The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
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2 years of building a commercial open-source company

Navaneeth’s Newsletter • 49 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Funding Competition Software Development Open Source Startups
  1. Started ToolJet as a project during home quarantine and faced challenges but received positive feedback from users.
  2. Launched ToolJet's public beta and open-sourced the codebase, gaining quick traction on ProductHunt and HackerNews.
  3. Raised VC funding for ToolJet, transitioned to ToolJet 1.0 with enhanced features, and continued building towards ToolJet 2.0 despite competition.

Uncertainty in machine learning deployments

Denis’s Substack • 7 HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology API Automation Machine Learning Data science Software Engineering
  1. Many machine learning projects never make it to production due to various reasons like lack of stakeholder buy-in and data quality issues.
  2. The traditional linear process of analyzing, extracting data, modeling, deploying, and operating models can be naive and not reduce uncertainty.
  3. Embracing uncertainty in machine learning deployments can involve starting the deployment phase before data extraction, leading to constant value addition throughout the process.

Problem 2: Find all occurrences of Substring Solution [Microsoft] (Example of Solutions in Paid Version)

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 23 Aug 21
🕹 Technology Optimization Coding Algorithms Hashing
  1. When solving problems, start with a simple solution even if it's not optimal. It's better to have a working brute-force solution than no solution at all.
  2. Optimizing code involves identifying and eliminating redundant parts. For instance, in string matching problems, consider using techniques like hashing to improve efficiency.
  3. The Rabin-Karp algorithm is a rolling hash function used for string searching. It involves using hashes to compare substrings efficiently, reducing false positives and improving overall performance.
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Ronin Wallet is WalletConnect Certified!

Ronin’s Newsletter • 12 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🔮 Crypto Finance Cryptocurrency Blockchain Technology
  1. Ronin Wallet is now WalletConnect Certified, which means it meets high standards for user experience and security. This certification helps users trust the wallet for their transactions.
  2. Being certified gives Ronin Wallet a better rank in the WalletGuide directory, making it easier for people to find and use it. It joins other popular wallets like MetaMask and Trust Wallet.
  3. This achievement signifies a growing ecosystem with WalletConnect, which has a huge user base and many wallets. It shows that Ronin Wallet is becoming more prominent in the digital wallet space.

UX Roundup: AI Follow-Up Questions in Usability Studies | Top UX Evaluation Methods | AI Use in UX | Keep Users in the Flow | New Grok Image Model

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 11 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Usability testing Artificial Intelligence User Experience
  1. AI can help in usability studies by asking follow-up questions, but it might not ask deep questions like a human can. This means while AI can assist, it can't fully replace human moderators just yet.
  2. The top user experience methods remain user interviews, remote user testing, and heuristic evaluations. These methods have been popular for decades and are still essential in UX work.
  3. AI is not widely used in UX yet, with many professionals using it only occasionally. Learning to use AI in UX can give you a big advantage in your career as the field evolves.

From Papercuts to Autopilot: The Future of Feedback

Kathy PM • 7 implied HN points • 24 Mar 25
🕹 Technology Feedback Software Development Product Design User Experience AI
  1. AI can help manage and interpret user feedback, making it easier to spot problems before users even notice. It could automatically suggest improvements while freeing up time for developers.
  2. There are several AI tools available now that can help teams organize customer feedback, summarize reports, and brainstorm ideas. These tools can make feedback easier to handle day-to-day.
  3. While AI will enhance the feedback process, human insight is still vital. People must interpret feedback in context and find creative solutions that AI alone cannot provide.

We interrupt this service for an important message

Klement on Investing • 3 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
💰 Finance Political Risk Data Integrity Market Trends Economics Investing
  1. It's important for investors to have accurate data about the economy. Wrong data can lead to bad investment decisions and uncertainty.
  2. Recent actions, like firing a labor statistics chief over disappointing data, can threaten the integrity of economic information. This has historical examples that show negative outcomes.
  3. Advocating for the reinstatement of trusted data sources is crucial to maintain the reliability of economic measurements for everyone concerned.

