The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
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The Future Is Already Here, It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed

Am I Stronger Yet? • 172 implied HN points • 16 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Tools Impact AI Research
  1. AI tools have amazing strengths but can also be really weak in some areas. This makes their effectiveness uneven, depending on what task you're trying to do.
  2. People often aren't using AI tools to their full potential. Many are not even trying them out, which means they miss out on big opportunities.
  3. To get the most from AI, you need to be creative and put effort into how you use it. A great prompt can lead to big breakthroughs, while a simple request might not yield good results.

🔥Building Plaid’s ML Fraud Detection Application—an apply() Fireside Chat

TheSequence • 441 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Management ML Fraud Detection Fintech
  1. Learn how Plaid built the ML infrastructure powering Signal, their fraud detection app.
  2. Discover the technical solutions adopted by Plaid to overcome challenges like out-of-order transaction data.
  3. Understand the benefits of Plaid's new ML platform, including improved cost management and better access controls.

Chain-of-Instructions (CoI) Fine-Tuning & Going Beyond Instruction Tuning

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Natural Language Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Computing Data science
  1. Chain-of-Instructions (CoI) fine-tuning allows models to handle complex tasks by breaking them down into manageable steps. This means that a task can be solved one part at a time, making it easier to follow.
  2. This new approach improves the model's ability to understand and complete instructions it hasn't encountered before. It's like teaching a student to tackle complex problems by showing them how to approach each smaller task.
  3. Training with minimal human supervision leads to efficient dataset creation that can empower models to reason better. It's as if the model learns on its own, becoming smarter and more capable through well-designed training.
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Kickoff of 2024 SVR Robotics Accelerator

Robots & Startups • 59 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Startups Robotics Investment Events Sensors
  1. Kickoff meeting for the SVR Startup Accelerator is happening on January 30th for robotics startups at any stage.
  2. Private equity investors like Resurge Growth Partners are offering struggling startups a second chance amid a drop-off in VC funding.
  3. Luxonis has introduced the OAK-Thermal for pre-order, expanding its platform with a thermal sensor for numerous potential applications.

Controllable Agents For RAG With Human In The Loop Chat

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 27 May 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Natural Language Processing Automation Human-computer interaction Artificial Intelligence
  1. Controllable agents improve how we interact with complex questions. They help make sense of complicated tasks by allowing step-by-step execution.
  2. Human In The Loop (HITL) chat lets users guide the process and provides feedback after each step. This means users can refine their inquiries live without long waits.
  3. The new tools from LlamaIndex aim to make working with large datasets easier by offering more control. This helps users monitor and adjust the process as needed.

01/30/24 - The entirety of Ukraine, working its ass off in total war for over a year, cannot match up to even Evergrande as a single company.

Moly’s Substack • 58 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
💼 Business Debt Economy Employment Real Estate Finance
  1. Even the entirety of Ukraine in total war for over a year cannot match the debt of just a single company like Evergrande.
  2. Jobs like sorting packages and working in a production line can be extremely exhausting and pay very little.
  3. The debt of Evergrande alone is larger than the debt of the entirety of Ukraine, along with many other real estate companies combined.

AI Roundup 128: AI Action Plan

Artificial Ignorance • 54 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Regulation Artificial Intelligence Media International relations Infrastructure Innovation
  1. The AI Action Plan focuses on speeding up AI innovation, building necessary infrastructure, and improving global diplomatic efforts related to AI technology.
  2. Both DeepMind and OpenAI recently achieved top scores in a prestigious math competition, showing how advanced AI can be in solving complex problems.
  3. Generative AI is making its way into film production, with Netflix using it to create special effects quickly and cost-effectively, paving the way for new developments in the entertainment industry.

