The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

Is Reality Mental?

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 10 implied HN points • 25 May 25
📖 Philosophy Quantum physics Psychedelics Idealism Metaphysics Consciousness
  1. Consciousness might be the most important part of existence, not just something our brains make. This changes how we see reality.
  2. The old view of the universe being random and lifeless doesn't explain how we feel and experience life. We need a new way to understand what reality truly is.
  3. Many new studies and ideas support the thought that consciousness isn't just from our brains, but something bigger we all tap into. This could help us understand life and death better.

Zenful Estimates: Ditching Task Estimates to Build a Faster Team

Dev Interrupted • 51 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Project management Agile methodologies Engineering Culture
  1. Engineering task estimates are often costly in time and resources, leading to inaccuracies and increased stress within the team.
  2. Distinguishing between task estimation and project estimation can help teams prioritize better and allocate resources more effectively.
  3. By adopting a 'Zenful' approach that focuses on project estimates rather than granular task estimates, teams can save time, reduce stress, and improve overall efficiency.

The Cholocalate Milk Rule: Knowing when to sort your input [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 05 Jul 22
🕹 Technology Interviews Problem Solving Sorting Algorithm Coding
  1. Knowing when to sort your input is crucial in certain coding problems. The Chocolate Milk Rule helps in identifying when sorting can lead to the solution.
  2. The Chocolate Milk Rule works when the solutions can be filtered based on ordering and when solutions are generated from input subsets. It can be applied in various scenarios like 3 Sum, 2 Sum Sorted, and even Search.
  3. Sorting the input makes it easier to filter solutions based on their magnitude. This simplifies the process of finding solutions to coding problems.

"Show Me the Money": Founders, Loyalty, and the New Rules of the AI Gold Rush

The New Internet by Jeff Morris Jr. • 7 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
💼 Business Startups AI Acquisitions
  1. There's a big shift in loyalty among tech employees in Silicon Valley. More people are jumping from one job to another, chasing better pay and opportunities instead of sticking with one company.
  2. Founders are often the first to leave for bigger paydays, which can hurt trust with their teams. When founders prioritize their own benefits, it makes employees question their loyalty.
  3. To fix this issue, the industry needs better rules that protect employees and promote fairness. Without real change, the teamwork and shared success that used to define startups might disappear.

Understanding Isn't Enough

Sarah's Newsletter • 59 implied HN points • 08 Feb 22
🕹 Technology Data Analytics Product Development Data Quality Process Optimization
  1. Value in data products comes from taking action, not just providing information.
  2. Vendors and data tools add significant value by influencing processes and saving time for users.
  3. Analytics products should aim to change behaviors by answering critical questions, prioritizing effectively, and continuously refining to ensure effectiveness.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

✅ How can we level up regional public relations in the UK?

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
💼 Business Employment Trends Market Growth Remote work Public Relations
  1. Public relations grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now it's slowing down, especially in London where the number of practitioners is rising fast compared to other regions.
  2. Many PR professionals moved out of London to smaller cities during the pandemic, but as remote work decreases, people are returning to the capital, leading to a strong community outside London but still much smaller.
  3. Diversity in public relations is key, as it should reflect the communities it serves. The rising cost of living in London makes it hard for newcomers, which raises questions about how to support more equitable growth across the UK.

Irreplaceable Senior Devs & Manual Coding in the AI Era

HackerPulse Dispatch • 8 implied HN points • 02 Jul 25
🕹 Technology AI Tools Performance optimization Coding Practices Software Development
  1. Even with advanced AI tools, human coding skills are still very important. Developers need to understand how to edit and refine AI-generated code for better productivity.
  2. Code should be easy to skim, helping developers quickly understand and navigate through it. A focus on visual clarity makes coding and debugging faster.
  3. Senior developers bring valuable experience to the table by creating shared understanding behind the code. Their insights help ensure that even AI-generated code makes sense and serves its purpose.

Battery chemistry is key to EV performance

TP’s Substack • 25 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Electric Vehicles Battery technology Energy Systems
  1. Battery chemistry is really important for how well electric vehicles (EVs) perform. The kind of battery used affects how quickly and efficiently the car can use its power.
  2. High-performance EVs need batteries that can discharge power very quickly, often at high rates. This allows them to reach top speeds and perform well on race tracks.
  3. Some battery types, like LMFP, are better for maintaining power and temperature, which makes them more suitable for high-performance vehicles. They can charge and discharge efficiently without overheating.

Gold Is Back—And So Is Judy Shelton

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 25 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
💰 Finance Investing Gold Banking Monetary Policy Economic Theory
  1. Gold prices are rising due to economic and geopolitical concerns, attracting more interest from central banks. This suggests that many countries are starting to value gold again.
  2. Judy Shelton proposes a new kind of bond that would let people redeem their bonds for gold or dollars, giving the public more control over their money. This could help stabilize the economy.
  3. Shelton believes that moving back to a gold standard could improve trust in the financial system and reduce government control over money supply, which many people see as a good thing.