#27: Ambient uncertainty, Part 1

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 99 implied HN points • 06 May 20
📖 Philosophy Mindset Psychology Routine Uncertainty
  1. Life can feel uncertain and unpredictable, especially during tough times. Finding joy in small daily victories helps us cope with this unpredictability.
  2. Being used to a predictable routine makes sudden changes feel scary. We need to build up our comfort with uncertainty so we can handle bigger challenges better.
  3. Creating small surprises or fun moments in our daily routines can help us look forward to the unexpected. This way, we can embrace uncertainty instead of fearing it.

Where inflation comes from

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 12 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
💰 Finance Inflation Labor Economics Economic Policy Statistics Consumer behavior
  1. Inflation measurement is complex and changes in how we calculate it can significantly impact our understanding of the economy. Small adjustments can make us feel either richer or poorer.
  2. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is crucial for economic policies, affecting everything from Social Security benefits to tax brackets, which makes its measurement a point of political debate.
  3. Various methods and indexes, like the PCE and the chained CPI, aim to capture price changes accurately, but they each have strengths and weaknesses in addressing real-life consumer experiences.

Peak Performance #31 | Leading Through a Downturn

The Leadership Lab • 19 implied HN points • 17 May 22
💼 Business Economy Human Resources Investing Management Startups
  1. A recession impacts startups significantly, affecting growth, fundraising, and hiring - requiring adjustments in strategy and operations.
  2. During a downturn, funding becomes scarce and expensive for startups, necessitating better metrics and more time for fundraising.
  3. Hiring becomes easier for startups during a downturn as talent floods the market, enabling better negotiation on salary and equity demands.

#168 – Tariffs, Tai Chi, and T-Shirts

Below the Line from Kevin LaBuz • 4 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
💼 Business E-commerce Market Trends Economics AI Consumer behavior
  1. E-commerce is stabilizing after a rocky period, showing steady growth despite some challenges. Companies are focusing on maintaining balance without significant booming or breaking.
  2. Consumer spending is still strong but cautious, with people opting for smaller purchases rather than big-ticket items. Shoppers are looking for value, especially in areas like secondhand goods.
  3. AI technology is increasingly being used by companies, leading to small but meaningful improvements in operations. Firms are careful with spending, moving towards smarter investment strategies to boost growth.

The best of The Green Techpreneur

The Green Techpreneur • 28 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💼 Business Sustainability Climate tech Entrepreneurship Investment Startups
  1. The Green Techpreneur platform achieved significant milestones in 2023, such as winning awards and helping startups secure funding.
  2. For 2024, the platform acquired Climate Marketplace to connect startups with a network of 2,000 climate investors.
  3. The newsletter also featured updates on innovative climate tech startups and insights from industry leaders to help readers succeed.

Negotiating better offers [Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 19 implied HN points • 01 Jul 22
💰 Finance Personal Finance Career Advice Negotiation Investments
  1. Prepare for negotiations before receiving offers by researching compensation bands and matching skills to desired industries.
  2. Organize interviews with companies in similar compensation bands to potentially receive offers around the same time.
  3. Don't hesitate to ask companies to wait for your decision if you are waiting on other offers to compare.

Core Inflation is (Finally) Cooling

Apricitas Economics • 46 implied HN points • 13 May 23
💰 Finance Inflation Monetary Policy
  1. Core inflation is cooling, signaling a potential slowdown in inflationary pressure.
  2. Data shows a decline in core services inflation and rent prices, indicating progress in curbing inflation.
  3. Businesses and markets expect inflation to remain above 2% in the near future, but long-run inflation expectations are stable.

