The hottest Substack posts right now

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Would We Really Shut Down A Misbehaving AI?

Am I Stronger Yet? • 62 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data Centers Governance
  1. People are usually hesitant to shut down a rogue AI due to various reasons like financial interests and fear of backlash.
  2. Delaying the decision to shut down a misbehaving AI can lead to complications and potentially missing the window of opportunity.
  3. Shutting down a dangerous AI is not as simple as pressing a button; it can be complex, time-consuming, and error-prone.

Newsletter 21: To keepdims or not to keepdims!

Decoding Coding • 1 HN point • 19 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Data science Software Development Deep Learning Machine Learning
  1. Understanding the 'keepdims' parameter in tensor operations is important for getting correct results in PyTorch. If you set 'keepdims' to True, the dimensions are preserved, which helps with broadcasting correctly.
  2. When summing tensors, if 'keepdims' is False, it can lead to incorrect calculations because the tensor's shape changes. This can result in dividing values incorrectly, leading to unexpected outputs.
  3. It's crucial to be careful with tensor shapes and broadcasting rules in machine learning models. Even a small oversight can cause models to produce wrong predictions, so always double-check these details.

Can Bitcoin Save The U.S. Dollar?

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 23 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
💰 Finance Economic Theory Monetary Policy Cryptocurrency Government Policy International Trade
  1. Some politicians suggest creating a Bitcoin reserve for the US, thinking it could help the dollar's value and stability. They believe having Bitcoin might make the US economy stronger.
  2. Having reserve assets like Bitcoin is not as necessary for the US dollar, which is already powerful globally. The dollar doesn't need extra support from things like Bitcoin because it's already widely used.
  3. Adding Bitcoin to the US reserve wouldn’t really help the dollar; it might just serve to enrich some investors. The government should focus on what truly supports the economy, not on trendy assets.

On Social Media, Demand Slopes Upwards

Never Met a Science • 66 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Algorithms Producers Consumers Social media Economics
  1. In the attention economy of social media, demand can increase as supply increases, leading to an unsustainable positive feedback loop.
  2. The attention economy operates differently from traditional market economies, with attention being a key commodity rather than money.
  3. Consumers, producers, and algorithms play unique roles in driving the positive feedback loop of the attention economy, which can have far-reaching implications.

In search for ideal CDP for B2B SaaS

nonamevc • 24 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Digital Infrastructure SaaS Data Management
  1. Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) are becoming important for B2B SaaS companies by helping them unify data from different sources. This makes it easier for teams to work together and drive better marketing and sales efforts.
  2. There are two main types of CDPs: packaged and composable. Packaged CDPs are more like ready-made solutions, while composable CDPs allow for customization to better fit a company's specific needs.
  3. B2B companies might not need a standalone CDP as many existing tools are starting to include features traditionally offered by CDPs. This means businesses can often get what they need from tools they are already using.
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UX Roundup: AI Research Window | AI Skill Substitution | World Economic Forum Predicts More UX Jobs | AI-UX Consultant | Bad Bird Lip-Synch

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 19 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Job Market Research Consulting AI UX Design
  1. There is a limited time to study how people use AI since soon everyone will have experience with it. Right now, researchers can still compare results between people who use AI and those who don't.
  2. The introduction of AI is changing job markets significantly. Some jobs, like translation, are declining, while others, like web development, are booming because AI helps workers be more productive.
  3. The World Economic Forum predicts that UX jobs will grow by 50% in the next five years. While there's some skepticism about job predictions, there is a general agreement that UX roles will keep increasing as AI continues to evolve.

Where Returns Lie in Venture Capital

East Wind • 29 implied HN points • 17 Sep 24
💼 Business Market Trends Investing Venture Capital Startups Finance
  1. Venture capital involves finding, evaluating, and supporting startups, but picking the right ones is often overlooked. This 'picking' can greatly affect the overall returns.
  2. Investing in non-consensus startups, or those that most investors avoid, can yield high rewards, but it requires confidence and willingness to take risks.
  3. Markets that are growing fast, or those with less competition like certain consumer sectors, could be good places to find unique investment opportunities. However, these come with their own risks.