Focus

Mountain Labs Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
💼 Business Product Development Hardware Software Entrepreneurship Marketing
  1. The new product, ODAK, is a CO2 detector that helps keep track of air quality and cognitive performance during work sessions. It also features a built-in time-boxing tool and LED notifications.
  2. Building hardware products offers unique challenges and benefits compared to software. Physical products can create a stronger connection with users because they can be seen and used without relying on ads.
  3. Having a clear strategy is crucial for product development. It's important to learn from past experiences and focus on a vision that aligns personal values with business goals.

Why the market has really rallied following the Fed decision?

Global Markets Investor • 79 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
💰 Finance Federal Reserve Markets Inflation Economic projections Interest Rates
  1. The market rallied significantly after the Federal Reserve made unexpected decisions, like not pushing back against expected interest rate cuts and adjusting interest rate forecasts significantly.
  2. Investors were surprised by the Fed's dovish shift towards easing and the embrace of soft landing strategies, which resulted in market excitement and continued rallies in stocks and bonds.
  3. While the market is currently optimistic due to the Fed's stance, there are warnings about potential overbought conditions and the need to watch out for sharp corrections.

Venture Capital Fund Modelling III: Masterclass

Venture Curator • 139 implied HN points • 18 May 23
💼 Business Startups Investing Finance Venture Capital Career development
  1. Venture capital fund lifecycle involves raising capital from LPs over 2-2.5 years, making investments during the commitment period, and shifting to follow-on investments afterward.
  2. VC funds go through a cycle of raising capital for Fund I, investing during the commitment period, then raising funds for Fund II to sustain investment activities.
  3. GPs play a crucial role in fundraising, investment decision-making, and supporting portfolio startups to ensure the success and growth of the VC fund.

Dinosaur leaders seen off by being out of step

Make Work Better • 65 implied HN points • 18 Jun 25
💼 Business Corporate culture Workplace Trends Leadership Employee Relations Management Practices
  1. Leaders need to connect with their employees to gain respect. If they make decisions that feel out of touch, they risk losing their team's support.
  2. A big gap between CEO pay and employee wages can create distrust. When employees see leaders earning much more, they may feel disconnected and undervalued.
  3. In a world where technology is plentiful, company culture becomes crucial. The way people feel about their work environment and colleagues can be the key to success.

Threats Without Borders - Issue 167

Threats Without Borders • 58 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Fraud prevention Tech Careers Privacy Mobile devices
  1. Different device identifiers include MAC Address, Serial Number, and IMEI for unique device recognition.
  2. EID and ICCID are specific identifiers for eSIM functionality and SIM cards on mobile networks.
  3. MEID, SEID, and others are additional unique identifiers used for specific device functionalities like eSIMs and NFC technology.

Links for 2024-01-30

Axis of Ordinary • 58 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Science AI
  1. Large language models can understand the words they process
  2. New models like Eagle 7B and Meta are advancing AI capabilities
  3. Research in science and technology is achieving breakthroughs in fields like 3D printing and energy harvesting

Gilles Deleuze's Societies of Control

Castalia • 139 implied HN points • 06 Jul 23
📖 Philosophy Cultural critique Existentialism Theory Modernism
  1. Gilles Deleuze describes a shift from 'disciplinary societies,' which controlled individuals through strict boundaries, to 'societies of control,' where control is more fluid and ever-present. This means that instead of moving from one fixed environment to another, people are constantly being monitored and influenced.
  2. In societies of control, people never truly finish tasks; their work and identity are always intertwined. This blur of work and personal life can lead to stress and a feeling of never being able to disconnect.
  3. Deleuze suggests that in control societies, what's important isn't individual identity but rather the access one has, like passwords. Our personal information and identities are now tied to digital access, raising questions about autonomy and what it means to be an individual.

From Kubernetes to AI maximalism | Stacklok's Craig McLuckie

Dev Interrupted • 14 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Automation Software Engineering DevOps Cloud Computing Productivity Engineering Management Artificial Intelligence
  1. Treat AI like engineering — insist on reproducibility, audit trails, and measurable quality so models aren’t just probabilistic parrots.
  2. Use AI to amplify good habits, not hide gaps — have models critique your solutions Socratically and keep humans in charge of architecture to avoid accelerating technical debt.
  3. Replace the "glue person" with composable AI workflows and agent-assisted cleanup, and measure adoption and impact so you can reclaim focus and reduce coordination toil.

