The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Have you published your 100 pieces of content?

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 324 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
💼 Business Media Content creation Advertising Local news Digital economy
  1. Making 100 pieces of content is important for creators. Each piece helps them improve and grow their skills.
  2. Local news can succeed with unique content that people are willing to pay for. New models, like those used by Mill Media, are proving this strategy works.
  3. YouTube's rise in TV viewership is changing advertising dynamics. It's becoming a more attractive platform for brands, leading to more revenue for creators.

The Software Rebel: How Innovaccer Defied Silicon Valley's Anti-Services Doctrine and Won

Day Zero: Always Learning • 426 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
💼 Business Startups Software Entrepreneurship Technology Investment
  1. Businesses need to combine services with software to succeed. This mix can help them understand their customers better and create real value.
  2. Learning and adapting quickly is key to success. Companies should capture knowledge from each project to improve their services over time.
  3. The future of enterprise software lies in using AI and human expertise together. This way, businesses can create smarter solutions that really solve problems.

Double-Edged Founders

Venture Prose • 339 implied HN points • 05 Mar 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Startups Technology Innovation
  1. Successful founders often balance paradoxical tensions like clear vision with strong optimism, learning from others while taking unconventional paths, and balancing excellence with speed in execution.
  2. Best founders exhibit double-edged abilities, managing complementary or opposite fields effectively, such as combining strong technical skills with solid business acumen.
  3. The importance of focusing not only on product development but also on effective go-to-market strategies and execution to build a commercially successful product.

What Does It Take To Create Longevity And Stay Relevant In The New Work World?

High ROI Data Science • 178 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
💼 Business Career development Market Trends Skill development Productivity
  1. Success in the new work world requires being forward-looking and prescriptive, not just reacting to trends.
  2. Manufacturing luck involves positioning early in emerging trends to have more opportunities and be better prepared.
  3. To stay relevant, focus on upskilling in areas that align with future trends and combine vision, follow-through, and productivity.
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Doing Fast & Slow

Venture Prose • 279 implied HN points • 07 May 23
💼 Business Leadership Management Work-life balance Achievement Execution
  1. Set a pace of execution that matches ambition and expectations to avoid subpar efforts and performance from your team.
  2. Find a balance between being fast and slow in your thinking and actions, while being intentional about setting expectations and goals.
  3. Work-life balance is like a rope that tightens and loosens, finding equilibrium between being super busy and not, rather than aiming for a perfect balance.

What Reid Hoffman Understands About the Human Balancing Act

The Geek Way • 99 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
💼 Business Management Entrepreneurship Leadership Innovation Organization
  1. Reid Hoffman is regarded as a brilliant entrepreneur and investor who has made significant impacts in Silicon Valley and the tech sector.
  2. Understanding first principles for running an organization can be linked to evolutionary principles, providing insights into human organizational behavior.
  3. The balancing act between being ultrasocial and self-interested is a fundamental principle in human nature and can explain various challenges in the business world.

AMC: Oh, Forking Shirtballs Here We Go Again

The Chancery Daily • 419 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
💼 Business Media
  1. The author expresses frustration about their content being used without permission on YouTube videos.
  2. Subscription fees are meant to support providing access to content for those who cannot afford it.
  3. Discussion about legal matters related to Izzo's Motion to Maintain the Status Quo Order Pending Appeal.

TBM 273: Transition and Reflection

The Beautiful Mess • 1057 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership Workplace dynamics
  1. Humans shape environments, and environments shape humans -- there's no dichotomy. This insight helps in understanding complexity and progress.
  2. Self-awareness and understanding others' beliefs are crucial at work -- it minimizes clashes and can lead to better teamwork and company growth.
  3. Seek coherence across different areas of work -- aligning various frames and systems is essential for company success.

