The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Forming Habits To Improve Retention

Growth Croissant • 707 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
💼 Business Retention Product Management Health & Wellness Engagement User Experience
  1. Encouraging healthy habits through features like competitions, goal setting, and streaks can improve user retention.
  2. Popular apps like Strava and Headspace use habit-forming features such as challenges and streaks to retain users.
  3. Habit-forming features must be deeply ingrained in the product to have a meaningful impact on user experience and retention.

The Great Sobriety for Venture Investing, Where To Start with AI, & Undeniable Data

Implications, by Scott Belsky • 707 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
💼 Business Venture Capital AI Data Investing Startups
  1. The venture capital world is facing harsh realities and there are lessons to be learned about creating great products from failed ventures.
  2. Adopting AI requires a '4 P's' framework: Play, Pilot, Protect, Provoke.
  3. Financing for startups should prioritize product-led growth, focus, and discipline over raising large amounts of capital.
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Stop Building Startups. Start Consulting Instead.

Michael’s Newsletter • 707 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Consulting Networking Marketing Income Streams
  1. Consider starting a consultancy business instead of a startup as it is more manageable and helps avoid common mistakes.
  2. Consulting allows you to solve real problems, start faster, and serves as a stepping stone to product development.
  3. Leverage your existing network for consulting opportunities, including past clients, recruiters, and real-life communities.

The Marketing Funnel Funeral: How To Replace Dusty Funnels With Dynamic Flywheels That Attract, Engage, And Retain Superconsumers

Category Pirates • 707 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
💼 Business Marketing Community AI Data Customer
  1. Flywheels focus on attracting customers with value, engagement, and community.
  2. Marketing funnels push customers down a linear path, while flywheels put customers at the center to drive organic growth.
  3. Superconsumers are key in fueling the positive feedback loop of a marketing flywheel.

The VC Corner 📰 #13

The VC Corner • 319 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investment Strategies Market Trends SaaS
  1. Y Combinator wants startups to focus on finding the right product metrics. This will help them measure success and make better decisions.
  2. Understanding the SaaS IPO landscape is important for startups. It gives insights into how to get ready for going public and attract investors.
  3. Raising capital can be easier with the right tools like Fundingstack.com. They help connect startups with a large network of investors.

Are You Working On A 'Tarpit Idea?' | VC Jobs

Venture Curator • 219 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Entrepreneurship Job Opportunities
  1. Tarpit ideas can be deceivingly appealing at first but end up draining time and resources.
  2. Consumer ideas are common tarpit ideas due to the high bar set by successful consumer products and the crucial factor of timing.
  3. Recognizing and avoiding tarpit ideas, such as those with survivor bias or difficulty in scaling, is vital for a startup's success and founders should pivot strategically based on supply and demand dynamics.

TBM 361: Context, Collaboration, Intent, and Investment

The Beautiful Mess • 476 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
💼 Business Strategy Management Collaboration Investment Operations
  1. Understanding context is important. It helps teams see the bigger picture and how things change over time.
  2. Intent is about setting clear goals for the future. Being specific about what you want to achieve can help guide actions.
  3. Collaboration and investment matter, too. Good teamwork and smart use of resources can drive better results and make projects more successful.

Sphere Entertainment’s New Playbook: Smaller Venues, Less Risk, Bigger Returns

Huddle Up • 26 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
💼 Business Entertainment Venues Revenue Advertising Real Estate Strategy
  1. Sphere is shifting from one huge $2.3B flagship to smaller, cheaper venues (like a planned 6,000-seat National Harbor) to lower risk and scale the concept.
  2. The Las Vegas Sphere earns money from four pillars—immersive film-like shows, multi-night concert residencies, massive exterior advertising, and corporate/event rentals—so it has multiple revenue streams beyond ticket sales.
  3. Despite strong revenue and big-ticket events, high development and operating costs have produced losses, so smaller, less expensive venues could make the model profitable and more scalable.

