Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman $314 / month

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman is a curated monthly and weekly digest aimed at offering insights across various fields to make readers smarter. It covers a wide range of topics from technology, economic predictions, banking industry analysis, to the impacts of leadership styles and the evolution of job landscapes.

Technology Economics Banking Industry Leadership Job Landscape AI Bias Corporate Strategies Health and Biology Global Affairs

The hottest Substack posts of Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman

And their main takeaways

the biggest business myth is that PE-backed companies are well run

121 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
💼 Business Private Equity Company performance Corporate strategy Investment Analysis
  1. Private equity (PE) companies used to be seen as well-run, but many are now poorly managed and bloated. Unlike the past, there's no guarantee that a PE-backed company is better run than others.
  2. PE firms today often focus more on financial engineering and increasing their fees rather than actually improving the companies they buy. This has led to companies becoming more complicated without much actual performance improvement.
  3. If a top PE firm acquires a company from another top PE firm, the acquired company may not be able to provide significant improvements. The trend shows that the initial efficiency that PE firms once promised is largely missing now.

Five Links for June 2025

56 implied HN points • 29 May 25
🎭️ Culture Media Society Education Parenting Philosophy
  1. Modern life may seem easy, but it can actually make us feel emotionally tired because we lack real struggles. It's important to find meaningful challenges.
  2. Innovations in the defense industry are coming back after a decline since the Cold War. This shows that there is still room for improvement and change.
  3. Some parents are choosing to live near their friends to support each other in raising kids, showing the importance of community over just living near family.

the ultimate guide to holding world class dinner parties

389 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Dining Hosting Recipes Food culture Social Events
  1. Choose the right place for your dinner party, preferably at home where everyone can hear and engage in conversation. If not at home, consider a quiet restaurant room or an Airbnb.
  2. Keep your dinner small for one meaningful conversation. Limit guests to 12 and have a moderator to facilitate discussion. Make sure everyone is excited to meet each other.
  3. The food and drink are not the main focus. What matters is the fun and laughter shared during the dinner, so focus on guest interactions instead.

SVB's Demise: The Hidden Cost of Overcharging in the Competitive Banking Landscape

1638 implied HN points • 17 Aug 23
💼 Business Banking Competition Monopoly
  1. Silicon Valley Bank collapsed due to overcharging customers, not a classic bank run scenario.
  2. SVB's business model relied on overcharging depositors, which led to customers seeking better deals elsewhere.
  3. In competitive industries like banking, overcharging customers is a risky game that can lead to loss of business and eventual downfall.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Five Links for January 2024

608 implied HN points • 29 Dec 23
📰 News Articles Podcasts Books Twitter Graphs
  1. Travel might not be as glamorous as it seems, especially during busy times.
  2. Understanding the history of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict provides a broader perspective.
  3. Deployment and adoption of technology are just as crucial as invention.

Crazy bets on 2025 - 12 personal hedge funds predict the year

56 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
💰 Finance Investing Predictions Economics Betting Market Analysis
  1. A group of twelve people made predictions about 2025 and placed bets on the outcomes. This makes it fun and competitive to see who can guess the future better.
  2. Last year's predictions didn't go well overall, with only a few being correct. It shows that forecasting the future can be really tricky.
  3. This year, they have some bold predictions about events in politics, the economy, and culture. Some predictions sound far-fetched, but others seem more likely.

Five Links for December 2024

56 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Media History Art Books Film
  1. Innocori,or,orhiri,inorihorihti,orihitothi,MKithohiri,in,Mith,gAinorinhri,o,orNtodihrnt,GnRn,thorbyoro,n,orrith,yh,orm,oro,ory,rinhi,ror,itho,oro,gAoritG,oror,orority,Mi$
  2. orith,y,rothio,roRoith,MIrgh,orno,orith,Inorthy,or,ro,ithir,hnorithrtormg,INNori,orHi,ororhitLot,MiMhihion,INnor,or,orotoyohroh,RndoiroRntgM,hitiRYroNti,$
  3. rNtM,orothbyNorninM,ororyr,gAin$

Seconds to Strategy: How Your Relationship with Time Shapes Your Career

243 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
💼 Business Career Choices Decision-making Time management Professional Skills Job Interviews
  1. Different career decisions are optimized on different time scales from sub-second to months to years.
  2. Professions like athletes and speed-chess players excel in making sub-second decisions through muscle memory and pattern matching.
  3. Job interviews are typically designed for quick-time decisions, but should be adjusted based on the timescale of the job.

Five Links for February 2025

24 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Literature Media Society Philosophy Art
  1. Group decisions can be affected by the type of games leaders create in their organizations. It’s vital for leaders to understand these dynamics.
  2. Investment banking has seen a decline in prestige compared to lawyers, who are rising mostly due to advancements like AI. Career paths in finance are shifting.
  3. The search for modern geniuses is challenging. Many believe they are just hidden away, and learning to find them can lead to greater insights.

Five Links for November 2024

40 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
📰 News Current Events Analysis International Politics Culture
  1. Lebanon has potential wealth but struggles with chaos. A detailed explanation covers its history and issues that prevent economic success.
  2. Raising successful children means being cautious about entitlement. It's important to balance expectations in families that have money.
  3. Web scraping is a growing industry. It's evolving to create marketplaces for data, which could change how businesses use information.

Five Links for December 2023

170 implied HN points • 30 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Links Podcast Data Social media
  1. The post shares five interesting links to read, watch, and listen to.
  2. There is a new launch called Placekey 2.0 focusing on entity resolution for places and addresses.
  3. The text includes a bonus content section with additional information and links for further reading.

Five Links for November 2023

162 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
💼 Business Technology Finance Podcasts Books AI
  1. The Techno-Optimist Manifesto by Marc Andreessen highlights the belief in building a better world through technology.
  2. Banking on Status by Julian Lehr discusses the intersection of luxury and software in modern apps.
  3. Travis May's article on The Six Moats of Data Businesses explains what effective moats look like in data companies.

Five Links for August 2023

194 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Books Movies Podcasts Music Art
  1. Networking is becoming less important compared to knowledge in the current job landscape.
  2. There is an ideal net worth after which money can become a social liability.
  3. Mosquitoes are drawn to certain people due to specific factors.

Five Links - September 2023

113 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Art Books Podcasts Movies Social media
  1. The collapse of SVB was not due to sudden withdrawals, but rather their practice of overcharging customers.
  2. Bryan Johnson is investing in reversing his biological age and shares easily replicable pieces of his program.
  3. Larry Gagosian's role in reshaping the art world into a $65 billion industry is explored in detail.

Five Links to Read (March 2024)

56 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Reading Music Podcasts People
  1. The post is about sharing five interesting links for March 2024, covering topics like buying a pro sports team, the business of check cashing, and how time influences career choices.
  2. The post includes bonus content like podcasts on SaaS sales strategies and investing for a higher purpose, as well as articles discussing potential threats like rogue billionaires making nuclear weapons.
  3. Additional recommendations in the post include books to read, notable tweets, and a graph highlighting that spending on security does not always equate to high security levels.

Divide and Conquer: Mastering the Art of Spin-Outs

97 implied HN points • 21 Jun 23
💼 Business Startups Innovation Investment Management Entrepreneurship
  1. Spinning out companies can help ideas thrive by focusing on core business and raising additional funds.
  2. Different types of spin-outs include Incubation, Product, Division, and Acquisition spins, each serving a unique purpose.
  3. Success stories like SafeGraph's spin-outs show how effective team leadership is crucial for the new company's success.