The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Kroger’s Retreat from Robotic Warehouses Reveals the Limits of Grocery Automation

Gad’s Newsletter • 47 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
💼 Business Retail Supply Chain Logistics E-commerce Automation Robotics
  1. Kroger’s closure of big robotic fulfillment centers shows that centralized, capital-heavy automation often doesn’t fit grocery economics because thin margins, low and uneven online demand, long delivery distances, and volatile order patterns drove per-order costs too high.
  2. Faster, cheaper grocery fulfillment is more likely from local and flexible options — store-based picking, micro-fulfillment, and gig delivery cut last-mile costs and handle spiky demand better.
  3. Automation still has a role, but the future looks modular and collaborative: smaller, flexible robots, AI routing, and cobots that work with human pickers are more promising than giant, purpose-built robot warehouses.

The state of B2B merch in 2026

Mehdeeka • 8 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
💼 Business Marketing Branding Sales Events Growth Partnerships Product
  1. Treat merch as a strategic, measurable marketing tool tied to revenue; focus on converting the undecided audience and run A/B tests to prove impact.
  2. Make merch useful and experiential — personalisation and on-site customisation or problem-solving items increase keep-rate and memorability.
  3. Use small-batch, targeted activations for ABM and earned media by sending thoughtful, timely gifts with digital tie-ins and repurposing designs across channels.

Job hunt update

Sex and the State • 33 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
💼 Business Careers Employment Job search Workplace Career transition Labor Market
  1. Job hunting can trigger panic about being unemployable, especially when you worry about age, physical limits, or lack of experience.
  2. Even if you’re willing to take entry-level work, practical barriers like businesses not hiring can block your plans.
  3. It’s normal to feel embarrassed about downshifting, but talking yourself into accepting practical work helps remove shame and move forward.

The Bear Cave #244

The Bear Cave • 769 implied HN points • 20 Oct 24
💼 Business Finance Investing Corporate Governance Market Analysis Regulation
  1. Fuzzy Panda Research raised concerns about Stride Inc, suggesting it might face serious challenges after benefiting from COVID-related funding. They believe the company is going to struggle with competition and internal issues.
  2. Recent executive resignations from companies like CVS Health and The Joint Corp signal potential instability, as these leaders leave amid significant financial downturns for their companies.
  3. A new FTC rule will make it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions. This change aims to prevent businesses from making it too hard for people to stop payments for services they no longer want.
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Never express your ‘Use of Funds’ slide as percentages, why? | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 219 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Entrepreneurship Technology Job Opportunities
  1. When raising funds, focus on milestones rather than expressing your 'Use of Funds' slide as percentages to show understanding of the funding journey.
  2. Understand where the value increase in your startup will come from, ensuring the proper allocation of funds for operations, technology development, and growth metrics.
  3. Design your fundraising strategy around specific goals and targets, painting a clear picture of how the next round of funding will be achieved through key hires, customer growth, and revenue increase.

How to name a product

A Bit Gamey • 13 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
💼 Business Branding Marketing Product Legal Strategy Domains
  1. Pick a name that clearly matches what the product is and the feeling or behavior you want people to expect.
  2. Prioritize legal safety by checking trademarks and avoiding names others already control so your brand can be defended.
  3. Verify a suitable domain (ideally an affordable .com) or plan clear modifiers, because online availability drives discoverability and credibility.

Intercom's decisive bet on AI

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 315 implied HN points • 21 May 25
💼 Business Startups Technology AI Pricing Customer Service
  1. Intercom was quick to invest in AI, becoming a leader by being the first major SaaS company to do so. Their 'war time' CEO, Eoghan McCabe, made bold decisions to redefine customer support with AI.
  2. The quality of AI tools matters more than just having features. Intercom's Fin AI agent succeeded through a lot of testing, improving its ability to resolve customer inquiries from 25% to 56%.
  3. Competitors now have to focus on delivering results, not just flashy marketing. Businesses need to educate their customers on how to choose AI products based on effectiveness, not just promises.

