The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

Your Feature is Not a Product

Nathan’s Substack • 79 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🕹 Technology User Experience Product Development Artificial Intelligence Tech industry Software Development
  1. A common mistake is mistaking a feature for a product, leading to incomplete solutions in the market.
  2. Customers care more about how a product solves their problem, rather than the specific technology used.
  3. Start with the customer experience and work back to the technology when designing products, a lesson exemplified by Steve Jobs.

The Libertarian Coder

Rethinking Software • 249 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Autonomy Software Development Programming Collaboration Work Culture
  1. Working independently can be very rewarding, especially in coding. Some people thrive when they have control over their own projects and can focus deeply.
  2. There are different styles of collaboration in coding. Some prefer to share work with many people, while others like to work alone. Both ways can be valid and effective, depending on the person's preference.
  3. When you feel stuck at work, it's often not just your fault. It shows there might not be enough teamwork or communication. Asking lots of questions can help everyone succeed together.

6 March is DMA-Day

Platform Papers • 59 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Compliance Regulation Big Tech Digital Platforms Market Impact
  1. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) will enforce new rules on major digital platforms starting March 6, 2024, aiming to make markets fairer and more contestable for platforms like Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, and others.
  2. The DMA introduces obligations for gatekeepers to open up ecosystems, ensure fairness for business users, and promote transparency by submitting compliance plans publicly.
  3. The enforcement of DMA rules faces challenges from wealthy companies like Apple resisting compliance and the European Commission needing to balance limited resources with rigorous enforcement, highlighting the need for immediate action and collaboration with national agencies.

DeepSeek V3 and R1

From the New World • 188 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Computing Innovation Data science
  1. DeepSeek has released a new AI model called R1, which can answer tough scientific questions. This model has quickly gained attention, competing with major players like OpenAI and Google.
  2. There's ongoing debate about the authenticity of DeepSeek's claimed training costs and performance. Many believe that its reported costs and results might not be completely accurate.
  3. DeepSeek has implemented several innovations to enhance its AI models. These optimizations have helped them improve performance while dealing with hardware limits and developing new training techniques.

Lawsuits Rock Realtors and What it Means for Home Sales

The Sunday Morning Post • 78 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
💼 Business Lawsuits Real Estate Market Industry
  1. A series of lawsuits have shaken up the National Association of Realtors and real estate brokerage firms, potentially leading to changes in how homes are bought and sold.
  2. The lawsuits focus on inflated commissions in real estate transactions, aiming to decouple commissions between buyers' and sellers' agents, and could lead to different compensation structures in the industry.
  3. A new organization, the American Real Estate Association, has emerged to challenge the NAR's hold on the real estate market by offering more flexible commission fees and membership dues.
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Data Science Weekly - Issue 485

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 319 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Visualization Machine Learning Data science Data Engineering
  1. The newsletter shares interesting links about data science, machine learning, and AI each week. It’s a good way to keep up with new trends and knowledge in the field.
  2. There's a discussion on what databases should do but often don’t. Understanding these gaps can help you improve your data projects by knowing what to build yourself.
  3. AI's impact on jobs and industries is being researched, especially how language models like ChatGPT could change certain occupations. It's important to understand how AI can affect your career choices.

Meter: The Internet Utility

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 183 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Internet Networking Hardware Software Infrastructure
  1. Meter aims to make internet access as easy and universal as electricity. The founders believe that just like buildings come ready for power, companies should have straightforward internet setups too.
  2. By integrating hardware, software, and support into one package, Meter can provide better service at a lower cost. This approach helps them stand out from traditional network providers.
  3. Meter is working on creating advanced AI models to automate network management. This means that over time, networks could self-configure, get smarter, and require less human intervention.

How to have "the talk" with your customers

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 607 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
💼 Business Marketing Finance Product Development Customer Relationships Pricing
  1. Increase ACV by asking customers about willingness-to-pay without directly asking for a specific price.
  2. Understand that ACV growth involves price increases, product expansion, and knowing what customers value.
  3. As your business scales, consider factors like pricing, packaging, and customer willingness to pay to optimize revenue.

Is the "1% Market Fallacy" Holding Your Startup Back?

Venture Curator • 159 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Job Opportunities Market Analysis Venture Capital Startups
  1. Beware of the '1% Market Fallacy' where startups believe capturing a small percentage of a massive market will guarantee success.
  2. Building a successful startup requires focusing on a specific, well-defined market segment to understand customer needs and create a competitive advantage.
  3. It's more effective for startups to prioritize capturing a significant share of a smaller market first before expanding to larger markets.

