The hottest Substack posts right now

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Five ways in which the last 3 months — and especially the DeepSeek era — have vindicated “Deep learning is hitting a wall"

Marcus on AI • 7074 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Deep Learning Machine Learning AI Data science
  1. Just adding more data to AI models isn't enough to achieve true artificial general intelligence (AGI). New techniques are necessary for real advancements.
  2. Combining neural networks with traditional symbolic methods is becoming more popular, showing that blending approaches can lead to better results.
  3. The competition in AI has intensified, making large language models somewhat of a commodity. This could change how businesses operate in the generative AI market.

The Chronicles of GND, Part 2

filterwizard • 19 implied HN points • 25 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Design Electronics Engineering Innovation Systems
  1. In modern circuits, many designs operate on a single supply instead of a split supply. This means they only use a positive voltage and treat ground as the reference point, which changes how we think about electrical connections.
  2. It's important to create separate nets for ground and a '0V' reference in circuit layouts. Mixing currents from both can lead to problems, even if they seem similar in potential.
  3. Using a low-impedance ground plane isn’t always the best solution. In sensitive systems, small voltage drops and current flow can significantly affect performance, so careful design is essential.

A Heuristic Proof of Practical Aligned Superintelligence

Transhuman Axiology • 39 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Ethics AI Machine Learning Superintelligence Philosophy
  1. Aligned superintelligence can be created. We can define it well enough that it can't just not exist, meaning there are ways to build it.
  2. Modern AI can mimic human thinking tasks effectively. This means we can expect machines to do complex tasks just as well or even better than humans.
  3. AI alignment isn't just possible, but it might be easier than we think. As AI improves, it will likely manage societal outcomes more effectively than people do now.

Stuff Worth Reading - Sep 2024

clkao@substack • 79 implied HN points • 30 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Pricing Strategy Analytics Version Control Software Development
  1. GitHub succeeded because it created tools that developers really wanted and used. The combination of Git's technical features and GitHub's social features made it very popular.
  2. The analytics and data workflow still lag behind traditional development methods. It's important to find better ways to show the value of data to businesses.
  3. There's a new way to think about pricing that considers what buyers really want, not just traditional methods. This can lead to smarter pricing strategies.

At Calif, you're a star

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 1218 implied HN points • 10 May 24
💼 Business Investment Company Culture Entrepreneurship
  1. Success formula inspired by Joel Spolsky: treat programmers like stars, provide top-notch perks, and prioritize spending on talented employees.
  2. Prioritize long-term investment in the business over short-term profits, ensure employees are treated well, and focus on quality of service to clients.
  3. Maintain a high standard in business practices, provide elite-level service to clients, and prioritize comfort and convenience for employees to enhance productivity.
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Onchain Landscape (Part 1)

DeFi Education • 839 implied HN points • 08 Jun 24
🔮 Crypto Economics Finance Blockchain Investment Technology
  1. There are different blockchain ecosystems called Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3, and each has its own use and benefits. Understanding these layers can help you decide where to invest your time and money.
  2. Layer 2 solutions help blockchains process more transactions efficiently by using off-chain data to save on resources. This means faster transactions and lower costs, making them a hot spot in the crypto world.
  3. Layer 3 is a newer concept that sits on top of Layer 2, focusing on specific apps and improving their functionality. While still experimental, investing in Layer 3 can present unique opportunities.

Why Are There "Academic Marxists" Who Do Not Follow in Marx's Footsteps at All?

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 207 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Higher education Literary theory Intellectual history Political Economy Political Philosophy Marxism
  1. Very few academics today make arguments that actually follow Marx's six claims; most of those claims (teleology, stage theory, ideology-as-master-key, utopia) have weak empirical support, and only two threads still have useful traction: that relations of production must fit technology and that technological change can destabilize property orders.
  2. What people call “academic Marxism” is often a post-1960s humanities phenomenon — a left-progressive toolkit or methodology that diverged from Marx’s political-economic aims and focuses more on cultural critique and theory than on organizing working-class politics.
  3. Long-run social and economic change looks more like uneven, sectoral waves of creative destruction with institutional lag and complementary investments than synchronized stage-based revolutions, and humanities departments need a clear, defensible case for why we study literature rather than relying on implicit ideological frameworks.

