The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Links 613 The surge in big tech capex. The shipbuilding boom. Litigating butter chicken. Are we entering post-literate society?

Chartbook • 371 implied HN points • 09 Jan 25
💼 Business Economics Tech Investment Industry Trends
  1. Big tech companies are investing a lot in their capital, which is changing the economy in significant ways. It's interesting to see how this trend has developed over the last 15 years.
  2. There is a noticeable rise in shipbuilding, suggesting that the industry is picking up. This could mean more jobs and trade opportunities in the future.
  3. The concept of a post-literate society is being discussed, raising questions about how we communicate and share information today. It makes you think about the impact of technology on reading and writing.

How I destroyed the New Economy, revisited

Sundman figures it out! • 137 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Economy Stock Market Entrepreneurship
  1. Dave Karpf's essay examines the techno-optimism surrounding the dot-com and crypto bubbles.
  2. The author recalls building a house for an internet billionaire on a potentially cursed Native American burial ground.
  3. The collapse of the New Economy bubble is attributed to building the house in a place where it shouldn't have been built.

There is no 3x growth investment

Parth's Playground • 38 implied HN points • 12 Nov 25
💼 Business Venture Capital Private Equity Investment strategy Startup Growth Market Analysis
  1. There isn't a guarantee of tripling your money in new businesses. Startups are still figuring things out, so making precise predictions can be tricky.
  2. Some investors wrongly believe they’re making safe investments like Canada Goose, but in reality, many growth investments fail completely.
  3. It's more effective to look for investments that could potentially return ten times your money instead of trying to pin down a three times return, especially since venture investments often don't follow the same rules as private equity.

Startups, This Is How You Update Investors

Points And Figures • 373 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
💼 Business Startups Investing Finance Management Entrepreneurship
  1. Startups should keep their investors updated regularly, like every quarter. Simple updates help investors stay engaged and offer support.
  2. When updating, focus on key points like growth rates, income or losses, and any future capital raising. It's best to keep it clear and short.
  3. Investors can be valuable beyond just their money. They can help with introductions and potential partnerships, so it's crucial to communicate effectively with them.
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Five Reasons To Be Optimistic About Work in 2025

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 390 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
💼 Business Workforce Entrepreneurship Remote work Hiring Trends Economic Indicators
  1. Many employers plan to hire more workers, making 2025 a good year for job opportunities. This growth is seen globally, especially in countries like India and the U.S.
  2. The Misery Index, which measures economic discomfort, is low, suggesting overall economic conditions are relatively stable. However, it doesn't account for every hardship faced by workers.
  3. Remote work is becoming more common, giving people the flexibility to work in comfortable environments. Digital tools are also allowing individuals to create their own businesses, leading to more ways to earn money.

Artisan

Venture Prose • 299 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
💼 Business Investing Venture Capital Startups Entrepreneurship Relationships
  1. To survive as a generalist seed investor, understand founders' emotions and engage with genuine care and support.
  2. When interacting with founders, focus on understanding, asking thought-provoking questions, and articulating key issues to help them progress.
  3. In the world of seed investing, competitiveness matters, but it's crucial to prioritize meaningful connections over unnecessary competition.

I Write One Article Every Month And Get $2,000 Easily

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 779 implied HN points • 13 Oct 22
💼 Business Writing Income Freelancing Content creation
  1. Writing regularly can help you earn money, like making $2,000 monthly by just one article a month. It's a simple way to make some extra cash.
  2. Many people look for quick ways to earn money, thinking they can make it easily. However, success often takes time and effort.
  3. When you see claims of high earnings from minimal work, remember that it usually starts slow and builds up over time. Don't be fooled by the easy money talk.

How publishers should respond to declining Google traffic

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 1097 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💼 Business Media industry Content Strategy Revenue Generation Subscription Models Digital Publishing
  1. Google traffic may not be as valuable as perceived, as it often results in low engagement and conversion rates.
  2. High-quality publishers can leverage brand recognition as a powerful tool to compete in search results dominated by AI-generated content.
  3. Building a strong personal brand in the Creator Economy can lead to burnout and lack of exit options, prompting some creators to launch companies separate from their personal brands.

