The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

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

The VC Corner • 459 implied HN points • 11 Jun 24
💼 Business Startup Investment Valuation Entrepreneurship Market Analysis
  1. Valuing a startup is important but tricky because they often lack stable revenue. Founders and investors need to use different methods compared to established businesses.
  2. There are two parts to valuation: the 'art' involves looking at the startup's unique qualities like the team and product potential, while the 'science' uses data and metrics for a more objective view.
  3. A popular way to value startups is the Venture Capital Method, which focuses on future growth expectations. This helps investors estimate what a startup might be worth down the line.

From Zero to 3,600 Subscribers

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 1678 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
💼 Business Marketing Entrepreneurship Digital Media Content creation Subscription Models
  1. Substack is great for starting and growing an email list without any upfront costs. You can begin your newsletter today and only pay a small fee if you earn money.
  2. You own your email list on Substack, meaning you can take it with you if you decide to leave. This gives you more control than relying on social media followers.
  3. Substack combines features of websites, blogs, and community platforms all in one place. It's designed to be user-friendly for beginners and offers a chance to monetize your writing easily.

The curious case of Qingdao, China's land value tax

Progress and Poverty • 1539 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
💼 Business Economics Taxation Colonialism Urban Development
  1. Qingdao implemented a land value tax that focused on the unimproved value of land, which helped reduce speculation and boost development. This tax system meant that instead of taxing income or trade, the main focus was on land, aiming for a fairer economy.
  2. Despite its successes, Qingdao's regime had significant flaws, including no real democracy and the extraction of natural resources for foreign benefit instead of local empowerment. This shows that good economic policies must also consider fairness and local benefit.
  3. The case of Qingdao teaches us that even a straightforward land value tax can lead to economic growth and success, as long as assessments are frequent and transparent. It highlights the importance of making land accessible and fairly taxed to prevent speculation.
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We're not ready for the year ahead

Make Work Better • 147 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
💼 Business Labor Market Recruitment Workplace culture AI adoption Productivity Future of work
  1. The job market is brutal for candidates right now — mass one‑click applications and automated filters mean many people never get a human to see their CV, and hiring processes drag on for ages.
  2. Employers are overwhelmed by the surge in applicants and are even borrowing dating‑app tricks to help certain candidates stand out, which risks squeezing out mid‑market talent.
  3. This is a year of reckoning for AI: businesses must use AI to augment employees rather than replace them, because augmentation is more likely to deliver real productivity gains over the next few years.

Why small developers are getting squeezed out of the housing market

Noahpinion • 11588 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
💼 Business Real Estate Finance Development Affordable Housing Banking
  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.

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 Marketing Entrepreneurship Content creation Subscriber growth Online Communities
  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.

Corrected Headlines

Human Capitalist • 179 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
💼 Business Workforce Corporate Trends Layoffs Recruitment
  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.

SaaS 2.0

benn.substack • 1534 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
💼 Business SaaS Sales Consulting Technology Marketing
  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 Management Leadership Engineering Career development 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.

Problems at Pattern Group (PTRN)

The Bear Cave • 303 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
💼 Business Ecommerce Technology Data Startups Finance
  1. Pattern Group claims to use technology and data to help brands sell better on e-commerce platforms, but many say it's just a middleman selling products on Amazon.
  2. The company's business model, which involves buying from brands at wholesale prices and reselling at retail prices, has slim profit margins and isn't easy to grow.
  3. During an interview, the CEO struggled to explain how the business works, leading some to question if it's worth investing in.

Những tượng đài đổi mới sáng tạo

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 2296 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
💼 Business Innovation Entrepreneurship Startup Government programs Creativity
  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.

IPO Watch: Ethos and Bitgo edition

Alex's Personal Blog • 131 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
💼 Business Tech Finance Markets Startups Venture Capital IPOs Crypto
  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.

I'm tracking which brands are sponsoring newsletters

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 274 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
💼 Business Marketing Media Advertising Subscriptions Sponsorship
  1. Tracking newsletter sponsorships can be tricky due to many brands and no standard ad units. Some suggest starting with brands already advertising in other newsletters.
  2. Forbes is cutting back on its contributing writers to focus on a more financially sound model as they face pressures from declining traffic and revenue.
  3. More independent media outlets may start experimenting with print media to engage fans, as it offers a tangible experience away from online platforms.