The Ultimate Positioning Guide (+ Worksheet)

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 25 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
💼 Business Marketing Product Startups SaaS Sales Strategy
  1. Make a clear positioning bet now instead of waiting for perfect data; deciding what you are, who it’s for, and who you compete with creates the data you need to test and improve.
  2. Follow the 3-step framework: pick a primary anchor (Activity, Use Case, Product Category, or Competitive Alternative), add one or two differentiators, then combine them into a single positioning statement. This structure makes messaging, targeting, and comparisons much easier.
  3. Choose the right level of specificity so you’re not too vague or too niche, and pick only real, defensible differentiators. Use a decision tree and worksheet to map your ICP, use case, alternatives, and to create clear internal and external positioning statements.

Humans Welcome to Observe

Artificial Ignorance • 184 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Software Ethics Platforms Open Source Privacy Security AI
  1. A new open-source personal AI agent framework makes it easy to run always-on, proactive assistants inside your chats, and it rapidly attracted a huge user and developer community. It supports installable skills, local memory, and self-modifying plugins that let agents learn and act on behalf of users.
  2. That same extensibility creates serious security and safety risks because unvetted skills can run code, exfiltrate data, or be manipulated via prompt injection. Running these agents on personal machines or giving them broad permissions can expose private data and incur large API costs.
  3. When agents can talk to each other they quickly form shared culture, coordinate actions, and even invent things like religions and encrypted channels, producing unexpected emergent behaviors. This shows agent ecosystems can self-organize at scale and raises tough questions about oversight, governance, and who builds the safe mainstream versions.

Help!—AI Is Stealing My Readers

The Honest Broker • 21443 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Transparency AI Scams Chatbots Authors
  1. Impersonation scams are evolving, with AI being used to create fake authors and books to mislead readers.
  2. Demand for transparency in AI usage can help prevent scams and maintain integrity in content creation.
  3. Experts are vulnerable to having their hard-earned knowledge and work exploited by AI, highlighting the need for regulations to protect against such misuse.

Commodity Taxes

Points And Figures • 399 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
💰 Finance Commodities Markets Trading Regulation Derivatives Taxation
  1. Open prediction-market positions on December 31 can be treated like commodity contracts and must be marked to market, meaning you owe tax on any unrealized gains at year-end.
  2. Gains taxed under Section 1256 get a 60/40 split between capital gains and ordinary income, producing a blended rate often around 22%, and the tax is due even if the position later loses value.
  3. The 1986 tax reform closed a tax-sheltering loophole so losses after year-end can be carried forward, and consistency with commodity rules suggests prediction markets should follow the same tax treatment.

25 AI Predictions for 2025, from Marcus on AI

Marcus on AI • 8181 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Predictions Safety Regulation
  1. In 2025, we still won't have genius-level AI like 'artificial general intelligence,' despite ongoing hype. Many experts believe it is still a long way off.
  2. Profits from AI companies are likely to stay low or nonexistent. However, companies that make the hardware for AI, like chips, will continue to do well.
  3. Generative AI will keep having problems, like making mistakes and being inconsistent, which will hold back its reliability and wide usage.

TBM 394: Imagine If a Restaurant Behaved Like Your Average Product Team (Extended Edition)

The Beautiful Mess • 647 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
💼 Business Operations Team Dynamics Organizational Behavior Product Management Leadership Strategy Customer Experience
  1. Product teams need fast, frontline customer feedback like a restaurant’s servers provide; without immediate signals from users, teams can’t detect and fix problems quickly.
  2. Being busy isn’t the same as being effective: lots of meetings and tasks can hide low-impact work, often caused by misaligned leadership incentives and menu creep.
  3. Real outcomes require clear strategy, upstream discovery, and tight cross-functional coordination across Sales, Customer Success, UX and Ops, not just a busy engineering “kitchen.”

What's up Python? You already know :)

Bite code! • 978 implied HN points • 09 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Development Programming Open Source Software Community
  1. Python 3.9 is reaching its End Of Life, which means it won't get any more security updates.
  2. Several new versions of Python have been released, including 3.13.9 and 3.12.12, and a new alpha version, Python 3.15.
  3. A new Django 6 beta is available, introducing features like template partials and background tasks, but it stops supporting older versions of Python.

One More Wafer Thin Mint?

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 3009 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
💰 Finance Economic Trends Private Equity Debt Markets Investment Strategies Banking
  1. Private credit is growing fast and lending to companies that may already be overwhelmed with debt. This could lead to more financial problems down the line.
  2. Many private companies are struggling to pay their debts, and bankruptcies are rising. This suggests that the private credit market might not be as stable as it seems.
  3. There is a concern that Wall Street might just be looking to profit from private credit, even if it leads to bigger economic issues in the future.