User Research Guide For Founders, Part 2: Plan your Research

Elizabeth Laraki • 59 implied HN points • 06 May 24
💼 Business Startups User Research Market Analysis Product Development Entrepreneurship
  1. Identify who you want to talk to for your research. Focus on people who can actually help answer your questions.
  2. Recruit participants carefully by using screening forms to find the right fit. Make sure your questions are clear and helpful.
  3. Create a detailed research plan and script to guide your sessions. This will help make your research more effective and insightful.

10 Essays That Defined "Drift Signal" in 2025

European Straits • 15 implied HN points • 31 Dec 25
💼 Business Capital Markets Industrial Policy Manufacturing Energy transition Technology Strategy Geopolitics Macro trends
  1. The computing-and-networks era has matured, so value is shifting from pure software to embedding that technology into physical systems like manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure.
  2. Energy production and process knowledge are now central sources of national power — electrification and advanced manufacturing decide strategic advantage, and countries that rebuilt deep industrial ecosystems have leapfrogged rivals.
  3. Global finance and institutions are being rewired after political and regulatory shocks, with the US functioning as a major investment platform and programmable capital/tokenisation poised to remake how assets are issued and traded.

Commemorating the Time My Boss Called a Meeting at 9AM on December 23 to Call Us a Bunch of Losers

I Might Be Wrong • 22 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
💼 Business Leadership Workplace Management Office Culture Careers
  1. The boss held a surprise all-hands right before the holidays and publicly berated the staff, which was demoralizing and tone-deaf. Yelling at employees in that way rarely motivates and mostly breeds resentment.
  2. The leader who blamed the team was later exposed for long-running fraud, revealing hypocrisy and that leadership, not staff, can be the real problem. Organizational failures often trace back to corrupt or incompetent management.
  3. When someone shows you who they are, believe them — small signs of abusive or unethical behavior can predict much larger issues. Trust your instincts about toxic leadership and prioritize working somewhere healthier.

The Bear Cave #203

The Bear Cave • 1096 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
💼 Business Financial News
  1. New Activist Reports on Medical Properties Trust and consequences
  2. Significant Recent Resignations from various companies
  3. Highlighted Tweets of the Week referencing market happenings and insights

TBM 337: Pirates and Garbage Cans

The Beautiful Mess • 343 implied HN points • 02 Feb 25
💼 Business Leadership Conflict resolution Organizational Behavior Decision-making Team Dynamics
  1. Conflict in companies often stays unresolved because people are afraid to ask for help. This fear can make it look like admitting problems is a weakness.
  2. The Garbage Can model shows that decision-making is messy and often relies on chance rather than a clear process. Conflicts may get ignored until something urgent happens.
  3. Unlike businesses, pirate ships had systems in place for resolving conflicts because surviving together was crucial. Businesses can postpone resolving conflicts without facing immediate consequences, which can lead to bigger problems later.

Reverse engineering your perfect business

Tiny Empires • 122 implied HN points • 23 Jul 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Management Productivity Work-life balance
  1. Start by figuring out the life you want to live, then design your business around that life. Your business should help you enjoy your life, not take it over.
  2. Identify when you are most productive and build your schedule to fit those energy patterns. Work with your natural rhythms for better efficiency.
  3. Pick a business that matches your skills and preferences. Choose tasks you enjoy and are good at, and avoid things you dislike to keep your energy up.

2034 – A Day in the Working Life

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 488 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
💼 Business Workforce Technology Economy Education Innovation Future of work
  1. In 2034, people have a Lifelong Learning Wallet to improve their skills without the burden of debt. This allows everyone to access education based on their abilities, not their financial situation.
  2. Work has become flexible and collaborative, with projects matching people's skills and interests. Workers earn digital tokens for their contributions, which helps them feel more connected and motivated.
  3. Society now values all contributions, including care work, and uses technology to fairly distribute resources. This new system supports faster solutions to pressing issues like climate change and health crises.

Analytics should be an Assembly Line

Data Thoughts • 3 HN points • 10 Sep 24
💼 Business Data Analytics Business Intelligence Performance Metrics Cost efficiency
  1. Analytics should be handled like an assembly line to make it more efficient and accessible. This means creating standard processes to measure and track important business metrics.
  2. Most companies need to focus on basic descriptive analytics, which involves identifying and measuring key metrics. These metrics will help businesses understand what drives their success.
  3. Having well-defined metrics is essential before deeper analysis can happen. Insights from data come from well-measured processes, allowing teams to explore and understand their business better.