How to make history with LLMs & other generative models

Leigh Marie’s Newsletter • 74 HN points • 21 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Infrastructure Machine Learning Applications Observability Privacy
  1. LLMs like Github Copilot can augment developer productivity and provide new opportunities for AI-enabled developer tools startups
  2. Generative models can significantly enhance efficiency for knowledge workers in fields like consulting, legal, medical, and finance, offering potential for startups in these areas
  3. New infrastructure opportunities exist around running large models locally, providing compute resources for model training, and challenging incumbents in ML frameworks and chips

Santa's Souped-Up MEGA65

Dan’s MEGA65 Digest • 22 implied HN points • 13 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Computers Software Development Community
  1. The MEGA65 community is thriving with exciting new projects and downloads, showcasing the talent and enthusiasm of its members.
  2. New tools like SidPlay65 and COPA65 enhance the music and text editing experience on the MEGA65, making it more fun and user-friendly.
  3. Projects such as full-color video demos and powerful file browsers show that innovation continues to grow in the MEGA65 ecosystem.

Card sorting: how many participants do you really need?

UX Psychology • 39 implied HN points • 07 Jun 22
🕹 Technology UX Research User Testing Information Architecture
  1. Card sorting is a popular UX research method where participants group labels according to their own criteria, revealing their knowledge structure and helping create user-friendly information architectures.
  2. There are three main types of card sorting: open, closed, and hybrid, each serving different research goals.
  3. Studies suggest that 15-30 participants are usually enough for card sorting studies to provide reliable results, with 15 participants being sufficient for most projects but 20-30 recommended for larger projects.

Scaling engineering teams: Building career ladders

Brick by Brick • 18 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
💼 Business Career development Employee retention Leadership Human Resources Organizational Culture
  1. Creating a clear career ladder is crucial for growing engineering teams. It helps everyone understand how to advance and what is expected from them.
  2. Collaboration is key when building this ladder. Getting input from the team can help define roles and ensure everyone feels involved and valued.
  3. Regularly reviewing and updating the career ladder keeps it fair and relevant. It’s important to adjust it as the team and company grow to continue supporting everyone’s development.

Copilot Designer Poses Public Safety Risk, According To Microsoft Employee

Teaching computers how to talk • 52 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Tech Ethics Public Safety Microsoft AI
  1. A Microsoft employee raised concerns about the AI image generator Copilot Designer posing public safety risks, but management did not take action.
  2. Despite known risks with Copilot Designer, Microsoft continues to market it without appropriate disclosures.
  3. Jones's revelations highlight the need for transparency in disclosing AI risks, especially when products are marketed to children.

From Heuristics to Precision

Sunday Letters • 19 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI Hiring Data Networking
  1. Networking is really important because personal connections help match jobs with the right people. Good networks can filter out the best candidates easier than sifting through tons of data.
  2. Large language models (LLMs) can help improve hiring by analyzing resumes with more depth and precision. This could lead to better and fairer hiring processes.
  3. We are seeing a new kind of precision in handling data that will change how we think and work. While it can improve job fits, it might also raise concerns about privacy and control in other areas.

Kaidro’s Pilots NFT Presale starts TODAY!

Ronin’s Newsletter • 24 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🔮 Crypto NFTs Gaming Digital Assets Blockchain
  1. The presale for Kaidro's Pilots NFTs starts today and runs for one day only. It's a special opportunity to buy tickets to potentially win a unique digital collectible.
  2. Each ticket costs 125 RON, and if you don't win, you'll get your money back. Make sure to grab your tickets before the presale ends tomorrow morning!
  3. These Pilot NFTs are not just collectibles; they also unlock exclusive game features and benefits within the Kaidro universe, making them valuable for players and fans alike.

How to Run a Data-Driven Engineering Org Without Being a Performance Tyrant

Dev Interrupted • 88 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
💼 Business Management Productivity Teamwork Leadership Data-driven
  1. Stack ranking is natural human behavior, but it may not be suitable for engineering teams.
  2. Data-driven does not mean stack ranking; software development teams are more like bands where everyone depends on each other.
  3. Avoid data-driven leadership anti-patterns by knowing your 'why', measuring more than individual stats, and not relying on easily available metrics.

Standardized usability questionnaires: post-task measures

UX Psychology • 59 implied HN points • 23 Dec 21
🕹 Technology Testing Psychometrics Usability User Experience
  1. Post-task questionnaires capture user impressions immediately after a task, offering insights into user experience.
  2. Popular post-task questionnaires include the After-Scenario Questionnaire (ASQ), Subjective Mental Effort Question (SMEQ), and Expectation ratings (ER), each providing valuable usability feedback.
  3. When conducting usability studies, using multiple post-task questionnaires, like ASQ and SEQ, is recommended for a better understanding of user perceptions.

