The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

How to Sell AI Consulting at High Margins

Enterprise AI Trends • 189 implied HN points • 05 Jul 25
💼 Business Consulting AI Technology Strategy Revenue
  1. AI consulting is tough for many businesses because they struggle to be unique. Most try to offer either simple products or expensive custom services, but neither works well.
  2. OpenAI is changing the game by expanding its consulting services to focus on big clients. They want to build long-term relationships, not just make quick money.
  3. OpenAI sees consulting as a way to embed its technology into companies for the future. This strategy helps them create a profitable service while also deepening their involvement in enterprise tech.

The Bear Cave #261

The Bear Cave • 396 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
💼 Business Finance Investing Corporate Governance Market Analysis Risk management
  1. There's been some concern about AppLovin, a mobile app company. A researcher claims they are using a scheme that makes it look like users are rewarded for in-app purchases, which might not be genuine.
  2. Multiple company executives have recently resigned, including CEOs and CFOs from several firms. This shows instability in some companies and could affect their future performance.
  3. Some activists are raising issues about well-known companies, like Coca-Cola, and their social policies. This highlights ongoing debates around corporate responsibility and public perception.

What does extreme ownership really mean?

Arpit’s Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Career growth Engineering Leadership Education Technology
  1. Extreme ownership means taking initiative and completing tasks without waiting to be told what to do.
  2. Keeping everyone on the same page by proactively sharing progress and potential roadblocks is crucial for success.
  3. Extreme ownership does not mean working twice as hard, but rather taking complete ownership and ensuring delivery of assigned tasks.

35 New AI Roles to Watch Out For

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 488 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
💼 Business Job Market Tech Integration Workplace dynamics Innovation Strategies
  1. New AI roles are emerging as technology evolves, like 'AI Ethicist' and 'Chief AI Officer'. These jobs focus on ethical AI use and strategic implementation within companies.
  2. AI will change how people interact with technology, leading to roles like 'AI Trainer' and 'AI Explainability Specialist'. These professionals help make sure AI systems work well with human users.
  3. The way we define work is shifting, moving from time-based to output-based models. This means the focus will be on what is produced rather than how long it takes to do it.

"Land & Expand" To Improve Your Odds of Getting to Yes With a VC | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 299 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Funding Startups Investment Entrepreneurship
  1. Raising capital from VCs is a sales & marketing process where you're selling trust and confidence in the future of your company. Building trust with VC partners and understanding their decision dynamics can increase your odds of success.
  2. Each VC firm has a unique decision-making process, so it's crucial to know the firm's partner structure, how decisions are made, and the role of non-partner staff. Building relationships with multiple team members before the final decision meeting can improve your chances.
  3. To secure funding from VCs, go beyond just your sponsoring partner - engage with multiple staff members, understand the decision dynamics within the firm, and address biases and concerns in advance. Building broad relationships within the VC firm can increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.
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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.

Pioneering the Future of Work.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 29 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
💼 Business Workforce Talent Leadership AI Careers Workplace
  1. Work and jobs are uncoupling: full-time jobs are shrinking while new employee types like agentic and fractionalized workers are emerging, driven by AI, changing demographics, and new marketplaces.
  2. The office will be unbundled into collaboration hubs, third spaces, and home, and companies will access talent more flexibly through platforms and AI, focusing on outcomes instead of fixed positions.
  3. Everyone will need constant reskilling and new leadership skills as AI shifts the value of knowledge, and careers will move toward portfolio, fractional, or company-of-one models where culture and adaptable skills matter most.

Spotlight: Michael Mealling - General Partner @ Starbridge Venture Capital

Space Ambition • 79 implied HN points • 03 May 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Investment Strategies Space Technology Startup Ecosystem Market Analysis
  1. The key to successful investing in spacetech is understanding market structures and leveraging a strong network. This helps in identifying real opportunities amid hype.
  2. Using the Integrated Space Plan (ISP) aids in spotting gaps and potential growth areas in the industry. It's important to ensure there are actual customers for new technologies.
  3. When reaching out to potential investors, concise and clear pitches about the business model are crucial. It's more effective to focus on solving customer problems rather than just showcasing technology.