How Has the Internet Changed Since Tyler Cowen Started Using it?

Default Wisdom • 140 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Social media Blogging Communication Internet
  1. The internet has changed a lot since the early days, with tools like email and blogging becoming significant for communication and sharing information.
  2. Social media platforms like Twitter have transformed how people engage online, creating new dynamics in communication.
  3. AI developments, especially with tools like GPT-4, are revolutionizing how we access and organize information, making it an exciting time for tech enthusiasts.

Unbridled Capitalism Works

Points And Figures • 399 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
💼 Business Management Innovation Industry Startups Economics
  1. Unbridled capitalism works: In a capitalist society, businesses must prioritize growth to survive. Without growth, businesses risk failure or acquisition.
  2. Philanthropy and profit: Successful entrepreneurs historically engage in philanthropy after building their businesses. Making money is essential for a business to exist.
  3. Employee culture and strategic decisions: Maintaining employee trust and fully committing to strategic decisions, like pivoting to blockchain, are crucial for the success of a startup.

Global Incremental ID

Hung's Notes • 79 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Distributed Systems Data Structures Database Management Software Engineering
  1. Global Incremental IDs are important for preventing ID collisions in distributed systems, especially during tasks like data backup and event ordering.
  2. UUID and Snowflake ID are two common types of global IDs, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. For instance, UUIDs are larger but widely used, while Snowflake IDs are smaller but more complex to generate.
  3. Different systems, like Sonyflake and Tinyid, offer specialized methods for generating IDs, helping to ensure performance and avoiding database bottlenecks.

You Can Break A Predictive Model By Using It - How To Spot And Fix Performative Prediction

Mindful Modeler • 299 implied HN points • 27 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Predictive Models Model Deployment AI Data science
  1. Predictions can change the outcome, leading to performative prediction. This can impact model performance.
  2. Performative prediction is common but often overlooked, affecting tasks like rent prediction and churn modeling.
  3. To deal with performative prediction, consider achieving performative stability, retraining models frequently, and reframing tasks as reinforcement learning.

How CMO Sophie Bambuck of The North Face, Nike, Converse, and Everlane Builds Brands for Everyone

the case for brand 💼 • 145 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
💼 Business Branding Strategy Leadership Advertising Marketing
  1. Sophie Bambuck believes in starting brand strategies by understanding your audience first. It's all about connecting with what they care about before thinking about how you'll reach them.
  2. Campaigns should have a clear goal in mind and allow for flexibility to adapt to trends or audience responses. You need both a fixed plan and room to react to what's happening in culture.
  3. A strong brand relies on consistent storytelling and values. If a brand forgets why it exists or tries to be everything to everyone, it risks losing its identity and becoming just another product.

Card Insights

Pine • 19 implied HN points • 18 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Software Data Analytics User Experience Improvements
  1. Pine now has cool analytics tools to help you understand your data better. You can break down and show your information in different ways.
  2. They've made some neat improvements, like showing summary insights and helping you create better connections between cards. This makes using the app more user-friendly.
  3. You can now open links in new tabs easily and get notifications for actions you take. These small updates improve the overall experience when using the app.

Case-Shiller and Filtering

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 189 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
💰 Finance Economic Trends Housing Market Supply and Demand Inflation
  1. The Case-Shiller index, which tracks home prices, historically suggested a housing bubble. However, it may actually reflect a housing shortage rather than a bubble bursting.
  2. When adjusting home prices for inflation using rent instead of general CPI, the index shows that home prices are still significantly elevated due to high rents driving prices up.
  3. Today's housing market struggles with a lack of new homes, leading to increased prices for existing homes. This lack of building capacity has made it harder for younger generations to have the same homeownership opportunities as their grandparents.

