The hottest Business Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Your team is too busy. You want to get more things done. 3 Phases of High-performing Engineering Cultures

🔮 Crafting Tech Teams • 39 implied HN points • 30 May 24
💼 Business Team performance Leadership Tech Teams
  1. Identifying and addressing different performance levels within teams is crucial for success. Low performers lack defined standards and quality expectations, while high performers exhibit strong individual and team qualities.
  2. In high-performing teams, quality expectations are well-defined across the organization, emphasizing individual accountability and collective excellence.
  3. Leaders should strive to move teams from mid-performance towards high performance by fostering a culture of shared responsibility, quality, and efficiency.

⤴⤵ Up Wing/Down Wing #21

Faster, Please! • 456 implied HN points • 19 Oct 24
💼 Business Economics Technology Energy Innovation Market Trends
  1. Google is making seven small nuclear reactors to power its AI data centers. This is a big step for clean energy in tech, aiming for carbon-free power by 2035.
  2. The US economy is doing really well compared to other rich countries. It's growing faster and has better output per person than places like Europe and Japan.
  3. SpaceX successfully caught a returning rocket in mid-air. This shows how technology can make amazing ideas a reality.

How Do LPs Evaluate VC Fund Performance? | How Much Should You Raise For Your Startup? | Small vs Large Market Focus | VC Remote Jobs & Internships

Venture Curator • 239 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Remote Jobs
  1. Limited Partners (LPs) evaluate the performance of a VC fund using terms like DPI, RVPI, and TVPI.
  2. When raising funds for a startup, VCs look for reasonableness in the amount raised relative to progress and goals. The amount raised can reflect valuation expectations and the company's runway.
  3. Understanding financial factors like cash in, cash out, and achieved milestones can make VC meetings smoother and increase the chances of getting funded.
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Understand Math Behind Secondary Sales, Measuring Startup Tractions, VC Daily Digest & More

Venture Curator • 239 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Investment Strategies Entrepreneurship Financial Education
  1. Secondary sales involve shareholders selling shares to buyers, different from primary sales where new shares are issued.
  2. Understanding the math behind secondary sales helps grasp ownership changes and value fluctuations for founders and investors.
  3. Evaluation of startup traction can be challenging for VCs due to factors like new markets, inexperienced founders, and limited financial history.

Mercury's High Risk, High Rewards Strategy Runs Into Regulatory Reality

Fintech Business Weekly • 163 implied HN points • 25 May 25
💼 Business Finance Retail Investment Economics Entrepreneurship
  1. Mercury is trying a bold strategy by taking on risky clients, which can bring high rewards but also big challenges. They might face pushback from regulators because of this approach.
  2. The CEO of Mercury has personally asked for special permission to work with OnlyFans, showing their commitment to controversial business opportunities.
  3. Evolve's bank holding company seems to be in financial trouble, indicating that not all fintech companies are succeeding in this high-risk environment.

8 Signs Your Startup Is a Zombie and 3 Things to Do About It ! | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 159 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Investing Entrepreneurship Career development
  1. Recognize the signs of a 'zombie' startup, like stagnant growth and constant need for funding, to avoid being unattractive to investors.
  2. Decide whether to accept failure, pivot the business model for exponential advantage, or explore opportunities for acquihire when a startup is struggling.
  3. Knowing when to quit or pivot is essential for startup success - sometimes failure can lead to growth opportunities or valuable lessons learned.

🧠 50 Ways to Leave Your Guidelines (And Actually Build a Brand)

the case for brand 💼 • 137 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
💼 Business Branding Marketing Strategy Operations Growth
  1. A brand is more than just a logo or a marketing plan. It's about how a business operates and the decisions it makes every day.
  2. Every interaction a customer has with a business is a chance to express the brand. From emails to packaging, every detail matters.
  3. To build a strong brand, it's important to think about how brand values influence everything, not just marketing. This includes team culture and customer experiences.

Atrium and Novant get millions in property tax breaks

The Charlotte Ledger • 235 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
💼 Business Healthcare Taxation Nonprofit Government Regulation Financial impact
  1. Atrium and Novant hospitals receive millions in property tax breaks, exempting them from paying taxes on billions of dollars worth of property.
  2. The tax breaks the hospitals receive could total $23 million in Mecklenburg County alone, contributing to a loss in potential tax revenue that could fund essential public services like education and law enforcement.
  3. Critics argue that as large, multi-billion-dollar enterprises, hospitals like Atrium and Novant should do more to justify their tax-exempt status and provide greater community benefits.

Why Most Startup Events Suck for Both Investors and Founders

ceonyc • 235 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
💼 Business Startups Investors Events Networking Entrepreneurship
  1. Organizers need to be intentional and curated in planning events to ensure value for everyone involved.
  2. Invite speakers with relevant experience and who are willing to provide honest and useful insights to the audience.
  3. Consider empathy towards attendees by managing event timings and providing opportunities for engagement without feeling trapped.

Everyone Should Start a Newsletter. Yes, That Means You!

Michael’s Newsletter • 235 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Content creation SEO Monetization
  1. Newsletters are better than software businesses in many ways, like being faster to write and cheaper to operate.
  2. Newsletters can be profitable, even surpassing million-dollar incomes, with examples like 'Pragmatic Engineer' making $2.7 million a year.
  3. To start a successful newsletter, focus on topics you can talk endlessly about, curate content, and answer people's questions for valuable content.

👩🏽‍🚀 The Acquisitions Co. Field Guide

alohomora • 235 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
💼 Business Government Relations Investing Consulting Contracts Resources
  1. The Acquisitions Co. Field Guide offers insights on navigating government for early-stage startups.
  2. Numerous opportunities and resources are available for companies working with the government like funding programs and institutional investors.
  3. Understanding different government contract mechanisms and agencies, like SBIR programs, is crucial for startups looking to work with the government.

Insights from Peter Drucker's Iconic Book "The Effective Executive"

The Digital Leader Newsletter -- By John Rossman • 235 implied HN points • 20 Jul 23
💼 Business Management Leadership Decision-making Communication Innovation
  1. Being an effective executive is about managing yourself, not just others.
  2. Key practices for effective leadership include focusing on opportunities, not just problems, and running productive meetings.
  3. Decision-making involves understanding principles, making opinion-based choices, and following through with effective communication.

Lemons Ripen Early: Playing the Long Game

The Hard Fork by Marvin Liao • 235 implied HN points • 05 Aug 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Investments Entrepreneurship Startup Growth
  1. In venture capital, bad investments tend to fail early, making way for successful ones later on.
  2. It's important to play the long game, especially in the early stages of investing, to allow winners to emerge.
  3. Success usually takes time and persistence, with at least 2 years needed to see a project through and achieve product-market fit.