When the Ladders Disappear

Perspectives • 5 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
💼 Business AI Automation Workforce Productivity Inequality Policy
  1. AI-driven productivity will automate many routine office tasks and entry-level roles, reshaping how work is done and removing traditional on-ramps for career development.
  2. Historical tech-driven shifts show that economic growth can be uneven, and AI risks concentrating most of the gains with capital owners while workers capture a smaller share.
  3. The transition will be uneven and disruptive, so society needs new policies like retraining, income supports, or mechanisms to share productivity gains to protect communities and preserve career ladders.

Office Armageddon

Diane Francis • 639 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
💼 Business Real Estate Urban planning Finance Work Culture Government Policy
  1. Many big city offices are empty now because a lot of people are working from home. This change is hurting banks and city budgets as tax revenues drop.
  2. Cities are losing population for the first time in decades, which is causing more vacant shops and offices. This could lead to financial trouble for local governments.
  3. Turning empty office buildings into homes could be a solution, but it’s complicated and expensive. Cities need to rethink their spaces and invest in community facilities to attract people back.

🚪 A snail-mail platform with $200MRR in just 2 months

No-Code Exits • 176 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Marketing Technology Revenue
  1. Nick Freiling created a successful snail-mail platform called StampFans that generated $200 MRR in just 2 months.
  2. He started by testing the idea with a simple landing page and manual operations, then used tools like Softr for further development.
  3. Nick focused on keeping things lean, leveraged LinkedIn for user acquisition, and reached $200 MRR in less than 2 months.

The Tale of Two Teams

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1281 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership Software Development Management Innovation Team Dynamics
  1. Software development teams can take two different paths over time - one struggling to maintain progress and innovate, the other accelerating and exceeding expectations.
  2. Executives play a crucial role in steering teams towards successful software development by fostering a culture of continual improvement, tidy code, automation, and collaboration.
  3. Understanding software design fundamentals as an executive can help diagnose ineffective teams, bridge communication gaps between business and technology, and inspire innovation and excellence.

A Contrarian’s Guide to Hiring

The Generalist • 1320 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
💼 Business Recruitment Interviews Team Building
  1. Founders need to be creative in their hiring practices to find the right talent for high-growth startups.
  2. Assessing a candidate's writing, backchanneling with previous employers, and focusing on cultural fit are key strategies for hiring exceptional talent.
  3. Conducting non-traditional interviews like principles-based interviews can help in identifying candidates who align with the company's values and work style.

Jobs and Opps at The Stage, ITV, Hyphen, Tes, DEVELOP3D, and Many, Many More ❄️

Journo Resources - The Opportunities • 238 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
💼 Business Jobs Opportunities Events Media Training
  1. There are many journalism jobs and opportunities available at various organizations.
  2. Consider pre-ordering a copy of the Journo Resources magazine to support the creation of new resources for journalists.
  3. Attend online events and workshops to enhance your journalism career and skills.

TBM 333: Lean Graph Theory

The Beautiful Mess • 476 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
💼 Business Organizational Theory Product Development Systems Thinking Team Dynamics
  1. Lean principles are useful for all types of organizations but need to be applied with context in mind. It's important to adapt these ideas rather than stick to a strict method.
  2. Different models like path graphs, directed acyclic graphs, and network graphs help us understand how organizations function. Each model serves a unique purpose, and they often overlap.
  3. Most companies need to balance different approaches based on their growth and challenges. Moving towards more network-oriented and directed models can help improve collaboration and effectiveness.

The paywall dilemma

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 399 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
💼 Business Media Trends Creator Economy Subscription Models Digital Platforms Content Strategy
  1. Hiding articles behind a paywall can lower subscription rates. Many readers feel they've gotten enough info from just the headline and first few lines, so they don’t feel the need to pay.
  2. The creator economy is growing, with many people earning six-figure incomes from smaller audiences. This means that you don’t need a huge following to be successful anymore.
  3. Media companies, like BuzzFeed, are shifting to build their own social networks. This helps them keep audiences engaged on their own platforms and improves their chances of future success.

