The hottest Business Substack posts right now

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Outcome-Based Positioning

Good Better Best • 4 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
💼 Business Pricing Product Strategy Marketing SaaS AI
  1. Agentic AI creates a new value ladder where customers pay more for outcomes — i.e., work actually done for them — rather than just features, volume, or support.
  2. Companies can adopt outcome-based positioning in two ways: conservatively by reframing plans around service levels (do it yourself → done with you → done for you), or aggressively by directly comparing AI costs to a human worker to show value.
  3. If you’re still selling inputs like seats or usage, start shifting your messaging toward completed work today; even small moves toward outcome-focused copy or pricing will make your product feel more valuable.

Doom and boom?

Off to Lunch • 294 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
💼 Business Economics Investment Government Industry Technology
  1. The next UK government will face tough economic choices post-election, with challenges in public finance and investment.
  2. Private sector growth and business breakthroughs are crucial for economic development in the UK.
  3. Birmingham is experiencing challenges due to lack of public transport investment, emphasizing the importance of private sector investment for job creation.

Netflix Co-founder's 'The Canada Rule' For Building Successful Startups 🧐 | Pre-Money Valuation Growing 💹| VC Remote Jobs

Venture Curator • 239 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Valuations Market Trends Funding
  1. The 'Canada Rule' advises startups to focus on one or two important things rather than chasing every opportunity.
  2. Pre-money valuations in Europe are showing growth across different stages, indicating market resilience.
  3. VCs are using 'Dry Powder' in convertible bridge rounds, showcasing creative financing strategies by founders.

Long overdue life updates

box. • 419 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Product Development Personal Growth Leadership Time management
  1. Finding a balance between creating for an audience and focusing on personal projects is tricky but important. Having too many outside distractions can slow down real work, so taking breaks from attention helps keep goals on track.
  2. Loneliness is a big issue that needs meaningful solutions. Sometimes it's hard to work on this emotionally heavy topic, but caring about it makes the work feel worthwhile.
  3. Managing time as a solo founder can be challenging. Setting boundaries and valuing personal time helps stay focused on what truly matters, without getting overwhelmed by small tasks.

✅ The market for public relations talent levels off

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 299 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
💼 Business Public Relations Talent Management AI Integration Workplace culture
  1. The public relations job market is steady, with most salaries staying the same and only slight decreases for some roles. Both employers and employees feel cautiously positive about this stability.
  2. There is a growing need for AI skills in public relations jobs, so it's a good idea to learn about AI to stay competitive in the field.
  3. Employers are focusing more on personalized benefits and inclusive hiring practices to attract and retain talent, making work environments better for everyone.

"Pivot Global" Interview Video

Japan Economy Watch • 159 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Economy Stock Market Corporate strategy Innovation
  1. The interview covers various topics such as the state of Japan's economy, stock market, wages, and strategies of niche companies
  2. There is discussion on the importance of new entrepreneurs in driving positive social changes in Japan
  3. The interview highlights the potential for Japan's economic recovery through embracing innovation, new companies, and adapting to changing business dynamics

A loan offer you can’t refuse

Klement on Investing • 5 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
💼 Business Corporate Finance Banking Credit Risk Corporate Governance Organized Crime Financial regulation Empirical Research
  1. When a company is downgraded to junk, bank loan availability falls sharply — about a 10% drop in the year after and roughly 30% cumulatively over five years.
  2. That sudden loss of bank financing pushes distressed CEOs and CFOs to seek alternatives, and the chance of mafia infiltration rises by roughly 5% after a downgrade.
  3. Financial distress is a key catalyst for organized‑crime infiltration because banks pull back when firms need money most, leaving a financing gap crime groups can exploit.

How the AI bubble will unfold

Expand Mapping with Mike Morrow • 24 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
💼 Business AI Startups Venture Capital IPOs Corporate Finance
  1. Major AI companies are burning huge amounts of cash and are staying private to avoid revealing weak financials, so an IPO could expose losses and trigger a sharp valuation drop.
  2. Training costs are enormous and likely to keep rising as models scale, while inference costs per token may fall but overall expenses can still grow because of bigger, token-hungry models and growing demand.
  3. The likely outcomes are limited: a rare proprietary breakthrough, real financial improvement through monetization and cost cuts (which risks losing users), or an IPO that reveals the losses and pops the bubble.

Intel 2025 Q2 Financials

More Than Moore • 256 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
💼 Business Finance Technology Corporations Market Analysis Earnings Reports
  1. Intel is going through a big change to improve its business. They are restructuring and letting go of about 15% of their workforce to focus on becoming profitable again.
  2. Despite holding its revenue steady, Intel reported significant losses in the latest quarter due to high costs and one-time charges. This adds more pressure on the company as they try to recover.
  3. Intel is shifting its strategy to focus on building products based on customer demand, particularly in their chip foundry business. This means they will only expand capacity as needed, instead of just building more fabs.