#8: How to Blow $250 on Ads For Your Self-Published Book

Shades of Greaves • 412 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💼 Business Self-Publishing Advertising Book Sales Marketing Strategies Data Analysis
  1. The author tried investing $250 in ads for their self-published book but didn't see good returns, highlighting the challenges of advertising for self-published authors.
  2. Despite spending on ads, the author sold very few copies through Facebook and Amazon, underscoring the risk of not getting desired results from advertising efforts.
  3. Data from the failed ad campaigns is seen by the author as a way to learn and refine future advertising strategies, showing the importance of using past experiences to improve future marketing efforts.

12 Things That Get VCs To Write A Check (Backed By 100+ Founder Interviews) | VC Jobs

Venture Curator • 199 implied HN points • 11 Apr 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Tech news Job Opportunities
  1. Successful VC fundraising starts by identifying the right fit - pay attention to signals VCs give about the types of startups they want to fund.
  2. Pitch big visions to VCs, focusing on disruptive opportunities with outsized returns to stand out in the competitive startup landscape.
  3. Key factors for VCs to invest include unique insights, good timing, clear messaging, scalable growth plans, strong moats, early traction, and founder's passion.

Delusion

Venture Prose • 698 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Investing Self-awareness Startups Leadership
  1. Self-awareness is crucial to avoid delusion. Recognize your failures, flaws, and biases to make better decisions.
  2. Surround yourself with the right people who can provide constructive criticism. Be open to inner and outer conflicts to improve.
  3. Ask for clear feedback and address concerns about your business. Work towards understanding and extracting value from others' perspectives.

Searching for insight

benn.substack • 1099 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
💼 Business Economics Analytics Media Marketing Publishing Data
  1. Many jobs in areas like think tanks or journalism are more about creating a background or illusion rather than producing real change or value. They serve as props for the more influential figures.
  2. There's a concern that as AI becomes capable of producing content, it might not be because it’s better, but because the original jobs might not have mattered as much as once thought.
  3. In analytics, there's a question of whether the insights businesses claim to offer are real or just part of the narrative they tell to appear competent and important.

The Machine as Manager

Brave New Teams • 16 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
💼 Business Corporate Governance Automation Regulation Organizational Design AI Ethics Labor markets Risk management
  1. Autonomous organisations are already emerging: software now runs pricing, routing, risk and learning, while humans shift toward exception handling, goal-setting and oversight.
  2. Success depends on trust and accountability, not just accuracy; firms will need constraint-by-design, audit trails, incident reporting and clear governance to make autonomy legitimate.
  3. Autonomy brings real risks like metric gaming, slow drift and brittleness, so resilience measures and human custodians who set values and handle ambiguity are essential, and law and norms will likely evolve to reshape corporate forms and roles.

Top Links 771 How Amazon dominates the US clothing market. Driverless Chinese trucks and where lightning strikes.

Chartbook • 414 implied HN points • 16 Jun 25
💼 Business Retail E-commerce Market Trends Trade Technology
  1. Amazon is a huge player in the clothing market, selling more than double what any other store sells in the US. This means many people are buying their clothes from Amazon.
  2. The rise of driverless trucks in China shows how technology is changing transportation. This could really impact how goods are delivered around the world.
  3. A lot can be learned from where lightning strikes, as it can reveal patterns in weather or other environmental factors. Understanding this could be important for safety and planning.

I am cancelled

A Lawyer Writes • 687 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
💼 Business Regulation Professionalism Legal system
  1. The author received a notice about being removed from a database, not being struck off as a solicitor.
  2. The message contained unusual demands, like a fee and restrictions on future restoration.
  3. The situation highlights issues faced by retired professionals in the legal field.

Amazon, Dr. Gupta, Lilly and Other Thoughts

Martin’s Newsletter • 687 implied HN points • 10 May 23
💼 Business Technology Healthcare Finance Media Journalism
  1. Amazon has had negative free cash flow but is worth $1T, proving traditional valuation models may not apply.
  2. Dr. Gupta's AI healthcare system has received positive feedback with interest for nationwide deployment, highlighting the need for innovative healthcare solutions.
  3. Lilly's Mounjaro product showed impressive sales potential, indicating a shift in the pharmaceutical industry.