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality—The SubStack

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 461 implied HN points • 09 Nov 24
💼 Business Economics Finance Policy Investing Market Trends
  1. The newsletter aims to make readers smarter and more informed about economic topics. It's designed to keep readers engaged and entertained while learning.
  2. Readers can expect economic insights, historical context, and thoughtful recommendations in the newsletter. The goal is to offer clarity and understanding of complex issues.
  3. The newsletter also seeks to enhance public discourse by steering readers away from sensationalism and clickbait, promoting a more thoughtful examination of current events.

Don't Fall In Trap Of Tarpit Ideas, It's Worst Than Bad Ideas, Why? | Consumer Startups - Tarpit Ideas? | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 219 implied HN points • 18 Nov 23
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Ideas Consumer Pivoting
  1. Tarpit ideas are worse than bad ideas and can trap entrepreneurs into wasted time and resources.
  2. Many consumer startup ideas end up being tarpit ideas, as they seem simple but are challenging to execute successfully.
  3. To succeed in the startup world, founders need to recognize tarpit ideas early, pivot strategically based on supply-demand dynamics, and focus on building high-quality, in-demand products.

Recommending Kent Beck: 2011

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1170 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
💼 Business Recommendation Employment Management Career development Software Development
  1. Kent Beck's role in enhancing engineering teams for growth and prosperity by working on product features and tool building.
  2. Kent Beck's impact through research and publication on software design, attracting new recruits and revolutionizing design ideas.
  3. Kent Beck's personal relationships and pair programming sessions significantly improving engineering skills and career prospects of individuals.

You Ain't Shit

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 11 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
💼 Business Leadership Management Careers Workplace Ethics Wealth
  1. Ego is dangerous and can wreck your career, relationships, and life, so keep it in check and don’t think you’re more important than you are.
  2. Money and small successes often inflate people’s heads, so don’t let a raise or a win change how you treat others; be respectful and empathetic to everyone.
  3. Stay grounded by accepting feedback, checking on friends who are struggling without trying to fix them, and remembering you’re never above honest work.

How Hollywood streamers should work with YouTubers

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 324 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
💼 Business Media Marketing Advertising Content creation Streaming
  1. Hollywood streamers are looking to collaborate more with popular YouTubers, especially for unscripted projects. They might save money by licensing existing creators' content rather than creating new shows.
  2. Facebook groups are filling the gap left by local newspapers, providing communities with news and updates. However, these groups might lack the accuracy and depth of professional journalism.
  3. TikTok, especially BookTok, is driving more people to visit physical bookstores like Barnes & Noble. It's interesting how the platform encourages in-person shopping instead of just online sales.

Should Cities Buy Office Buildings?

The New Urban Order • 119 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Real Estate Investment Government Urban Development Economics
  1. Experienced investors are seizing the opportunity to acquire distressed office buildings due to significant investment momentum and low prices.
  2. Cities are offering incentives like tax abatements and low-interest loans to encourage the purchase and conversion of office buildings into residential spaces.
  3. Cities could benefit by investing in distressed office buildings themselves to shape the future of their urban landscapes and prevent missed opportunities, similar to what happened after the Great Financial Crisis.

Meta (Facebook) Lesson 1: Corporate Governance

Musings on Markets • 779 implied HN points • 07 Nov 22
💼 Business Corporate Governance Investment Strategies Market Analysis Tech industry Financial Performance
  1. Corporate governance focuses on how companies are run and who gets to make decisions. It's important because when management and shareholder interests do not align, it can result in poor decisions that harm the company.
  2. Facebook's stock has dropped significantly because of issues like the slowdown in online advertising and reputational damage. These challenges highlight the need for better governance to adapt to changing market conditions.
  3. Investors often give up their voting power when companies use dual-class shares, which can limit their ability to influence management. This trend can make it harder to make necessary changes when a company's leadership is not effective.