The Bear Cave #260

The Bear Cave • 489 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
💼 Business Finance Investing Corporate Governance Market Analysis Executive Changes
  1. New activist reports have revealed serious allegations against several companies, including Applied Optoelectronics and GeneDx Holdings, suggesting they may be involved in fraud and misleading practices.
  2. There were significant executive resignations this week from companies like Match Group and Digital Turbine, indicating possible instability within these businesses.
  3. The SEC is changing how it conducts investigations, which may slow down enforcement actions, showing a shift in regulatory approach.

Foundations

Venture Prose • 419 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Productivity Leadership Success Work ethic
  1. Success is about making people around you happy, including employees and customers, while also ensuring profitability for sustainability.
  2. Having a healthy balance is crucial; success should not drain all your energy, you must prioritize maintaining your physical and mental well-being to last in the long run.
  3. Happiness and fulfillment come from connecting with your inner self and surrounding yourself with the right people who share your aspirations and provide support.

The Donkey Enterprise

The Greek Analyst • 279 implied HN points • 23 Dec 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Economy Tech Startups Investments
  1. Successful businesses can thrive by embodying the traits of a 'Donkey Enterprise' - prioritizing self-preservation, building long-term institutional memory, fostering curiosity, focusing on strong foundations, valuing hard work, and maintaining a clear focus.
  2. Greece has made significant progress in digitization, economy, investments, tech startups, education, and R&D, demonstrating growth in various sectors and receiving international recognition.
  3. Greek individuals and companies have achieved notable success in various fields, such as winning international competitions, impacting AI technology, and contributing to the economy through acquisitions and advancements.

Fosun’s Green Valley Deal: The Risk Isn’t Just Whether GV-971 Works

Pekingnology • 33 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
💼 Business M&A Pharmaceuticals Regulation Investor Relations Clinical Trials
  1. The market selloff reflects not just scientific doubt about GV-971 but major reputational and regulatory risk tied to Green Valley’s history.
  2. Green Valley has a long record of marketing and compliance scandals — including unlawful advertising, forged promotional materials, bribery, revoked approvals — and GV-971’s broader efficacy claims rest on limited and contested evidence.
  3. Key background on Green Valley’s past was largely missing from Fosun’s disclosure and much international coverage, which matters because the deal and the drug’s future still depend on regulatory approval and confirmatory clinical data.

Freelancers - what your ideal client looks like

The Open Source Expert • 39 implied HN points • 04 Jul 24
💼 Business Freelancing Client Management Marketing Contracts Professionalism
  1. A great client has done their research on you and knows your skills. This means they understand what you offer and how you can help them.
  2. Good clients are open about money. They discuss budgets clearly and have reasonable expectations for what they can afford.
  3. Respect is key in a client relationship. A good client values your work and understands that your rates reflect the quality you provide.

I wish I started doing this on day 0 of my career as an engineer

High Growth Engineer • 1574 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Productivity Career development Software Engineering Time management Planning
  1. Planning is crucial to avoid feeling unproductive and getting pulled in different directions throughout the day.
  2. By planning your day, you focus on what's important and maintain control over your daily tasks.
  3. Even a simple daily plan of one main goal can significantly improve your productivity and time management.

Visualize Protectionist Luxembourg

Bet On It • 241 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
💼 Business International Trade Economics Globalization Consumer behavior
  1. Luxembourg's economy relies heavily on international trade. A big part of what it buys and sells comes from other countries, which is very important for its success.
  2. If Luxembourg raised its tariffs significantly, residents would face high prices and a worse quality of life because they depend on imports for most goods.
  3. Luxembourg serves as a great example showing that trade is not a threat but an opportunity. The country demonstrates the importance of both imports and exports in keeping the economy strong.

