The hottest Substack posts right now

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EUV With Fewer Mirrors?

The Asianometry Newsletter • 3214 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Optics Semiconductors Engineering Innovation
  1. A new proposal suggests using fewer mirrors in EUV lithography machines to improve efficiency. This could help capture more light and reduce costs in the chip-making process.
  2. The new system builds on existing technology and aims to complement rather than compete with ASML's machines. It's about making improvements instead of replacing what's already working.
  3. There's still a long way to go before this new design can be a reality. Many technical challenges need to be solved before it can be tested in actual lithography machines.

Homepage Teardowns: What 6 Top SaaS Companies Get Right (and Wrong)

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 43 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
💼 Business Marketing Product Strategy Growth Design Sales
  1. Make your homepage instantly clear about who the product is for and what it does, use contextual social proof and realistic product visuals, and guide visitors to deeper pages with CTAs and FAQs instead of dumping too much detail.
  2. A sales-led motion can work below €10k ACV if you meet the right metrics: fast CAC payback (ideally under 6–12 months), enough ARR per AE, win rates above ~20%, short sales cycles, and mostly inbound-driven demos.
  3. Use early sales as a learning channel: document a simple visual sales process with clear CTAs, qualification rules, and next steps so you can learn how customers buy, improve positioning, and scale repeatably.

Misanthropic uses of the nudge

Archedelia • 1533 implied HN points • 12 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Purpose Behavior Morality Ethics
  1. Machine gambling terminals are designed to create addiction through behavior design.
  2. Players are absorbed into pseudo-action at slot machines, seeking a sense of control and zone of efficacy.
  3. The libertarian response to issues like machine gambling may overlook the impact of external forces and fail to address the need for regulation.

Apple’s Virtual Reality Headset Arrives Amid CES Buzz...Khosla Ventures in the Spotlight...Fewer Startups Landing Seed Funding

Newcomer • 1061 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Consumer Tech Virtual reality Startups Venture Capital
  1. Apple is releasing a new virtual reality headset, but there are doubts about its success compared to AI tech.
  2. Microsoft offers resources and funding to startups interested in AI through its Founder Hub program.
  3. There has been a significant decline in the number of new startups receiving seed funding in recent years.

Resetting expectations for VC investing in health tech

Second Opinion • 1729 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
💼 Business Funding Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Health tech Investing
  1. Not every startup in health tech needs to be backed by venture capital.
  2. Health tech industry may not yield many billion-dollar exits, but there are numerous smaller exits ranging from $40 to $500 million.
  3. Venture capitalists should consider alternative sources of capital like private equity, government grants, family offices, and angel investors for health tech startups.
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Some big news about The Mill

The Mill • 1808 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
💼 Business Media Investment Expansion Journalism Funding
  1. The Mill has successfully raised a total of £350,000 in funding from supporters to hire journalists around the country.
  2. The funding will be used for expanding the company and hiring new staff members in different cities.
  3. The success of The Mill's funding round is attributed to the support and belief of paying members and prominent figures in the media industry.

Guest Essay: VC Contagion

Newcomer • 1808 implied HN points • 31 May 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Investor behavior Market Trends Business Models Startup funding
  1. Venture capital supports unsustainable models to achieve scale, like with tech giants Apple, Google, and Amazon.
  2. Companies like Uber and Airbnb, initially fueled by VC funding, now face challenges as they struggle with profitability.
  3. VC funding has fueled a culture of excessive capital consumption, leading to concerns about sustainability and the future of innovation.

🧪 Positive friction

First 1000 • 943 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Onboarding User Experience
  1. Positive friction adds value and effort to user experience simultaneously.
  2. Positive friction can improve retention in various aspects like streaks and onboarding.
  3. Introducing positive friction strategically can benefit users and businesses in areas like registration, purchasing, and core app functions.