Beyond the Turing Test

Am I Stronger Yet? • 47 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Job Market Workforce Impact
  1. The key question about AI is transitioning from 'can it think' to 'can it hold down a job?'
  2. Human-level intelligence in AI is not a simple threshold but a mix of capabilities across different tasks.
  3. Comparing AI to humans in the job market can provide a practical measure of AI's impact on society.

Clouded Judgement 10.25.24 - Misaligned Incentives

Clouded Judgement • 13 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Economic Trends Financial Markets Investment Strategies Startups
  1. Venture capitalists are changing how they work with founders. Instead of focusing on big wins together, some are now just trying to make quick money from management fees.
  2. Founders should be careful about raising too much money too early. Getting larger sums from investors can often come with higher valuations, which can hurt the business long-term.
  3. It's important for founders to know how many other companies their investors are supporting. If an investor has too many companies, they might not have enough time to help yours succeed.

Problem 44: Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters (Meta / Facebook)

Technology Made Simple • 19 implied HN points • 29 Jun 22
🕹 Technology Education Social media Interviews Coding
  1. Problem 44 focuses on finding the longest substring without repeating characters, a common challenge in coding interviews.
  2. The problem involves using techniques like Two Pointers, Arrays, and Hashmaps for efficient duplicate checking.
  3. Examples provided help understand the problem, emphasizing the importance of finding unique substrings.

Why Your 'Disruptive' Product Isn't Getting Traction

Superfluid • 39 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
💼 Business Marketing Market Analysis Product Development Sales Startups
  1. Changing consumer behavior is hard for startups, and it takes more than just a good product to do it.
  2. Before building a product, understand the market deeply, including the barriers to change and existing strategies.
  3. To succeed, focus on what you're really selling, craft a smart GTM strategy, and work progressively to change the market.

10X Chromium Chip Patents

ASeq Newsletter • 29 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Patents
  1. The patents confirm findings from previous teardown and documentation processes.
  2. Negative pressure control is explained by the original location of output wells.
  3. Monitoring pressure carefully is crucial to avoid catastrophic blockages in the system.

Data Update 2 for 2022: US Stocks kept winning in 2021, but…

Musings on Markets • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 22
💰 Finance Stock Market Market Analysis Risk management Economic Trends Investment
  1. US stocks did really well in 2021, continuing a strong climb from the previous year. This makes investors feel good, but it also raises concerns about whether stocks are becoming too expensive.
  2. Different sectors performed differently; energy and real estate were the winners in 2021, unlike the tech stocks that led in 2020. This shows how market trends can quickly change and impact returns.
  3. The risk of investing in stocks has shifted, and the expected returns are lower than in the past. Investors need to rethink how much they expect to earn from the stock market in the future.

Product Digest: Latch Plots, Protein Engineering and GPU-enabled Bioinformatics

LatchBio • 12 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Bioinformatics Protein engineering Software Development Data Visualization Machine Learning
  1. Latch Bio offers a new Protein Engineering Toolkit with over 16 tools that help create and analyze proteins. This means scientists can now design better drugs and enzymes more easily.
  2. The new software called Latch Plots makes it easier for scientists to visualize biological data. It allows them to create dynamic graphs and analyze data from various sources without much hassle.
  3. Using GPU technology in bioinformatics speeds up data processing significantly. This upgrade allows researchers to analyze large datasets quickly, which is essential for drug discovery and many research projects.

How to build a newthing

The Ideaspace • 25 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Existence Creation Reality Life Mortality
  1. Building a new thing involves meditating on creation and seeing it as an organic machine with a mystical element. It requires a delicate balance of control and allowing the new thing to reveal itself.
  2. Starting a new project should stem from emotions towards an idea and allowing it to unfold naturally without pushing or completely ignoring it.
  3. Maintaining the authenticity and purpose of a new thing is crucial to its survival. Recognizing that all new things will eventually change or die helps in staying true to its essence.