The 'No Hire' Economy

Apricitas Economics • 161 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
💼 Business Labor Market Employment Trends Economic Policy Demographics
  1. U.S. hiring essentially stopped in late 2025, with monthly job gains near zero and rising unemployment and underemployment despite GDP growth, creating a 'no-hire' or jobless-recovery environment.
  2. Job losses are broad but concentrated in blue-collar industries, manufacturing, logistics, the public sector, and tech, while healthcare is one of the few sectors still adding workers.
  3. Young workers and low-income earners are being hit hardest — teen and early-20s unemployment rose sharply and wage growth at the bottom has stalled — and a mix of tighter policy, lower immigration, tariffs, and uncertainty risks pushing this stagnation into outright job declines.

The media is pivoting to video again

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 299 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
💼 Business Media Advertising Technology Entrepreneurship Publishing
  1. Media companies are starting to use vertical video on their websites to compete with popular platforms like TikTok. This strategy might not work because they lack the powerful algorithms that keep users engaged.
  2. Many publishers are launching cooking apps to retain audience control as traffic shifts to big tech platforms. Dedicated apps can help convert casual users into loyal content consumers.
  3. Print books are still very popular despite the rise of ebooks and audiobooks. Many readers enjoy the physical experience of reading a print book, which keeps print formats thriving.

Two AI Lab IPOs: S-1 Breakdowns

Tanay’s Newsletter • 107 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
💼 Business AI Enterprise Consumer Financials IPO Cloud Monetization
  1. Two different go-to-market strategies emerged: Zhipu is deployment-first, selling on-prem and enterprise solutions with professional services, while MiniMax is product-first, monetizing through consumer apps and an open developer platform.
  2. Both companies show rapid revenue growth but are still burning substantial cash; the enterprise-focused model yields much higher gross margins while the consumer app business runs on thin margins.
  3. Their IPOs raised large sums and jumped strongly on debut, valuing each firm at over $10B and pricing them at more than 200x 2025 annualized revenue, which signals very high investor expectations for AI labs.

⤴️ Singularity 1.0: The birth of modernity

Faster, Please! • 365 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
💼 Business Economics Innovation Productivity Technology Growth
  1. A strong commitment to progress can kickstart significant economic changes even before major events, like the Industrial Revolution. It's about believing in improvement over time.
  2. The advancement of artificial intelligence could lead to big increases in productivity and economic growth in the future. People are curious about when this might happen.
  3. We should focus on being optimistic about growth and abundance, as embracing new technologies can lead to better lives for everyone. Positive change is possible and exciting!

What I Gave Up To Become An Engineering Manager

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 62 HN points • 29 Aug 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Career development Work Culture Team Dynamics
  1. Moving from individual contributor to engineering manager means letting go of past habits. You need to make room for new responsibilities and ways of working.
  2. As a manager, you won't build things directly. Instead, you'll help your team create and support multiple projects, shifting focus from personal achievements to team successes.
  3. Managers face longer feedback loops and must learn to communicate tough issues early on. This shift encourages patience and improves team dynamics.

4 Truths About OpenAI’s Wild Financial Position

Big Technology • 5504 implied HN points • 18 Oct 24
💼 Business Finance Investments Corporations Economics Startups
  1. OpenAI plans to change how it looks at training costs, suggesting these might not be fixed over time. This could impact their profits, as training expenses are significant.
  2. OpenAI believes that ChatGPT will generate more revenue than its API, showing confidence in its widespread use. They expect more people will want to interact with AI in the future, which could be risky if the growth doesn’t happen as hoped.
  3. OpenAI is already making big payments to Microsoft, which is one reason they expect to lose a lot of money this year. If their losses continue at this rate, they will need to raise more money soon.

Calling All Future Newsletter Superstars From Europe (Especially Germany)

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 839 implied HN points • 12 Apr 24
💼 Business Marketing Writing Entrepreneurship Online Platforms Content creation
  1. There are new features for Substack that help non-native writers, like setting a default language for their newsletters.
  2. German-speaking writers want to connect and collaborate more, and there's a new online space for this group to share and improve their skills together.
  3. It's important for writers to stay consistent and confident, even if they feel like no one is reading their work.