The Gold Endgame Begins

The Dollar Endgame • 559 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
💰 Finance Market Manipulation Gold Central Banks
  1. Gold prices have been soaring recently, possibly due to China's influence and central banks accelerating their gold purchases.
  2. The gold market has been subject to manipulation by central banks through various means like buying/selling gold, gold leasing, and engaging in derivatives.
  3. There is evidence of market manipulation in the gold industry, including spoofing tactics by traders leading to inflated or deflated prices, and the potential for a significant impact on the gold market if large investors start taking physical delivery.

Ticker Take: a weekly newsletter on investing.

Jon’s Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 21 Jul 24
💰 Finance Stock Market Market Analysis Economic Trends Cryptocurrency Investing
  1. Investing in the stock market during election years is usually a good idea, as many years have shown positive returns regardless of who wins.
  2. Mark Cuban suggested that a Trump presidency could benefit Bitcoin and crypto businesses, mentioning that lower tax rates and business-friendly regulations could boost prices.
  3. Amazon's Prime program remains very popular, with many members sticking around for years, which supports the company’s strong sales during events like Prime Day.

The Mask Comes Off: A Trio of Tales

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2150 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Innovation Ethics Safety Regulations AI
  1. Sam Altman presents an overly optimistic view of AI's future while downplaying its risks. He talks about amazing advancements but doesn't address the potential dangers seriously.
  2. OpenAI claims it can design AI to complement humans instead of replacing them, but that seems unrealistic. Many believe there is no solid plan to prevent job losses caused by AI.
  3. Elon Musk's recent bid for OpenAI's nonprofit is more about raising its value than actually buying it. This move highlights concerns about how AI's future will be managed and whether profit motives will overshadow safety.

💥 Tech Talks Weekly #29

Tech Talks Weekly • 79 implied HN points • 30 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Web Development Conferences Programming Software Development AI/ML
  1. This week features new talks from 11 conferences, including GopherCon UK 2024 and PyCon US 2024. It's a great way to catch up on the latest in tech from experts in the field.
  2. The Tech Talks Weekly newsletter provides a convenient way to stay updated without the clutter of platforms like YouTube. You can watch talks at your own pace and reduce FOMO.
  3. Readers are encouraged to share the newsletter and provide feedback through a form. This helps improve the content and build a better community around technology discussions.

DeepSeek isn't a victory for the AI sceptics

Odds and Ends of History • 2345 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Computing Industry Innovation Market Trends
  1. DeepSeek, a new AI model from China, is much more efficient than existing models, meaning it can do more with less resources. This could lead to more widespread use of AI technology.
  2. Even if this new model appears better, it doesn't mean demand for computing power will decrease. Instead, it might increase as more uses for AI are discovered.
  3. The release of DeepSeek highlights the growing competition in AI technology, especially between China and the West. This might push companies to invest more in developing even smarter models.

Jim Hopf on Dry Cask Cost and Quality

Gordian Knot News • 212 implied HN points • 03 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Cost Analysis Quality Assurance Regulation
  1. Nuclear quality is defined by the N-stamp, which only shows that a vendor has followed the proper paperwork, not the actual quality of the product. This can lead to issues if the focus is more on paperwork than on the quality itself.
  2. Costs of dry cask storage have dramatically increased over the years due to strict regulations, even though the original systems worked just fine. These regulations can create barriers to innovation and make safe options much more expensive.
  3. Using non-standard materials can pose challenges in the nuclear industry, as regulations often require products to meet unnecessary criteria that don't necessarily improve safety, leading to higher costs and potential quality issues.

Let Us Attack "Continental Philosophy" & Philosophers!: Thursdays in Academia

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 146 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
📖 Philosophy Critical Theory Social Philosophy Methodology Intellectual history
  1. Many bad Continental philosophers substitute rhetoric for argument, using moves like “the map is not the territory” to reject opposing views and then assert their own map without giving reasons.
  2. Passages like sweeping claims about marriage show declarative, uncompelling assertions presented as truths rather than arguments, often reflecting patriarchal blind spots or personal psychology.
  3. To explain these rhetorical patterns, it’s often more useful to look at the thinkers’ psychological lives and institutional contexts than to search the texts alone, though some Continental work (e.g., careful Foucaultian analyses) can still offer real insight.

