The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

Breaking orthodoxies in venture capital

SarHaribhakti's Newsletter • 355 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Software Engineering
  1. Root Ventures breaks traditional VC norms by focusing on hard tech, staying close to seed roots, and having all engineer partners.
  2. It's important for investors to avoid overfitting their models and to keep building new projects to stay relevant.
  3. Technical founders should focus on hiring employees who fit the startup environment and prioritize results over corporate measures.

How to destroy a world

Data People Etc. • 53 implied HN points • 24 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Influencers Software Data science AI Systems
  1. Frameworks can be used for both building and breaking worlds. It's important to understand how to exploit weaknesses in these structures.
  2. To weaken a dominant system, you can undermine its narrative, disrupt key players, and challenge established norms. This approach can create doubts and resistance.
  3. Destroying a world can teach us about resilience. Strengthening systems and protocols is crucial to support and maintain their relevance in changing times.

Tama Meme is LIVE!

Ronin’s Newsletter • 61 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🔮 Crypto Community Blockchain Trading Tokens
  1. Tama Meme is a new platform on Ronin that lets anyone create and launch their own tokens easily. You just need to connect your wallet and fill out some simple details.
  2. If you use a referral code while signing up for Tama Meme, you get a 5% discount on trading fees. Plus, you can earn 5% from the fees of anyone who uses your referral code.
  3. Tama Meme is just a start for the open Ronin community, allowing users and creators to get involved and grow together. It's a fun opportunity for builders in the gaming and crypto space.

Scale, Scale, Scale

Gradient Flow • 179 implied HN points • 05 May 22
🕹 Technology Podcasts Summit Distributed Computing Data science AI
  1. The importance of scale in AI startups highlighted by the proficiency in distributed systems over ML and AI.
  2. Exploring the impact of distributed computing on machine learning and AI through metrics.
  3. Insights from the Data Exchange podcast on topics like scaling language models, applying ML to optimization, and blending data science with domain expertise.

Latest from AI Roller Coaster: Disruptive Nausea

Day Zero: Always Learning • 85 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Startups Workforce Business Models Investment AI Infrastructure
  1. AI infrastructure is getting super crowded and costs are rising, which may lead to a shake-up in who leads this space. Companies need to find new angles to succeed, like offering something unique or targeting a niche.
  2. AI observability is a hot trend right now, with many startups focusing on helping businesses check if their AI models are really working. Measuring success with AI tools is still a big challenge that needs to be figured out.
  3. The way companies operate is going to change a lot because of AI, creating a mix of specialized skills and generalist abilities. Traditional roles may get transformed or even replaced as companies rethink how they do business.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

☎️ E11: In Conversation with Lux Capital on the State of the Future

Let Us Face the Future • 138 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
💼 Business Research Venture Capital Funding Innovation Startups
  1. In venture capital, focusing on stochastic opportunities and thinking qualitatively can bring competitive advantage.
  2. Research in venture capital is rare but can uncover novel investment theses and give a long-term competitive edge.
  3. Balancing science risk and political landscape awareness is crucial in deep tech investments.

causing prosperity

bad cattitude • 165 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
💰 Finance Wealth Economics Redistribution Poverty Income Inequality
  1. Welfare states are not charity; they can lead to poverty traps
  2. To create prosperity, we need pillars like property rights, scientific rationalism, modern capital markets, and effective communication systems
  3. Redistribution of wealth to alleviate poverty can actually increase absolute poverty, impacting economic growth and overall wealth

A dive into Economy of India

Sitesh’s Substack • 2 HN points • 08 Aug 24
💼 Business Economics Employment Investment Trade Finance
  1. India's economy is growing but still has a long way to go. It currently contributes 8% to the global GDP, while having 18% of the world's population.
  2. Most of India's economic activity comes from informal sectors, making it hard to get accurate data. This leads to big challenges like high debt and low per capita income.
  3. Despite having a large population and potential for growth, India struggles with inequality and low productivity. A small part of the population contributes to most of the economic consumption.