The Week In Repair: May 8 - 14

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 16 May 22
🕹 Technology Right-to-repair Microsoft Automakers Repair Apple
  1. Efforts are being made to protect the medical right to repair by hospitals, repairers, and public health groups to ensure competition in the industry.
  2. Caterpillar is pioneering the practice of refurbishing old engines, thereby promoting sustainability, reducing costs, and boosting revenue from services.
  3. Microsoft's closure of physical stores has impacted its repairability efforts, showing the importance of accessible repair centers for customers to learn, seek help, and fix devices.

Newsletter #12: System Design for Machine Learning - Part II

Decoding Coding • 19 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology System Design Case Studies Software Development Machine Learning Data science
  1. Airbnb uses a special tool called Zipline for feature engineering in their Customer Lifetime Value model, which helps them pick and create over 150 features needed for predictions.
  2. Chicisimo built a recommendation system based on user data, which includes both objective and subjective features, to give personalized fashion advice using their Social Fashion Graph.
  3. Case studies provide valuable lessons in applying frameworks to real-world projects, showing that you need both a good framework and experience from past projects to succeed.

Meta Motivo behavioral foundation model, Multimodal AI Agents, Gemini 2.0 Flash, Real-time Video and screen-sharing in the Multimodal Live API and ChatGPT, Phi-4, Sora, TRELLIS, Deep Research & more

AI Brews • 22 implied HN points • 13 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Innovation Research AI Software
  1. New AI tools and models are being constantly developed by major companies like Microsoft, Google, and Meta. These include models that improve reasoning and create high-quality 3D assets.
  2. There are exciting features like real-time video and screen-sharing for AI applications. These advancements help make interactions more dynamic and engaging.
  3. Various new products aim to simplify tasks and enhance creativity. This includes tools for preserving stories, creating AI characters, and comparing AI performance easily.

Issue 19: American S-Bahn

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Energy Policy Regulatory reform Urban planning Health tech
  1. Cities can improve public transport by building small tunnels to connect existing train lines, making systems more efficient without huge costs.
  2. New Zealand's unique approach to controlling inflation changed how many countries handle their economies, showing that bold ideas can lead to widespread change.
  3. Lead poisoning is a big global issue that can be mostly solved with actions that have worked in wealthier countries, like testing and regulating sources of lead.

Tech Debt

The Weekly Gazette • 26 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Internet Infrastructure System Architecture Technical Debt Software Development Cybersecurity
  1. Software systems, like the one behind HealthCare.gov, often fail due to poor planning and shortcuts taken during development. This can lead to major issues when many people try to use the system at once.
  2. Cybersecurity programs can unintentionally cause widespread problems. For example, a failed update from a security company led to major outages and millions of dollars in losses.
  3. Technical debt accumulates when programmers prioritize quick solutions over solid code. While it can't be completely avoided, it's important to understand and manage it to prevent future issues.

November 2024 Update

Maker News • 22 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
🕹 Technology DIY Projects Gadgets Engineering Electronics Software Development
  1. There are many fun DIY projects you can try, like making a cheap ultrasonic humidifier or upgrading old tools with USB-C. It's a great way to learn and create something useful.
  2. A variety of innovative gadgets are available to buy, like a ZX Spectrum recreation that brings back nostalgic 8-bit computing. It can be a fun treat for anyone who loves tech.
  3. Exploring new technologies, like vocoders, can be exciting. Understanding how they work may inspire new projects and creative ideas in sound and music.

Open Source has my Whole Heart

Sung’s Substack • 3 HN points • 08 May 24
🕹 Technology Data Tools Open Source Data Engineering
  1. Open source is a beautiful pursuit that allows people to solve problems they love while connecting with others.
  2. Career paths can evolve, leading to new opportunities and self-discovery in pursuing work that aligns with personal values and passions.
  3. Improvements in data tools and workflows, like understanding SQL deeply and prioritizing statefulness, can revolutionize data work and make processes more intuitive and efficient.

Metricalypse Now

davidj.substack • 107 implied HN points • 15 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Analytics Data Management Software Integration BI Tools Commercialization
  1. Two approaches to metrics layers: wide datasets without defined data models vs. defined data model for more powerful metrics.
  2. Importance of new semantic layer by dbt Labs acquiring Transform for a universal standalone analytics solution.
  3. Opportunity for data consumption vendors to integrate with new dbt semantic layer for a ubiquitous solution.