Why xAI's revenue could be a key indicator of the AI bubble

Alex's Personal Blog • 98 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Healthcare E-commerce Valuation Policy AI Venture Capital Startups
  1. xAI’s valuation is astronomically high compared to its current revenue, so whether it can rapidly grow sales will be a key signal of whether AI valuations are a bubble or justified. If xAI can’t scale into that price, investors may have overpaid heavily.
  2. AI labs are aggressively moving into healthcare and developer tooling, and firms are competing to lock customers into their platforms and standards to capture profitable enterprise use cases. These moves show the market is shifting from novelty to revenue-driven battles for control.
  3. A proposed California billionaire tax that treats voting control like ownership could push founders and capital out of the state and weaken Silicon Valley’s position. The policy risks being punitive and may incentivize relocation to lower-tax states.

How the Product Bubble Burst

Cold Water • 20 HN points • 10 Sep 24
💼 Business Market Trends Economics Finance Investment Corporate strategy
  1. The Product Management bubble is bursting because the real economy and asset economy are becoming more disconnected. Investors were putting money into tech stories that weren't delivering real value.
  2. After years of inflated asset prices, investors now require proof of value rather than just potential. This shift is leading to a tougher environment for tech and startups.
  3. The rise of interest rates means tech companies can no longer just rely on good narratives without tangible results. Many jobs in the tech sector are at risk because of this change.

Don't Negotiate with Terrorists

Heterodox STEM • 71 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
🌐 International Security Diplomacy Foreign Policy Geopolitics Terrorism Middle East
  1. Long negotiations with Iran have failed and allowed the regime to advance its nuclear program and carry out violent attacks. Treating such actors as negotiable partners has not produced security or reform.
  2. U.S. political leadership has been compromised by personal interests, corruption, and strategic deals, which leads to weak or inconsistent responses to threats. Those influences discourage decisive action even when national security is at stake.
  3. Many foreign-policy elites are guided by optimistic ideological models that downplay militant Islam and treat all conflicts as solvable by diplomacy. That worldview blinds policymakers to real risks and makes them stick with failing approaches instead of reassessing strategy.

The First Feedback Filter

Software Design: Tidy First? • 883 implied HN points • 15 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Feedback Agile Methodology Personal Development Communication Software Design
  1. Ask yourself what feedback is about you and what is about the person giving it. This helps you handle feedback without letting it control your feelings.
  2. Be cautious with feedback from people who only critique or compliment you. If they never provide a balanced view, their comments might not be that useful.
  3. Take your time when responding to feedback. Walking or resting can help you process your feelings, so you can respond more thoughtfully.

What GTM teams are doing with ChatGPT

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 851 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
💼 Business Content creation Marketing Product Management Sales Growth
  1. GTM teams are increasingly using ChatGPT because it helps streamline many tasks, making it the go-to tool for marketers. Instead of juggling multiple tools, many prefer this single platform for various needs.
  2. ChatGPT is versatile and can be used for a variety of functions like persona research, new product positioning, and creating content outlines. This flexibility helps teams save time and improve productivity.
  3. Using AI like ChatGPT reduces costs and enhances marketing efforts, such as localizing content and generating targeted event invitations. It allows teams to operate more efficiently and effectively reach their audience.

Data Update 1 for 2024: The Data Speaks, but what is it saying?

Musings on Markets • 1099 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
💰 Finance Market Trends Corporate Finance Data Analysis Valuation Investing
  1. All companies are included in data analysis to get a full picture, not just big ones. This helps avoid bias and shows a more accurate view of industries.
  2. The data covers many financial variables that help understand company decisions about investment, financing, and dividends. It also uses unique ways to calculate statistics for more accurate insights.
  3. The statistics are updated regularly to reflect the latest available information. Users should utilize the data wisely and be aware of any changes in accounting standards or currency issues.

Why don't media outlets personalize their homepages?