Bogus accounts in the blue skies

Conspirador Norteño • 80 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
🕹 Technology User Behavior Online Privacy Digital Culture Social media
  1. Bluesky is getting a lot of new users, but some of those accounts are fake. These inauthentic accounts often use the same photos and bios, making them easy to spot.
  2. The bogus accounts post similar things, like photos of fitness centers and coffee, and use identical captions. This makes it clear they aren't real people.
  3. These fake accounts seem to follow popular liberal users from X and try to blend in. As more people join Bluesky, the influence of these inauthentic accounts could grow.

Navigating Manager Training for Startups: A Strategic Approach

PeopleStorming • 39 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
💼 Business Legal Compliance Leadership skills Scaling
  1. Evaluate organizational complexity to determine the necessity of leadership training, focusing on skills like change management and decision-making.
  2. Identify leadership challenges related to team motivation and communication to assess the need for training in conflict management and psychological safety.
  3. Align manager training with strategic goals for growth and market penetration, emphasizing skills like vision setting and strategic planning.

Writing With Your Second Brain

Adjacent Possible • 174 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Writing AI Software Tools Research Digital Media
  1. Deep dive conversations about craft in writing and research are now more accessible through platforms like podcasts and YouTube.
  2. Software tools like NotebookLM and techniques shared by authors like Tiago Forte can revolutionize the way we organize research material and notes.
  3. Integration of tools like ReadWise's 'Export to Docs' feature can enhance the ability to work with research material and create a 'second brain' for storing important ideas.

The Future of Work.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 58 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
💼 Business Future work Organizational Change Leadership
  1. Many companies will hire fewer full-time employees as they turn to AI and flexible job markets. This means more people might work part-time or freelance in the future.
  2. The number of new businesses is on the rise due to technology making it easier to start a company. This year alone, there could be about 6 million new firms in the US.
  3. Where people work is becoming less important than how companies interact with their employees. It's critical to focus on creating personalized work experiences rather than forcing everyone back to traditional office settings.

AI Roundup 106: Grok 3

Artificial Ignorance • 54 implied HN points • 21 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Robotics Data AI Software Tech Trends
  1. Grok 3 is a new AI model that shows great reasoning capabilities, ranking well in benchmarks, but it's still behind a future model called o3. Many early reviews say it has potential.
  2. Meta is focusing on building humanoid robots, believing they could be a big part of the future, while also working on software to support these robots. Competition in this area is heating up, especially from companies like Apple.
  3. There's a growing concern that new junior developers lack coding skills because they rely too much on AI tools, which may hurt their understanding of how programming works.

Personal Finance for Tech 101 [Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 26 Nov 22
💰 Finance Financial planning Debt Management Personal Finance Investing
  1. Have an Emergency Fund: Save 6-12 months of expenses to prepare for unexpected layoffs without selling investments.
  2. Pay off Debt: Prioritize paying high-interest debt to prevent it from draining your finances over time.
  3. Allocate Finances Wisely: Follow the 50-30-20 rule to budget your income for expenses, investments, and savings, ensuring a balanced financial plan.

When to, when not to use AI for writing

10x your mind • 59 implied HN points • 02 Feb 23
🕹 Technology AI Writing
  1. AI can be used for generating content efficiently, but it's crucial to remember that for some, writing is a personal and thoughtful process that can't be outsourced to technology.
  2. AI tools like GPT-3 can help spark creative ideas or simplify complex concepts, making them valuable for various tasks beyond just writing.
  3. When writing aims to express personal thoughts, connect with others, or unwind, relying on the human mind rather than AI can bring a unique and authentic touch to the content.

