The hottest Substack posts right now

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The Product Manager’s Guide to Not Slowing Things Down

Kathy PM • 13 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
💼 Business Agility Product Management Strategy Operations Team Dynamics
  1. Speed is crucial in product management. The faster you iterate and ship, the more problems you can solve and learn from.
  2. Product managers should focus on clearing obstacles for the team instead of adding to the confusion. Create clarity and let engineers do their work without delays.
  3. To improve velocity, write things down early, stay ahead of the team, and eliminate unnecessary meetings. Keeping things moving is key to success.

Golden Handcuffs[Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 21 May 22
💰 Finance Investing Compensation Stocks Incentives Financial Analysis
  1. Golden handcuffs are financial incentives designed to keep employees with a company for a specific period by offering benefits like stock options.
  2. Companies use golden handcuffs to retain good talent, align employee incentives with company success, and when cash flow is limited.
  3. Considerations when dealing with golden handcuffs include potential stock value fluctuations, public vs. private company shares, and evaluating companies for true value amidst market hype.

Small Bets

Fish Food for Thought • 10 implied HN points • 20 Aug 25
💼 Business Innovation Startups Management Investment strategy Product Development
  1. It's better to make lots of small changes rather than one big change. Small experiments can teach you valuable lessons without a lot of risk.
  2. In product development, don't rely on gut feelings or big ideas. Use data to guide your decisions and make smaller bets that can adapt quickly.
  3. A culture of learning from failure is important. Embrace mistakes as they help you improve, and focus on learning fast instead of aiming for perfection.

The Ways Microsoft Security Copilot Can Enhance Security Operations with Microsoft Defender

Rod’s Blog • 19 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Security Reports Integration AI
  1. Microsoft Security Copilot is an AI-powered security solution that assists security professionals in various scenarios like incident response, threat hunting, intelligence gathering, and posture management.
  2. Security Copilot helps analysts triage alerts, hunt for threats, and generate reports using natural language queries and AI, seamlessly integrating with Microsoft Security products like Microsoft Defender.
  3. The solution leverages plugins and OpenAI architecture to provide wider threat visibility, context, and extended functionalities for security operations.

Undoing RLHF, prompt injection, and the brittle limits of moderating LLMs

Democratizing Automation • 126 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Safety Cybersecurity Fine-tuning Moderation AI
  1. Recent papers challenge the need for safety filters on open LLM weights, suggesting regular releases of parameters.
  2. Fine-tuning LLM safety can be bypassed with minimal supervised examples, raising concerns about robustness.
  3. Moderation in LLMs relates to liability, with Meta emphasizing safety filters in their models, while OpenAI faces challenges due to fine-tuning access.
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How we built a business out of recession - chapter 30 - Q is for Quentin

The ZIPster • 35 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Management Finance Startup
  1. CitNOW started as a small business and grew a lot over time. It shows how you can build something big from humble beginnings.
  2. Hiring the right people is super important for a company's success. Finding someone who can help guide and improve the business can make a big difference.
  3. Past mistakes can teach valuable lessons. It's essential to learn from experiences to avoid making the same errors in the future.

Language isn't the cure

Sunday Letters • 119 implied HN points • 01 May 22
🕹 Technology System Design Innovation Team Dynamics Software Development Programming Languages
  1. New programming languages or techniques won't solve old problems. Teams need to focus on fixing their systems before expecting a new language to make things better.
  2. People often believe learning a new language will improve their skills, but it doesn't address deeper issues like organization or trust. Just like learning a different language won’t make someone a great writer.
  3. Fixing systemic team issues takes hard work and discipline. Sometimes, sticking with familiar tools can be more effective than constantly chasing new options.

Fear of Oozification

Breaking Smart • 130 implied HN points • 30 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Fear Evolution AI Technological Change Engineering
  1. Oozification, a process driving technological evolution, is making the future less certain and more complex.
  2. Swamps represent evolutionary vigor and the potential for radical change, showcasing the dual nature of stability and destabilization.
  3. All technology undergoes oozification, transforming into more elemental building blocks and increasing evolutionary potential.

