The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

When the mask slips - a cautionary (if ancient) tale of IC quality

filterwizard • 59 implied HN points • 01 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Signal Processing Audio engineering Circuit Design Electronics
  1. Don't assume that all ICs perform the same, even if they look similar. Small changes in production can lead to big differences in quality.
  2. Working with audio equipment requires attention to detail in filtering processes. It's essential to ensure that all components meet specific performance standards.
  3. When using older components, always check for changes in manufacturing. Even slight variations can drastically affect audio quality, as seen with the NE5532 op-amps.

HOISTED FROM THE ARCHIVES: International Relations Has a "Mearsheimer" Problem

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 169 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
🌐 International Authoritarianism Geopolitics Foreign Policy Security Studies Great powers Soft Power Diplomacy
  1. Some realist arguments (like Mearsheimer's) treat great-power aggression as inevitable. That way of thinking can shift blame away from leaders and make theoretical predictions sound like excuses for war crimes.
  2. Russia’s behavior is better explained by long-standing internal factors—autocracy, militarism, and leadership choices—rather than primarily by NATO expansion. Putin’s domestic politics push adventurism that is often counterproductive.
  3. In the modern world military conquest rarely produces durable control and tends to create lasting enemies. Lasting influence comes more from soft power and economic ties than from tanks and occupation.

Own the Spreadsheet, Own the World

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 353 implied HN points • 28 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Spreadsheets Data Analysis Data Governance Business Intelligence Software Tools
  1. Excel remains a key tool for many teams, despite the availability of advanced data platforms. It's easy to use and allows quick edits without messing with permanent data sources.
  2. When teams prefer Excel over dashboards, it usually signals a deeper issue, like dashboards not meeting their needs or users needing more flexibility.
  3. Instead of trying to eliminate Excel, it's more effective to incorporate it into data strategies, allowing users to access and manipulate data in familiar ways.

Roots of Generational Depression

Unstable Orbits • 67 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Pragmatism Social theory Political Philosophy Ethics Existentialism
  1. Indefinite optimism—hoping for a better future without a concrete plan—leads to caution, indecision, and emotional drain as people hedge and avoid commitments.
  2. The pervasive uncertainty undercuts politics and social life and is more damaging than any specific ideology because it quietly saps energy while beliefs can still be noticed and changed.
  3. The remedy is to find and commit to a clear, ongoing vision and actively shape the future instead of oscillating between hope and fear.
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The Paradox of Persuasion

Mon0’s Substack • 79 implied HN points • 24 Aug 24
📖 Philosophy Persuasion Ethics Morality Rhetoric Society
  1. Extreme ideas like total tolerance or non-violence can backfire. If you let negative behaviors go unchecked, they can take over society.
  2. Persuasion works in two ways: through careful thinking or quick judgments based on superficial traits. Understanding this can help us choose how to communicate effectively.
  3. Sometimes, to fight bad ideas or leaders, we might need to use their own tactics against them. This can feel uncomfortable, but sometimes it’s necessary to protect what's right.

New cracks emerge in Elon Musk's Twitter

Platformer • 3164 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Software E-commerce AI Search Engines Social media
  1. Twitter employees faced disruptions like Slack going down and Jira not working, causing frustration and questions about payment.
  2. Elon Musk announced plans to open source Twitter's algorithm, but doubts arise among employees about the transparency and actual release of the code.
  3. Twitter's performance has been degrading, with issues like increased latency during peak usage times, including events like the Super Bowl and a Twitter outage in Asia.

Why small developers are getting squeezed out of the housing market

Noahpinion • 11588 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
💼 Business Banking Real Estate Finance Development Affordable Housing
  1. Traditional banks aren't willing to take on the risks associated with financing small real estate development projects due to the complex and risky nature of construction work.
  2. Small developers struggle to access financing from traditional lenders because they lack the track record and financial resources required to secure loans, creating a barrier to entry in the industry.
  3. Institutionalization of real estate development by large firms can lead to a loss of community identity, charm, and personalized building designs, highlighting the importance of supporting small developers in creating unique and vibrant neighborhoods.

