The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

What I learned from tracking 443 SaaS pricing pages

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 907 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
💼 Business SaaS Pricing Marketing Growth Strategy
  1. Many SaaS companies are raising their prices. In 2024, about 42% of them made adjustments, with an average increase of 20%.
  2. Some companies are adding or removing plans to better meet customer needs. Others are being more strategic with their pricing pages to attract larger clients.
  3. Pricing strategies are evolving, with some companies using discounts to gain new customers while others maintain strict pricing models to target premium segments.

Leading Effective Engineering Teams

Elevate • 1074 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
💼 Business Team Dynamics Performance Metrics
  1. Google found that psychological safety is crucial for an effective team, along with dependability, structure and clarity, meaningful work, and impact.
  2. Team effectiveness is more about how team members collaborate rather than who is in the team.
  3. Creating a culture of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable taking risks and expressing themselves without fear of repercussion can significantly boost team performance.

Living Evil: Unearthed Bodies And Sacrificial Lambs

Richard Lewis • 1906 implied HN points • 17 May 23
💼 Business Ethics Leadership Management Work Environment Corporate culture
  1. Multiple reports of harassment and misconduct by key figures in the esports industry were brought to light, leading to their termination.
  2. New management at Evil Geniuses used past incidents involving employees as excuses to remove them, while also driving out senior employees who challenged their decisions.
  3. The company culture at Evil Geniuses shifted dramatically after the departure of senior staff, leading to a challenging and unbearable work environment.

Sacrifice revenue for simplicity

Tiny Empires • 98 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Sales Product Development Strategy
  1. Sometimes, it's better to simplify your business model even if it means making less money. This can save you time and reduce stress.
  2. Instead of making custom offers for every client, create standard packages to streamline sales. This way, you spend less time on individual deals.
  3. Automating your sales process can help you focus on growth. With self-serve options, clients can buy directly from your website, which saves you effort.
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Innovation Job Market Papers 2024 (1/3)

New Things Under the Sun • 112 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
💼 Business Innovation Economics Research Market Analysis Entrepreneurship
  1. Many new PhD candidates are presenting innovative research papers related to job markets in 2024. It's a great opportunity to see fresh ideas and studies in innovation.
  2. These papers explore various aspects of innovation, including mentorship, financial frictions, and the impact of technology on productivity. Each study offers insights into how these elements shape economic growth.
  3. There are events and reviews for PhD students interested in innovation, which can help them network and present their work. Engaging in these opportunities can boost their academic and professional careers.

How I'm Building My Business To Run Without Me

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 179 implied HN points • 04 Jul 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Management Productivity Marketing Operations
  1. Many business owners think their business can't run without them due to fear of losing quality. But with the right systems, it can thrive even in their absence.
  2. Bottlenecks come from controlling client communication and deliverables too tightly. Letting go and empowering others can free up time and improve efficiency.
  3. Creating clear processes and hiring help allows business owners to focus on growth. Shifting to scalable models can also help in generating consistent income.

The Decade of Greed

In My Tribe • 470 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
💼 Business Corporate Finance Investing Economic History Management Stock Market
  1. The 1980s was known as the 'decade of greed' where corporate competition and higher stock prices became the focus. Companies were often run for personal perks rather than to boost shareholder value.
  2. The leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco showcased how investment strategies changed, with firms paying high prices for companies, anticipating future profits. This often led to restructuring that wasn't always kind to employees.
  3. Despite concerns about overpaying for stocks and creating economic instability, overall wealth has increased in America since the 1980s. What seemed excessive at the time might now look like a small correction in the grand scheme.

The Bear Cave #254

The Bear Cave • 489 implied HN points • 29 Dec 24
💼 Business Finance Technology Resignation Investments Corporate Governance
  1. A blogger raised concerns about SoundHound AI, saying it may be losing clients to cheaper and better technology. This could mean big changes for the company.
  2. There have been several high-profile resignations at major companies like Fastenal and Arhaus. These leadership changes could affect their future performance.
  3. The weekly tweets section highlights some interesting social media discussions related to these companies. It's a good way to see what people are saying online.

Problems at TransDigm (TDG)

The Bear Cave • 699 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
💼 Business Corporate Governance Government Regulation Market Analysis
  1. TransDigm has been accused of charging extremely high prices for small aircraft parts, with markups sometimes reaching thousands of percent. This has raised concerns about potential price gouging, especially with government contracts.
  2. The incoming Department of Government Efficiency aims to address issues like waste and fraud in government spending, targeting companies like TransDigm for their pricing practices. This could lead to significant audits and potential savings for taxpayers.
  3. There is bipartisan criticism of TransDigm's pricing strategies, suggesting that their business model relies on acquiring sole-source suppliers and drastically increasing prices at the expense of the government and taxpayers.

How to differentiate your product

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 520 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
💼 Business Marketing Startups Product Development Sales Strategies Entrepreneurship
  1. Identify who your target customers are and what problem your product solves. Knowing your audience helps position your product effectively.
  2. To stand out, clearly define how your product is different from its competitors. Focus on unique features or benefits that are important to your customers.
  3. If you're in a crowded market, consider creating real differentiation or targeting an underserved area. Both strategies can help your product capture attention and grow.