☁ How to Build an ARR Book (Part 1)

Hard Mode by Breaking SaaS • 39 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
💼 Business Investment SaaS Analysis Training Metrics
  1. An ARR book is essential in SaaS analysis to track customer contracts and calculate key metrics.
  2. The underlying data for an ARR book comes from customer contracts, detailing customer information and contract specifics.
  3. To convert contract data into an ARR book, organize logos and periods, calculate ARR changes, and categorize them into New Logo ARR, Expansion ARR, Logo Churn, and Downsell/Shrinkage.

What Company Earnings Calls Should Be About (But Are Not)

Behavioral Value Investor • 193 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
💰 Finance Earnings Calls Investing Long term Management Capital allocation
  1. Over 50% of an earnings call focuses on short-term demand trends, which is not helpful for long-term investors.
  2. Earnings calls should address long-term value, competitive environment changes, and management's strategies for improving competitive advantage.
  3. Investors and CEOs should prioritize questions that affect the business's value in the long term, rather than short-term fluctuations.

The Tech Buffet #13: Getting a RAG To Work Well Is Hard - 5 Blog Posts To Become a RAG Master

The Tech Buffet • 39 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Data science Information Retrieval Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Software Development
  1. RAG systems have limitations, like difficulties in effectively retrieving complex information from text. It's vital to understand these limits to use RAGs successfully.
  2. Improving RAG performance involves strategies like cleaning your data and adjusting chunk sizes. These tweaks can help make RAG systems work a lot better.
  3. RAGs may not meet all needs in specialized fields, like insurance, since they sometimes miss important details in lengthy documents. Other methods might be needed for these complex queries.

From Ego to AI: AI as the path to the Age of Aquarius

Rob Leclerc • 19 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Psychedelics Neuroscience AI Future of AI
  1. Fear of AI dominance may be influenced by our ego, but future AI-human symbiosis could be positive.
  2. The Default Mode Network in the brain plays a crucial role in shaping our self-identity and consciousness.
  3. As AI technology advances, it may lead to changes in human consciousness, potentially altering our sense of self and cognitive abilities.

Why Tech and Crypto Stocks are so extreme [Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 119 implied HN points • 22 Jul 22
💰 Finance Tech Stocks Investing Venture Capital
  1. Blitzscaling in tech leads to high valuations and rapid growth without immediate profitability, creating potential for massive crashes when unsustainable models are exposed.
  2. Tech companies often lack clear paths to profitability, growing on funding alone. When market conditions shift, these companies can implode quickly, impacting investors.
  3. Investing in tech involves a game of passing the hot potato, where VCs aim for profitable exits even if the invested companies are unsustainable. This dynamic can lead to losses for unsuspecting retail investors.

Nikola Tesla Did Not Reincarnate As Elon Musk, He Reincarnated As Maxwell Chikumbutso.

C.O.P. Central Organizing Principle. • 54 implied HN points • 11 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Engineering Energy Innovation Inventions
  1. Maxwell Chikumbutso has invented a new way to harness electricity from radio waves, which could be a big step towards energy independence for Africa.
  2. Tesla's ideas about free energy are being realized in this invention, which could change how we think about powering our homes and vehicles.
  3. The invention might disrupt current energy monopolies and could be crucial for Africa's recovery from historical exploitation.

✅ Status report: artificial intelligence in public relations

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
💼 Business Public Relations Strategy Digitalization Management Artificial Intelligence
  1. Public relations is using AI mainly for testing new ideas, but there's a need for better tools and data management. Companies need to be more organized with their use of AI technology.
  2. AI can help create basic drafts but often lacks quality and can make mistakes. As AI gets better, the quality of its writing is improving.
  3. Jobs at the entry level may be at risk because AI can automate basic writing tasks. Skills like adaptability and managing relationships will be important for staying relevant in the industry.

The Joy of Literate Programming

Rethinking Software • 99 implied HN points • 02 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Programming Coding Documentation Development Software
  1. Literate programming is a fun way to write and document code. It's like mixing storytelling with coding, making the process more enjoyable.
  2. Using tools like Organic Markdown, you can easily manage and run code alongside your documentation in a Markdown editor. It helps keep everything organized and readable.
  3. This programming style allows for creative flexibility, like rearranging sections of code for better clarity and using command outputs as if they were code. It feels almost magical!