August Open Thread and Data Leak Update (2025)

The Corbett Report • 6 implied HN points • 03 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Data security Privacy Communication Membership Internet
  1. There's been a major data leak affecting some users, but luckily no financial info or passwords were exposed. Only names and email addresses were involved.
  2. The response to the leak has been slow, with limited media coverage and the organization behind the service not treating it with the urgency it deserves.
  3. The membership sign-up process is being updated, and there will be new resources released soon on how to better manage email privacy.

Undecidability Isn't So Bad

Bzogramming • 22 implied HN points • 07 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Computing Programming Algorithms Mathematics Software
  1. Some problems in computing are called undecidable, which means we can't find a definite solution for them. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t approach them creatively and get some useful results.
  2. When working with programs, understanding their behavior can often reveal hidden bugs. If a program doesn't behave the way we expect, it might be a sign that something is wrong in the code.
  3. There are smarter ways to analyze code than just throwing our hands up and saying it’s impossible. Advanced tools are already in place in many programming environments, but they often work behind the scenes without us being aware of them.

The edge in trading IPOs: 18% annual return

Quant Trading Rules • 2 HN points • 08 Jun 24
💰 Finance Investing Strategy IPOs Trading
  1. Marsten Parker's IPO trading strategy focuses on frequently buying and selling IPOs shortly after they go public, with clear rules for entry and exit.
  2. Buying IPOs at all-time highs showed a significant edge over buying non-IPO stocks at all-time highs, with IPOs performing better after 20 days.
  3. Tweaking profit targets and stop-loss orders in IPO trading strategies can significantly impact annual returns, demonstrating the importance of optimizing these parameters for better performance.

Should We Let AI Art Rewrite History?

Teaching computers how to talk • 52 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Image Generation Ethical AI AI
  1. AI tools like Gemini attempted to rewrite history by injecting race and gender diversity into historical images, leading to inaccuracies.
  2. Current AI technology struggles to distinguish between historical accuracy and general requests, highlighting a need for improvement in the system.
  3. To address issues like harmful stereotypes and overrepresentation in AI-generated images, there's a necessity for more transparent, fair, and responsible development in AI technology.

Investing in the Age of Generative AI

East Wind • 37 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
💼 Business Tech industry Generative AI Venture Capital Market Trends
  1. Investors are really excited about generative AI because it can change how businesses operate. This excitement comes after a slowdown in traditional software growth, making AI seem like a fresh opportunity.
  2. However, the generative AI market is seeing some signs of trouble. Big funding levels are leading to fierce competition and some companies are struggling to keep up, which might lead to fewer successful startups.
  3. Ventures need to adapt quickly, as the landscape is changing fast. Investors should consider focusing on smaller markets where companies can still grow and succeed, rather than chasing after larger, more saturated markets.

What is Sarah's Newsletter?

Sarah's Newsletter • 59 implied HN points • 25 Jan 22
🕹 Technology Tech Data
  1. Sarah's Newsletter focuses on starting conversations about trends in data and tech, led by Sarah Krasnik Bedell, a data engineer and thought leader.
  2. The newsletter covers topics like data engineering, analytics, and diversity in the tech industry beyond Silicon Valley.
  3. Sarah started the newsletter to connect with smart individuals and discuss interesting ideas in the tech community.

Software Supply Chain Attack Types

Resilient Cyber • 39 implied HN points • 24 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Software Development Cybersecurity Software Supply Chain Malware
  1. Software supply chain attacks can happen in many ways. It’s important to understand the different attack types to protect against them effectively.
  2. Negligence in software practices can lead to serious problems. Simple mistakes like not checking dependencies can let bad code slip into your projects.
  3. Using digital signing helps ensure software integrity, but it’s not foolproof. It's vital to use additional security measures to keep systems safe from multiple vulnerabilities.

AI Roundup 053: Bye bye Bard

Artificial Ignorance • 54 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Applications Tech Companies Regulation Deepfakes AI
  1. Google rebrands AI product line Bard to Gemini, introducing multiple tiers including a paid plan powered by Gemini Ultra.
  2. Initiatives like the C2PA aim to address deepfake content issues, with companies like Google and OpenAI joining efforts for content authentication.
  3. FCC deems robocalls with fake AI-created voices as illegal, showcasing government agencies taking action on AI regulation independently.

The Wholesale Rape Of Canada, by the US Dollar.