Big Tech x Generative AI Q3 '24 Update (Part 2)

Tanay’s Newsletter • 44 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Open Source AI Software Consumer Tech Cloud Computing
  1. Meta is focusing on open-source AI with the Llama models, claiming they are the most cost-effective and customizable option for developers. They are set to release even better versions soon.
  2. Microsoft’s AI business is booming, especially through their Azure Cloud, with expected revenue surpassing $10 billion. They are integrating AI across many of their products, driving impressive growth.
  3. Both companies are seeing success in using AI to enhance user engagement and advertising effectiveness. Meta has increased user time on their platforms, while Microsoft's AI tools are helping businesses save time and improve efficiency.

The MANY Alternatives to Scrum

Rethinking Software • 50 HN points • 01 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Software Development Team Dynamics Agile methodologies Project management
  1. Scrum isn't the only way to manage software development. There are many effective alternatives that some companies are using successfully.
  2. Each alternative relies on worker freedom and experimenting, so it's important to find a process that fits your team's needs, not just a one-size-fits-all solution.
  3. Processes like Kanban or Agile focus on continuous flow and autonomy, which can lead to better results than traditional Scrum methods.

Streamlining Your Database Management: Setting Up PostgreSQL with Docker and pgAdmin

DataSketch’s Substack • 1 HN point • 03 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Cloud Development Software Database
  1. PostgreSQL is a great choice for databases because it's reliable, flexible, and open-source. Its advanced features make it suitable for various projects.
  2. Using Docker makes managing PostgreSQL easier by providing isolation, portability, and quick setup. This allows you to run the database without conflicts and move it easily between environments.
  3. pgAdmin is a useful tool for managing PostgreSQL databases. Running it in Docker alongside PostgreSQL gives you a flexible way to interact with your database through a web browser.

Forging is LIVE on App.axie!

The Lunacian • 46 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🔮 Crypto Economy NFTs Digital Assets Gaming Blockchain
  1. Forging is a new feature on App.axie that allows users to burn materials and create new on-chain items. This adds a fun new layer to the Axie experience.
  2. The first items you can forge are Super Cocochoco and Dark Flame, each providing different benefits to your Axies. Players need to meet certain requirements to access these items.
  3. In the future, more consumables and types of items will be available for forging, expanding the ways players can interact with the Axie universe.

HCF EP 005: Cursor based pagination

Hasen Judi • 35 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development User Interface Programming Data Storage Web Development
  1. Cursor-based pagination lets you skip to the next set of results easily. It's better for large lists because it doesn't waste time reading and ignoring lots of entries.
  2. This method is more stable, as it remembers where you left off even if there are changes to the list. It's like using a bookmark to continue reading later.
  3. However, it has some downsides, like not being able to jump to a specific page directly, which might be less convenient for users wanting to skip ahead quickly.

Promoted from Dev to Team Lead: 8 Things They Didn’t Tell Me

Dev Interrupted • 168 implied HN points • 18 May 23
💼 Business Leadership Productivity Culture Communication Management
  1. Being promoted to a team lead involves a shift in focus from technical skills to people and processes
  2. Great devs turn into great leads by honing their instincts and adapting their behavior
  3. Effective communication as a leader involves focusing on the 'why' behind tasks, nurturing a positive team culture, and setting clear paths for team members

Robots And How We’re Socializing Them

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Evolution Robots AI Socialization Applications
  1. Robots are becoming more essential due to global population declines and increasing need for automation in various sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and military.
  2. Society is changing how robots are perceived, shifting from fear and vilification to acceptance and assistance, through increased visibility in media and toy market.
  3. The way robots are being socialized, presented positively as helpers rather than threats, will play a significant role in their sociocultural acceptance and integration into daily life.