Internal Slack Messages Reveal Riot’s Messaging About Saudi Arabian Tournament`

Richard Lewis • 1631 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
💼 Business Companies Ethics Partnerships Esports Diversity
  1. Riot Games faced internal conflicts over participation in a Saudi Arabian tournament due to LGBTQ+ concerns
  2. There was controversy over Riot's decision to work with a government that criminalizes homosexuality
  3. Internal messages revealed mixed feelings within Riot about business relationships with Saudi Arabia

Creating value in the AI age

A Bit Gamey • 13 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
💼 Business Strategy Leadership Careers Innovation Product Marketing Brand
  1. Judgment — With information and execution becoming cheap, the scarce value is knowing what truly matters and making better decisions.
  2. Curation — As content and options multiply, people pay for clear filters that surface the useful signal from the noise.
  3. Direction — Speed alone creates faster confusion, so helping others choose the right path and save time is where durable value lives.

The AI Brush

Tippets by Taps • 14 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
💼 Business Strategy Workforce Technology Leadership Markets Corporate Finance
  1. AI is being used as a convenient narrative to justify restructurings, acting like a brush that can make painful corrections look strategic.
  2. Both real AI-driven productivity gains and prior mistakes (like over-hiring) are usually at play, so layoffs often reflect a mix of future-facing change and catching up on past errors.
  3. Markets respond to the framing — labeling cuts as “AI transformation” can boost stock prices — so it’s important to look past headlines and read the footnotes to see what actually changed.

How to get to Product Market Fit: what it is, step by step guide and success cases like Notion, Canva and Stripe

The VC Corner • 659 implied HN points • 04 May 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Product Management Market research Entrepreneurship
  1. Product Market Fit (PMF) means having a product that people really want or need. It's not just about making the product; you also have to learn how to sell it well.
  2. To achieve PMF, start by identifying a specific problem people face and create a strong solution. It’s important that the problem is significant enough for people to want to pay to solve it.
  3. Successful startups often follow a process to reach PMF, which includes finding a niche, validating pricing, and continuously improving the product based on customer feedback.

Tesla: Now, It Feels Desperate

lawrence’s Substack • 758 implied HN points • 21 Apr 24
💼 Business Automotive Corporate Governance Stock Market
  1. Tesla's recent actions have caused a shift in sentiment for the worse, leading to skepticism and concern about the company's future.
  2. The attempt to restore Musk's 2018 compensation package is under scrutiny and may face legal challenges, impacting Tesla's financial standing.
  3. Questions surrounding Tesla's Model 2 development, autonomy achievements, robotaxi plans, earnings, staff departures, and production decisions are crucial for understanding the company's direction.

How to build the perfect pitch deck: a step by step guide with examples and an analysis of my Airbnb's deck

The VC Corner • 419 implied HN points • 08 Jun 24
💼 Business Startups Fundraising Pitching Growth Entrepreneurship
  1. A pitch deck is a short presentation that startup founders use to attract investors. It's essential to communicate your business idea clearly and make it appealing.
  2. Investors often have limited time to review pitch decks, so it's important to make your slides simple and direct. Help them easily understand your business and its value.
  3. Including a strong story in your pitch deck is crucial. Outline your business's problem, solution, and unique value in a way that resonates with investors.

How To Measure If Your Startup Has Network Effects. | VC Jobs

Venture Curator • 319 implied HN points • 25 Jun 24
💼 Business Startup Evaluation User engagement Network Effects Competitor Analysis
  1. Network effects are crucial for the success of a startup, with big companies utilizing them to create sustainable businesses.
  2. Measuring if a startup has network effects involves evaluating metrics related to acquisition, competitors, engagement, and economics.
  3. Understanding the nature of a company's network effects and tracking metrics like user retention cohorts and pricing power are essential for founders.