TBM 360: "Wait! I Thought the Team Was Overloaded?!"

The Beautiful Mess • 383 implied HN points • 30 May 25
💼 Business Management Leadership Work Culture Team Dynamics Productivity
  1. Teams often feel overwhelmed with too much work, but managers might deny there's a problem. It's important to listen to the team on the front lines.
  2. Sometimes, leaders want to cut down on projects, but managers are afraid to suggest it due to fear of losing resources. Clear and honest conversations can help break this cycle.
  3. If there are too many options with no clear priority, it's necessary to focus on one important goal at a time. This helps to reduce confusion and improves team effectiveness.

The Game

Venture Prose • 539 implied HN points • 13 Aug 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investors Market Trends Entrepreneurship
  1. Venture capital world has become overly competitive, leading to deals made without proper diligence or due consideration.
  2. Consensus in the industry spreads rapidly, leaving founders vulnerable to hype and unfounded opinions.
  3. Investors often don't provide enough guidance or mentorship to young founders, leaving them to run companies without sufficient support.

✨ 📈 The AI Paradox: When will artificial intelligence boost US economic growth?

Faster, Please! • 913 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
💼 Business Economics Artificial Intelligence Productivity Innovation Growth
  1. Alan Greenspan raised questions about why technological advances in the 1990s didn't seem to improve productivity statistics. He suggested that it might take time for new technologies to show their full effects.
  2. Greenspan believed that traditional methods of measuring productivity might not capture the real progress happening, especially with services. This mismeasurement could lead to bad decisions on economic policies.
  3. The role of artificial intelligence in boosting productivity is still uncertain. There's hope that AI can help workers produce more, but it's unclear when we will see these benefits reflected in economic growth.

Don't just apply, opt-in

Creating Value from Nothing • 662 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
💼 Business Hiring Recruitment Company Culture Career development Employee engagement
  1. Candidates can experience the company culture firsthand by attending events like the Super Weekend. This allows them to see what working there is really like.
  2. Meeting actual customers and solving real-world problems helps potential hires understand the company's mission and approach better.
  3. The company commits to hosting regular Super Weekends to attract talented individuals and let them see how great the team is. It's a chance for candidates to really opt-in rather than just applying.

Consumers don’t really care if AI made the ad. That's fine. They never cared about marketing.

The Social Juice • 83 implied HN points • 15 Nov 25
💼 Business Marketing Consumer behavior Branding Advertising Media Strategy
  1. Consumers mainly care about price and product, not whether AI made the ad. Brands need to focus on deeper questions that make people think about their values rather than just selling products.
  2. Marketers should balance the opinions of customers and non-customers, considering wider feedback to create meaningful campaigns. Creativity gets lost when brands only focus on what customers think.
  3. Brands are experimenting with new strategies to connect with audiences, like collaborations and fun campaigns. They need to evolve and engage in ways that go beyond traditional marketing tactics to stay relevant.

Cap Table Template

Venture Prose • 159 implied HN points • 07 Apr 24
💼 Business Finance Startup
  1. Be mindful of dilution when piling up post-money SAFE notes as a founder.
  2. Creating a proper cap table can reveal the dilutive impact of different funding rounds and securities.
  3. Use templates to simulate scenarios like adding co-founders, granting stock options, raising multiple rounds, and selling secondaries.

Achievement, here and there

benn.substack • 613 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Innovation Technology Economic Development
  1. Many startups often pivot to new ideas after their initial product fails. This happens so frequently in Silicon Valley that it’s often seen as a normal part of business.
  2. Founders usually start companies not just to solve problems, but also to gain status and success. They might care more about how they look to others than the specific product they offer.
  3. There's a growing trend where success in technology is being intertwined with politics. People are now noticing and valuing the impact of policy making as much as tech achievements.

Companies are the new City-States

The Novelleist • 619 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
💼 Business Corporate culture Economics Globalization Innovation
  1. Companies are becoming wealthier and more influential than many countries. For example, Apple has a market value that's larger than the GDP of most nations.
  2. Businesses are more flexible and can adapt quickly to changes. They often provide better working conditions and rights, such as parental leave and healthcare, ahead of government regulations.
  3. Companies can address social issues like education and housing, stepping in where government services may fall short. This makes them more effective at creating positive change in society.

One trick to better your freelancing

Kenny’s Sub • 179 implied HN points • 25 Mar 24
💼 Business Freelancing Hiring Contracts Client Relations
  1. Hiring others can really help your freelancing business. It lets you see how different people work and what good service looks like.
  2. The way freelancers respond to your messages says a lot about them. Good communication is key and helps you decide who to hire.
  3. Keep your job postings clear and ask simple questions. This helps filter out freelancers who aren't paying attention to what you need.