Your guide to AI: August 2025

Guide to AI • 3 implied HN points • 03 Aug 25
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Policy Industry Research
  1. The U.S. government plans to strengthen its AI capabilities by promoting national research resources and improving research safety. This includes plans for better semiconductor manufacturing and supporting local talent.
  2. Big tech companies like OpenAI and xAI are rapidly expanding their computing power, with OpenAI aiming for over 1 million GPUs, reflecting a competitive race in the AI industry.
  3. China is quickly advancing in open-source AI, with its labs making significant progress that challenges Western counterparts. They are also getting government support to implement their AI strategies effectively.

GenAI Isn’t Replacing Devs (And It Shouldn’t)

HackerPulse Dispatch • 8 implied HN points • 18 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Software Development Tech industry Engineering Programming Languages Artificial Intelligence
  1. Firing programmers to replace them with AI can backfire. Companies might end up facing big problems like untrained workers and high costs to hire good developers back.
  2. Experience and human intuition are important in software development. AI can't solve every problem, and skilled developers are still needed for complex tasks.
  3. The new Python 3.14 interpreter will make code run faster without needing any changes. This is great for developers because it saves time and effort.

Why Go is currently my main programming language

Polymath Engineer Weekly • 31 implied HN points • 28 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Performance Programming Developer Experience Stability Tooling
  1. Go is a productive language with simple syntax and easy readability, making it accessible for new contributors.
  2. Go has fast build times, statically linked binaries for easy distribution, and a stable language ecosystem.
  3. Go offers good performance, low memory footprint, and useful built-in tooling for an awesome developer experience.

Examples of governments doing good in house (or contracted) technical research

The Good blog • 26 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Defense Regulation Government Research Cybersecurity
  1. Governments, particularly the US, are involved in a variety of technical research areas such as defense, regulatory agencies, and other government departments.
  2. There is a mix of in-house and contracted technical research, with some independent agencies excelling in this area.
  3. Defense research tends to dominate government technical research, with no clear pattern indicating whether in-house or contracted research is more successful.

Update #70: Apple Shutters Autonomous EV Project and Griffin + Hawk Compete with Transformers

The Gradient • 24 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Engineering Research Studies Generative AI Autonomous Vehicles
  1. Apple terminated its Project Titan autonomous electric car project and shifted focus to generative AI, impacting hundreds of employees.
  2. Challenges faced by Project Titan included leadership changes, strategic shifts, and difficulties in developing self-driving technology.
  3. Research proposes RNN-based architectures Hawk and Griffin that compete with Transformers, offering more efficiency for language models.

UX Roundup: AI Video Editing | AI Avatars Compared | NotebookLM Team Leaves

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 11 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Tools Video Editing Product Development User Experience
  1. CapCut is an AI video editor that, while powerful, is not as easy to learn as people say. Users can edit videos by working with AI-generated transcripts, which can improve the final cut.
  2. Creating AI avatars can be done through different services like Humva, D-ID, and HeyGen. Humva is the easiest to use, while HeyGen offers the most features but is also the most complex.
  3. It's smarter to subscribe to AI services monthly rather than yearly. AI changes quickly, and you want to be flexible to switch to better tools as they become available.

Soft software

johan’s substack • 1 HN point • 06 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Human-AI Interaction Language Models Software Development Artificial Intelligence
  1. Human language can be seen as executable, prompts serve as soft software that triggers computational processes within language models.
  2. Soft software interacts with language models in a fluid and non-deterministic manner, akin to a read-evaluate-print loop with state.
  3. Soft software creation in the Semioscape involves embracing uncertainty, exploring, and co-adapting with language models as a medium for inventive exploration.

Perhaps something has occurred in the history of the concept of structure

Internal exile • 28 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Interpretation Cultural transmission Language
  1. Jacques Derrida's lecture 'Structure, Sign, and Play' launched post-structuralism in 1966.
  2. Language models like LLMs create structured language instantly, blurring the origins and history.
  3. LLMs operate without embodied knowledge, relying on statistical relationships of tokens rather than real-world experience.