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 224 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
💼 Business Marketing Technology Media Entrepreneurship Publishing
  1. Most major news outlets haven't personalized their homepages like social media has, which feels surprising given the tech advancements. Publishers often think their audiences prefer a curated experience instead of individualized content.
  2. Patreon is focusing on content discovery outside big tech companies, promoting quality over sensationalism. This could help creators earn more money without relying on engagement-driven algorithms.
  3. The Guardian has gained a strong membership base in the U.S. by directly confronting right-wing extremism, which sets it apart from many American news outlets that shy away from such stances.

Media Notes

The Lens • 982 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
💰 Finance Economics Debt Interest Rates Inflation Monetary Policy
  1. Stephanie Kelton discusses alternative ways to handle inflationary pressures globally
  2. Central banks turning to rate hikes may not be the most effective solution for managing inflation
  3. Raising interest rates can have unintended consequences and may not always lead to desired outcomes

They won't change their mind

The Stoic Journal • 55 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Social Philosophy Political Philosophy Practical philosophy Ethics Epistemology Mind
  1. People often have different premises, fears, and histories, so they may not change even after clear explanations.
  2. Your job is to offer what you believe is true with kindness and patience. Don't become the kind of person you're arguing against.
  3. Make your case, then let it go — accept that their mind is theirs and yours is yours.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers (8/12)

Human Capitalist • 119 implied HN points • 13 Aug 24
💼 Business Workforce Trends Human Resources Career Changes Job Market Corporate strategy
  1. Many people are changing jobs in interesting ways, showing shifts in the job market. It’s worth noting when top talent moves to new companies.
  2. Some companies are aiming for global expansion, which adds to their value. This can affect how businesses compete and grow.
  3. The ongoing competition between Lyft and Uber highlights the importance of both financial performance and talent management in the ridesharing industry.

Marcus Aurelius VS Diogenes

Classical Wisdom • 1788 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Cynicism Stoicism Happiness Lifestyle Comparison
  1. Stoicism and Cynicism share the goal of achieving happiness through living in accordance with nature, but differ in how they view societal expectations and material possessions.
  2. Stoics like Marcus Aurelius valued harmonious living with others and some luxuries, while Cynics like Diogenes prioritized individual freedom and rejected wealth and excess.
  3. The Stoics refined Cynic philosophy into a more widely accepted practice, promoting virtue and wisdom as essential for a fulfilling life.

🔍 Screen for Quality Stocks

Compounding Quality • 1788 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
💰 Finance Stocks Screening Companies Quality Investing
  1. Screen for quality stocks by looking at criteria like revenue growth, earnings growth, FCF/earnings, ROIC, net debt/FCFF, and debt/equity ratios.
  2. Investing in companies with strong financials and good balance sheets is crucial for long-term success.
  3. Tools like Stratosphere can help you screen for quality stocks, even if you don't have access to Bloomberg.

Do you know how controlled you are?

Disaffected Newsletter • 2597 implied HN points • 06 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Government Policy Consumer Technology User Experience Design Sustainability
  1. Machines today are often designed to make tasks more complicated for users instead of being user-friendly. This can lead to frustration and inefficiency.
  2. Some appliances have features that seem eco-friendly but actually complicate how they work, making users jump through hoops to get what they want.
  3. Government regulations and societal trends can shape product designs, leading to less functionality and more constraints on how we use everyday tools.

Tom Lee’s $250K Bitcoin Target And Other Bedtime Stories

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 49 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🔮 Crypto Market Trends Institutional Adoption Media Coverage
  1. Huge TV-friendly bitcoin price targets are often marketing and showmanship, recycled after misses rather than coming from rigorous valuation.
  2. Bitcoin lacks traditional cash flows, so its value is driven by liquidity, macro narratives, and collective belief rather than earnings or dividends.
  3. Claims of institutional adoption and predictable cycles are unreliable; institutions tend to amplify volatility and such forecasts are sentiment indicators, not road maps for financial planning.