TBM 397: The Initiative Shape Activity (And a Favor to Ask)

The Beautiful Mess • 264 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
💼 Business Product Management Prioritization Project Planning Decision-making
  1. Run a short facilitated activity that maps the "shape" of an initiative by answering focused questions to surface assumptions about scope, timing, value, and risk.
  2. Have each person answer independently, then compare results, discuss surprises, and decide what needs clarification or further discovery before moving forward.
  3. Use the questionnaire dimensions — team involvement, duration, value cadence, uncertainty, de‑risking, constraints, timing sensitivity, approach, research style, decision authority, and alignment — to choose the right execution and prioritization strategy.

The specialization moat

Generating Conversation • 116 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
💼 Business Product Strategy Customer success Data Strategy AI Strategy
  1. Betting on the hardest, hardest-to-adopt problems builds a durable moat because unique customer contexts and deep integrations create institutional data and barriers that competitors can’t easily replicate.
  2. Agents that accumulate tenure inside a company become increasingly valuable and sticky — their historical experience speeds up troubleshooting and can replace senior human expertise, delivering big economic ROI even at imperfect accuracy.
  3. Combining cross-customer pattern learning with high-touch, customized implementation and social proof creates a process and technical moat, making solutions harder to displace and easier to expand into adjacent workflows over time.

Chia tay Google

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 4233 implied HN points • 01 Apr 23
💼 Business Career Employment Tech Gratitude
  1. The author has decided to leave Google after nearly 12 years, feeling sad about this personal decision.
  2. The author jokingly chose April Fools' Day to announce this decision but ultimately feels the weight of the farewell.
  3. Working at Google was a dream come true for the author, and they express deep gratitude towards their colleagues and friends.

What's really going on in software

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 489 implied HN points • 12 Nov 25
💼 Business SaaS Growth Entrepreneurship AI Technology
  1. Companies are seeing stability in key metrics like growth rates and revenue retention. New startups are achieving higher growth rates compared to previous years.
  2. It's important for companies to focus on the combination of customer acquisition costs and revenue retention to predict long-term success. This new matrix can help clarify business performance.
  3. AI is a major trend, but it's changing the industry landscape. Companies born after the rise of AI are experiencing much faster growth than traditional B2B software firms.

Loose Ends

Doomberg • 10309 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
💼 Business Finance Energy Politics Climate Market Analysis
  1. It's important for analysts to reflect on their past work to improve and learn from mistakes.
  2. Understanding the political landscape is crucial for predicting market trends, especially in energy markets.
  3. The strategy of imposing sanctions against Russia may be ineffective and could have negative consequences on the global financial system.

He Shut Down Time’s Moscow Bureau. Then He Built His Own Magazine

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 24 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
💼 Business Publishing Journalism Media Startups Business Models Memberships
  1. The collapse of legacy newsrooms pushed journalists to build new, independent outlets instead of following old corporate paths.
  2. Starting small and using niche entry points like food or quirky platforms can grow into a powerful creative brand, but heavy reliance on brand partnerships or star contributors can leave a media venture vulnerable.
  3. Moving to reader-supported, membership-driven models and combining digital work with an annual print edition can provide a more durable financial foundation after major setbacks.

How a failed horror movie director co-founded one of the most popular yoga channels on YouTube

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 299 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
💼 Business Media Content Entrepreneurship Digital marketing Community
  1. Chris Sharpe started out making low-budget horror films, but when the DVD market collapsed, he had to pivot his career. This led him to explore opportunities in online video, where he eventually found success on YouTube.
  2. He co-founded two popular YouTube channels, Hilah Cooking and Yoga With Adriene, by focusing on engaging content and a personal connection with viewers. His unique approach to SEO also helped attract a big audience.
  3. As Yoga With Adriene grew, Sharpe created a whole business around it, including subscription services and live events. He shifted from making indie films to running a successful media company that emphasizes community and wellness.

How to Break into VC🎓, Europe VC Dealmaking Funnel🔍, The Billionaire Battle For AI's Future⚔️

The VC Corner • 359 implied HN points • 16 Jun 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investment Entrepreneurship
  1. To get into venture capital, you need to build connections and understand the industry well. Networking and learning from experiences are crucial steps.
  2. The European venture capital market has a specific deal-making process that can be different from other regions. Knowing this funnel can help you navigate opportunities better.
  3. There's a growing competition among billionaires for AI technology. Understanding this battle can give insights into where future investments might be directed.