How to Avoid Becoming a VC Meme and Actually Add Value

The Generalist • 700 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Investment Strategies Entrepreneurship Startups Growth Strategies
  1. Venture capitalists should focus on actually helping founders by connecting them with great talent, customers, and funding. It's important not just to say you add value, but to really do something meaningful.
  2. It's better for investors to set realistic expectations about their contributions. Overpromising can damage relationships with founders, so honesty about what you can offer is key.
  3. Investors should respect the founder's role and not try to take over. They bring valuable insights but need to let entrepreneurs lead their own companies and make their own decisions.

Week in review

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 05 Aug 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Learning Self-Improvement Product Development
  1. Mastery cycles help you learn skills quickly by breaking the process into steps: try, review, and improve. This keeps you organized and focused on growth.
  2. The Dunning-Kruger effect shows that people often think they're smarter than they are at first. Overcoming challenges makes you more aware of how much there is to learn.
  3. Reflection and planning are just as important as doing the work. Taking time to think about what you've done helps you get better and avoid falling into bad habits.

The Road to Hell, part 1 of 3

Thoughts on Writing • 459 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
💼 Business Branding Ethics Marketing Capitalism
  1. Purpose in business, particularly social purpose, can lead to flawed ethical thinking and potentially negative outcomes.
  2. The concept of purpose emerged as a response to the reputational crisis faced by big businesses post-2008 financial crisis, aiming to portray them as 'good guys'.
  3. The purpose movement in business and marketing gained momentum in the 2010s but led to questionable outcomes, showcasing a gap between feel-good stories and harsh realities.

User Research Guide For Founders, Part 3: Run Sessions + Identify Insights

Elizabeth Laraki • 79 implied HN points • 17 May 24
💼 Business Startups User Research Product Development Market Analysis
  1. When running user research sessions, make sure to plan the logistics and keep the session length manageable. It's important to stick to your script while encouraging participants to share their thoughts during the session.
  2. After completing the sessions, document the findings by organizing feedback into themes. This will help you identify common issues and insights that can improve your product.
  3. Share the insights in a clear and concise format, highlighting major findings and prioritizing issues that need attention. This helps ensure everyone on your team understands the feedback and can work together on solutions.

A Complete Product Discovery Guide

Untrapping Product Teams • 412 implied HN points • 21 Jun 23
💼 Business Product Management Entrepreneurship Team Dynamics Product Development Innovation
  1. Product discovery is essential to uncover what creates value, while product delivery produces what creates value.
  2. Having a sustainable balance between product discovery and product delivery within one team is crucial for success.
  3. Product discovery is a journey, not a rigid plan, where you set a business outcome as your north star and make decisions along the way.

How to Formulate Your Unfair Advantage Strategy

Running Lean Mastery • 412 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
💼 Business Strategy Competition Marketing
  1. Unfair advantages are characteristics that can't be easily copied or bought, like insider information or network effects.
  2. Unfair advantages differ from competitive advantages in that they have exclusivity and defensibility, making them harder to copy.
  3. Differentiate between a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) for customers and an Unfair Advantage directed towards competitors.

Evolution Gaming

Business Breakdowns • 412 implied HN points • 05 Sep 23
💼 Business Finance Market Analysis Industry Analysis Business strategy Company Overview
  1. Evolution Gaming provides back-end services for online gambling games, focusing on live casino games and RNG games.
  2. The company's revenue model involves charging a fee based on operators' winnings, with a focus on high-quality customer experiences.
  3. Evolution is the market leader in live casino with significant global market share, and is expanding into RNG games for further growth opportunities.

How to Keep Your Data Team From Becoming a Money Pit

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 282 implied HN points • 23 May 25
💼 Business Data Management Consulting Project management Business strategy
  1. It's important to focus on outcomes, not just outputs. Creating a lot of dashboards means nothing if they don't help people make better decisions.
  2. Making good data work requires engaging with stakeholders. Understanding what users actually need can lead to more effective solutions.
  3. Success in data teams means having clear ownership and goals. Projects can fail if no one knows who is responsible for them or what they should achieve.