On Wise Agency, Part 2 | #316

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 194 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
📖 Philosophy Practical philosophy Ethics Existentialism Wisdom Agency Self-knowledge
  1. Occasional breaks from steady work and intentionally getting "lost" help you rewire your identity and grieve your old achievement-driven self. Feeling the uncomfortable emotions fully is part of moving forward.
  2. Don’t turn wandering or healing into permanent escapism—use travel, spiritual practices, productivity tools, or therapy as temporary ways to learn and then leave them behind. Be wary of groups or quick fixes that promise belonging or an easy path.
  3. Wise agency comes from knowing yourself through facts, other perspectives, practical skills, and, most importantly, participation—making small generous offerings or "posting" and showing up to test what matters. Avoid shortcuts, keep showing up, and treat success lightly while you learn.

OpenAI wants you to know it’s a B2B company, too

Alex's Personal Blog • 197 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Enterprise Software AI Data Infrastructure Cloud Computing Acquisitions Startups Tech Policy
  1. A global payments startup restructured its investor base and is pushing into the U.S. to counter worries about Chinese ties, but it’s still unclear if that will calm regulators or customers.
  2. IBM bought Confluent to get closer to enterprise data streams and strengthen its AI and automation offerings, a strategic play that boosts growth without changing IBM’s scale much.
  3. OpenAI is leaning into the B2B market with rapid growth in enterprise seats and claims that its tools save workers substantial time, showing strong corporate demand even as consumer monetization lags.

4th Look at Local Housing Markets in December

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 62 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
💼 Business Housing Market Local Markets Market Data Home Sales Real Estate
  1. The NAR moved to an earlier monthly reporting schedule, which reduces the early sample available for projections and makes larger revisions to reported sales more likely.
  2. Inventory is rising — active single-family listings are up week-over-week and substantially up year-over-year, suggesting inventory may have bottomed early and that the usual spring pickup in March could be stronger.
  3. Sales and new listings remain muted overall — December showed small YoY gains on an unadjusted basis but 2025 had the weakest annual sales since 1995, and new listings are still well below 2019 levels in many markets.

ChatGPT

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 2895 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Tech development Data Privacy Government
  1. Some argue that government intervention in technology development may hinder innovation, suggesting that allowing private entities to operate freely could lead to better outcomes.
  2. Investment in technology tailored to local market needs is usually driven by market demand, without necessarily needing government prompting.
  3. Emphasizing the importance of data security and individual privacy, it's highlighted that reliance on domestic technology doesn't automatically guarantee safety, as user data concerns can also arise.

Introducing Chiplets

The Chip Letter • 6770 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Hardware Innovation
  1. The newsletter is introducing 'Chiplets,' shorter and more varied posts for the readers.
  2. Readers have the option to opt-in to receive 'Chiplets' in their inbox to avoid filling it with too many emails.
  3. The 'Chiplets' will cover a mix of historical and current topics in a more informal and fun way, offering a new format for readers.

Objections to Direct Realism

Fake Noûs • 165 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Skepticism Science Perception Metaphysics Mind
  1. Many standard objections confuse appearance with ontology: apparent size changes, a stick looking bent, or double vision can be explained by physical factors like angular size, refraction, or distortion and don’t prove we perceive non-physical intermediaries.
  2. Hallucinations and illusions don’t show that normal perception is of mental images: hallucinations aren’t genuine awareness, and what justifies belief in perception is that things seem to be a certain way, not evidence of mental objects.
  3. Causal delays and debates about qualities like color don’t defeat direct realism: colors can be treated as physical spectral properties, and time lags mean we see objects as they were rather than seeing only mental entities.

Developer experience at scale – lessons from Dropbox

Engineering Enablement • 14 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Software Engineering Developer Tools DevOps Engineering Management Platform Engineering
  1. Productivity is a sociotechnical problem. You need to invest in reliable systems and tooling while also changing culture, meeting structures, and leadership alignment so engineers can do deep, uninterrupted work.
  2. Roll out AI alongside developer experience work and make sure build, test, and telemetry systems are strong so developers trust AI-assisted workflows. Use exec-level signals to accelerate adoption, enable fast experiments, offer multiple tools, and build internal platforms when third-party tools don’t scale.
  3. The big unsolved challenge is linking productivity gains to business outcomes. AI frees capacity that often goes to migrations and tech debt, but companies lack the instrumentation to show how that work turns into revenue or faster customer value.