The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Clouded Judgement 3.13.26 - In Defense of Model Lab Profitability

Clouded Judgement • 12 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business AI SaaS Cloud Startups Valuation Profitability
  1. Model labs can reach high, sustainable gross margins as they scale because serving and architecture improvements, better GPU utilization, and product optimizations drive down inference cost per token.
  2. Training costs are likely paybackable within reasonable timeframes similar to CAC payback, and even though retraining is recurring, marginal gross profit after payback can make labs profitable.
  3. Platform lock-in and enterprise needs (fine-tuning, SLAs, tooling, context storage) raise switching costs, so open-source models won’t fully commoditize large customers and retention should stay high.

Issuing Equity: A Guide for Startups

The VC Corner • 439 implied HN points • 22 Jun 24
đź’Ľ Business Startups Finance Investment Ownership Equity
  1. Issuing equity means giving part of your startup away in exchange for money or investment. This can change who makes decisions in your company.
  2. It's important to understand the terms of what you're agreeing to when you issue equity. Knowing the details can help you make smarter choices.
  3. Different types of agreements and shares can impact your startup's future. Make sure to learn about these options before moving forward.

Mass Timber is Great, but It Will Not Solve the Housing Shortage

Construction Physics • 13153 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
đź’Ľ Business Construction Housing Costs Canada
  1. Mass timber construction is advantageous for tall buildings due to its fire resistance and carbon sequestration, but it may not significantly increase housing construction volume in the US compared to traditional methods.
  2. While mass timber is praised for its safety and environmental benefits, it faces challenges such as higher initial costs and more complex processing steps, making it less competitive than light-framed wood construction in the US.
  3. Canada's experience with mass timber, despite a supportive ecosystem, shows that residential mass timber construction may not see a significant uptick in the US housing market even with continued growth and cost reduction.
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Failures of Capitalism: Manufactured Needs and Planned Obsolescence

Erik Examines • 268 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Marketing Consumer behavior Product Design Regulation Competition Corporate strategy
  1. Companies often try to create desires through emotional marketing so people buy things they don’t really need, rather than just responding to clear, practical demands.
  2. Many products are built to wear out quickly or be hard to repair, and businesses use tactics like vendor lock‑in and expensive spare parts to keep customers spending.
  3. Individual shoppers can’t easily fix these incentives, so society needs rules—like warranties and limits on harmful advertising—to push companies toward more durable, honest products.

Are We at War with Grocery Stores Now?

Economic Forces • 10 implied HN points • 12 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business Economics Retail Pricing Regulation Market structure Public Policy Investment
  1. Blaming grocery stores for post‑pandemic inflation misunderstands prices: higher prices together with higher profit margins point to broad demand increases (like monetary or fiscal stimulus), not just supply‑side cost gouging.
  2. Store entry and exit decisions hinge on large, sunk costs and the option value of waiting, so policies that raise operating or exit costs (stricter regulation, eminent domain threats, or tolerance of shoplifting) make marginal stores more likely to close and deter new entrants.
  3. Replacing market pricing with publicly run stores or price controls ignores the information‑and‑coordination role of prices and often worsens outcomes: taxpayers may subsidize lower sticker prices while overall costs, inefficiencies, and access problems rise.

Problems at Serve Robotics (SERV)

The Bear Cave • 279 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Robotics Startups Public Markets Partnerships Competition
  1. Serve Robotics is losing a lot of money while bringing in very little revenue, which makes its business economics look unsustainable and risky.
  2. Sidewalk delivery robots face vandalism, theft, and social friction, plus awkward navigation that raises maintenance costs and slows deliveries.
  3. Even with big partnerships, intense competition and practical limitations mean autonomous cars or drones may be more viable long-term solutions for last-mile delivery.

Top Links 943 Walmart's business model. The Houthi financial crisis. How the cat came to Europe & military panorama painting.

Chartbook • 371 implied HN points • 06 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Retail Finance Marketing Supply Chain Economics
  1. Walmart's business model relies on operating with very small profit margins, which helps them offer lower prices. This can make them very competitive in the retail market.
  2. The Houthi financial crisis highlights ongoing economic struggles and its broader implications on the region. Understanding this crisis can give insight into regional stability.
  3. The history of how cats came to Europe is fascinating and shows the connection between humans and animals over time. It also hints at how cultural exchanges have shaped societies.

