The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

U.S. Cyber Trust Mark

Resilient Cyber • 79 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Consumer Products Cybersecurity Software Development
  1. The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark is a new program that helps consumers identify smart devices that are safer from cyber attacks. It's like an energy efficiency label but for cybersecurity.
  2. This program helps manufacturers create standards that make devices both secure and easy to sell internationally. It aims to solve problems that come from different security rules across countries.
  3. Consumers need better information when buying tech products because many devices, especially IoT ones, can pose security risks. The labeling will educate consumers on the safety of their purchases.

Brands are really eager to sponsor live events

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 224 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
💼 Business Sports Media Sponsorship Events Marketing
  1. Brands are very interested in sponsoring live events. This means companies see value in connecting with people in person.
  2. The NFL is becoming a huge media player, making billions from TV rights and producing lots of its own content. They're seen as one of the most valuable media properties globally.
  3. B2B media is on the rise, especially after the pandemic, as more businesses are looking to connect in person through events and other platforms.

Visualizing Funding Runway & Burn Rate

Venture Curator • 159 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
💼 Business Investment Venture Capital Funding Startup Entrepreneurship
  1. Understanding funding runway and burn rate is vital for startup founders to secure necessary resources.
  2. Calculating gross burn rate and net burn rate is essential to determine the financial health of a startup.
  3. Maintaining transparency about financial runway and frequently communicating with investors are crucial for successful fundraising.

Building developer community and trust in today’s AI-first world

Dev Interrupted • 14 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
🕹 Technology APIs Software Development Documentation Developer Experience
  1. AI assistants are becoming a primary discovery channel for developers, so content must work well for both humans and machines.
  2. Treat documentation as a product: structure docs in machine-readable formats and make them authoritative so AI gives accurate, trusted answers.
  3. Keep humans at the center. Use AI to scale support and mixed-mode experiences, and update metrics to measure AI visibility and developer trust.

Introducing Axie Buddies!

The Lunacian • 276 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🔮 Crypto Digital Art Gaming Community Social media NFTs
  1. Axie Buddies is a new Instagram account showcasing fun Axie art in a doodle style. It's a great way to find fresh content about Axie Infinity.
  2. There are contests happening now where you can win Axies by sharing the Axie Buddies account with your friends. Just follow, like, and share their posts to participate!
  3. The creators of Axie Infinity want you to help spread the word about Axie Buddies, as every new follower could become part of the Axie community. They’re looking for your ideas on fun Instagram content too!
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Some thoughts on interviewing

Tech and Tea • 575 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
💼 Business Employment Trends Job Searching Work-life balance Interviewing Job Market
  1. The job market is currently very competitive with candidates facing challenges in finding suitable roles.
  2. Many qualified candidates are opting out of the job market to pursue personal projects or explore alternative work arrangements.
  3. Interviewing can be tiring and unpredictable, requiring kindness and respect towards candidates.

Identity In The Age of Artificial Intelligence

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 14 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Ethics Science Identity AI Culture
  1. Debates and discussions are arising about the impact of AI on human identity, sparking new questions about what it means to be human in the age of technological advances.
  2. Humanity's relationship with AI is being scrutinized by various experts, leading to energetic debates and discussions in fields like philosophy, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
  3. As AI becomes more integrated into society, questions about identity, the abuse of algorithms, and the collaborative effort needed between humanities and computer sciences to understand AI's impact on humanity are emerging.

IPOs Explained

Concepts of Finance 🧠 • 239 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
💰 Finance Market Trends Investing Economic Impact Stock Options Company Valuation
  1. An IPO lets a private company sell shares to the public for the first time, raising capital to grow or pay off debt.
  2. Companies go public for reasons like gaining more visibility, providing liquidity for existing shareholders, and offering stock options to employees.
  3. IPOs can fail if investor interest is low, market conditions are bad, or the company's performance declines after going public.