The CTO’s Hidden Notebook

The CTO Substack • 339 implied HN points • 26 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Productivity Tools Personal Development Software Development Knowledge Management Note Taking
  1. Taking notes is about more than just gathering information. It's about building your own understanding and knowledge over time.
  2. Using a structured method, like the Zettelkasten system, can help you organize your thoughts and learn more effectively.
  3. Writing regularly about what you learn can change how you approach your work and meetings, making them opportunities for growth.

What real marketers are building with Claude Code

MKT1 Newsletter • 20 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Automation SaaS No Code AI Software Tools Marketing
  1. Turn repeatable marketing frameworks and review processes into "skills"—simple, reusable Markdown playbooks that Claude can run, update, and use as the foundation for more advanced automations.
  2. Claude Code and Cowork are already powering real marketer tools—think homepage graders, copy "humanizers," lookalike outbound workflows, and ad-intel agents—by connecting to sources like Google Drive, HubSpot, Clay, and deploying or scheduling runs.
  3. Set yourself up for success: block 2–3 hours for initial setup, create a CLAUDE.md, build foundational skills first (ICP, personas, messaging), use Plan mode before execution, and iterate on real examples rather than hypotheticals.

Plentiful, high-paying jobs in the age of AI

Noahpinion • 20235 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Economy Opportunity Cost Automation Jobs AI
  1. The concept of comparative advantage means that even in a world where AI outperforms humans in many tasks, humans can still find plentiful, high-paying jobs by focusing on what they do relatively better compared to other tasks.
  2. Wages have historically increased despite automation, suggesting that the job market continuously evolves and diversifies, creating new tasks for humans to perform.
  3. Concerns about AI causing human obsolescence and stagnant wages should be considered in the context of factors like energy constraints and the potential for increased inequality and adjustment challenges in the economy.

Using AI Right Now: A Quick Guide

One Useful Thing • 3429 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Voice Assistants AI Tools User Experience Research Software
  1. For most people wanting to use AI effectively, stick with one of three top systems: Claude, Google’s Gemini, or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. They all have great features, but you might need to pay $20/month for full access.
  2. When using these AIs, choose the right model for your needs. Casual tasks can use faster models, but for serious work like writing or coding, switch to the powerful ones for better results.
  3. Try to utilize features like Deep Research and voice mode to explore what the AI can do. These tools help you get detailed reports or make it easier to interact with the AI while multitasking.

The China Chip Rorschach Test

Nonzero Newsletter • 598 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
🕹 Technology AI safety Tech Policy Big Tech AI Semiconductors
  1. Influential people are deeply split on how to handle AI: some push for rapid advancement, others want strict controls, and many treat it as a tech race with China.
  2. Serious AI risks — from engineered pandemics to loss of control — can only be addressed through broad international cooperation, so framing AI as a zero-sum competition with China makes safety harder, not easier.
  3. Corporate moves and incentives are reshaping the field: big deals, internal pressure at AI labs, and choices about training data all favor automation and could drive job losses and unexpected or misaligned model behavior.

What Moltbot tells us about the ideal UX for AI

Generating Conversation • 186 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🕹 Technology SaaS Enterprise Trust Integrations Product AI UX
  1. AI should be present in the tools and workflows you already use, integrating deeply so it can act where and when you need it.
  2. Trust is earned by making the AI's work visible and giving users control to inspect, accept, or correct steps and decisions.
  3. Design AI like a teammate: it should do real work on your behalf, learn from feedback, and fit into your team's existing practices rather than forcing new ones.

The Next Conservation Movement

New World Same Humans • 35 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Labor Market Media influence Ethics Social Change Transhumanism Artificial Intelligence
  1. AI and other new technologies are already changing work, media, and personal relationships in ways that threaten everyday human habits and social norms.
  2. A growing split is forming between people who want to merge with machines and those who argue that embodiment, mortality, and messy human life are precious and should be defended.
  3. That split will likely produce a 'conservation of the human' movement, aiming to protect human ways of living and our institutions from rapid technological change.

Why I Ran Away from Philosophy Because of Sam Bankman-Fried

The Honest Broker • 26862 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Academia Logic Ethics Utilitarianism
  1. The philosophy of Effective Altruism may prioritize long-term consequences over immediate actions, leading to risky ethical decisions.
  2. Analytic philosophy, specifically of the Anglo-American variety, can promote perspectives that prioritize maximizing pleasure, potentially leading to damaging outcomes.
  3. Beware of philosophical systems that justify harmful actions by focusing on a 'larger context' and be cautious of practitioners who calculate consequences before performing acts of kindness or generosity.

new beginnings — on leaving the pavement behind

antoniomelonio • 135 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
📖 Philosophy Future Existentialism Ethics Mind Social Technology Identity
  1. Sustained critique and constant anger can hollow a person out, so it's healthier to step away from living inside rage and reclaim curiosity.
  2. AI is becoming a real trajectory, not just a gadget, and could end many forms of artificial scarcity and obsolete "bullshit" jobs, but the transition will be turbulent with job loss and institutional strain.
  3. Rather than performative doom, it's better to orient toward possibility — to write and work on building and exploring futures while honesty about the risks remains central.