All growth isn't equal: Categorizing Africa's fastest-growing economies

Afridigest • 27 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
💼 Business Economic Growth Emerging Markets Macroeconomics Development Investment Trade
  1. By 2026, eleven of the world’s fifteen fastest-growing economies are expected to be in Africa.
  2. That growth isn’t the same everywhere — some countries are booming from resources, others from policy changes or demographic trends.
  3. Saying many African economies are fast-growing makes a catchy headline, but it hides big differences in how sustainable and widely shared that growth really is.

TBM 269: Three Organizational Design Principles

The Beautiful Mess • 1057 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
💼 Business Organizational Design Collaboration Leadership Management Complexity
  1. Hierarchical Collaboration Parity is crucial for success in organizations - leaders need to collaborate as much as front-line team members.
  2. Alignment and Work Style Gaps need to be addressed to improve team effectiveness.
  3. Organizations must confront deep-seated tensions, or 'Elephants in the Room', to prevent adverse outcomes and stress on teams.

Special Delivery

The Radar • 119 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Work Environment Leadership Compensation Corporate culture Employee Development
  1. Companies tend to become challenging places to work as they grow bigger, often losing sight of the importance of trust and human connection.
  2. Balancing leadership, management, and administrative duties is crucial for organizational success. Executives must prioritize transparency and authenticity to maintain a positive culture.
  3. Having genuine values and treating employees with respect is more impactful than merely pretending to have values. Transparency and fair treatment are key to retaining a motivated workforce.

China's Vanishing Wealth

Diane Francis • 519 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
💼 Business Economics Entrepreneurship Investment Corporate Governance Political Economy
  1. Wealthy business leaders in China are disappearing or facing government crackdowns without clear reasons. This shows a shift towards increased government control in key industries.
  2. China's past economic growth relied on free enterprise, which helped lift millions out of poverty. Now, the current leadership seems to favor a more centralized, state-controlled economy.
  3. The government's actions against successful entrepreneurs send a warning to investors about the risks of doing business in China. Many are now hesitant to engage due to fears of losing their investments.

Why Data Teams Need to Understand Metrics: A Look at Starbucks’ Comparable Store Sales

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 447 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
💼 Business Metrics Data Analysis Corporate strategy Revenue management
  1. Data teams need to know the main numbers that matter for their business. This helps them understand how the company is performing.
  2. High-level metrics like revenue and expenses can seem too big to grasp. Breaking these down into smaller parts makes them easier to understand.
  3. These smaller, detailed metrics can reveal valuable insights that affect decisions and strategies for the business.

The Bear Cave #243

The Bear Cave • 489 implied HN points • 13 Oct 24
💼 Business Finance Corporate Governance Market Analysis Investment Strategies Regulatory issues
  1. Roblox has been accused of inflating its user numbers by including fake accounts and bots. This has raised safety concerns, especially regarding child safety on the platform.
  2. There have been multiple recent resignations of CFOs from various companies, often after short tenures. This may indicate instability or issues within those organizations.
  3. Some companies are being investigated for their marketing practices, including the use of questionable data sources for email campaigns. This raises questions about ethical business practices.

Teardown: How Linkby raised its $15M Series B in 90 days

Superfluid • 106 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
💼 Business Fundraising Venture Capital Startups Entrepreneurship Growth Strategy
  1. Preparing well before fundraising helps you make a strong pitch. It allows you to communicate your business's value clearly and confidently when talking to investors.
  2. Maintaining momentum during the fundraising process is crucial. Responding quickly to investor inquiries and scheduling meetings efficiently keeps the interest alive and increases your chances of success.
  3. Having a focused approach with targeted investor meetings creates pressure. This helps investors make decisions faster, which can lead to better outcomes for your fundraising efforts.

Introducing our newest writer

The Generalist • 1421 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
💼 Business Tech Startups Writing Operations Media
  1. The Generalist has welcomed a new writer, Ben Butler, who brings startup experience and a strong sense of taste to the publication.
  2. Ben Butler is a creative individual with a background in writing, stand-up comedy, and screenwriting, adding a fresh perspective to The Generalist.
  3. Ben Butler's addition to The Generalist is seen as a valuable enhancement that will push their thinking forward and improve the quality of written analysis.