Stupid Rules For Stupid People Struck Down

Points And Figures • 639 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
💼 Business Corporate Governance Regulation Investment Financial Markets Diversity
  1. NASDAQ's rule for corporate board diversity focused too much on identity instead of qualifications. It's more important to have people with varied experiences and perspectives on the board to help businesses succeed.
  2. The legal decision to revoke certain rules about private company disclosures is seen as positive. Regulations that infringe on privacy can deter companies from going public and create unnecessary barriers.
  3. Private markets should be free from excessive regulations. Investors need to keep the identities of their shareholders confidential, and government oversight can lead to more problems than it solves.

High Agency: The Mindset of Successful Leaders

The Engineering Leader • 218 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership Mindset Personal Development Human Resources Decision-making
  1. High Agency means taking control of your life and making decisions without waiting for perfect conditions. It helps you be proactive and responsible for your outcomes.
  2. People with High Agency are resourceful and resilient, able to turn challenges into opportunities. They thrive on taking calculated risks and learning from their experiences.
  3. You can develop High Agency by taking initiative, accepting responsibility, and being adaptable. It's all about having the mindset to overcome obstacles and create your own path.

TBM 329: Deep vs. Broad Context Traps

The Beautiful Mess • 608 implied HN points • 26 Dec 24
💼 Business Management Consulting Psychology Strategy Workplace
  1. Having deep knowledge in one area can make people think their ideas will work everywhere. But different situations need different approaches.
  2. People with broad, but shallow knowledge might see patterns everywhere but miss the unique details that influence outcomes.
  3. It's good to mix deep and broad experiences. Reflecting on your past can help you understand where your beliefs come from and how they fit into different contexts.

Final Look at Housing Markets in November and a Look Ahead to December Sales

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 33 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
💼 Business Real Estate Home Sales Prices Inventory Mortgage Rates Market Data
  1. Existing‑home sales remain weak — November's SAAR was about 4.13 million, roughly 24% below pre‑pandemic (2017–2019) levels, with year‑to‑date sales down about 0.5% and 2024 the weakest year since 1995.
  2. Supply is rising and uneven — active inventory is up about 8.8% year‑over‑year and months‑of‑supply are above pre‑pandemic levels, though new listings are down in many markets and regional differences are large.
  3. Prices could come under pressure — the national median price is up about 1.2% year‑over‑year now. Rising inventory suggests further regional price declines and a possible national decline in 2026, and December sales look likely to be slightly lower year‑over‑year despite modestly lower mortgage rates.

It’s Not About Me — That’s The Point

moontower: a stoner dad explains options trading to his kids • 235 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Investments Career development Leadership Mentorship
  1. Focus on being altruistic and a positive presence in the world, putting in the work and solving real problems.
  2. Believe in yourself to become the best version of yourself, even when faced with doubts.
  3. In a competitive investment landscape, understanding the job's challenges and rewards can help determine if it's the right fit for you.

Chartbook 339 Uneven and combined development of what? How do we relate global dollars and global cocoa?

Chartbook • 600 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
💼 Business Economics Capitalism Globalization Commodities Political Economy
  1. Global dollars and cocoa are connected within the system of capitalism, but they operate under very different political economies. Money is managed through global financial institutions, while cocoa production involves many poor farmers and large corporations.
  2. The relationship between cocoa and global dollars can be explored through the idea of 'sectors' in the economy, like the agro-industrial sector for cocoa and the financial sector for dollars. Each sector functions under its own rules and crises.
  3. Understanding how these sectors combine and differ helps to illustrate the complex dynamics of global capitalism. It’s important to consider how different sectors impact each other and society as a whole.

One bottleneck at a time

The Engineering Manager • 21 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
💼 Business Leadership Management Operations Strategy Process Improvement Productivity Hiring
  1. Every system has one primary bottleneck at a time; improving other parts just creates more work waiting, so focus on the single constraint that limits throughput.
  2. Put your best people and attention on the ugly but critical work and subordinate everything else to fixing the bottleneck, even if it hurts short-term optics—this requires courage but yields real impact.
  3. Find where work piles up, take actionable steps to remove that constraint, measure progress, and then repeat the cycle at team, department, and company levels.