C.O.P. Central Organizing Principle. • 18 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
💰 Finance International Economics Trade Currency Investment
  1. Canada has a lot of valuable resources and talent, but many Canadians are struggling with homelessness. This is partly because their economy is being affected by how the US operates.
  2. The Canadian dollar is tied too closely to the US dollar, making it harder for Canada to sell its goods at fair prices. This creates issues for Canadian businesses and workers.
  3. Many Canadians are frustrated with American influence and feel it's time to focus more on their own economy and products. This could lead to significant changes in how Canada interacts with American businesses.

The Real Value of Money

What's Important? • 24 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
💰 Finance Money Management Personal Finance
  1. Money is like electricity; it needs to keep moving to hold value. Hoarding it can make it lose its purpose.
  2. The real value of money is about understanding your relationship and feelings towards it. It can show where you need to grow or heal in your life.
  3. Living with love and creativity can lead to unexpected abundance. Focusing on helping others can open up new pathways for receiving.

I, Token

Nothing Human • 23 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Philosophy Innovation AI Computing Machine Learning
  1. Tokens are like bits of language that help us express thoughts and feelings. They connect our emotions and experiences across time and space.
  2. The story of survival, like the mother warning her child about the snake, shows how important communication is for human beings. They have always used sounds and symbols to protect and connect with each other.
  3. Now, we create tokens using machines, but they still need human creativity. While technology can produce many tokens, the unique insights and connections come from people.

Ronin is LIVE on Dune!

Ronin’s Newsletter • 24 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🔮 Crypto Data Blockchain Analytics Gaming Community
  1. Ronin is now accessible on Dune Analytics, allowing users to analyze on-chain transactions and build dashboards for various data insights.
  2. Creating dashboards on Dune is easy; just sign up, choose Ronin, and start building your queries to visualize data.
  3. The Dune API lets users get real-time data updates and notifications, making it simpler for developers and analysts to track important metrics.

Additional data on historical housing prices

First principles trivia • 39 implied HN points • 13 May 22
💰 Finance Housing Prices
  1. Single-earner households are becoming rarer, with data showing that median male worker income as a percentage of household income has decreased from 93% in 1963 to 73% in 2022.
  2. While the median home might be more affordable in 2022 compared to 1981, the affordability in popular metro areas like Seattle, Miami, and Santa Clara County in California varies significantly due to factors like income, mortgage rates, and regional price differences.
  3. High prices in 2022 pose challenges for affordability, especially for those needing to save up large deposits for mortgages, with the number of months of income required for a deposit increasing from 2.9 months in 1970 to 5.6 months in 2022.

30-60-90 For TPMs

Building Rome(s) • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
💼 Business Management Career Startups Strategy Leadership
  1. When starting in a big tech company, your first month should focus on understanding the company's structure and people. It's important to learn the processes and key players to effectively navigate your new role.
  2. At startups, you need to adapt quickly, often ramping up in just a few weeks. Jump in and start contributing right away, as limited resources mean you’ll likely wear many hats.
  3. Building relationships is key in any new role. Prioritize meeting with colleagues and stakeholders to enhance collaboration and gather insights that will help you succeed.

The Paradox of Choice

Integrity Talk • 99 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Decision-making Self-reflection
  1. Personal goals have evolved along with societal changes and technologies.
  2. Despite a wide array of choices, human motives for pursuing goals remain consistent over time.
  3. Excessive choices can lead to difficulty in decision-making and a tendency to prioritize social desirability over personal values.

Value != Price

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 16 Jul 23
💼 Business Pricing Strategy Market Valuation Consumer behavior Luxury goods
  1. Value and price are not the same. People often pay more for brands or status rather than for actual utility.
  2. It's easy to set prices based on user value for certain products, like software, but it’s trickier for physical goods like cars and clothes.
  3. Luxury products have high prices because of the status they carry, not necessarily because they offer more utility compared to cheaper options.

Beta 1.0 Is The Loneliest Number

Some Unpleasant Arithmetic • 9 implied HN points • 29 May 25
🕹 Technology Digital Communication Loneliness Human Interaction Social Impact AI Ethics
  1. AI friends are becoming popular, but they might not help loneliness. Many people are feeling isolated, and relying on robots for companionship could be harmful.
  2. Loneliness is a serious health issue and affects many people, leading to problems like depression and lower well-being. It's becoming clear that social connections play a big role in our health.
  3. Strong social ties are important for economic success. Having friends can help in finding jobs and building career networks, showing that friendships have real value beyond just companionship.