Working Theorys

Working Theorys explores consumer technology, startup strategies, and personal ambition, focusing on innovative thoughts within startup culture. It delves into the psychological aspects of status and ambition, strategies for startup success, and evolving trends in consumer tech and social interaction, with a particular emphasis on creating meaningful content and products.

Consumer Technology Startup Strategies Personal Ambition Social Media Trends Entrepreneurial Mindset Market Dynamics Content Creation Product Development Work-Life Balance Social Structures

The hottest Substack posts of Working Theorys

And their main takeaways

Pursuits that can’t scale

211 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Entrepreneurship Personal Growth Creativity Self-reflection Hobbies
  1. Chasing things that scale may lead to burnout, and pursuing things that can't scale can be therapeutic.
  2. After achieving success in large-scale ventures, many people turn to pursuing activities that have clear limits, like hobbies or local businesses.
  3. Dreams of scaling often give way to the satisfaction of pursuing things at a smaller, more human scale, which can provide a sense of completion and fulfillment.

Great Products Have Great Premises

86 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
💼 Business Products User Behavior Startups Entrepreneurship Monetization
  1. A great premise gives context and comfort for users to engage in actions they might otherwise find challenging
  2. Great premises are the foundation of successful products and brands, normalizing behaviors or beliefs that were previously not accepted or considered mainstream
  3. Powerful premises lead to strong identities for products and businesses, shaping brand decisions and marketing strategies

The Time-Boxed Startup

56 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Time management Entrepreneurship Competition Innovation
  1. Consider time-boxing your startup by setting an end date to focus and make progress efficiently.
  2. Most successful startups reach product-market fit within about 2 years and need sufficient runway for experimentation.
  3. Decide what progress markers would prompt you to continue beyond the set end date, combining founder drive with product-market momentum.
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Rabbitholes as Portals

35 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Curiosity Knowledge Learning Purpose Existence
  1. Delving into rabbitholes, or diving deep into random topics out of curiosity, can lead to valuable and unique knowledge.
  2. Rabbitholes can offer unexpected insights and lead you to passionate areas you never knew you cared about.
  3. It's crucial to differentiate between rabbitholes that are traps, focusing on winning a game, and those that are portals to genuine learning experiences.

Love the Mission or Love the Game

76 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Founders Narrative Momentum
  1. There are two types of true entrepreneurs: those who love the mission they're obsessed with and those who love the game of entrepreneurship itself.
  2. The entrepreneurial type you are, whether Type I or Type II, can significantly impact how you approach ideas, your role, and your long-term success.
  3. Identifying whether you are driven by the love for a mission or the game of entrepreneurship can help you understand your motivations, make better decisions, and potentially find more fulfillment in your entrepreneurial journey.

The Creator Search Fund

48 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
💼 Business Creator Economy Partnerships
  1. Many creators excel in building audience and brand but struggle to create sustainable businesses; the key is to commercialize themselves by developing products and services.
  2. The traditional search fund model focuses on acquiring existing businesses, while the creator search fund seeks to partner with creators to build new product lines together.
  3. In a creator search fund, strategic phases involve funding the search, finding a creator partner, aligning on a commercial strategy, defining roles and ownership, and finally building the product line.

24 Working Theorys for 2024

70 implied HN points • 01 Jan 24
💼 Business Startups Lifestyle
  1. Startups are shifting towards profitability over traditional venture funding
  2. Social products are evolving to focus more on utility and specialized communities
  3. Predictions for lifestyle changes include part-time knowledge work and preventive health gaining importance

Weekend Theorys No. 4

21 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Consumer behavior Marketing Innovation Competition
  1. The concept of 'cool' is depreciating faster than ever, leading builders to rethink product longevity. Minimizing time to value and embracing time to lameness are key strategies.
  2. Builders must navigate between the online persona ('netizen self') and real-life persona ('citizen self') to maintain authenticity and relevance in a digital age.
  3. Launching new products in a slow and deliberate manner, focusing on timeless design, and inventing new product categories can help extend the lifespan of a product in a fast-changing market.

Weekend Theorys No. 3

23 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Fashion Social media Reading Writing
  1. People often wear athleisure to appear fit and sporty, but might not actually engage in athletic activities. Similarly, many people want to be seen with books, but may not read them, showcasing a desire to appear well-read.
  2. Substack's 'Notes' feature is akin to Twitter posts, causing issues for writers trying to share links on Twitter. Simply mentioning or sharing Substack links on Twitter can lead to shadow banning.
  3. The desire for image and perception may drive actions like wearing athleisure or displaying books, even if the underlying activity isn't as prevalent. It's about the appearance rather than the actual engagement in the activity.