Edition 30: The SDLC is changing and so will AppSec (again)

Boring AppSec • 69 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Code Review AI Tools Cybersecurity Software Development Software Engineering
  1. Software development is changing with new tools, especially those powered by AI. This means that AppSec will also need to adapt to keep up with these changes.
  2. The way we manage software development and security must evolve, focusing on how to handle code prompts and automated reviews more effectively.
  3. As non-developers start writing more code using AI tools, we need to be careful because this code might be less secure. Therefore, engaging with all team members involved in code creation is important.

The Bear Cave #210

The Bear Cave • 536 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
💼 Business Resignations Insider trading Activist Reports
  1. New activist reports were published on companies like B. Riley Financial, Fluence Energy, and AirSculpt Technologies, raising concerns about undisclosed information, fraud allegations, and safety issues.
  2. There were recent resignations at Planet Fitness, including the CFO and former CEO, highlighting potential governance and operational concerns at the company.
  3. Several notable executive departures were announced in the past week at companies like MoneyHero, Icahn Enterprises, and Health Catalyst, pointing towards management instability and issues within these organizations.

What Does Hitting Scaling Law Limit Mean for US-China AI Competition

Interconnected • 246 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
🕹 Technology International relations Global Competition Data science AI Machine Learning
  1. The scaling law for AI models might be losing effectiveness, meaning that simply using more data and compute power may not lead to significant improvements like it did before.
  2. US export controls on AI technology may become less impactful over time, as diminishing returns on AI model scaling could lessen the advantages of having the most advanced hardware.
  3. If AI development slows down, the urgency for a potential 'AI doomsday' scenario may decrease, allowing for a more balanced competition between the US and China in AI advancements.

Fuzzing Ladybird with tools from Google Project Zero

awesomekling • 522 HN points • 16 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Software Testing Security Web Development
  1. Using tools like Domato from Google Project Zero can stress test software and reveal potential security issues.
  2. Implementations in software can be prone to issues like null pointer dereferences, especially when assumptions about the DOM structure are not validated.
  3. Finding and fixing bugs, whether real bugs or spec bugs, is essential to improving software stability and ensuring it can handle unexpected inputs.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 500

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 219 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Data Engineering Data Visualization Machine Learning Data science
  1. AI technology is advancing quickly and can even cover public meetings, but we need to think carefully about its readiness for everyday use.
  2. Engineers can improve their people skills and interactions by applying the same problem-solving mindset they use in their technical work.
  3. Generative AI is becoming important in data science for creating synthetic data, which helps in privacy and enhances analysis without losing useful information.

AI and productivity: Year-in-review with Microsoft, Google, and GitHub researchers

Engineering Enablement • 13 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Career development Automation Collaboration Productivity Metrics Developer Tools Artificial Intelligence Software Engineering
  1. Lines of code is a poor measure of AI’s value — more output doesn’t equal more impact. Use broader measures like satisfaction, performance, collaboration, and efficiency to judge whether AI actually helps.
  2. AI is changing the developer role from code producer to director and validator of AI-assisted work, so hiring, career paths, and training must prioritize AI fluency, systems thinking, and judgment. Juniors might learn end-to-end problem solving faster, but only if teams preserve mentorship and opportunities to collaborate.
  3. The real wins come from enablement and focusing AI on real bottlenecks or tedious work, not from constantly switching tools or models. Also, don’t trust simple headlines — dig into context, and design tools to boost creativity and meaningful automation rather than just raw speed.

The GPT Era

Artificial Ignorance • 79 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Development AI Software Innovation Data
  1. The development of AI from models like GPT-3 to GPT-4 has seen rapid improvements in technology and user experience. Each version has made it easier for people to interact with AI in more useful ways.
  2. Competition in the AI market has led to better products and features, such as enhanced memory, web integration, and advanced coding tools. Now many companies offer similar core functions, making it important to focus on product design and user experience.
  3. As AI continues to evolve, there's a growing focus on reasoning models that help systems think more deeply. This shift will be important for making AI even more effective and adaptable in the future.

9 Greatest Mistakes to Avoid When Growing a Startup

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 19 implied HN points • 15 Jun 24
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Finance Marketing Management
  1. It's important not to overthink decisions. Making quick choices can save time and help your business move forward more efficiently.
  2. Setting boundaries with clients is key. If you try to please everyone, you might get overwhelmed and burn out.
  3. Having a clear understanding of your finances before starting a business is crucial. It helps ensure you can sustain your operations and pay everyone involved.

Do HNWI get better advice?

Klement on Investing • 3 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
💰 Finance Asset allocation Diversification Fees Behavioral Finance Wealth Management Investment Advice
  1. Advised private-bank clients tend to have more diversified portfolios with less home bias, lower turnover, and lower volatility.
  2. Despite lower risk and fewer behavioral errors, advised portfolios often show lower average returns and higher fees, partly because advisers move money into expensive alternative funds.
  3. Adviser incentives can steer clients toward high-fee products that cut net performance, so getting advice isn’t a guarantee of better outcomes.