How to get into tech as a behavioral scientist

The Kahneman Bot • 19 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
💼 Business Tech Data science Product Management Start-ups Behavioral Science
  1. To get into tech as a behavioral scientist, consider starting in a junior PM role, transferring internally, working at a startup, or starting your own company.
  2. Before transitioning into tech, make sure you enjoy building software and understand how tech teams work.
  3. Experienced behavioral scientists can enter tech by joining a big tech company as a researcher, rebranding as a data scientist, or joining a tech company that values behavioral science as part of its IP.

Open-source LLMs' harmlessness gap

Democratizing Automation • 90 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Research Community Ethics Open Source
  1. Closing the gap between helpfulness and harmlessness in open-source LLMs is crucial for the sustainability of products and businesses.
  2. Community interest in red-teaming can help assess harmfulness in models and prevent negative impacts.
  3. Sequential engineering workflows and strong community norms are needed to create harmless AI chatbots in the open-source landscape.

Four Reasons People Leave Venture Firms

Venture Reflections • 20 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
💼 Business Interpersonal Relationships Venture Capital Performance Management Financial Incentives Career Advancement
  1. People often leave venture firms due to interpersonal conflicts. Sometimes, team members just don't get along, leading to a toxic work environment.
  2. Poor performance or low expectations can drive people out of a firm. If someone's work isn't meeting the firm's goals, they might be asked to leave.
  3. Many individuals seek more control over their careers. They may leave to find better opportunities or build firms that align with their values.

Understanding, explaining and simplicity

Sunday Letters • 79 implied HN points • 31 Jan 22
🕹 Technology Design User Interface Code Understanding
  1. Explaining something to someone else helps you see how well you really understand it. If you can break it down clearly, then you know it well.
  2. Simplicity is important in design and communication. To simplify, you need to break things down to their basic parts and only keep what is essential.
  3. Before adding more to a design or an idea, try taking things away first. This helps in understanding the core of the problem and making things simpler.

Hanging up the jetpack. Planting a flag.

The Jungle Gym • 83 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23
💼 Business Coaching Leadership Entrepreneurship Startup Career development
  1. The decision to fully commit to Exec was driven by an energizing problem, a receptive market, and a stellar team.
  2. Exec aims to help companies design customized talent development programs, work with a network of vetted coaches, and provide flexible payment options.
  3. Having the right team and shared values is crucial for the success of startups like Exec.

11 strange sights from Bitcoin Amsterdam

The Rectangle • 28 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🔮 Crypto Events Cryptocurrency Blockchain Tech Culture Digital Currency
  1. At Bitcoin Amsterdam, most prices were in Euros, not Bitcoin. This felt a bit off for an event named after a cryptocurrency.
  2. You couldn't really pay in Bitcoin at the event itself, which was surprising. There was a Bitcoin Lightning option, but many felt that didn't count.
  3. The event had a noticeable gender imbalance, with about 95% of attendees being men, though there were fewer people with dreadlocks than expected.

Low-Code Won’t Replace You | Camunda’s Bernd Ruecker

Dev Interrupted • 18 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Development Automation Low-code Software
  1. Low-code tools help developers focus on more complex tasks instead of repetitive ones. They make it easier for non-tech users to build applications too.
  2. Understanding when to use low-code solutions versus custom coding is important. Each has its strengths, and using the right one can save time and effort.
  3. Despite the rise of low-code, experienced developers are still needed. The role of developers is evolving, but they won't be replaced anytime soon.

Data For AI

Gradient Flow • 59 implied HN points • 31 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Causal Inference Healthcare AI Machine Learning AI
  1. Data engineering and data infrastructure are foundational for AI and machine learning success. Businesses need to focus on data integration to scale their use of AI and machine learning.
  2. New tools and frameworks like DoWhy for causal inference and the AI Risk Management Framework from NIST are shaping how we manage AI risks and explore causal learning.
  3. State-of-the-art AI systems require additional training data to achieve top-notch results across various benchmarks. Additional data is crucial for enhancing AI performance.

The Next Hypecycle: DomainFi

$5.vc • 7 implied HN points • 15 Jul 25
🔮 Crypto Digital Assets Blockchain Tokenization Decentralization Web3
  1. DomainFi is a new sector that mixes identity, finance, and decentralized services, which is expected to grow as more people adopt Web3 technology.
  2. Web3 domains offer real ownership and control over online identities, making them more secure and less susceptible to censorship compared to traditional domains.
  3. As interest in Web3 increases, DomainFi could attract speculators and investors, creating a new market for valuable digital assets and potentially leading to the next big hype cycle.