Stablecoins: Reinventing Dollars

DeFi Education • 919 implied HN points • 10 Dec 21
🔮 Crypto Blockchain Stablecoins Assets DeFi Finance
  1. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency that is usually backed by another asset, like the US dollar. They help make trading easier and allow people to transfer money quickly and cheaply.
  2. There are different types of stablecoins, like centralized ones (USDT and USDC) that are backed by fiat currency, and decentralized ones (DAI) that use overcollateralization to maintain their value. Each type has its pros and cons.
  3. Stablecoins play an important role in the crypto world and traditional finance. There is lots of interest in creating better decentralized stablecoins, as they could improve the overall system and reduce reliance on centralized finance.

Salience Landscaping

the shimmering void • 93 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
📖 Philosophy Reasoning Self-development Cognition Attention Curiosity
  1. Our brains deal with a lot of information, but we need to filter and prioritize what's important. This filtering helps us focus on what's relevant in the moment.
  2. Curiosity is a natural response to uncertainty. It's like a feeling that nudges us to explore new ideas or solutions when we're unsure about something.
  3. Improving our awareness of what we care about can help us make better decisions and avoid self-deception, especially in a world filled with distractions.

Heat Pumps, Thermostats, and Bad Design

David Friedman’s Substack • 242 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Energy Design Regulation Efficiency
  1. Heat pumps can be more cost-effective than gas furnaces, but it depends on current energy prices. It's important to understand the right settings on your thermostat to save money.
  2. Many thermostats are designed to prioritize heat pumps over gas furnaces, which can lead to unnecessary costs if gas heating is cheaper. Users should consider switching to 'emergency heat' if they have both systems.
  3. Regulations often push for efficiency in heating systems, but not all thermostats work well for every dual-fuel setup. It's essential for customers to be informed about the best options for their specific heating needs.

Notes on Chapter 28

Life Since the Baby Boom • 230 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
💼 Business Startups Investment Entrepreneurship Venture Capital
  1. Len lands a new job as a Venture Capitalist Assistant, where he will help a company get more funding. He feels excited and valued in this role, especially after his TV appearance as an 'Internet investing wizard.'
  2. The company Len is working with, NetsForAll, is fictional, but it reflects the early days of Internet Service Providers. This shows how innovative ideas were emerging before the Internet became widely known.
  3. Len gets to meet important people in the Internet business and share stories from his past experiences, like solving a big embezzlement case. This mix of new opportunities and past accomplishments makes him feel fulfilled.

How to Become Irreplaceable in Your Market

Tiny Empires • 73 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
💼 Business Strategy Branding Marketing Entrepreneurship Personal Development
  1. Focus on what makes you unique. It's important to find your special skills and interests that no one else can replicate.
  2. Be very specific in your niche. The more details you include about whom you serve, the harder it is for others to compete with you.
  3. Your personal story can be a big advantage. Use your background to connect with clients and show them how it makes you the right choice for their needs.

How dbt succeeds

benn.substack • 997 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
💼 Business Monetization Technology Data Analysis Acquisition Competition
  1. dbt Labs' success has had a significant impact on people's lives by providing better job opportunities and higher salaries in the data industry.
  2. Despite its success, dbt Labs may face increasing competition in the future from startups and other companies that are challenging its position in the market.
  3. dbt Labs could consider evolving its business strategy by focusing on its community, exploring new product opportunities, or even exploring options like selling the company to better align with market trends and potential challenges.

Dialogues on Psychophysical Harmony, Part 1

Going Awol • 239 implied HN points • 22 Jan 23
📖 Philosophy Naturalism Theism Metaphysics Harmony Consciousness
  1. Psychophysical harmony is the observation that our mental states match up with the external, physical world in rationally appropriate ways.
  2. The existence of psychophysical laws, like gravity, governs the relationship between mental states and physical states, leading to harmony.
  3. On naturalism, the surprising nature of psychophysical harmony provides evidence against naturalism and potentially in favor of the theory that God exists.

DR-RAG: Applying Dynamic Document Relevance To Question-Answering RAG

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 14 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Data science AI Machine Learning NLP
  1. DR-RAG improves how we find information for question-answering by focusing on both highly relevant and less obvious documents. This helps to ensure we get accurate answers.
  2. The process uses a two-step method: first, it retrieves the most relevant documents, then it connects those with other documents that might not be directly related, but still helps in forming the answer.
  3. This method shows that we often need to look at many documents together to answer complex questions, instead of relying on just one document for all the needed information.