The Rise of the Joint-Mission Startup

Pratap’s Substack • 277 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups AI Enterprise Innovation Consulting
  1. AI can do much more than just make companies more efficient. It can actually change how we work and team up with machines.
  2. Working together as partners is key for big companies when using AI, not just buying software. They need deep collaboration to succeed in a new AI world.
  3. Startups have a big chance to tackle larger problems by creating complete solutions instead of just quick fixes. This approach can reshape how businesses operate.

5 Challenges of Scaling Paid Ads for Early Stage Startups

Nail It and Scale It • 59 implied HN points • 25 Jun 24
💼 Business Startups Marketing Advertising Scaling Growth
  1. It's hard to find out why ads aren't working. There can be many reasons, like targeting the wrong audience or having a bad website design.
  2. Early stage startups often struggle to scale quickly due to internal issues. When they get more leads, they might need to pause ads to catch up, which can hurt their momentum.
  3. Finding product-market fit takes time and constant testing. Just because something works now doesn't mean it will work later, so keep experimenting with different strategies.

Eight Years Pathless & Money Reflections | #299

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 350 implied HN points • 02 Jun 25
💼 Business Self-employment Income Streams Creative work Personal Finance Consulting
  1. Writing has become the main source of energy and joy. Even though it took time to make money from it, the creative freedom it provides is very fulfilling.
  2. After eight years of being self-employed, the income earned is similar to when employed. Building skills and improving the relationship with money have been key to this journey.
  3. Working independently has helped develop many skills, but it sometimes misses out on the joy of collaboration. Being open to teamwork in the future could bring new satisfaction.

Recruiting Brainfood - Issue 333

Recruiting Brainfood • 530 implied HN points • 26 Feb 23
💼 Business Recruitment Economy Remote working SOURCING
  1. Earn top talent's trust by focusing on transparency, reciprocity, unity, speed, and truthfulness in the candidate experience.
  2. Study reports on candidate experience benchmarks and global HR tech to stay informed and improve recruitment operations.
  3. Consider the impact of remote work on local economies and explore the concept of Universal Basic Income as technology advances.

Diamonds Aren’t Forever

The Bear Cave • 629 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
💼 Business Retail Market Trends Consumer behavior Jewelry Industry Analysis
  1. The diamond industry is in trouble because lab-grown diamonds are cheaper and just as good as natural ones. More people are choosing lab-grown diamonds over mined ones.
  2. Diamond prices are dropping fast, with reports showing sharp declines recently. Many buyers are frustrated with companies that refuse to lower their prices.
  3. Younger women are moving away from traditional mined diamonds. They find lab-grown options more reasonable and prefer spending money on experiences rather than expensive stones.

Economic Methodology

David Friedman’s Substack • 242 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
💼 Business Economics Economic Theory Methodology Labor Market Political Economy
  1. Economic models don't need to be realistic; what's important is whether they can make accurate predictions about the future. A good model will simplify complex truths while still capturing what really matters.
  2. Being a true economist means being willing to change your views based on evidence, not just sticking to ideology. If someone’s beliefs don’t change even when faced with solid economic arguments, they might just be an economist during work hours.
  3. History shows that both Keynes and Friedman had valuable insights, even if their ideas contradict each other. Each has built on the work of the other, which is how economics progresses, just like in any science.

25-Year-Old Entrepreneur Savannah Jordan on How She Built a Multi-Million-Dollar Marketing Agency in Three Years

The Profile • 773 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Success Resilience Authenticity
  1. Savannah Jordan built a multi-million-dollar marketing agency by dedicating herself fully and pushing through challenges.
  2. Seeking mentorship and learning from mistakes helped Savannah establish Alpha after a previous startup experience.
  3. To stay ahead in marketing, constant research, observing trends, and embracing authenticity are key strategies.

Resilience Series Part 1: TFF Group

Business Breakdowns • 530 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
💼 Business Investing Company analysis Finance Economics Market Trends
  1. The TFF Group is a resilient company with more than a century of family ownership and vertical integration.
  2. Resilience in business means prioritizing longevity over short-term gains, owning the entire supply chain for longevity, and maintaining profitability during downturns.
  3. Studying companies like TFF Group, which focus on resilience, provides valuable insights into strategies for long-term success.

The Community Round - equity crowdfunding to hack superfans, distribution, & growth 🤝

Channels of Growth • 530 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
💼 Business Crowdfunding Startups Investing Entrepreneurship Marketing
  1. Launching a Community Round can bring on investors who are also your product's early adopters.
  2. Giving users equity can increase their commitment and drive word-of-mouth referrals.
  3. Raising a Community Round is most effective when you already have a product and a supportive community base.