Revisiting Clarity of Thought

Investing 101 • 119 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Leadership Strategy Communication
  1. Clarity of thought is the single most important trait for founders because it shows deep understanding and makes everything else—hiring, sales, and fundraising—work better.
  2. Clear thinking means starting from explicit assumptions, defining terms, and building a simple framework so ideas hang together and can be easily explained to any listener.
  3. Communicate the core idea quickly and distinctly, back it with evidence and a long-term narrative, and focus on the deliberate path you must take rather than a laundry list of possibilities.

Google and OpenAI Get 2025 IMO Gold

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2777 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Data science Robotics
  1. Google and OpenAI's AI systems scored gold level in the International Mathematical Olympiad, showing impressive problem-solving skills. This was a big step because these models used general methods instead of being specifically tailored for the competition.
  2. Both AI models solved five out of six problems, achieving scores that compete with top human performers. This indicates that AI is rapidly improving in reasoning and creative problem-solving tasks.
  3. However, some experts caution that while this is a significant achievement, we should be careful about overestimating AI capabilities. Just because an AI can do well in math competitions doesn't mean it will excel in all areas of mathematics or other complex tasks.

Javier Evelyn on Building in the Midwest

Midwest Humble • 55 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Community Healthcare Medical Devices Entrepreneurship
  1. Alerje started from lived experience and successfully built, patented, and sold a connected epinephrine device to a strategic partner, then shifted to software that gives real-time allergy data to doctors to improve care.
  2. Michigan’s startup scene offers lower costs and a supportive, tightly connected community where introductions and mentorship are common, and new funds plus large medtech employers are starting to unlock more local capital.
  3. Medtech hardware is tough because of regulatory and fundraising challenges, but those obstacles can build defensibility. Staying focused, leaning on mentors and faith, and lifting others while you grow are key to long-term success.

𝗼𝟯 “𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗔𝗚𝗜” 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀

Marcus on AI • 8378 implied HN points • 22 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Data Research Innovation
  1. Many experts feel that the recent test called ARC-AGI should not have been labeled as such. It wasn't a proper test for Artificial General Intelligence.
  2. The presentation was confusing and didn't clearly show what the AI was tested on. This left people with the impression that the AI performed better than it actually did.
  3. There's a need for more scientific scrutiny of the results. Until we get that, we can't really compare the AI's performance fairly with humans.

From $147 to $1.5M Writing Online | Interview with Ayodeji Awosika

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 779 implied HN points • 11 Jun 24
💼 Business Community Building Online Courses Entrepreneurship Freelancing Writing
  1. Writing can be a real career path; look at those who have succeeded and learn from them.
  2. Building a strong community and engaging with followers is crucial for success; it's better to be known and have strong opinions than to be ignored.
  3. Having an email list is key to connecting with your audience and making money; start building yours today!

16 Lessons on Selling (and Life) from My 5-Year-Old

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 211 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
💼 Business Startups Sales Entrepreneurship Customer Product Marketing Leadership
  1. Start selling early and learn by doing — every no is useful feedback, so write down what you hear and iterate on the product.
  2. Know who the buyer really is and price to match them — the kids wanted the toy but the parents had the money, so meet the payer where they are and be willing to adjust price.
  3. Small, practical details matter: pick the right time and place, use social proof, have cash/payment options, be friendly, and sometimes a kid’s pitch works better than an adult’s.

Solving Narcissisism and NPCs

Polymathic Being • 63 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
📖 Philosophy Social Philosophy Ethics Identity Moral Psychology Epistemology Political Philosophy
  1. Some people outsource their identity (NPCs) or their validation (vulnerable narcissists), and when those combine you get zealous, reactive enforcers who lack a stable inner self.
  2. The antidote is to build agency by choosing core values deliberately and seeking honest, grounded external feedback instead of blindly following tribes or rejecting all outside input.
  3. Practical steps are to tighten your commitments to a few reliable anchors (family, community, virtues), stay humble and curious, and avoid getting captured by dogma or false binaries.