Extending the demo: SoulCalibur (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Communication Gaming Software Hardware Development
  1. The _SoulCalibur_ demo limits you to two characters and one mode, but a patch can unlock more characters and modes.
  2. This demo is an earlier version of the game, allowing players to explore new features not available in the final release.
  3. Some aspects of the game, like certain modes and features, may crash or behave differently compared to the full game.

Decoding Elon Musk

Tanay’s Newsletter • 100 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Innovation Risk-taking
  1. Elon Musk's leadership style involves intensity and high standards, pushing employees to their limits for groundbreaking achievements.
  2. Musk's "Algorithm" for product development includes questioning every requirement, deleting unnecessary parts, simplifying, optimizing, accelerating cycle time, and automating.
  3. Musk's problem-solving approach is based on first principles thinking, stripping down complex problems to fundamental truths.

No Plan B

Fish Food for Thought • 13 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
💼 Business Leadership Strategy Management Technology Entrepreneurship
  1. Having no backup plan can be a powerful motivator to pursue your dreams fully. It's like saying you're all-in on your goals, but it's important to be prepared for any bumps along the way.
  2. Experience shows us that things can and do go wrong, especially in complex systems like software. That's why it's smart to have a plan to recover quickly if issues arise.
  3. Leaders need to keep a strong vision while being flexible in their execution. You can be committed to your goals but also ready to adapt and fix problems when they come up.

Issue #18 – Organisational Structures for Today's Data Realities

The Data Ecosystem • 1 HN point • 11 Aug 24
💼 Business Data Strategy Organizational Structure Collaboration Leadership Team Dynamics
  1. Organizing data teams is tricky because they need to work with different departments. Companies often struggle to define who owns data responsibilities since data is needed everywhere.
  2. Data roles are changing fast, making it hard for teams to have clear structures. As new roles appear, it can get confusing to know where everyone should fit within the team.
  3. Choosing the right structure for data teams is important and should align with a company's goals. There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, and each company needs to find what works best for them.

Once a Maintainer: André Luis Cardoso Jr.

Once a Maintainer • 49 implied HN points • 18 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Community Engagement Software Development Mentoring Programming Open Source
  1. Getting into programming can start with just curiosity and having a computer. Self-study can lead you to discover what you really want to do.
  2. Contributing to open source is about giving back to the community and helps you grow as a developer. Even small contributions can make a big difference.
  3. It's important to teach younger developers about understanding the code under the hood, not just using tools. Encouraging contribution can keep projects alive and thriving.

Breaking into Red Teaming: Phase 1

Locks and Leaks • 19 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Red-Teaming Skills Training
  1. Breaking into red teaming involves a phased approach with fundamental, technical, and employment skills.
  2. Phase 1 focuses on understanding red teaming fundamentals like what red teaming is and diving into analytical and cybersecurity elements.
  3. To succeed as a physical red teamer, it's essential to gain knowledge in analytical red teaming, learn about cybersecurity, and understand the partnership between physical and cyber red teams.

The Otonomist - March 2023 Issue

The Otonomist • 59 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🔮 Crypto Banking Blockchain Development Regulations Entrepreneurship
  1. The newsletter discusses options for banking your crypto company, including a new UAE base in Dubai.
  2. Crypto businesses face challenges in opening and maintaining fiat bank accounts due to various factors like government actions and regulations.
  3. OtoCo announces a new entity creation workflow with revised pricing and the launch of a Swiss Association, aiming to provide instant legal containers for entities and DAOs.

Holistic Ethics

Tom Thought • 19 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Policy Cooperation Character
  1. Moral questions are complex and involve considerations about goals, rules, obligations, praise, punishment, emulation, habits, and associations.
  2. Outcomes and rules are both important in ethics, with goals being critical for motivation and rules for guidance, but bad outcomes lead to the need to revise rules.
  3. Morality is a process involving preferences, policies, cooperation, values, character, rules, and actions, aimed at aligning behavior to produce beneficial outcomes.