6 Keys to Career Success.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 72 implied HN points • 22 Dec 24
💼 Business Career development Leadership Mentorship Continuous Learning Networking
  1. Stay in tune with new trends and ideas so you can grow over time. It's important to see where things are heading and adjust your path accordingly.
  2. The people you work with matter a lot. Finding great mentors and leaders can help you learn and succeed more than just your job title.
  3. Keep learning and adapting. The job world changes fast, so staying curious and open to new experiences will keep you relevant.

Unlocking the Open Innovation Toolbox

The VC Corner • 299 implied HN points • 31 May 24
💼 Business Innovation Entrepreneurship Investment Startups Networking
  1. Open innovation helps companies grow by using ideas and skills from both inside and outside their organization. This makes them quicker and more competitive in their market.
  2. It's important for corporates, startups, and investors to connect with others in the open innovation network. These connections can lead to funding, mentorship, and new business opportunities.
  3. There are many service providers that support open innovation, like innovation centers and corporate hubs. These places help businesses develop new ideas and technologies.

DO TOO MUCH

Rational in the Fullness of Time • 312 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
💼 Business Leadership Entrepreneurship Management Innovation Growth
  1. Leaders need to go above and beyond in their efforts. Doing more can inspire others to care and work harder too.
  2. When achieving goals, over-communication and quick reactions can be more effective than waiting and planning too much.
  3. To create something meaningful, embrace the idea of doing too much. It's a part of pushing boundaries and achieving great things.

High-performance engineering managers

Elevate • 1113 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Data Analytics Training Employee engagement
  1. Effective managers have key traits that significantly impact employee performance, happiness, and retention, as proven by Google's Project Oxygen.
  2. Soft skills like coaching, communication, and support are more valued than technical expertise by employees, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence in management.
  3. Using rigorous people analytics, organizations can identify and develop high-impact management behaviors specific to their unique culture, leading to improved leadership and employee satisfaction.

How we built a business out of recession - chapter 33 - corporations are not for me

The ZIPster • 17 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Corporate culture Business Growth Leadership
  1. Starting a business can be tough, especially after facing failure. It's essential to learn and keep going, even when times are hard.
  2. CitNOW grew from a small team to a successful company that was recognized in the market. Hard work and determination can pay off.
  3. Working in a corporate environment can feel limited, and many find more fulfillment in creating and running their own businesses. It's about finding your own way.

How to mine without mining

Irina Slav on energy • 1002 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
💼 Business Mining Commodities Investment Environment Clean Energy
  1. Copper prices are forecasted to jump by 75% in 2025 due to energy transition and decline in the U.S. dollar.
  2. There are concerns about copper shortages, but traders often don't consider long-term impacts when trading commodities.
  3. Mining companies are facing challenges from resource nationalism and must find ways to mine sustainably to support the global transition to clean energy.

You Can Meet 6-Figure Fiverr Writer Maya Sayvanova Who Got Featured in Business Insider LIVE

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 539 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
💼 Business Freelancing Writing Marketing Entrepreneurship Content creation
  1. Maya Sayvanova is a successful freelancer on Fiverr who has earned over $200,000. She went from making just $5 to becoming a top-rated writer, showing how hard work pays off.
  2. Despite her success, she faced challenges and failures along the way. It's important to keep pushing through tough times and not let setbacks define you.
  3. There's a live event where you can learn from Maya's experience and ask her questions. It's a great chance to get inspired and improve your writing skills.

MBAs and the death of credentialism

Hot Takes • 1041 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
💼 Business Education Employment Experience Networks Knowledge
  1. In the internet age, real-world experience like running a business is more valuable than just academic theory.
  2. In creative fields like marketing, MBAs are becoming less relevant due to a lack of real experience and understanding.
  3. With the democratization of knowledge online, the necessity of a fancy MBA degree is diminishing, and real-world contributions hold more weight.

Permission to Act: The Psychology of Effective Planning | LSW#59

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 120 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Strategy Psychology Planning
  1. Plans help us take action, even if they're not perfect. They give us the confidence to start exploring without needing everything to be figured out.
  2. Taking steps forward can bring clarity. Instead of waiting for a perfect plan, moving can help us learn and adjust along the way.
  3. Sometimes, acting on a not-so-accurate map can be better than seeking perfection. It allows us to move forward and learn from our experiences rather than staying stuck.

Why Most Online Advertising Benchmarks Are BS (And What To Do Instead)

Nail It and Scale It • 119 implied HN points • 22 Jul 24
💼 Business Marketing Advertising Data Analysis E-commerce Growth Strategies
  1. Many online advertising benchmarks are unreliable because they don't account for differences in pricing and offers. This means you might be comparing apples to oranges, leading to wrong conclusions.
  2. To get better benchmarks, focus on two key metrics: Cost-Per-Click (CPC) and Conversion Rate. These give you a clearer picture of how your ads are performing compared to others.
  3. Joining groups or talking to industry experts can help you find more accurate conversion rates for your products. Sharing data with peers is a good way to understand what's normal in your field.

