Nathan’s Substack

Nathan's Substack merges insights on technology, market dynamics, and startup strategy with broader discussions on economic policy, innovation clusters, and historical analysis. It touches upon the unique challenges and opportunities in hard tech, defense startups, and the strategic implications of global politics and policies.

Startup Strategy Hard Tech and Innovation Market Analysis Economic Policy Defense Industry Technology and Product Design Global Politics

The hottest Substack posts of Nathan’s Substack

And their main takeaways

A History of Nukes in Space

59 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Space Nuclear Satellites
  1. The history of nukes in space involves testing and speculation about potential nuclear threats, with past incidents including nuclear tests and the use of nuclear reactors in space.
  2. Treaties banning nuclear weapons in space exist, but enforcement is challenging as seen with Russia's violations of international treaties.
  3. Nuclear weapons and reactors in space can have significant impacts, from high-altitude EMP events disrupting electronics to the potential dangers of detonating a nuclear weapon in orbit.

Your Feature is Not a Product

79 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Product Development Artificial Intelligence Tech industry Software Development User Experience
  1. A common mistake is mistaking a feature for a product, leading to incomplete solutions in the market.
  2. Customers care more about how a product solves their problem, rather than the specific technology used.
  3. Start with the customer experience and work back to the technology when designing products, a lesson exemplified by Steve Jobs.

South Bay LA is Ground Zero for the Hard Tech Wave and Here's Why

79 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Startups Aerospace Automotive Networking Hardware
  1. South Bay LA, including areas like Redondo Beach, El Segundo, and Torrance, is experiencing a boom in hard tech innovation. The region is home to a growing number of young founders and engineers leveraging decades of experience and innovative tools from companies like SpaceX.
  2. The concentration of talent in South Bay is reminiscent of Richard Florida's theory on talent clusters, where talent attracts more talent, leading to a cycle of innovation and success. The region's history in aerospace has also played a significant role in shaping this talent pool.
  3. The alumni networks of SpaceX and Tesla have significantly contributed to the entrepreneurial spirit in South Bay, with many new hard tech companies emerging from these connections. The presence of these networks has made South Bay a hub for hard tech innovation and collaboration.

What is Hard Tech?

39 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Software Deep Tech Manufacturing Cybersecurity
  1. Hardware companies are seeing a resurgence in interest due to their sticky products with deep moats against competition.
  2. Investors and founders in hard tech should understand that there is market risk along with technical risk.
  3. Hard tech companies face longer go-to-market cycles but enjoy stickier product market fit, with the ability to focus on growing margins through economies of scale.

How to realistically estimate market size and revenue in defense start ups

59 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
💼 Business Market Analysis Budgeting
  1. Estimating market size and revenue in defense startups is challenging due to the complexities of the market, long customer life cycles, and misleading reports from analysts.
  2. The traditional top-down approach for market sizing in defense is flawed, so a bottom-up method, focusing on quantifying available customers and understanding unit costs, can be more effective.
  3. Understanding different contract types in defense, such as SBIRs, OTAs, IDIQs, and Programs of Record, is crucial for startups to differentiate between product revenue and government-funded R&D, and to aim for sustainable growth.
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Managing the Employee Incentive Pool

39 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
💼 Business Management Startups Employee Benefits Negotiation
  1. Managing the Employee Stock Option Pool (ESOP) is crucial for startup founders to prevent further dilution and attract key talent
  2. Equity distribution should be an integral part of your hiring plan, considering factors like vesting periods, refresh grants, and employee turnover
  3. Negotiating for a lower Employee Incentive Pool (EIP) percentage in subsequent fundraising rounds can help minimize dilution impact and improve share price

Things every founder should know about "founder's stock" and QSBS

39 implied HN points • 03 Sep 23
💼 Business Startups Taxation Investments Entrepreneurship
  1. When starting a tech company, it's almost necessary to be a Delaware C-corp for investor funding, with significant advantages such as no corporate income tax and efficient legal processes.
  2. Founders stock refers to shares purchased by founders at formation for a very low value that brings tax benefits like immediate tax payments with the 83(b) election and quicker QSBS clock start.
  3. Understanding tax provisions like QSBS can lead to significant advantages for entrepreneurs, with strategies like 1045 exchanges and investing in Qualified Opportunity Zones to maximize gains and minimize taxes.

Why can't we shoot down drones?

4 HN points • 09 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Military Defense Drones Acquisition Innovation
  1. In the face of drone threats, the issue is more political than technical, with acquisition processes being slow and bureaucratic.
  2. Obsolete air defense doctrines make it difficult to track and counter drones effectively, necessitating a shift in strategies.
  3. Technologically, there are solutions for detecting and neutralizing drones, including directed energy weapons, but bureaucratic hurdles are hindering their deployment.

All-in Summit Highlights

19 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Technology Economy Politics Science Society
  1. All-in Summit featured top speakers and great networking opportunities, with discussions on macroeconomics and policy.
  2. Luxury beliefs have become a status symbol, replacing luxury goods for the elite, showcasing a disconnect from real-world consequences.
  3. Insights from Larry Summers highlighted economic predictions, the challenge of 'soft landings', and the impact of luxury beliefs on social mores.

On Imperialism

19 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🌍 World Politics Imperialism BRICS Foreign Policy Allies Global Economy
  1. Empires often make enemies without realizing it, despite thinking they have many friends.
  2. Economic sanctions by one country can lead to unexpected consequences, pushing other nations to protect or distance themselves from the imposing nation's financial systems.
  3. Nations should be cautious in imposing their values on others, as historical empires have unintentionally faced negative outcomes by doing so.

Coming soon

0 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
📰 News Upcoming Events
  1. Nathan Mintz is launching a new Substack newsletter soon.
  2. The Substack link provided leads to Nathan Mintz's profile.
  3. Readers can subscribe to Nathan Mintz's upcoming newsletter on Substack.