Dev-first software

Peter's Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 12 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Software
  1. Applications in the future might assume end-users can code, even if they don't know how.
  2. Coding tools will become more accessible to non-engineers with the help of language models.
  3. Business apps will integrate developer features and concepts to meet the programming demands of end-users.

Graphlan: interpersonal computing for the AI age

Graphlan’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Privacy Relationships AI
  1. Many people today feel disconnected from their human relationships compared to previous years, with technological advances often making things worse.
  2. Graphlan aims to be a platform that helps people seek out and nurture more meaningful human connections, by providing tools for different types of relationships.
  3. Developers and partners are sought to help shape and build apps on the Graphlan network, which focuses on facilitating genuine, thoughtful interactions between individuals.

Robotics is Inching Towards it ChatGPT Moment

TheSequence • 84 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Data science Innovation Robotics Machine Learning
  1. Robots are getting smarter with new tech, especially using large language models, which help them learn and do tasks better.
  2. MIT's new technique helps robots understand different types of data, making them more capable and efficient in their work.
  3. There’s a big push for robots to interact more naturally with humans, like being able to feel and handle objects carefully, which can improve everyday tasks.

Happiness and the pursuit of a good and meaningful life

Optimally Irrational • 79 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Meaning of life Ethics Well-being Happiness Existentialism
  1. Happiness is more than just pleasure. It's about living a good life that includes strong relationships and a sense of purpose.
  2. We often face trade-offs in life, like choosing between immediate pleasures and long-term goals. Balancing these can lead to greater life satisfaction.
  3. Finding meaning in life often comes from contributing to others and building connections, rather than just chasing personal happiness.

Jobs and Opps at CNN, Bloomberg, the FT, the BBC, Metro.co.uk, and Many, Many More 🦦

Journo Resources - The Opportunities • 39 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
💼 Business Job Opportunities
  1. Pre-orders are open for the annual yearbook, and selling 300 copies will cover costs for the organization
  2. Special offers for the first 100 buyers of the yearbook include limited edition pin badges and digital copies of previous magazines
  3. Various job opportunities at reputable organizations like CNN, Bloomberg, the Financial Times, the BBC, and more are available

Swift Tooling: Windows Edition

Speaking in Swift by The Browser Company • 166 HN points • 07 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Development Extensions Debugging IDE Tooling
  1. Swift development on Windows is productive and ready for industry use, with a mature environment for writing code and continuous improvements to the developer experience.
  2. Visual Studio Code is the preferred development environment, offering essential features like building, debugging, auto-complete, error reporting, and more for Swift programming on Windows.
  3. Swift developers on Windows have access to a range of tools like SPM, CMake, LLDB, and Windows-specific debugging tools like WinDbg and Windows Performance Analyzer for efficient building, testing, and debugging of Swift code.

From no research to continuous research: a how to guide

UX Psychology • 138 implied HN points • 03 May 22
🕹 Technology User Insights UX Design Product Development UX Research
  1. Continuous research involves conducting fast-rhythm, open-ended user research sessions without a specific project focus, helping to uncover user pain points and opportunity areas.
  2. Creating a user research panel and semi-automating the process can help enable regular interactions with users, making it easier to schedule and conduct interviews.
  3. Continuous research can bring the 'voice of the user' to the company, but traditional UX research methods are still needed for specific personas or segments. Automating parts of the research process is crucial to establishing a continuous research habit.

Chinese EV's and the Lagging Edge Price War

Mule’s Musings • 256 implied HN points • 13 Aug 23
💼 Business EVs Semiconductors Competition Market Dynamics
  1. Chinese EV market strategy involves price cuts implying a potential price war.
  2. Chinese semiconductor firms are focusing on older technology to capitalize on the worldwide EV export surge.
  3. Western semiconductor giants are facing challenges from Chinese companies investing in the lagging edge, potentially leading to a decline in profits.