✅ Monday briefing: Greenwashing, LinkedIn boom, Twitter affiliation tag, podcasting matures, pitching is a bitch, management function, comms tech trends, AI tool research, wellbeing in PR, and more...

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 59 implied HN points • 30 Jan 23
💼 Business Technology Communications Corporate Responsibility Public Relations Marketing
  1. Greenwashing is a big issue, where companies falsely claim to be eco-friendly. The UK will be checking how accurate these green claims really are.
  2. LinkedIn is becoming more popular as Twitter loses users. More people are engaging on LinkedIn, especially for job-related networking.
  3. The world of podcasting is stabilizing, with fewer new shows being launched. However, existing podcasts are still producing a lot of new episodes.

The Big Tech War has started. Here is how you will win [Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 27 Aug 22
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Finance Consulting Tech industry
  1. The Big Tech companies are engaging in a war for market dominance, expanding into new areas by acquiring smaller companies and investing in new technologies.
  2. To succeed in the tech industry, you can make money as an employee, consultant, or entrepreneur, each path offering different levels of risk and potential rewards.
  3. Being an employee provides stability and a clear career path, while being a consultant allows for flexibility and higher pay, but with the risk of unstable income and no benefits.

John C. Dvorak on Intel's First Neural Network Chip

The Chip Letter • 95 HN points • 21 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Neural Networks Chips
  1. Intel's first neural network chip, the 80170, achieved the theoretical intelligence level of a cockroach, showcasing a significant breakthrough in processing power.
  2. The Intel 80170 was an analog neural processor introduced in 1989, making it one of the first successful commercial neural network chips.
  3. Neural networks like the 80170 aren't programmed but trained like a dog, opening up unique applications for analyzing patterns and making predictions.

Friend Recommendation Retrieval in a social network

Recommender systems • 43 implied HN points • 24 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Data science Social Networks AI Models Machine Learning
  1. Friend recommendation systems use connections like 'friends of friends' to suggest new friends. This is a common way to make sure suggestions are relevant.
  2. Two Tower models are a new approach that enhances friend recommendations by learning from user interactions and focusing on the most meaningful connections.
  3. Using methods like weighted paths and embeddings can improve recommendation accuracy. These techniques help to understand user relationships better and avoid common pitfalls in recommendations.

New Wave 🌊 One Year In 🎂 Hiring 🔥

Venture Prose • 99 implied HN points • 28 Feb 22
💼 Business Startups Investments Venture Capital Hiring Founders
  1. New Wave venture firm achieved impressive results in just one year: 10 investments, 22M€ deployed, 6 rounds announced, and 265M€ raised by portfolio companies. Their IRR stands at 500% and TVPI at 3x.
  2. New Wave focuses on seed deals and carefully selects companies on the critical path between Seed and Series A, emphasizing building strong equity stories with founders.
  3. New Wave is looking to hire individuals with key attributes such as the ability to sift through data effectively, form and defend opinions thoughtfully, and cultivate strong relationships.

📝 Guest Post: An introduction to Similarity Search*

TheSequence • 182 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Algorithms Models Embeddings
  1. Vector similarity search is essential for recommendation systems, image search, and natural language processing.
  2. Vector search involves finding similar vectors to a query vector using distance metrics like L1, L2, and cosine similarity.
  3. Common vector search strategies include linear search, space partitioning, quantization, and hierarchical navigable small worlds.

The Greenfield Project Trap

Alex Ghiculescu's Newsletter • 169 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🕹 Technology Engineering Challenges Projects Software Development
  1. Working on greenfield projects may not be as great as perceived because they lack real challenges.
  2. Legacy code and requirements are what make software development interesting and ignoring them can lead to project failure.
  3. Seek out technical challenges that come with real constraints, as they create value for customers and are opportunities for growth.