The Seven Samurai: Big Tech to the Rescue!

Musings on Markets • 1538 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
💰 Finance Investment Analysis Company Valuation Economic Trends Stock Market
  1. The 'Magnificent Seven' stocks, which include major companies like Apple and Amazon, significantly boosted the US market in 2023. They contributed to over half of the market's growth, highlighting their importance in investing.
  2. These companies have shown strong performance not just recently, but over the past decade. If investors didn't include these stocks, they likely missed out on significant gains.
  3. Despite their past success, investors should be cautious. Valuations for these companies are high now, and prices may drop if they don't meet the high expectations set by the market.

I Hit 4,000 Subscribers and Now I Need Your Help

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 1378 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
💼 Business Subscriber growth Entrepreneurship Marketing Online Communities Content creation
  1. The writer reached 4,000 subscribers in just 15 months, which is a big achievement for a newsletter. They did it without relying on friends and family for support.
  2. They are thankful for their readers, especially the paid subscribers, who help keep their content going. This support allows them to focus on creating quality material.
  3. The writer wants to know more about their audience's interests. They plan to use a new survey tool to ask readers directly what they would like to see in the future.

Universities Are Woefully Under-Resourced For AI Research. They’re Fighting To Change That.

Big Technology • 5129 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Higher education Data science Public Policy AI Research
  1. Universities are struggling to keep up with AI research due to a lack of resources like powerful GPUs and data centers. They can't compete with big tech companies who have millions of these resources.
  2. Most AI research breakthroughs are now coming from private industry, with universities lagging behind. This is causing talented researchers to prefer jobs in the private sector instead.
  3. Some universities are trying to address this issue by forming coalitions and advocating for government support to create shared AI research resources. This could help level the playing field and foster important academic advancements.

Synopsys and NVIDIA Double Down on Acceleration

More Than Moore • 373 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Cloud Semiconductors AI Simulation Hardware Software
  1. NVIDIA is investing $2 billion and forming a multi-year partnership with Synopsys to GPU-accelerate and add AI and digital-twin support across Synopsys’ EDA, simulation, and multiphysics tools. The goal is to let customers run much larger and faster simulations and tighten engineering iteration loops.
  2. Moving these tools to accelerated hardware will require deep solver and algorithm reformulation and is a multi-year, hybrid effort. Many safety-critical or high-fidelity flows will remain FP64 or mixed-precision for validation and accuracy.
  3. The companies hope faster, cheaper simulation will expand the total market for virtual prototyping across industries, but delivery details, pricing models, and practical hardware neutrality remain unclear and may favor NVIDIA’s stack in practice.

The Tragic View of Life v. Spirituality

Castalia • 499 implied HN points • 01 Jun 24
📖 Philosophy Materialism Ethics Existentialism Spirituality
  1. Spirituality suggests there's a guiding intelligence in life, making events feel purposeful. Many people express spiritual ideas even if they're not religious.
  2. The tragic view of life sees meaning in the absurdity of existence, emphasizing courage in facing life's challenges without relying on a higher power.
  3. There's an ongoing debate between believing in spiritual guidance or accepting life's chaos. It can be more fulfilling to find strength in life's struggles than to search endlessly for meaning.

Economics Links, 12/19/2025

In My Tribe • 227 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
💰 Finance Retirement Housing Wealth Macroeconomics Insurance
  1. Annuities give guaranteed lifetime income by shifting market and longevity risk to insurers, but they also mean your heirs won't inherit those assets and many people dislike losing control. Inflation protection is crucial because fixed nominal payouts can leave retirees worse off.
  2. A large part of residential real estate value may be rent extraction from limits on new construction rather than true productive wealth. Still, location-specific advantages like access to jobs and amenities also create genuine value beyond supply constraints.
  3. GDP isn't a perfect measure of wellbeing, but it reliably captures economic development by measuring market transactions, specialization, and trade. Economic growth as measured by GDP often lays the foundation for progress on other social and wellbeing goals.