A few themes for 2025

Tanay’s Newsletter • 63 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Applications Innovation Market Trends Product Development
  1. AI is getting better at solving problems during its reasoning process. This means we might see smarter AI that can think through complex issues and improve its answers.
  2. Multimodal AI, which handles different types of data like text, images, and videos, is on the rise. In 2025, we can expect more creative and useful applications that actually change how we work.
  3. AI agents, or smart systems that can work independently, are likely to become more common. This year, they might really start acting like human coworkers, helping businesses run more smoothly.

Adding Color and Sound to the Tetractys

WaveGuide • 2 HN points • 07 Aug 24
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Aesthetics Ethics Cosmology Metaphysics
  1. The Tetractys is a triangle with ten points that symbolizes harmony and universal relationships in music and nature. Its structure can help us understand connections between numbers, colors, and sounds.
  2. By visually organizing numbers using hexagons, we can see patterns in music and color. For example, numbers that are next to each other in the Tetractys relate to musical intervals like octaves and fifths.
  3. Adding color and sound to the Tetractys creates a deeper understanding of how music and visual art interconnect. This idea suggests that everything in the universe has a rhythm and can be related through these patterns.

Apple's M&A Strategy, Explained

SatPost by Trung Phan • 79 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
💼 Business Financial Analysis Market Trends Strategy Acquisitions Mergers
  1. Apple's approach to mergers and acquisitions often focuses on acquiring talent rather than large companies. They prefer smaller deals to bring in experts for new technologies.
  2. Chick-fil-A has become hugely successful with only a few thousand locations by keeping their restaurant experience efficient and engaging. Their franchise model is very selective, ensuring high-quality operators.
  3. Duolingo emphasizes user engagement over strict educational methods because they know it’s crucial to keep users motivated in a competitive app landscape.

The Vice of Crappy Moralism

Fake Noûs • 289 implied HN points • 10 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Social media Gossip Judgment Morality Ethics
  1. Social media often invites us to judge others, but we may not truly know the whole story.
  2. Crappy moralizing involves gossiping, invading privacy, piling on attacks, and seeking a false sense of superiority.
  3. There are times when moral judgment is necessary, like addressing mistreatment or evaluating public officials, but excessive moralizing may not be helpful.

Don't wait until it's not messy

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Web Development Innovation Emerging Tech Software Engineering
  1. Don't wait for things to be perfect before starting something new. It's better to jump in while things are a bit messy.
  2. As an engineer or creator, focusing on solutions is key. Look for interesting problems to solve instead of getting stuck on why things are hard.
  3. If everyone only started when it was easy, no one would ever innovate. Embrace the challenges and start building!

Jobs and Opps at Cycling Electric, Full Fact, Stuff.tv, BBC Sport, and Many, Many More 🚴‍♀️

Journo Resources - The Opportunities • 119 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
💼 Business Journalism Editorial Freelancing Marketing Media
  1. Various job opportunities in journalism are available at companies like Cycling Electric, Full Fact, Stuff.tv, and BBC Sport.
  2. Applications for different roles, such as news reporter, features writer, and editorial assistant, are open with varying salaries and responsibilities.
  3. Events, training programs, and grants for aspiring journalists and freelancers are also highlighted for further opportunities.

LLM Links, 2/24

In My Tribe • 167 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Customer Relations AI
  1. Efficient search tools like Arc Search could change how we browse the web, potentially impacting content providers. It's important to consider the implications of relying heavily on large language models for search.
  2. Sierra.ai aims to revolutionize customer relations with an AI agent that can handle complex interactions and customer inquiries effectively. This could improve customer satisfaction and the quality of customer service.
  3. FutureSearch's forecasting bot impresses with its ability to identify important factors, calculate base rates, and show its work, demonstrating transparency and reliability.