Winning iPhone Orders is no Longer Victory

Tim Culpan’s Position • 39 implied HN points • 11 Sep 24
đź’Ľ Business Economics Supply Chain Manufacturing Technology Market Trends
  1. Luxshare and Foxconn are both working on assembling iPhones, but Luxshare's recent orders don't seem to bring in much more money for the company. Their iPhone assembly success hasn't led to significant revenue growth.
  2. Apple is a big client for both companies, but they are overly dependent on it. Luxshare's reliance on Apple for 75% of its revenue is worrying for investors, especially as Apple's overall sales have been slowing.
  3. To succeed, Luxshare might need to expand into new areas like AI servers rather than just focusing on iPhones. However, they face challenges in doing this and need to be cautious about their future strategies.

TBM 390: Governance by Principle, Not by Template

The Beautiful Mess • 528 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
đź’Ľ Business Governance Finance Management Technology Strategy
  1. Governance models should be tailored to fit the specific context of a company. Just sticking to old processes might not work in fast-changing environments.
  2. It’s important to know that not all work fits into neat project boxes. Products and platforms evolve over time, and governance should reflect that fluidity.
  3. Many companies focus more on box-ticking than on truly advancing their goals. Effective governance should prioritize meaningful outcomes over just following rules.

AI is changing the rules of the game in Go-to-Market 🔄

The VC Corner • 819 implied HN points • 03 May 24
đź’Ľ Business Marketing Startups Technology Strategy Innovation
  1. AI tools are changing how businesses go to market, so it's crucial to adapt to these changes. Companies need to actively promote their products rather than hoping they'll go viral.
  2. It's important to focus on attracting early customers who truly understand and care about your product. These customers can provide valuable feedback and help spread the word.
  3. The strategy for getting your first users is different from getting a larger audience later on. Initially, you should go where your target audience already is, instead of spreading your efforts too thin across various platforms.

Why your marketing isn't working

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 425 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Marketing Entrepreneurship Sales SaaS Finance
  1. Marketing needs a balance between great content and effective distribution. If you're creating amazing material but no one sees it, then you have a distribution problem.
  2. Product-market fit is no longer a final goal; it’s more of a constant challenge. As customer expectations rise quickly, businesses must keep up or risk losing their fit.
  3. Understanding your target buyer is crucial for success in selling your business. Different buyers look for different qualities, like profitability or growth, so tailor your approach accordingly.

Killing A Bad Strategy Before It Kills you

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 4413 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
đź’Ľ Business Strategy Leadership Decision-making Management History
  1. Grand strategy helps you achieve big goals with limited resources. Since everyone faces resource limits, using what you have smartly can lead to unexpected successes.
  2. Foxes tend to predict better than hedgehogs because they use many ideas and adapt. Foxes keep an open mind, while hedgehogs stick to one big idea, even if it's wrong.
  3. Planning is important, but sticking too rigidly to a plan can be a mistake. It's better to remain flexible and adjust to new opportunities as they arise.

Why the founder of a popular cycling blog sold it and then left to launch a competitor

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 349 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Media Entrepreneurship Content creation Cycling
  1. Wade Wallace started CyclingTips as a hobby while he was in Australia, and it grew into a successful news website. He focused on sharing stories and insights that people loved, even without formal journalism training.
  2. After selling CyclingTips and struggling with the changes from the new owners, Wallace launched Escape Collective, which relies on paid subscriptions instead of ads. This model aims to offer independent, quality journalism in cycling.
  3. Escape Collective focuses on building a community around cycling, encouraging members to contribute ideas and insights, and Wallace prefers a smaller, tightly-knit team over a large staff. He believes in the power of direct support from readers to create valuable content.

Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger and the Reading Unlock

SatPost by Trung Phan • 169 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Investing Entrepreneurship Strategy Leadership Productivity Markets
  1. Consistent deep reading compounds into rare insights and gives a long-term advantage; even reading 50–100 pages a day can put you in the top tier.
  2. Reading alone isn’t enough — the real payoff comes when you combine reading with skills, experience, capital and networks so a single insight can be turned into a big business or investment.
  3. In a distracted world the bar to stand out is low, so protect focus (curate feeds, limit short-form apps) and keep digging—turn every page to find opportunities.

Your startup idea probably isn’t venture-scale

Lenny's Newsletter • 3537 implied HN points • 16 May 23
đź’Ľ Business Startups Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Market Analysis Investment Strategies
  1. Having a venture-scale startup idea involves aiming for $100 million annual revenue and $1 billion+ valuation in 10 years.
  2. Venture-scale investors look for a large market, a scalable business model, high growth potential, the ability to turn capital into growth, and a path to going public.
  3. Not all startup ideas need to be venture-scale; many ideas can still build a great revenue-generating business without the pressure and expectations of venture capital.

Who is Oleksii Sidorov

Oleksii Sidorov • 324 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Startups AI Investing Ecommerce Research
  1. Oleksii Sidorov started his journey in art but shifted to physics and math, eventually excelling academically and discovering a passion for tutoring and entrepreneurship.
  2. He gained diverse experiences through research and various startup ventures, exploring innovative AI solutions in marketing and advertising.
  3. Investing has become a significant part of his financial strategy, where he learned to balance risks with cautious decision-making across different asset classes.

How Netflix Turned Alex Honnold's “Life-or-Death” Climb Into a Calculated Business Bet

Huddle Up • 110 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Media Streaming Sports Talent Compensation Ethics
  1. Alex Honnold free-soloed Taipei 101 in front of thousands and tens of millions more on Netflix, turning an extreme solo climb into a global, televised spectacle.
  2. He was paid roughly $500,000, which after fees and donations left him with far less than top athletes earn for much lower risk, raising ethical questions about compensation and incentives.
  3. Netflix treated the event as a calculated business bet, exploiting a gap between perceived on-screen danger and the climber’s actual assessment of risk to create a favorable risk/reward arbitrage.

How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 1546 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
đź’Ľ Business Media Publishing Content creation Startup Strategy Digital marketing
  1. Medium has turned around its business by focusing on quality writing and rewarding writers better. The new management cut unnecessary costs and introduced systems that encourage good content.
  2. A big part of Medium's success is its commitment to human curation. Instead of relying only on algorithms, real people help highlight the best articles, making the platform more reliable for readers.
  3. Medium aims to attract not just professional writers, but everyday people who want to share their knowledge. This broader approach could help it grow even bigger, potentially reaching millions of subscribers.

Surge pricing is coming for your rent

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 1642 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25
đź’Ľ Business Economics Real Estate Pricing Technology AI
  1. Surge pricing, which raises costs based on demand and other factors, is expanding to rent prices. This means you might start paying more for your home depending on market conditions.
  2. AI technology is being used to predict prices, leading to potential price increases for various products and services. This can impact everyday expenses and make budgeting more difficult.
  3. The trend of surveillance pricing suggests that companies are using personal data to set prices that consumers are willing to pay. This raises concerns about fairness and transparency in pricing.

❄️💥 Quels risques en 2024 ?

Snowball • 1886 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
đź’Ľ Business Tech Finance Economy Startups Investing
  1. Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) is a major tech company that manufactures chips for various devices.
  2. Experts and global leaders predict risks that could cause crises in 2024 like environmental issues and technology advancements.
  3. The internet's evolution to omnipresence due to smartphones raises questions about implications and opportunities.

How to Value a Startup: Key Methods Every Investor and Founder Should Know

The VC Corner • 539 implied HN points • 01 Jun 24
đź’Ľ Business Investing Startups Valuation Finance Entrepreneurship
  1. Valuing a startup is important but tricky since they often lack stable revenue. Founders and investors need to understand different methods to figure out a fair value.
  2. A successful valuation mixes both subjective and objective measures. This means looking at non-financial aspects like the team and market potential, as well as using data-driven methods.
  3. Two common methods for valuing startups are the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Method and Comparable Analysis. Both have their own steps and challenges, but they help paint a complete picture of the startup's worth.