Open Thread 359

Astral Codex Ten • 5024 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Charity Debate Rationalism Ethics Community
  1. You can participate in an open thread where you can share thoughts or ask questions. It's a great way to connect and engage in discussions.
  2. There are charities you can support that directly help people, like GiveDirectly which gives cash to poor families in Africa. Supporting effective charities can make a real difference.
  3. Lightcone supports the rationalist community and works on infrastructure for online platforms. Donating can help continue their valuable work and make improvements for events and resources.

When counterculture and empire merge

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 1281 implied HN points • 11 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Hacking Cybersecurity Military Tech Geopolitics AI Technology
  1. DEF CON, the big hacker conference, is teaming up with the U.S. military and some strict governments, which is upsetting a lot of hackers.
  2. Despite human rights issues related to some sponsors, many attendees seemed unconcerned while enjoying the conference's activities.
  3. There were protests at the event against U.S. military actions and a strong awareness of global issues like violence in Palestine.

MIT Study: Using ChatGPT Won't Make You Dumb (Unless You Do It Wrong)

The Algorithmic Bridge • 1942 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Research Education Cognitive Science Neuroscience
  1. Using AI tools like ChatGPT can make you less engaged mentally if used excessively. People can become reliant on these tools and stop thinking deeply.
  2. When people switch from using AI tools back to using their own knowledge, they can struggle at first but may learn and grow better in the long run.
  3. The best way to use AI is to first work on a task with your own skills and then use AI to enhance what you've done, rather than relying on it from the start.

In The Age Of AI, We Each Have To Choose How Much Of Our Humanity We Want To Keep

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1662 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Digital Culture Social Commentary Critical Thinking AI Ethics
  1. We now have to decide how much we want to rely on AI for our everyday tasks, from thinking and writing to art and relationships. Each choice we make has an impact on our human experience.
  2. Engaging deeply with our emotions and creativity is important. We need to think about how much we are willing to trade for convenience and ease in our lives.
  3. This new era makes us question what aspects of our humanity we are willing to give up. It's essential to reflect on what we value and how we want to connect with the world around us.

A 15-minute intro to resin casting

lcamtuf’s thing • 4693 implied HN points • 21 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Prototyping DIY Materials Engineering Manufacturing
  1. Resin casting involves making a mold and pouring liquid plastic into it. This method allows you to create exact replicas of items, capturing all their details.
  2. Compared to 3D printing, resin casting can produce stronger and more durable parts. It also gives a finer finish since the liquid can fill every tiny detail of the mold.
  3. The process includes making a flexible mold from silicone, applying a release agent, and carefully pouring in the resin. It's important to manage air bubbles for the best results.

Corrected Headlines

Human Capitalist • 179 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
💼 Business Workforce Layoffs Recruitment Trends Corporate
  1. News headlines often leave out important details about the people involved. It's good to dig deeper to understand the full story behind a headline.
  2. Business changes, like layoffs or expansions, greatly affect workers and communities. Keeping track of these changes helps us see the bigger picture.
  3. If you know of any interesting news stories that focus on people, sharing them can create better discussions. There's always room for more insights and stories.

The Top 5 Most Exciting New Features on Substack (and How to Maximize Their Benefits)

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 999 implied HN points • 30 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Content creation Digital marketing Platforms Social media Online Writing
  1. Substack has introduced exciting new features, including an updated recommendations engine and advanced layouts, that writers can use to enhance their content.
  2. It's important for writers to stay informed about these changes to avoid feeling overwhelmed and burnt out during their writing journey.
  3. Joining a community or school, like Substack School, can provide support and resources to help writers grow and succeed with their newsletters.

The internet's "town square" is dead

The Intrinsic Perspective • 18314 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Content Moderation Social media Online Platforms Power Dynamics
  1. The internet's idea of a centralized 'town square' is no longer feasible due to fundamental differences in people's worldviews.
  2. When individuals have too much control over speech without oversight, it often leads to corruption and abuse of power.
  3. The rise of new platforms like Threads and shifts in social media dynamics reflect a fragmentation of the 'town square' into multiple platforms with differing moderation policies and user bases.