How Can You Use Airbnb's & Stripe's Strategy To Build Your MVP? | The First Six Month Of Fundraising For NVIDIA | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 199 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
💼 Business Startup Strategy Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Funding Technology
  1. Successful startups focus on building a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) with the 'Viable' part being crucial, not just the 'Minimal' part.
  2. Key to MVP success is launching quickly, getting feedback from customers, and iterating based on that feedback.
  3. Early adopters are crucial for testing MVPs; founders should build products for customers with urgent needs, even if the MVP is not perfect.

Google opens another traffic spigot for publishers

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 449 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
💼 Business Media Advertising Publishing Finance Technology
  1. Google Discover is now a major source of traffic for publishers, but it may lead to less meaningful connections with their audiences. Publishers often end up serving low-quality ads to visitors who leave quickly.
  2. Podcasters are looking to change the trend of having the same guests on many shows to make interviews more unique and engaging. Many hosts are tired of recycled content that doesn’t stand out.
  3. Apple is starting to sell ads in Apple News directly, which could mean more revenue for publishers. This shift may help Apple balance its user privacy principles with the need to generate advertising income.

Business and Economics links, 1/12

In My Tribe • 364 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
💼 Business Economics Entrepreneurship Finance Investment Market Analysis
  1. Co-founder relationships are really important for startup success. If co-founders don't get along, it can lead to the startup failing.
  2. Economic analysis often relies on metaphors, which can lead to different interpretations. It's normal for people to disagree about economic ideas.
  3. The debate over resource prices shows that neither side always wins. Long-term data suggests that market dynamics can be complex and unpredictable.

From selling access to selling work (and what it means for you)

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 512 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
💼 Business Business Models Pricing Strategies SaaS AI Integration Revenue management
  1. Companies are shifting from charging for access to software to billing for the actual work done by AI. This means businesses will charge based on how much the AI helps them, like charging per task completed.
  2. With these new pricing models, customers can pay only when they see results. However, it can be tricky to figure out who deserves credit for any success achieved.
  3. As the industry evolves, businesses will have to rethink how they predict revenue and manage customer relationships, making it more about actual usage and outcomes instead of just subscriptions.

Letter from Santiago

Things I Didn't Learn in School • 275 implied HN points • 18 Feb 23
💼 Business Commodities Economics Politics Investing Globalization
  1. The demand for lithium and copper is predicted to increase significantly due to the rise of electric vehicles.
  2. Chile, rich in copper and lithium, faces challenges with flat export volumes, political instability, and crime.
  3. The shift to electric vehicles will impact commodity prices, inflation, and stock values, influencing global economies.

Element's Progress At JPM

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
💼 Business Biotech Healthcare Genomics Diagnostics Finance Sales
  1. Revenue grew to $85M in 2025, roughly 40% higher than the prior year. Despite that growth, the company likely still runs large losses and burns over $100M a year.
  2. The install base expanded to 450 systems (up 60%) and consumable shipments doubled, signaling stronger customer adoption. About 35% of new shipments are multi‑omics Aviti24s, so customers are taking the multi‑omics option.
  3. The product roadmap includes an IVD‑certified Aviti, a higher‑throughput benchtop instrument targeting $100 genomes, and multiomic workflows for FFPE and fresh frozen samples. These product moves could broaden the company’s addressable markets from diagnostics to high‑throughput genomics.

Mercenaries versus Missionaries in the startup world

Respectful Leadership • 163 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
💼 Business Leadership Startup Innovation Team Building Hiring
  1. In the startup world, it’s important to hire people who are passionate about the mission, known as 'missionaries.' They care deeply about making a difference.
  2. Hiring based on resumes alone isn't enough. It's better to focus on why candidates are motivated and their true potential.
  3. Embracing ambiguity can actually lead to innovative solutions. Startups should encourage working freely without strict guidelines.

