The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category
Building the Builders 12 implied HN points 28 Oct 24
  1. Esther Crawford made bold choices in her career, like using her own savings to fund her startup. She felt confident doing this because she knew she could always find another job if it didn't work out.
  2. Her honesty with investors about tough decisions helped build trust and support. This showed that being truthful can strengthen relationships in business.
  3. Esther's journey highlights the importance of following your own path and interests rather than just fitting into societal expectations. Her choices were driven by personal goals and values.
Tippets by Taps 4 implied HN points 15 Jun 25
  1. Meta has invested a huge amount of money into Scale AI, showing how important data is in the AI race. This move might change the landscape of AI companies.
  2. Pricing methods for AI agents are complex and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. People are exploring different ways to charge based on actions, workflows, or outcomes.
  3. As AI becomes more advanced, it will change what productivity looks like. In the future, people may accomplish way more than ever before thanks to the capabilities of AI.
Malt Liquidity 8 implied HN points 11 Feb 25
  1. Writing often reflects personal experiences, but it can also be a form of storytelling that adds depth to facts. The best writing connects readers and creates an emotional response.
  2. Financial analysis is more about crafting a compelling narrative than it is about pure data. Understanding market trends and personal intuition can often be as important as mathematical models.
  3. In the future, traditional finance degrees may become less relevant, and skills like effective communication and critical thinking will be key. Learning how to sift through information and make sense of it is going to be very valuable.
Women On Rails Newsletter - International Version 39 implied HN points 21 Jun 21
  1. Women On Rails Newsletter shares news on the Ruby and Rails community, selected articles on web news and code tips, and something to get inspired.
  2. The newsletter is available in English, translated by Aurelie and Stefanni, opening up the content to a wider audience.
  3. You can subscribe to the newsletter and also share it with your friends to spread the knowledge and inspiration further.
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The Caring Techie Newsletter 27 implied HN points 10 Jan 24
  1. Influence without authority is a vital skill for everyone, from individual contributors to senior management.
  2. To get things done efficiently, you need to master the art of influencing without authority.
  3. Influencing without authority is essential for achieving career growth, turning ideas into reality, and building valuable relationships.
Data Science Weekly Newsletter 19 implied HN points 01 Dec 22
  1. MLOps is important for automating and managing machine learning products. It helps researchers and practitioners understand the principles and challenges of operating ML systems.
  2. Companies face trade-offs when transitioning to real-time machine learning pipelines. They must balance performance, cost, and infrastructure complexity to find the best solution.
  3. The FDA and other agencies have created guiding principles for using machine learning in medical devices. These principles aim to ensure the safety and effectiveness of AI/ML in healthcare.
Fprox’s Substack 27 HN points 09 Jan 24
  1. Transposing a matrix in linear algebra is a common operation to switch row-major and column-major layouts to optimize computations.
  2. Different techniques like strided vector operations and in-register methods can be used to efficiently transpose matrices using RISC-V Vector instructions.
  3. Implementations with segmented memory variants and vector strided operations can be more efficient in terms of retired instructions compared to in-register methods for matrix transpose.
Wadds Inc. newsletter 79 implied HN points 07 Sep 20
  1. Amazon is investigating suspicious reviews after finding that many top contributors may have been manipulating feedback. This shows how fake reviews can impact how we trust products online.
  2. A new tool called Brandwatch Social Panel is changing how companies conduct research by focusing on public conversations instead of traditional focus groups. It might help businesses understand customer opinions better.
  3. Research shows emotional tweets get more reach because people share what makes them feel. This explains why wild or emotional posts spread fast on social media.
Commas by Beau 2 HN points 04 Apr 24
  1. New laws/regulations are creating opportunities for startups to fill gaps; entrepreneurs should stay current with regulatory changes
  2. Foundation models in AI startups are gaining significant interest and could be the next big trend in the industry
  3. Although many startups are AI-powered, AI features are not always necessary to solve user problems; it may not always be a game changer
Technically 10 implied HN points 19 Dec 24
  1. Technically wants to improve in 2025, and they need feedback from users to do that.
  2. They have two surveys: one to help organize their learning materials and another to find out what AI topics users want to learn about.
  3. Participating in the surveys is quick and easy, and it will help make Technically more valuable for everyone next year.
Tiny Empires 36 implied HN points 16 Aug 23
  1. Focus on marketing channels that give you the best return on investment for your time as a solo-founder.
  2. Be very targeted in your marketing efforts and ask yourself how much it costs to acquire a customer for each channel.
  3. Choose 2-3 marketing channels to focus on, consider direct sales outreach, and think creatively about where your ideal customers are.
Klement on Investing 3 implied HN points 25 Jul 25
  1. Getting good sleep is really important for performing well in trading. If you're feeling tired, it's better to rest than to trade.
  2. Research shows that retail traders in different time zones have different returns, mostly due to how much sleep they get.
  3. Seasonal changes can affect how well traders do, especially in different parts of the US. In summer, those further north might earn less because they sleep less.