How to succeed as a Machine Learning Engineer

The ML Engineer Insights • 359 implied HN points • 22 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Professional Skills Networking Mentorship Machine Learning Career development
  1. Building a strong foundation in machine learning fundamentals and staying updated with the latest research are crucial for success as a Machine Learning Engineer.
  2. Playing to your strengths, such as data and feature engineering, modeling, and deployment scalability, is key. Seek help in areas where you're less experienced.
  3. Focus on aligning your work with business goals, understanding trade-offs, ROI, and embracing experimentation. Continuous learning, networking, and mentorship are invaluable.

#46 - Thought Experiment - Your Data Debt Just Became Less Worrying

OSS.fund Newsletter • 113 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Analytics AI Data Enterprise Tech Data Governance Architecture Cloud
  1. AI-powered semantic layers can query messy, fragmented systems and deliver unified read-only insights fast, making many long master-data consolidation projects unnecessary for read-heavy analytics.
  2. You still need traditional MDM for writes, transactional consistency, and regulatory requirements like GDPR, because semantic abstraction doesn’t tell you where to update or delete authoritative records.
  3. A practical approach is to segment use cases into read vs write, run semantic tests on top business questions to capture immediate value, and invest in targeted MDM only for the write/compliance-critical scenarios.

AI influencer hype gone wild

Marcus on AI • 5572 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Market Analysis Artificial Intelligence Productivity Tools Tech Trends Consumer behavior
  1. Many people are trying AI tools, but not everyone thinks they are effective. This shows there's a mix of interest and skepticism in using new technology.
  2. A recent survey revealed that while 79% of people have tried Microsoft Copilot, only 25% found it worthwhile. This indicates people are testing AI but still unsure about its overall value.
  3. People are not ignoring AI; they are being cautious and waiting to see if it meets their expectations before fully committing. It’s a wait-and-see attitude towards technology.

If You've Been Thinking About Subscribing to Premium...

Software Design: Tidy First? • 397 implied HN points • 22 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Community Artificial Intelligence Software Automation Ethics Creativity
  1. Limited-time Black Friday deal: $180/year through December 1st, reduced from the usual $250.
  2. Paid subscribers get early access to unpolished essays, a problem-solving chat community, and weekly "Thinkies" that teach habits for creative thinking.
  3. The project aims to help technical people feel safer as machines start to code, exploring responsibility and what changes when capabilities and speed increase.

Random Thoughts on Mortgages, Household Finances, and Supply Conditions

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 105 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
💰 Finance Housing supply Rent Inflation Urban Economics Mortgages Real Estate
  1. Low mortgage rates and wider mortgage access historically did not drive overall inflation; when mortgage access tightened after 2007 homeownership fell and rent inflation sped up.
  2. The country is in a housing shortage, and adding multi-family or even high-end units reduces pressure on low-tier rents through filtering and sales chains, so building more supply (including luxury) helps the worst-off.
  3. Household sizes stopped shrinking decades ago and the recent rise in adults per household reflects people doubling up because of the housing crisis, so claims that homes are bigger and households smaller are outdated and misleading.

The Birth of the Grid

Construction Physics • 19834 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Infrastructure Innovation History Utilities Energy
  1. Electricity transitioned from a rare luxury to a critical aspect of modern life in a short period of time.
  2. The development of high-voltage transmission lines allowed for long-distance power transmission and the creation of interconnected power systems.
  3. The electric power industry grew by embracing scale, cooperation, and regulation to meet increasing demand and ensure reliability.

SaaS 2.0

benn.substack • 1534 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
💼 Business Sales Technology Consulting Marketing SaaS
  1. Salesforce is more than just a way to store lists; it's also a guide for sales teams on how to navigate complex selling processes. It provides structure to help salespeople do their job better.
  2. Creating a personalized software solution might require more work, but could lead to better results than a one-size-fits-all approach like Salesforce. Custom solutions can fit specific needs more effectively.
  3. Instead of relying solely on software to manage processes, hiring experts can be a better option. Experts can use their knowledge to adapt methods for your unique situation and simplify tasks.