This Week in Marketing: Instagram’s Reality-Check vs. Elon Musk’s Pornography Machine

The Social Juice • 22 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26
💼 Business Marketing Advertising Social media AI Platforms Media Regulation
  1. AI is everywhere and a lot of it is low-quality or misleading, often called “AI slop.” Platforms are talking about tagging or fingerprinting real media because trust in generative models is falling.
  2. Elon Musk’s Grok flooded X with sexualized images, exposing serious safety failures and prompting regulatory pressure. Industry leaders are warning AI agents are becoming a real problem that needs fixing.
  3. Social platforms and ad tech are shifting fast—new features, acquisitions, and ad-product changes are forcing marketers to rethink collaborations and measurement. With regulators paying closer attention, trust and compliance are now central to marketing strategy.

We Need a New Movement for Independent Retail

The New Urban Order • 299 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
💼 Business Retail Economic Development City Planning Commercial Real Estate Small businesses
  1. The uniqueness of independent retail in cities like Cadiz, Spain, highlights the need for a new movement supporting independent retail in American cities.
  2. While American retail may seem to be thriving, there is a concern about the homogenization of street life across cities, showcasing the importance of distinct local retail offerings.
  3. To revitalize independent retail, new solutions such as credit tenant leasing adjustments and promoting corner stores are essential, along with the need for an international movement to advocate for and support independent retail.

Space Ambition Useful Resources for Founders and Investors

Space Ambition • 99 implied HN points • 10 Apr 24
💼 Business Startups Investing Technology Entrepreneurship Sustainability
  1. There is a fellowship program for people interested in starting spacetech companies. It's starting soon and there are only a few spots left.
  2. They offer help for those with ideas for spacetech or sustainability start-ups looking for support or funding.
  3. Investors can get involved by reaching out for access to deal flow and investment opportunities in the space sector.

The VC Corner 📰 #6

The VC Corner • 219 implied HN points • 30 Dec 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investing Finance Entrepreneurship
  1. This newsletter provides valuable news and resources for people in the startup and venture capital world. It's great for both experienced investors and beginners.
  2. By subscribing, you get access to weekly insights that can help you stay informed about the latest trends and developments in startups.
  3. There's a free trial option available, so you can explore the content without any initial commitment.

The Road to Hell, part 2 of 3

Thoughts on Writing • 379 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
💼 Business Marketing Ethics Social Impact Advertising Corporate culture
  1. Purpose in marketing often leads to sameness and lack of distinctiveness, as brands all start sounding the same with abstract, grandiose statements.
  2. Building a brand solely on purpose can create a weak foundation, leading to overexaggerated moral or ethical claims that may not resonate with customers.
  3. Prioritizing brand purpose over customer focus in marketing can lead to a disconnect with the audience and diminish the overall impact of marketing efforts.

Are you putting products on a pedestal?

Kenny’s Sub • 179 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
💼 Business E-commerce Marketing Entrepreneurship Freelancing Product Development
  1. It's easier to sell services than products. Many successful people started with client work before launching their products because it's more certain and quicker.
  2. Working on client projects helps you learn business skills. You can use these skills to market products later on more effectively.
  3. Balancing client work and product development can be tough. It's important to make time for both, or you might end up feeling overwhelmed and miss out on important parts of your life.

Priced‑In Flaws: from cars to colleagues to couples

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman • 170 implied HN points • 13 Jul 25
💼 Business Finance Startup Investment Entrepreneurship Strategy
  1. When you buy something, like a car, you need to accept its flaws. If you choose an orange car, complaining that it's not blue isn't fair because you knew it was orange all along.
  2. This idea applies to people too. If you hire someone who is great but struggles with deadlines, you can’t blame them for that flaw if you knew about it first.
  3. In relationships, if you accept someone's weaknesses, like being late, you shouldn't complain later. You chose to be with them knowing those flaws were part of the package.

17 experts sharing their best tips founders shouldn’t skip in their 0-1mil ARR journey?

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 34 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
💼 Business Marketing Sales Strategy Product Pricing Operations Growth
  1. Match your positioning to market reality by honestly assessing market maturity, choosing a clear product category or use case, and crafting a simple sales story backed by a central messaging library.
  2. Build your Ideal Customer Profile from real customer behavior and early wins, niche down to the segments that get the fastest ROI, and make the ICP a living system that guides product, marketing, and sales.
  3. Treat go-to-market as repeatable processes: start content once you have an MVP and one sharp narrative, run pricing as a regular iteration tied to company stage, and keep CRM and KPIs simple so you follow up and make data-driven decisions.