Technology Made Simple 19 implied HN points 09 Jun 22
  1. Creating a data structure with O(1) time complexity involves operations like adding, decrementing, and finding maximum and minimum values efficiently.
  2. Special requests can help boost newsletter visibility by encouraging readers to engage or provide feedback.
  3. Engaging with readers and asking for their input on future topics can lead to more interactive content creation.
Jakob Nielsen on UX 13 implied HN points 07 Oct 24
  1. OpenAI's new feature, Canvas, lets users interact directly with text in a document instead of just chatting. You can now point at specific text and tell the AI exactly how to change it.
  2. Meta has introduced a video generation model called Movie Gen that rates the quality of videos by having people compare them side by side. This helps to figure out which AI creates better videos.
  3. AI is being adopted quickly, with many people using it regularly for tasks at work. It's even being used at a faster rate than the internet was when it first started.
Fish Food for Thought 11 implied HN points 20 Nov 24
  1. Brilliant jerks might deliver great results, but their bad behavior can really hurt team morale and performance. Focusing on team success is way more important than tolerating toxic individuals.
  2. Toxic employees can create a fearful environment where others don’t share ideas or take risks. This stifles creativity and can lead to poor overall performance.
  3. Companies need to set clear behavior expectations and not let talented individuals hurt team dynamics. Prioritizing collaboration and respect helps everyone do their best work.
East Wind 11 implied HN points 12 Nov 24
  1. The competition to create better AI coding tools is intense. Companies are racing to attract developers and dominate a huge market.
  2. AI coding tools can be divided into three types: copilots, agents, and custom models. Each type has its own approach to helping programmers finish their work.
  3. User experience is very important for these tools. Small differences in how they function can greatly affect how easy they are to use.
Superficial Intelligence 18 HN points 19 Jun 24
  1. Nature used to feel more alive and connected, and it inspired our stories and spirituality. Many people believe that the natural world has a spirit, making it important to recognize its role in our lives.
  2. Modern living spaces are often designed for practicality but can feel boring and unresponsive. We can use technology to make our environments more interactive and supportive, like a helpful friend.
  3. Embedded AI offers a way to change our tools and devices to understand our needs better. This can help us regain a sense of ease and connection, making our daily lives less dependent on screens and more engaging.
Perspectives 3 implied HN points 24 Jul 25
  1. Founders are fearless and willing to take risks. They believe in their ideas and work hard to solve problems, even when the odds are against them.
  2. Having a learning mindset is important for founders. They seek different opinions and adapt quickly to new information to strengthen their leadership.
  3. Great founders know how to attract and build strong teams. They focus on recruiting top talent, as the right people can significantly change a company's success.
Dev Interrupted 9 implied HN points 07 Jan 25
  1. Building a good team means moving from putting out fires to being proactive. Focus on planning ahead so your team doesn’t always have to deal with emergencies.
  2. Rushing to ship new features isn't always best. Sometimes, following others and quickly adapting ideas can work better in the long run.
  3. When writing code, clear instructions lead to better results. If you’re vague, your code might end up messy and confused.
ppdispatch 5 implied HN points 16 May 25
  1. The 'Leaderboard Illusion' highlights how some AI models get unfair rankings because of selective information sharing. This can make it hard to know which models are truly the best.
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs) struggle a lot in long conversations, with a big drop in their performance. They often lose track of conversations and can make mistakes early on that affect the whole chat.
  3. MiniMax-Speech is a new tech for turning text into speech that can imitate voices in multiple languages. It also allows for cool features like expressing emotions in the voice.
Economic Forces 3 implied HN points 31 Jul 25
  1. Bitcoin treasury companies are becoming popular on Wall Street as a way for investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without directly buying it. These companies aim to exploit regulatory loopholes that prevent some investors from buying Bitcoin directly.
  2. MicroStrategy has set a precedent by buying large amounts of Bitcoin, which has influenced its stock price and attracted other companies to follow suit. This creates a cycle where each purchase of Bitcoin supports the stock's value.
  3. The success of these treasury companies depends on Bitcoin's future value and the stability of market regulations. If Bitcoin becomes more integrated into the global system, these companies could become key players in the financial market.
Clouded Judgement 5 implied HN points 16 May 25
  1. Net new ARR, which shows the growth in quarterly revenue from cloud software companies, has decreased in the latest reports. This is concerning since a drop can suggest financial struggles.
  2. Valuation for SaaS companies is often based on revenue multiples, giving a quick way to compare their worth. The current median multiple is 5.5x, but top companies can reach much higher valuations.
  3. Companies with higher growth rates tend to have larger valuation multiples. It's essential for investors to watch these trends to better understand the market landscape.
Charles Eisenstein 10 implied HN points 17 Dec 24
  1. There are big questions about how we farm and feed the world, especially concerning the impacts of high-tech agriculture versus organic methods. It's important to rethink how we connect with nature while feeding our population.