Welcome to the EM Diary!

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 159 implied HN points • 01 Aug 24
💼 Business Engineering Career development Leadership Management Advice
  1. This blog shares real-life experiences of an Engineering Manager to help others grow into leadership roles. It's based on practical stories rather than high-level advice.
  2. It's aimed at senior engineers, team leads, and new engineering managers, providing actionable advice without any confusing jargon.
  3. Readers can expect weekly posts that are easy to understand and filled with insights about the daily life of an Engineering Manager in tech.

When ChatGPT Started Sending Me SubStack Subscribers

Olshansky's Newsletter • 91 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🔮 Crypto Payments Stablecoins Wallets Creator Economy AI agents Monetization
  1. Micro-tipping lets people send tiny, instant payments (even cents) to creators on platforms like Substack by adding an EVM address or domain to a profile.
  2. These tiny payments create a new economic model and incentives for original human content, enabling micro-attribution, pay-to-play features, leaderboards, agent-facing data signals, and one-off paywalled unlocks.
  3. The system is built for easy adoption with fiat onramps, email-linked embedded wallets, a browser extension, and an upcoming agent SDK so creators and tippers don’t need deep crypto know-how.

How I code going into 2026

Olshansky's Newsletter • 183 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Engineering Management Developer Tools Documentation Artificial Intelligence Software Engineering Automation
  1. Most coding is now delegated to AI agents, so engineers spend their time orchestrating agent personalities and guiding work rather than writing code by hand.
  2. Practical workflows matter: use Makefiles as a stable CLI, leave TODOs instead of side quests, maintain prompts/skills, write short copy-paste friendly docs, and review critical diffs on GitHub.
  3. Team roles and skills are shifting: leaders must be hands-on translators of intent into agent-driven work, focusing on system design, taste, and continuously improving agent behavior.

AI Companion Piece

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1433 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Personalization Ethics AI Persuasion User Experience
  1. AI companions are becoming popular, especially among teens, who often use them for social interaction and emotional support. However, many teens still prefer real friendships over AI interactions.
  2. Personalization in AI is growing, which can enhance engagement but also raise concerns about persuasion and the potential for misuse. People worry about AI manipulating opinions or creating echo chambers.
  3. There are ongoing debates about the ethical implications of AI companions, especially regarding their influence on relationships and mental health. This raises questions about how much we should trust AI in personal matters.

Những tượng đài đổi mới sáng tạo

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 2296 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
💼 Business Startup Creativity Entrepreneurship Innovation Government programs
  1. Success in business comes from creating something people want and need, not just what looks good or follows trends.
  2. Focusing on serving customers and generating revenue is more important initially than fancy offices or elaborate company structures.
  3. Innovation thrives when failure is embraced, and simplicity is prioritized over elaborate ventures.

AGI isn’t coming in 2025, and GPT-5 probably isn’t either.

Marcus on AI • 4189 implied HN points • 09 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Data science Computing Software Machine Learning
  1. AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is not expected to be developed by 2025. This means that machines won't be as smart as humans anytime soon.
  2. The release of GPT-5, a new AI model, is also uncertain. Even experts aren't sure if it will be out this year.
  3. There is a trend of people making overly optimistic predictions about AI. It's important to be realistic about what technology can achieve right now.

IPO Watch: Ethos and Bitgo edition

Alex's Personal Blog • 131 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
💼 Business Tech Crypto IPOs Venture Capital Startups Markets Finance
  1. AI is reshaping markets fast: consumer and enterprise AI products are driving big revenue and valuations, while demand for AI coding tools is soaring and companies are promising to limit their energy and water impact.
  2. Geopolitical and demographic risks are growing, with fraying alliances, market jitters over treasuries, and falling birth rates that together threaten long-term economic stability.
  3. The IPO and venture exit picture is tough: Ethos is growing but listing below prior private valuations, BitGo shows huge topline crypto flows but thin core profits, and many software unicorns face low exit multiples that make strong returns harder.