Workflows as Abstractions to Capabilities

The API Changelog • 4 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🕹 Technology DevOps Automation Software APIs Integration Workflows
  1. Baking API integrations into code creates maintenance hell because the more services you add, the higher the chance a change will break something and make troubleshooting hard.
  2. Map integrations to business capabilities (like “sale close”) instead of raw API operations so it’s easier to diagnose failures, reduce complexity, and swap vendors without breaking business flows.
  3. Implement those capabilities as visual workflows with low-code/no-code tools so teams can see, manage, assign, and lifecycle-manage integrations, making fixes and outsourcing simpler.

Revolutionizing Data Science: The Latest Trends in Automation, Experimentation, and Language Model Evaluation

Gradient Flow • 259 implied HN points • 26 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Language Models Experimentation Automation Data science
  1. The need for tools to help developers pick models that fit their needs and understand model limitations as general-purpose models are widely used.
  2. Data science teams are tackling automation and early examples targets aspects of projects like modeling and coding assistance, but further advancements are needed.
  3. There's a shortage of research and tools for experimentation and optimization in data science, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to deliver innovative solutions.

Beware Geeks Bearing Gifts

Diane Francis • 399 implied HN points • 21 Nov 22
🔮 Crypto Economic Impact Market Trends Regulation Cryptocurrency
  1. The FTX collapse has shown that cryptocurrency can be very risky and unregulated. Many people lost money, and it highlights the need for better rules in the crypto world.
  2. FTX was run by a small, inexperienced team and had serious management issues. This makes us question how safe and trustworthy cryptocurrency exchanges really are.
  3. Governments are worried about the negative impact of cryptocurrencies on the global economy. They are starting to take action, like banning crypto trading to protect consumers and prevent financial crime.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers #3

Human Capitalist • 59 implied HN points • 25 Mar 24
💼 Business Corporate strategy Job Market Employment Investing Entrepreneurship
  1. Several key players have switched jobs, making a big impact in their respective industries. For example, Robby Stein moved to Google to work on enhancing the search experience.
  2. Experts with strong backgrounds in tech and finance are taking on new roles, suggesting interesting innovations might be on the horizon. Ryan Zauk, now at OMERS Ventures, has connections in the fintech scene that could lead to exciting developments.
  3. Companies are bringing in talent to boost their marketing and product strategies. For instance, Liz Abello is now with Liquid Death to help capitalize on their growth in the beverage market.

The first generation of programming directors

Brick by Brick • 54 implied HN points • 18 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Future Trends AI Software Programming Animation
  1. Programming is changing from writing lots of code to directing and guiding AI tools. Instead of typing everything, future programmers will help manage what machines produce.
  2. Just like animation adapted to computers, programming will also evolve with new technology. This means that while the number of programmers might decrease, more companies will start creating software.
  3. AI could make creating software cheaper and easier, leading to more demand and new kinds of applications. Companies that couldn't afford custom programs before might start using them because of these advancements.

on the meaning of ritual

alice maz • 78 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
📖 Philosophy Humanities Cultural Theory Political theory Metaphysics Ethics
  1. Rituals are practices that help people understand and express important values like kindness and righteousness. They guide behavior and help maintain harmony in society.
  2. Xunzi believed that rituals are not fixed but can be created and adapted over time to meet the needs of society. This shows that traditions can evolve while still being useful.
  3. Rituals help structure relationships and social order, allowing for personal responsibilities and duties to be understood and respected within a community. This fosters mutual support and trust.

Tokenization for Beginners: How to Invest in Real‑World Assets on the Blockchain

The Crypto Journal • 78 implied HN points • 28 Jun 25
🔮 Crypto Assets Technology Finance Investing Blockchain
  1. Tokenization lets you own a small part of valuable things like real estate or art by turning them into digital tokens. This means you don't need a lot of money to invest in high-value assets.
  2. Before tokenization, only rich people could invest in expensive assets, but now anyone can get in on the action thanks to blockchain technology. It makes investing more accessible to everyone.
  3. To start investing in tokenized assets, choose a platform you trust, understand the risks, and don’t put all your money into one thing. Diversifying your investments is smart.