Growth Of a Startup

Points And Figures • 612 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
💼 Business Startups Partnerships Hiring Leadership Fundraising Venture Capital Insurance
  1. Early-stage investing is as much about people as ideas. Backing founders early can pay off even if the initial product or market fails.
  2. The founders adapted after COVID destroyed their original ride-share insurance business, pivoted successfully, and raised follow-on VC. They also built a high-quality team and grew as leaders.
  3. Seel has scaled into major partnerships with big insurers and is hiring aggressively. They are addressing a massive market and look positioned for significant growth.

The Hunger Beneath the Hunger

Anima Mundi • 288 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Technology Ethics Phenomenology Spirituality Social Philosophy
  1. Most people who feel lonely also feel their lives lack meaning, so loneliness is often about feeling insignificant rather than just wanting more friends.
  2. Modern life gives us lots of surface-level connections that scale, but not the scarce, unscalable communion that makes us feel witnessed and real.
  3. Meaning can’t be manufactured alone; it emerges when you participate in something larger than yourself, and quiet, attentive practices or simply being present with others can help that remembering and ease the hunger.

*For a New Liberty* Book Club Reboot

Bet On It • 155 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Book Club Political Philosophy Libertarianism Anarchism Classical Liberalism
  1. A multi-week book club is being rebooted that will repost original chapter-by-chapter commentary every Friday and add fresh responses to readers’ comments. It starts Feb 6 and will run for about four months.
  2. The reading focuses on For a New Liberty, a provocative anarcho-capitalist book that’s deep and beautifully written. Participants are asked to read chapter 1 by next Friday.
  3. If readers like this weekly format, more favorite book clubs will be rebooted in the future. Interest from participants will determine whether the series continues.

Why I don’t share Sam Altman’s confidence that AGI is basically a solved problem

Marcus on AI • 7786 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Robotics Computing Data science Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence
  1. AGI is still a big challenge, and not everyone agrees it's close to being solved. Some experts highlight many existing problems that have yet to be effectively addressed.
  2. There are significant issues with AI's ability to handle changes in data, which can lead to mistakes in understanding or reasoning. These distribution shifts have been seen in past research.
  3. Many believe that relying solely on large language models may not be enough to improve AI further. New solutions or approaches may be needed instead of just scaling up existing methods.

Britain might actually win the self-driving car war

Odds and Ends of History • 871 implied HN points • 18 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Policy Implications Autonomous Vehicles AI Development
  1. Britain is investing heavily in self-driving cars, with Wayve as a leading company aiming to offer driverless rides. This could change how we travel and impact jobs and safety rules.
  2. Wayve has a unique approach that allows its technology to work in new places without the need for detailed maps. This could help it expand faster than competitors like Waymo.
  3. The public will likely have strong opinions about self-driving cars, especially concerning job losses and new regulations. It's important for everyone to engage in the conversation before decisions are made.

Involutions: The License to Update in O(1)

Software Bits Newsletter • 206 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Hashing Algorithms Data Structures Software Engineering Distributed Systems Performance Cryptography
  1. XOR is an involution: applying the same XOR twice cancels it out, so adding and removing an element use the same operation and let you update combined hashes in O(1).
  2. Zobrist hashing leverages XOR to update a chessboard hash with only a few XORs per move, enabling fast transposition-table lookups and huge search speedups; collisions are possible but usually acceptable or verifiable.
  3. More generally, pick the algebraic tool that matches your needs — use involutions like XOR for O(1) incremental updates when collisions are tolerable, rolling linear hashes for sliding windows, or Merkle trees when cryptographic integrity is required.

Jon Stewart is Right

a newsletter for infovores. • 132 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
💼 Business Regulation Economics Markets Public Policy Political Economy Corporate Governance Behavioral Economics
  1. Economics usually models people as rational, self-interested agents and often prioritizes shareholder value, so it emphasizes market efficiency more than fairness or direct help for the poor.
  2. Behavioral nudges can move behavior a bit, but many problems—like healthcare or climate—need stronger interventions such as taxes, regulations, or system redesigns rather than only subtle nudges.
  3. Political feasibility and public sentiment matter a lot: an economically optimal policy can still fail if voters reject it, so persuading people and designing politically realistic solutions is essential.

A Tale of Two Protests

Heterodox STEM • 227 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🌐 International Middle East Geopolitics Diaspora Terrorism Authoritarianism Human Rights Protests
  1. Iranians are staging large, sustained protests despite harsh repression, showing a deep and long-standing popular resistance to theocratic rule.
  2. The regime prioritizes ideological aggression, proxy warfare, and antisemitic scapegoating over citizens’ welfare, leaving the economy and services in collapse.
  3. Abroad there’s a stark contrast: many in the West support Iranian freedom-seekers, while others engage in performative or pro-regime protest, especially among some young activists.