Why I Quit Full-Time Roles

Elena's Growth Scoop • 2712 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
đź’Ľ Business Career growth Burnout Entrepreneurship Professional development Work-life balance
  1. The author quit full-time roles due to personal losses and declining health.
  2. Traditional corporate ladder may not be the only option for those passionate about their work.
  3. The author found success in solopreneurship by structuring her work, taking interim roles, and creating alternative income streams.

The Best Medium Publications of 2024 (to Quadruple Your Followers and Earnings)🤑

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 639 implied HN points • 18 May 24
đź’Ľ Business Writing Earnings Publications Social media Marketing
  1. Medium has a unique publications system that helps writers reach more readers. Getting published in the right ones can boost your visibility and earnings significantly.
  2. There are thousands of publications on Medium covering a wide range of topics. With so many options, it's important to find the top ones that align with your interests and goals.
  3. Recent changes in Medium's programs allow editors to support writers more effectively. This means writers can earn more and gain better access to their target audience.

Why I Gave Up Solo Freelancing And You Should Too.

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 79 implied HN points • 26 Aug 24
đź’Ľ Business Freelancing Entrepreneurship Outsourcing Income Work Life
  1. Freelancing offers flexibility, but it can also mean you have to work constantly, even when you're not feeling well. There can be no breaks without risking your income.
  2. Life changes can force you to reevaluate your work style, like having to care for a family member or dealing with personal health issues. It shows that relying solely on freelancing can lead to financial instability.
  3. Building a business that runs independently allows you to have more freedom. By outsourcing tasks, you can focus on what you love and still earn money, instead of trading your time for every dollar.

Measuring developer productivity? A response to McKinsey 2

Software Design: Tidy First? • 3380 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
đź’Ľ Business Productivity Team performance Investment decisions Incentives Management
  1. Measuring outcomes and impact alone can lead to gaming the system and disadvantages for the business
  2. Team performance is often more important than individual performance, as seen in sports like soccer
  3. Investing in engineering should be treated as research & development, making small bets and doubling down on promising ones

How to use AI agents for marketing

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 544 implied HN points • 16 Nov 25
đź’Ľ Business Marketing Sales Technology AI Growth
  1. AI can help marketing teams improve lead enrichment by gathering more complete data from multiple sources. This makes it easier to reach out to better-suited customers quickly.
  2. Using AI as an 'inbound BDR' can automate personalized outreach and meeting scheduling, leading to more meetings and opportunities for sales teams. This saves time and enhances engagement.
  3. Creating a custom AI app layer for sales and marketing can streamline customer information and actions needed. This leads to faster responses and improved conversion rates for sales teams.

A New Way to Collaborate With Other Substack Newsletter Writers

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 1638 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
đź’Ľ Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Networking Collaboration Content creation
  1. Collaborating with other newsletter writers can make the process more enjoyable and less lonely. It’s great to find support and connect with like-minded people.
  2. Using Substack’s recommendation features can help grow your subscriber base. Many writers have successfully gained subscribers through community recommendations.
  3. Letdir is a new directory for Substack writers that helps you discover and connect with others in your niche. It’s an easy way to find collaboration opportunities.

From 0 to 1,000 Subscribers with Free Recommendations

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 1318 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
đź’Ľ Business Marketing Growth Entrepreneurship Online Platforms Content creation
  1. Recommendations are a great way to grow your subscriber base. Almost 28% of new subscribers can come from other newsletters suggesting your work.
  2. You don't need to spend money on ads to gain subscribers. Many writers have seen success by simply building relationships and getting recommendations for free.
  3. Substack’s recommendations engine is powerful and can help you increase your audience quickly. It works for new writers just as much as for those with a big following.

My Pitch Framework

Venture Prose • 1517 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
đź’Ľ Business Entrepreneurship Investment Presentations Networking
  1. The goal of a first meeting is to trigger a second one; good investor asks the right questions, bad one slows you down.
  2. Important elements of a good pitch: timing, preciseness, energy, and emotion to keep investors engaged.
  3. Entrepreneurs need optimism, clarity of vision, and ability to adapt quickly; assess qualities like learning from experience and embracing learning from others.