  2. Personal healing and intimate connection are crucial in a world filled with chaos and violence. The work of those helping people find healthy relationships can create hope and potentially transform society.
  3. Technology, especially AI, is powerful but also has limits. It might solve surface problems but won't offer real solutions to deeper issues like control and suffering in society.
Import AI 1 HN point 03 Jun 24
  1. The GPT-2 model release by OpenAI was significant, sparking debate with its unusual publishing strategy and predictions of potential applications and misuses that actually came to pass over time.
  2. In the exploration of AI policy and consciousness, it is challenging to predict the timing and impact of advances accurately, highlighting the importance of evidence-based claims and the potential consequences of regulatory actions.
  3. Decentralized AI training presents compelling incentives like cost-efficiency but faces obstacles due to network and technical challenges, which could disrupt current AI policy assumptions.
Gad’s Newsletter 38 implied HN points 24 Jul 23
  1. Airport Queue Management systems use sensors to track security line speeds and update wait times for travelers to see.
  2. Providing information on queue lengths can help passengers decide which checkpoint to go through ahead of time.
  3. Although the system may create some initial imbalances as people adjust to the information, overall it can improve passenger satisfaction and reduce waiting time costs.
Economic Forces 4 implied HN points 19 Jun 25
  1. Banks hold physical money to back the digital dollars they create, ensuring people can get their money when they want it.
  2. A new plan suggests issuing digital dollars without holding any real money, relying instead on supply and demand to keep their value steady.
  3. However, if people stop trusting these digital dollars or start selling them, their value can drop quickly, as seen when a stablecoin recently lost its peg to the dollar.
Jakob Nielsen on UX 23 implied HN points 18 Mar 24
  1. When building a UX portfolio without experience, focus on real-world relevance and storytelling to stand out from generic student projects.
  2. Consider volunteering, joining tech apprenticeships, or freelancing for startups to gain practical UX experience and build a compelling portfolio.
  3. Attending courses like 'UX for AI' can enhance your skills and knowledge in the UX field, adding value to your career development.
Superfluid 39 implied HN points 28 Jun 23
  1. In the past, startups received large amounts of capital at early stages like Pre-Seed, which led to a funding freeze at Series B stage.
  2. Decrease in later-stage technology funding and changing market dynamics have implications for the entire startup ecosystem.
  3. Founders are facing pressure to survive with short runways, need to focus on revenue generation, cost control, and strategic decision making.
Dan’s MEGA65 Digest 11 implied HN points 15 Nov 24
  1. The game Crossroads is a fast-paced maze shoot'em up where players collect items and battle various enemies. It's a classic Commodore 64 game that invokes nostalgia for many fans.
  2. Reverse engineering games like Crossroads can help understand how they work, especially their graphics and sound mechanics. Using modern tools, you can inspect the game’s code and see how it produces effects.
  3. New features for gaming boards, like high score tables for MEGA65 games, enhance competitive play. These tools suggest an active community looking to improve gaming experiences on older hardware.
HackerPulse Dispatch 8 implied HN points 04 Feb 25
  1. Junior developers risk burnout by trying to keep up with many new tools instead of mastering the basics. It's better to understand a few things deeply than to know a little about everything.
  2. The push for full-stack developers often spreads skill sets too thin. Companies might want to save money, but true expertise comes from focusing on specific areas.
  3. JavaScript's new Temporal object is designed to fix the old Date issues. It will help developers manage dates and times more accurately and easily.
Apricitas Economics 33 implied HN points 01 Oct 23
  1. Global adoption of solar, batteries, and EVs is rapidly increasing as these technologies become central to decarbonization efforts.
  2. China dominates solar manufacturing, EV production, and battery manufacturing, posing challenges for other nations to compete.
  3. Green trade wars are intensifying as countries aim to control cleantech industries and secure supply chains, leading to geopolitical competition and trade conflicts.
Data Science Weekly Newsletter 19 implied HN points 24 Nov 22
  1. Using recommender systems can lead to problems like clickbait and addiction if they're only focused on engagement. We need to think differently to create better systems that really serve people's needs.
  2. GitLab has a detailed Data Team Handbook that explains how their data team works, what data is available, and how it helps different departments make decisions. This can guide other teams looking to improve their data processes.
  3. Deep learning techniques are being researched to playtest video games like Candy Crush. This shows how AI can create more human-like testing methods and improve the gaming experience.
The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) 99 implied HN points 26 Feb 20
  1. In uncertain situations, traditional goal-setting doesn't work well because it assumes we can predict the right goals in advance. Instead, teams need a flexible approach that allows them to adapt to changing circumstances.
  2. The Boris method encourages teams to discuss trade-offs rather than focusing solely on specific goals. By understanding the limitations and constraints, team members can make better decisions and act more autonomously.
  3. When teams clarify what they can and can’t do through conversation, they become more effective. This practice fosters a deeper understanding of the resources available and helps everyone align their efforts toward innovation.