The 20/20 Workweek

29 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
💼 Business Workplace Trends
  1. The 20/20 Workweek suggests a happy medium between purposeful and flexible work.
  2. Workweek philosophies include the mainstream 40-hour week, the martyr 80-hour week, and the minimizer 4-hour week.
  3. People are questioning traditional workweek norms and seeking a more balanced approach.

Angel Investing

19 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
💼 Business Investing Startups Entrepreneurship Markets Financial
  1. Angel investing is about building connections and expanding knowledge in spaces of interest.
  2. A typical angel portfolio includes 15-20 investments with a focus on consumer startups and small check sizes.
  3. Reasons for angel investing include personal interest in founders, market understanding, analytical development, enjoying the process, and potential financial gains.

Weekend Theorys No. 2

11 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🔮 Crypto
  1. The post is about Weekend Theorys No. 2.
  2. The author discusses crypto social games and work 'trials'.
  3. The post is available for paid subscribers.

Why Are All the Public Intellectuals Men?

19 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Intellectuals Gender Media Public Discourse
  1. Public intellectuals are often men who comment on current affairs and have a big impact on public discourse.
  2. Modern day public intellectuals are not necessarily traditional scholars, but individuals who study the world and share their observations.
  3. The most identifiable public intellectuals are men, especially those who use new media platforms to reach a wide audience.

Collective Experiences

54 implied HN points • 22 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Community Entertainment
  1. Humans are wired to connect with others through shared context.
  2. Collective experiences create valuable shared context, fostering social connections and community.
  3. Products create collective experiences through actions like making collective action a core feature and turning content into rare events.

The Generational Business Trap

43 implied HN points • 08 May 23
💼 Business Longevity Startups Investing
  1. The article discusses the longevity of businesses and the idea that permanence should not be idolized.
  2. The post is written by Anu Atluru and is available for paid subscribers only.
  3. The article is related to a companion piece about the rise of Silicon Valley small businesses.

Product vs. Production

29 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Product Development UX Design Content creation
  1. Success in live media platforms depends on both building a product and a production.
  2. For live products, there needs to be equal focus on pre-show preparation and live production.
  3. Understanding the difference between product and production is crucial for delivering a great player experience in live media.

Create Rituals, Not Habits

68 implied HN points • 25 Apr 22
  1. Rituals are intentional actions done with full focus, while habits are automatic activities.
  2. Rituals are meaningful, participatory, consistent, and have a defined end.
  3. Create social apps that focus on building rituals rather than relying on habitual usage.

Define the Game

11 implied HN points • 23 Aug 23
💼 Business Creativity Startup Music Tech Social Networking
  1. In sports like tennis, it's clear to see how good you are and where you rank.
  2. Defined games, with clear rules and rankings, are valuable beyond just sports.
  3. In various fields, such as music and tech, there are meritocratic games with objective rankings, like hitting #1 or getting into exclusive groups.

Agency in the Age of AI

19 implied HN points • 20 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Social Impact Ethics
  1. AI advancements raise existential questions for individuals like 'where do I fit in?'
  2. Introduction of new technologies causes anxiety related to incompetence, irrelevance, and uncertainty.
  3. Progress comes with chaos and disruption to familiar social structures.

Fission & Fusion in Communities

37 implied HN points • 11 Jan 22
  1. Communities are dynamic and evolve over time, forming new sub-groups or breaking apart.
  2. Fission-fusion societies involve the temporary or permanent division and merging of social groups.
  3. Social products should incorporate features that support fission (temporary breakouts) and fusion (permanent split-offs) dynamics.

The Group Chat Renaissance

39 implied HN points • 13 Dec 21
  1. Group chat can be a deeper communication layer that complements social platforms.
  2. Group chats can either be the network itself or complement a larger social network.
  3. Discovery, communication, and organization are key elements that platforms differentiate on in the social network ecosystem.

Group-Generated Content 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

33 implied HN points • 01 Dec 21
  1. User-generated content platforms are shifting towards collaborative content creation.
  2. The distinction between content and communication is blurring.
  3. Group-generated content has unique benefits for creators, consumers, and platforms.

The Revival of Consumer Social 📈

45 implied HN points • 03 May 20
  1. Consumer social category is experiencing a revival.
  2. Incumbent social platforms are facing decreasing quality, opening opportunities for new challengers.
  3. COVID-19 has created space for new social players to emerge.