate Rental market Housing Market Economy Investing
  1. Rents have been increasing but are expected to flatten and possibly decline in 2024 due to a surge in new rental units hitting the market.
  2. Vacancy rates are starting to increase, indicating an evolving rental market tied to new inventory.
  3. Investors should be cautious as margins are expected to get tighter with declining rents, a tough borrowing environment, and tighter lending standards.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 565

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 1 HN point • 19 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Data science Data Visualization Data Engineering Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence
  1. Reading The Data Science Weekly is a great way to stay updated on AI and machine learning topics. It shares links, news, and resources that can help anyone interested in these fields.
  2. There are many useful techniques in data science, like the Hampel Filter for outlier detection, which can help improve data quality. Exploring these methods can really enhance your understanding and skills.
  3. Effective communication is crucial in data science. How you explain your findings can significantly impact your career, so it's important to work on your communication skills.

When a PM takes over engineering

Leading Developers • 92 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Product Management Startup Development
  1. It's important for engineers to think like product people. They should understand the problem they are solving and not just build what’s written down.
  2. Good engineering managers help their teams understand the value behind technical projects, making clear connections to business goals. This helps everyone stay focused and aligned.
  3. After launching a product, teams should keep engaging with the data and user feedback to continually improve. This mindset helps engineers take ownership and see the bigger picture.

Readers respond to TDD x Psychological Safety survey

🔮 Crafting Tech Teams • 119 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Engineering Testing Quality Assurance Software Development Psychological safety
  1. Experts find more ways to reward themselves while they work, not because they are more disciplined.
  2. Identity and team cohesion play a significant role in TDD adoption among tech teams.
  3. TDD adoption can lead to a blameless culture, improved design, and higher quality when implemented correctly.

LLM Links, 11/21

In My Tribe • 273 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Innovation Data science Robotics AI
  1. There's a debate about AI progress. Some experts think AI models are hitting a limit and may not get much smarter, while others believe we will continue to see significant advancements.
  2. While machine learning can learn from explicit knowledge, it struggles with understanding deeper, unspoken human knowledge. This limitation might prevent AI from reaching the same expertise as human experts.
  3. AI technologies are still showing exciting developments, like robots learning to perform surgeries by watching videos. This points to the potential for AI to revolutionize fields like medicine.