The Bear Cave #253

The Bear Cave • 489 implied HN points • 22 Dec 24
💼 Business Finance Investing Economics Corporate Governance Market Trends
  1. There are serious concerns about Aegon's sales tactics, which some say look like a multi-level marketing scheme.
  2. Recent investigations show JOYY's app Bigo Live is facing major issues after being removed by Google and Apple due to child abuse allegations.
  3. Multiple companies have seen rapid executive turnover, with several CEOs and CFOs resigning or being replaced in just a short time.

TBM 275: "Bad" Strategy. Why?

The Beautiful Mess • 1256 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
💼 Business Strategy Negotiation Decision-making Organizational dynamics Leadership
  1. A company strategy is actually a collection of individual strategies. Each person within a company has their own strategy they try to advocate for.
  2. The communicated strategy in a company is often a negotiated narrative, and the real strategy might not be fully disclosed. There are subtleties and contexts behind the scenes.
  3. Strategies are a negotiation. What may seem objectively right might not align with the current status quo. Different people in different roles might perceive and act on strategies uniquely.

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.

Burning

Venture Prose • 339 implied HN points • 11 Jun 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Management Growth Leadership
  1. Companies in the startup world face the risk of 'burning out' due to various reasons like lack of product-market fit, slow growth, or unsustainable economics.
  2. Entrepreneurs fall into categories like 'High Flyers' who start strong but need to sustain hype, and 'The Burn-Outers' who struggle to manage work-life balance while pushing their companies forward.
  3. Running a company successfully requires a balance of fundamental work, intense focus, and clarity of vision, along with surrounding oneself with a supportive team to navigate challenges.

What’s up with…? - Part 3: Cotti Coffee

Tech Buzz China Insider • 199 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💼 Business Coffee E-commerce Market Trends China Subscription
  1. The update on Cotti Coffee discusses slowing store openings, partnerships, and ongoing price wars in the coffee industry.
  2. Tech Buzz China is shifting to shorter weekly publications for a few weeks to focus on updates of significant topics they wrote in 2023.
  3. There is an opportunity to join Tech Buzz China on an Exclusive Electric Vehicle Trip to China to gain insights into China's electric vehicle ecosystem.

How to Interview Like a Pro

Perspectives • 11 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
💼 Business Career Interviewing Hiring Recruiting Communication Leadership
  1. Interviewing is a distinct skill separate from doing the job, so practice how you communicate and structure answers until you can clearly show your fit.
  2. Prepare a small bank of adaptable stories that prove failure, leadership, influence, and impact, and tailor those stories to what each company values.
  3. Focus on what the interviewer actually hears—connect first, show judgment, pause to collect your thoughts when needed, and help them imagine you already owning the problem.

The Business of Venture Capital

Insight Axis • 296 implied HN points • 05 Nov 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Investment Startups Entrepreneurship Risk management
  1. Venture capital began from the dot-com bubble era, where tech entrepreneurs set up investment firms to fund new, high-growth technology companies.
  2. VCs specifically invest in early stage companies with potential for rapid growth and huge profits, aiming to 10x their investment in 5 years.
  3. Venture capital faces challenges like misaligned incentives, high-risk investments, and the need to balance finding unicorns without funding too many duds.

The Bear Cave #251

The Bear Cave • 513 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
💼 Business Finance Markets Investing Corporate Governance Research
  1. There are significant legal troubles for companies like LendingTree, which could face lawsuits costing hundreds of millions of dollars. This could affect their financial stability and future operations.
  2. Recent executive resignations in several companies, including Intel, suggest instability at the management level. Frequent leadership changes can indicate underlying issues within a company.
  3. Research reports from different groups are highlighting possible problems in companies like Serve Robotics and Plug Power. These findings could impact investor confidence and stock prices.

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.

Open Thread: The American Job Search

The Recovering Academic • 336 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
💼 Business Job Market Networking Career development Employment Trends Workplace dynamics
  1. Networking is crucial in the job search process, building relationships can open doors that skill acquisition or a polished resume cannot.
  2. The American job market is tough, especially without relevant industry experience, it's essential to show yourself compassion during this challenging time.
  3. The idea of meritocracy in the workplace faces challenges, where personal connections sometimes matter more than hard work alone.