The drunkard and the lady

inexactscience • 79 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Vision Mathematics Science Decision-making
  1. Having a vision can help you make significant progress in life. Instead of just wandering aimlessly, a clear goal can lead you to where you want to go.
  2. Without a direction, your progress will be limited and unpredictable. You might only cover a small distance instead of reaching your true potential.
  3. In life, it's important to develop a sense of direction. The more focused and goal-oriented you are, the further you'll move towards your aspirations.

The Preachers of Death

Bet On It • 171 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
📖 Philosophy Ethics Existentialism Metaphysics Poetry Literature
  1. There are people who promote the idea of giving up on life, calling them the 'preachers of death'. They see life as full of suffering and try to convince others to feel the same way.
  2. Some of these preachers believe that by avoiding life's pleasures, like having children or enjoying existence, they are being virtuous. This attitude can end up making life feel even heavier for everyone around them.
  3. It’s important to recognize when you're feeling tired of life and not let those who preach despair influence you. Life can be tough, but it's valuable and worth embracing.

Stuff I still don’t get about AI

Samstack • 999 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Security Impacts Future
  1. It's important for more people to understand AI risks for safety regulations and investment in alignment work.
  2. Consider the balance between AI getting out of control versus malicious actors having access to superintelligent AI.
  3. Think about the potential impacts of advanced AI on various aspects of human life in the future.

Your brain is the new semiconductor

storyvoyager • 3 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Tech Ethics AI AGI Neurotech Wearables
  1. Human brainpower, not rare metals, is becoming the main raw material for future artificial intelligence.
  2. Human intelligence is embodied and depends on interacting with the physical world, so training on written and visual outputs alone won't teach machines to think like us.
  3. Advancing toward AGI may require wearables or direct brain data to capture spatial and lived experience, forcing a choice between enhancing humans or extracting humans to power machines.

Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 1.3% year-over-year in September

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
💰 Finance Investment Data Trends Real Estate Economics Market Analysis
  1. National house prices have gone up by 1.3% over the past year, showing some growth but still not strong compared to the past.
  2. Different areas are seeing big differences in house prices, with some regions like the Middle Atlantic doing well while others like the Pacific are struggling.
  3. Overall, many areas are facing slower price appreciation, and high mortgage rates are making homes less affordable for buyers.

The Living Computer

Anima Mundi • 61 implied HN points • 03 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Neuroscience Ethics Philosophy Artificial Intelligence
  1. Scientists are working on computers that use biological systems instead of traditional silicon. This means they want tech to think and learn like living creatures.
  2. Many researchers believe that understanding consciousness is key to creating intelligent machines. They're not just focused on making machines smarter, but on exploring what being conscious really means.
  3. There's a push to connect technology with nature, focusing on how living systems interact with each other. This could change our approach to artificial intelligence and its relationship with the world.

The Tech Buffet #16: Quickly Evaluate your RAG Without Manually Labeling Test Data

The Tech Buffet • 99 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Programming Machine Learning AI Data science Automation
  1. You can automate the testing of Retrieval Augment Generation (RAG) systems without needing to label data yourself. This makes it faster and easier to evaluate their performance.
  2. Generating synthetic datasets with questions and answers allows you to test how well your RAG performs. This method helps you understand the effectiveness of your application and provides useful insights.
  3. Using various metrics is key to evaluating your RAG accurately. This way, you assess different aspects of performance, ensuring you get a well-rounded view of how your system is doing.

Patterns and Predictions for 2024

The Intersection • 98 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Predictions AI Interfaces Creativity Automation
  1. Creativity is now decentralized, allowing anyone with the will and tenacity to create, thanks to technology advancement.
  2. Platforms still hold power over creators, and AI will continue to deindustrialize various types of work, transforming the landscape.
  3. The future holds doing more with less, the 10-80-10 rule of AI in content creation, and an interface shift in areas like search, commerce, and automotive.