Are You Doing Product Management or Bullshit Management?

Untrapping Product Teams • 687 implied HN points • 10 May 23
💼 Business Management Product Decision-making Stakeholders
  1. Companies often misunderstand the role of product management, focusing more on pleasing stakeholders than solving end-users' problems.
  2. Bullshit management happens when product managers get stuck in tasks unrelated to actual product management, like gathering requirements from stakeholders or attending numerous meetings.
  3. To escape bullshit management, focus on evidence-based decision-making, empower teams to make decisions, prioritize learning over planning, and resist anti-patterns that hinder product management success.

"I'll Never Sell A Share"

TSOH Investment Research Service • 687 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
💼 Business Retail Company strategy Expansion
  1. Costco's strategy of providing quality goods and services at low prices has contributed to its ongoing success and growth.
  2. The Executive Membership program at Costco, where members spend 3x more, has significantly impacted the company's revenue streams.
  3. Costco's focus on customer loyalty and satisfaction through programs like Executive Membership has created a positive cycle of increased spending and adoption.

The Ultimate Game Dev's Guide to Working with Content Creators

A16Z GAMES • 199 implied HN points • 09 Apr 24
💼 Business Gaming Marketing Content creation Industry Trends Relationship building
  1. One of the biggest challenges for game developers is working with content creators to market their games effectively. It's important to find creators that resonate with your game and engage with them early on.
  2. Each content creator is unique, so it's crucial to tailor your approach to match their audience and content style. Understand their goals and create experiences that align with them.
  3. Building long-term relationships with content creators requires kindness, respect, and genuine engagement. Treat them well, consider their needs, and value the relationship beyond short-term marketing gains.

No Pats On the Back

Points And Figures • 772 implied HN points • 27 Feb 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Investment Strategies Economic Development
  1. Chicago lacks the investment and willingness to take risks that cities like Silicon Valley and New York have. This makes it hard for startups to get support.
  2. Entrepreneurial ecosystems thrive when they focus on merit and tolerance for failure. Chicago is seen as outdated in these aspects.
  3. The culture in Chicago often emphasizes who you are instead of what you can achieve, which can hinder innovation and growth.

High hopes

Klement on Investing • 4 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
💼 Business Artificial Intelligence Productivity Employment Tech Adoption Corporate strategy Surveys
  1. Most companies now use AI—about two-thirds—but actual use is light (roughly 1.5 hours per week for many) and adoption is rising rapidly.
  2. Measured productivity gains so far are tiny (around 0.3% over the last three years), yet firms expect much larger gains soon (about 1.4% over the next three years), revealing a big gap between past results and future hopes.
  3. Employers and employees disagree on jobs: employees often expect AI to create jobs, while employers report little past impact but anticipate modest job cuts ahead, especially in the US and UK.

Want to Build Your Client Base? Get Started with These 3 Things First

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 79 implied HN points • 22 Jun 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Client Relations Business strategy Self-Improvement
  1. Start with identifying a problem that needs solving. Focus on what others need instead of just your own ideas.
  2. Choose the right clients who align with your values and needs. This helps you work better and smarter with a specific group.
  3. Give before you ask for anything. Start by offering something for free to build trust and show what you can do.

Moats: How to Build a Scalable Business Competitors Can't Copy

Nail It and Scale It • 59 implied HN points • 08 Jul 24
💼 Business Strategy Marketing Entrepreneurship Economics Management
  1. A business moat is a special advantage that helps a company stand out and protect itself from competitors. Just like a moat around a castle keeps invaders out, a strong business moat helps companies earn big profits over time.
  2. There are different types of moats, like network effects where the value increases as more people use a service, and cost advantages that make switching harder for customers. Companies like Uber and Walmart have used these techniques smartly.
  3. Building a solid brand and having strong cultural values can also create powerful moats. For example, Patagonia builds loyalty by promoting environmentalism, making it harder for customers to switch to other brands.