Oxford Nanopore @ JPM

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
💼 Business Financials Investor Relations Corporate strategy Biotechnology Capital allocation Earnings Reports
  1. Oxford Nanopore presented at the JPM conference following the release of preliminary results.
  2. Management reiterated their commitment to deliver break-even by 2027.
  3. They didn’t report full losses; cash reserves appear consistently down and cash reverses could mean reported losses are smaller than earlier expectations.

90 Percent of Everything.

News Items • 275 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
💼 Business Shipping Globalization Supply Chain Geopolitics ESG
  1. Shipping is responsible for transporting 90% of everything, making it extremely efficient and cheap, which has changed the world economy.
  2. The supply of container ships and oil tankers is extremely tight, with high rates and very few new deliveries coming online, potentially leading to future disruptions and inflation.
  3. Global shipping is a critical indicator of economic activity and can be impacted by geopolitics, ESG trends, and global trade patterns like deglobalization.

Celsius

Business Breakdowns • 275 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
💼 Business Differentiation
  1. Celsius energy drink experienced a turbulent journey to success, from initial struggles to exponential growth.
  2. Celsius differentiates itself with science-based claims of increasing metabolism and burning calories.
  3. Despite a competitive energy drink market, Celsius's strong sales growth and partnership with Pepsi position it well for potential market share expansion and growth.

Letter #90: Andrew Pastor (2021)

A Letter a Day • 275 implied HN points • 10 Jun 23
💼 Business Investing Company analysis Leadership Innovation Management
  1. Good investment ideas can come from unexpected sources, like a round of golf or a casual conversation.
  2. Successful investments often share common traits that aren't found through traditional stock screens.
  3. Applying specific filters, such as assessing risk and uncertainty, evaluating management decisions, and understanding company culture, can help in identifying valuable investment opportunities.

Lululemon

Business Breakdowns • 275 implied HN points • 23 May 23
💼 Business Retail E-commerce Strategy Management Risk
  1. Lululemon dominates luxury athleisure market with loyal customers and high-quality products.
  2. The company has strong revenue segments, with high margins in direct-to-consumer sales.
  3. Industry trends and growth opportunities in menswear and international markets support Lululemon's continued success.

🇮🇹 The Italian Tech Ecosystem - Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

Overlooked by Alexandre Dewez • 275 implied HN points • 04 May 23
💼 Business Startup funding
  1. The Italian startup ecosystem has shown growth with an increase in funding and the rise of unicorns like Scalapay and Satispay.
  2. Compared to other European countries, Italy's VC funding per capita is lower, indicating room for growth in the ecosystem.
  3. Italy's tech ecosystem is still in early stages, facing challenges like brain drain, lack of risk-taking mindset, and the need for stronger angel investor presence.

TAM Volume

Sriram Krishnan’s Newsletter • 275 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
💼 Business Market Analysis Entrepreneurship Sales Customers Opportunities
  1. When considering a market, focus not just on the total value but also on the volume of potential customers or personas.
  2. High volume of target customers provides more opportunities for learning and growth in a business.
  3. A larger TAM (volume) allows for more chances to adjust strategies and learn from mistakes compared to low volume markets.

High churn, low LTV

Top of the Lyne • 275 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
💼 Business Tech Marketing AI Growth Sales
  1. Generative AI company Murf uses behavioral AI to penetrate the enterprise market and boost self-serve conversions.
  2. Murf's AI engine helped increase enterprise conversions by 10% and boosted revenue closed by 20% for their sales team.
  3. The AI engine improved conversion rates by 7x for pro self-serve conversions during a Black Friday promotion.

Customer Persona Expansion

Sriram Krishnan’s Newsletter • 275 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
💼 Business Startups Investing Entrepreneurship Market Expansion
  1. In early stages, focus on winning over a narrow set of customer personas first for startup success.
  2. Startups should avoid selling to multiple personas at once to prevent failure from spreading resources too thin.
  3. As resources grow, consider expanding to multiple personas to increase Total Addressable Market (TAM) and attract later-stage investors.