#39: The AI Job Roles Hiding In Plain Sight

OSS.fund Newsletter • 18 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
💼 Business Risk management Career development Job Market
  1. AI job opportunities are growing fast in roles that help evaluate and manage AI systems rather than just building models. These roles focus on proving that the AI is safe and effective.
  2. There is a high demand for skilled professionals in AI evaluation, but many companies struggle to find enough talent. Workers with these skills can expect better job growth and higher wages compared to other sectors.
  3. The EDSO model breaks down AI evaluation roles into four key positions: Echo (strategist), Delta (engineer), Sigma (operator), and Omega (partner). Understanding these roles can help individuals identify career paths and companies to build strong AI oversight teams.

Does a hundred wrongs make one right?

inexactscience • 59 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💰 Finance Behavioral Economics Risk Assessment Decision Theory Investment Strategies
  1. A famous bet involving coin flips shows how people's risk preferences can be inconsistent. People might reject a single gamble but accept multiple repeats because they think it lowers their risk.
  2. The original advice about investing suggests buying stocks when young and bonds as you age. However, Samuelson's argument raises doubts about this common belief, challenging how we think about risk.
  3. The idea of loss aversion helps explain why people might choose to repeat risky bets. People tend to feel the pain of losing money more than the joy of gaining, which can lead to seemingly irrational decisions.

Low-drag machines

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 79 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
💼 Business Innovation Startups Management Strategy Human Resources
  1. Startups thrive on uncertainty. It's not something to avoid; it's actually what helps them find new opportunities and grow.
  2. Traditional management practices from established companies can slow down startups. These practices often don't fit their need to adapt and pivot quickly.
  3. To be successful, startups need to embrace an 'uncertainty mindset.' This means understanding the difference between risk and true uncertainty, allowing them to create better strategies and operations.

Modular Deep Learning

MLOps Newsletter • 78 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Generative models Classes Deep Learning
  1. Modular Deep Learning proposes splitting models into smaller, independent modules for specific subtasks.
  2. Modularity in AI development can lead to collaborative and efficient ecosystem and democratize AI development.
  3. PyTorch 2.0 introduces performance gains such as faster inference and training speeds, autotuning, quantization, and improved memory management.

The Great Curve Wars

DeFi Education • 959 implied HN points • 23 Nov 21
🔮 Crypto Liquidity Tokens DeFi Market Analysis Governance
  1. Curve Finance is a key player in decentralized finance, focusing on stable asset trading which helps keep stablecoin prices steady. It does this by incentivizing people to provide liquidity through its governance token, CRV.
  2. The governance of Curve is heavily influenced by veCRV holders who can vote on important decisions. Accumulating these tokens has led to a competitive scene, called the Curve Wars, where different protocols try to gain the most influence.
  3. Convex Finance is a major player in this competition, letting CRV holders stake their tokens for rewards while giving up governance rights. This strategy has shifted the balance of power in the Curve ecosystem, making CVX a valuable asset.

10 things no one else will tell you about Apple Vision Pro

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday • 926 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Virtual reality Tech Trends Digital Culture Tech news
  1. Future of technology like Apple Vision Pro may have surprising uses beyond what we initially think.
  2. Passthrough feature in Apple Vision Pro allows mutual seeing - interesting concept for enhanced interaction.
  3. Reflect on the impact of excessive screen time and technology usage on real-life human interactions.

#1: Directing Attention + first ever article

12challenges • 171 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Satire Media Startups Tech Analysis
  1. The publication '12 Challenges' has been rebranded to 'Directing Attention', aiming to create fun content about technology. It focuses on making tech exciting and offers a fresh perspective on the industry.
  2. The plan includes three types of content: playful tech analysis, satire, and interactive mini-sites. The writer plans to start by focusing on satire to quickly build an audience.
  3. A new website for 'Attention' is being created for maximum creative control, allowing for unique and interactive article presentations. This will help surprise and engage readers in new ways.

Space Tech and Science Fiction: Upgrading Your Inspiration through Sci-Fi

Space Ambition • 99 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Media influence Innovation Science fiction Inventions Space Tech
  1. Science fiction movies often inspire real-life inventions. Films like 'Star Trek' and 'Back to the Future' have influenced technologies like mobile phones and self-lacing shoes.
  2. Many iconic sci-fi movies predicted future technology, such as tablets in '2001: A Space Odyssey' and digital billboards in 'Blade Runner.' These films sparked ideas that led to actual developments.
  3. Sci-fi doesn't just inspire inventors; it also motivates scientists. Movies like 'Interstellar' and 'The Martian' have pushed researchers to explore black holes and even name new plant species.