A good analogy can sell boring

Creative Samba • 19 implied HN points • 04 Oct 24
💼 Business Marketing Investing Finance Branding Advertising
  1. ETFs can be a smarter way to invest than buying individual stocks. They let you own a piece of many companies without the hassle of picking each one.
  2. ETFs are cheaper and accessible for everyday people, unlike traditional investing options that often favor big investors. This means anyone can get involved in the market.
  3. Using good analogies in marketing can make dull products exciting. For iShares, a clever ad strategy helped them reach a new audience when they were losing market share.

A New Chapter At FreakTakes

FreakTakes • 43 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
💼 Business Research Innovation Philanthropy Fundraising Organizational Technology
  1. FreakTakes is evolving as a research platform to help people build and grow organizations focused on research and development. The main goal is to connect ambitious researchers with the resources they need.
  2. The blog will expand to include interviews and proposals aimed at fostering new R&D organizations. This expansion is meant to create more opportunities for innovative projects and collaborations.
  3. The author expresses gratitude for the supportive community around FreakTakes and looks forward to translating historical research insights into real-world action at Renaissance Philanthropy, while maintaining the core essence of the blog.

The Cooperatist Manifesto that inspired Mondragon

The Novelleist • 879 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
💼 Business Economics Labor Entrepreneurship Social justice
  1. José María Arizmendiarrieta believed workers should own their companies, promoting equality and fairness in the workplace. He thought that if workers shared in profits, it would create a better community for everyone.
  2. He emphasized the importance of education, encouraging workers to become skilled and capable of managing their own businesses. This led to the creation of cooperatives where everyone could participate and benefit.
  3. Arizmendiarrieta's model showed that creating jobs and opportunities for workers was essential for a prosperous society. He taught that by working together and sharing resources, communities could thrive without relying solely on government intervention.

Resetting expectations for VC investing in health tech

Second Opinion • 1729 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Health tech Investing Entrepreneurship Funding
  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.

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 Startup funding Business Models Market Trends Investor behavior
  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.

TBM 322: Work Shape Mix

The Beautiful Mess • 647 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
💼 Business Project management Organizational Behavior Team Dynamics Product Development Strategic Planning
  1. Companies often deal with three types of work: large projects, independent product work, and new zero-to-one efforts. Each type requires different management and has its own risks.
  2. As a company grows, it shifts from doing new projects to having more complex ones. It’s important to balance these types of work to avoid chaos and inefficiency.
  3. Recognizing when to formalize new processes is crucial. Waiting too long could lead to bigger problems, so it’s key to find a balance between addressing issues and letting some friction stay.

How the Product Bubble Burst

Cold Water • 20 HN points • 10 Sep 24
💼 Business Economics Finance Investment Corporate strategy Market Trends
  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.

We don't feel ready for what comes next at work

Make Work Better • 141 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
💼 Business Work Culture AI Impact
  1. Many workers today feel unprepared and untrained for their jobs, especially with new tools like AI. There’s a noticeable dip in how well people collaborate at work.
  2. New hires often come in with fewer skills and less confidence. Things like eye contact and proper dressing seem to be common challenges for recent graduates.
  3. Training is really important. Companies need to focus on teaching employees how to use new technologies effectively so they can perform better and feel more engaged.

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

Human Capitalist • 119 implied HN points • 13 Aug 24
💼 Business Job Market Career Changes Human Resources Corporate strategy Workforce Trends
  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.

The Bear Cave #250

The Bear Cave • 606 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
💼 Business Finance Investing Corporate Governance Market Analysis Activism
  1. The Bear Cave focuses on finding problems in companies that are often ignored by the mainstream. This helps identify potential short selling opportunities.
  2. The publication has tracked executive resignations and has shown that many companies with leadership changes tend to underperform in the market.
  3. Over the past few years, the companies highlighted by The Bear Cave have consistently lagged behind the S&P 500, hinting at serious issues that investors should consider.

How the Money for the Rest of Us podcast built a six figure membership platform

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 74 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
💼 Business Podcasts Finance Membership SaaS Investing
  1. David Stein used clever marketing tricks to grow his podcast audience by adding other popular podcast names to his metadata. This helped him reach over 20 million downloads.
  2. His podcast led to a successful membership community where listeners pay around $450 a year, making it a six-figure revenue source.
  3. Stein is now expanding into a SaaS platform for individual investors, offering them tools for better financial analysis, which he sees as a scalable business model.

Your complete guide to board rooms

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 276 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
💼 Business Management Finance Corporate Governance Startups Leadership
  1. Know who's in the room during board meetings. The CEO, CFO, and tech leaders each have specific roles and responsibilities that are crucial for a productive discussion.
  2. Keep your board meetings under 3.5 hours. Long meetings can tire everyone out, so aim for a focused agenda that encourages valuable input from all members.
  3. Send out materials for the meeting 48 to 72 hours in advance. This allows everyone to prepare without being overwhelmed, and it helps keep the meeting on track.