Concept design in three easy steps

Subconscious • 711 implied HN points • 19 May 23
🕹 Technology Concepts Apps Design Software Engineering
  1. View software design as shaping functionality, understand what it should do first before how it does it or how it looks.
  2. Break down app functionalities into modular concepts, each with its own behavior and actions, combine existing concepts creatively.
  3. Design concepts to function independently, sync actions to ensure smooth interaction, focus on how concepts fit together to improve usability.

The first rule of systemic solvency club...

The Jolly Contrarian • 159 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
💰 Finance Investing Financial Instruments Financial Regulations Capital Markets Banking
  1. Bank runs often reflect lack of confidence, and denials of trouble can signal trouble.
  2. Tier 1 capital in banking is crucial for financial stability and ensuring debts are paid.
  3. Alternative tier 1 capital, like AT1, provides a buffer in crises but can behave like debt or equity, impacting investors differently.

Building a PC #1: Why bother?

The Rectangle • 56 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Hardware Computing DIY Journalism Gaming
  1. Building your own PC can be very rewarding and is often seen as a personal challenge for tech enthusiasts. It allows you to create a computer that fits your specific needs.
  2. Nostalgia can play a big role in the desire to build a PC, reminding you of your childhood passions and interests in technology.
  3. Investing in a PC can also be about rekindling old hobbies and interests, creating a sense of joy and satisfaction.

A deep dive on the growth efficacy of founder conviction

Mehdeeka • 10 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
💼 Business Startup Growth Marketing Strategy Community Engagement SaaS
  1. Founder conviction can drive strong growth, as seen in Sublime's development led by Sari Azout. Her clear vision attracts and inspires customers.
  2. Community engagement is key for brand growth. Sublime connects with users through Slack and Substack, making people feel a part of the brand's journey.
  3. Using personal brands and good marketing tactics makes a difference for B2B companies. Empowering executives to share their stories can enhance customer acquisition.

Talk with Philosophy Bear

Philosophy bear • 50 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Metaphysics Logic Ethics Political theory
  1. The project involves creating a custom AI that expresses the author's views after writing extensively on many topics. The AI can provide insightful responses even on unfamiliar subjects.
  2. There is a second AI bot designed to explain left-wing ideas to those curious about them. This bot can debate and offer reading suggestions to help users understand different perspectives.
  3. Another bot, called Bear Bear, offers relaxation and motivation. It's meant to inspire people to connect and appreciate life despite challenges.

1st Look at Local Housing Markets in October

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 06 Nov 25
💰 Finance Sales Data Regional Analysis Housing Market Economic Trends
  1. In October, home sales were down 2.8% compared to last year, which shows a decrease from the previous month's 7.4% increase.
  2. New listings of homes increased by 3.4% year-over-year but are still lower than the activity seen in October 2019.
  3. The number of active homes available for sale rose significantly, with inventory up 21.4% from last year, but it varies by region.

The Sequence Radar #554 : The New DeepSeek R1-0528 is Very Impressive

TheSequence • 77 implied HN points • 01 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Software Machine Learning Computing AI Engineering
  1. The DeepSeek R1-0528 model is really good at math and reasoning, showing big improvements in understanding complicated problems.
  2. This new model can handle large amounts of data at once, making it perfect for tasks that need lots of information, like technical documents.
  3. DeepSeek is focused on making advanced AI accessible to everyone, not just big companies, which is great for developers and researchers with limited resources.

Analyze research papers with Gemini 2.0

Gonzo ML • 126 implied HN points • 23 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Data science Natural Language Processing Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing
  1. Gemini 2.0 models can analyze research papers quickly and accurately, supporting large amounts of text. This means they can handle complex documents like academic papers effectively.
  2. The DeepSeek-R1 model shows that strong reasoning abilities can be developed in AI without the need for extensive human guidance. This could change how future models are trained and developed.
  3. Distilling knowledge from larger models into smaller ones allows for efficient and accessible AI that can perform well on various tasks, which is useful for many applications.