Decoding Term Sheet: Liquidation Preference | Particiaption & Non-Participation Rights

Venture Curator • 179 implied HN points • 23 May 23
💼 Business Investments Startups Startup Financing Venture Capital
  1. Understanding terms like liquidation preference, participation, and non-participation rights is crucial for both investors and founders in startup financing.
  2. Liquidation preference refers to the priority investors have in receiving proceeds from the sale of a company.
  3. Non-participation means investors choose between a 1X preference or their stake, while participation involves investors receiving funds through both methods during liquidation.

Running dbt-core on Github Actions: a comprehensive guide

The Orchestra Data Leadership Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 18 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Orchestration Workflow management Automation Data Transformation
  1. Advantages of running dbt-core on GitHub Actions include easy workflow definition in Git, immediate access to latest code, and no need to provision instances for GitHub hosted runners.
  2. Disadvantages of running dbt-core on GitHub Actions include being limited by GitHub's workers, 'fire and forget' implementation, and overhead when connecting to external services.
  3. GitHub Actions workflows can be triggered from external sources like orchestrators using the repository dispatch event or the workflow_dispatch event, providing flexibility in integrating GitHub's CI/CD capabilities into larger automation strategies.

Why I build open language models

Democratizing Automation • 261 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Open Source AI Development Ethics Regulation Language Models
  1. Open language models can help balance power in AI, making it more available and fair for everyone. They promote transparency and allow more people to be involved in developing AI.
  2. It's important to learn from past mistakes in tech, especially mistakes made with social networks and algorithms. Open-source AI can help prevent these mistakes by ensuring diverse perspectives in development.
  3. Having more open AI models means better security and fewer risks. A community-driven approach can lead to a stronger and more trustworthy AI ecosystem.

Three-Year Birthday Offer: FINAL DAYS

The Algorithmic Bridge • 84 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
💼 Business Content creation Entrepreneurship Marketing Subscription Financial planning
  1. The Algorithmic Bridge is celebrating its third birthday and offering a 20% discount on subscriptions until July 1st. It's a great time to sign up if you’re interested.
  2. This newsletter emphasizes the human aspect of AI, focusing on how it affects people's lives and ensuring the content is relevant and caring.
  3. Subscribers will enjoy daily articles, access to a growing archive, and personalized engagement opportunities like Q&As. Current subscribers will keep their rates even as prices rise for new ones.

What Went Wrong with the OpenAI Board?

Build To Scale • 118 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. The board's primary role is to ensure proper governance, not run the organization. Their responsibility includes hiring and firing the CEO.
  2. For startups, having a balanced board with diverse views is crucial. Consider adding independent board members with operational experience.
  3. Operational issues and management conflicts should be addressed before they escalate to the board level. Keep the board updated and maintain high trust.

How to think about token prices, emissions, and liquidity

DeFi Education • 539 implied HN points • 30 Aug 22
🔮 Crypto Decentralized Finance Trading Strategies Market Analysis Investing Tokenomics
  1. Market cap is more important than token price. You should look at the total value of all tokens, not just how much one token costs.
  2. Keep track of token emissions and unlock schedules. Knowing when new tokens enter the market can help you predict price changes.
  3. High trading volume is vital for token participation. A token with low volume isn't worth your time because it can be hard to buy or sell without affecting the price.

You Seem Too High in Openness!

Optima & Outliers • 19 HN points • 14 Jun 24
💼 Business Hiring practices Employee performance Workplace dynamics Talent Acquisition
  1. Personality tests can offer useful insights into hiring, helping to predict how someone might behave in a job. However, they should be used alongside other evaluations, not as the only tool.
  2. It's essential to match job requirements with specific personality traits. For instance, some roles may require traits like agreeableness, while others might benefit from someone who's more assertive.
  3. Not all positive traits are good for every role. Too much of a good trait can become a weakness in different contexts, so interviewers should look for a balance of traits rather than just high scores.

Weekly Dose of Optimism #146

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 97 implied HN points • 30 May 25
🕹 Technology Innovation Startups Genetics Aerospace Biotech
  1. A startup called Orchid helps parents select embryos with lower disease risks using genetic testing. This raises both hope for healthier babies and ethical questions about how much we should design our kids.
  2. Doctors successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into a man, helping him avoid dialysis. This could change the future of organ transplants, as pig organs might be a solution to the shortage of human donors.
  3. Radiant, a nuclear startup, raised $165 million to develop a small reactor that can power remote areas and possibly aid in future Mars colonization. This shows growth in clean energy innovations.