The hottest Communication Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

The Internet Is Still Wide Open

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. The internet is still a very creative place with vast open spaces for new and innovative ideas to flourish.
  2. Communication technologies, like the internet, have evolved over time, but the essence of sharing ideas and innovation remains constant.
  3. Despite the presence of Tech Giants and walled gardens, the internet continues to be a wild, untamed space where diverse cultures and societies interact and create.

Not all business jargon is garbage

inexactscience • 19 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Not all business jargon is bad; some terms help make communication clearer and more efficient. Words like 'stakeholder' and 'root cause' can save time and clarify meaning.
  2. Jargon can sometimes sound fancy but might make conversations less clear. It’s important to use it wisely without overdoing it.
  3. Using concise business language can help in discussions, but it's essential to keep it simple and not get lost in complex phrases.

SRE Evangelist

software + caffeine = blog • 19 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. The role of a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) can vary greatly depending on the company, from Ops+ to Developer+ to 24x7 on-call incident responder.
  2. Successful SREs must be great evangelists, able to communicate effectively and passionately about reliability.
  3. SREs need to be force multipliers within their teams, encouraging a culture of reliability and making sure the value of reliability is understood and embraced.

ownership

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Taking responsibility for both successes and failures can build trust in professional relationships. It shows honesty and accountability.
  2. Confidence in communication can change how others perceive you. When you believe in what you're saying, it can improve interactions significantly.
  3. It's important to view feedback from a positive angle. Believing that your boss wants you to succeed can motivate you to improve and foster a better work environment.
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Meetings

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Meetings often lack a clear agenda and can derail into side discussions, making them less efficient. It's important to have a structured plan to keep everyone focused.
  2. Bringing together different team representatives in a meeting can be beneficial for making well-rounded decisions. However, managing all these perspectives can be challenging.
  3. Taking the time to communicate effectively and set clear expectations can help ensure that meetings achieve their goals without running over time.

RDEL #7: How does language signal cultural fit?

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 19 implied HN points • 28 Aug 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Cultural fit is crucial in engineering teams, impacting performance and tenure. It's a continuous process that can change over time.
  2. Language can signal cultural fit in teams. Monitoring language changes can offer insights into potential issues with team dynamics.
  3. Using language as a tool, leaders can detect changes in cultural fit early. This can help in supporting team members better and retaining talent.

There’s a 110 Percent Chance That Our Discomfort With Statistics Is Costing Us

I Might Be Wrong • 10 implied HN points • 08 Jul 25
🚌 Education Communication
  1. Many people struggle to understand statistics and probability, which can lead to poor decision-making. For example, weather forecasts often misrepresent low probabilities to avoid backlash from confused audiences.
  2. Vague language used in warnings, like 'possible' or 'could', can create misunderstanding and result in people ignoring important alerts. It would be better to provide specific probabilities so that people can respond appropriately.
  3. Improving statistical education could help people make better choices and improve communication between authorities and the public. Clear numbers would be more useful than unclear descriptions.

The importance of being half-earnest

Logos • 19 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Being half-earnest means being serious but not too serious. It helps you connect with others while keeping things lighthearted.
  2. Making 'power moves' can be helpful in a workplace, but it's important to keep the focus on the team's goals rather than your own ego.
  3. It’s good to check your motives and poke fun at yourself to stay grounded. This can help you do the right thing for the right reasons without feeling pretentious.

5 Things.

Devansh’s Newsletter • 10 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. A partner should be fearless, ready to explore life and face challenges without fear.
  2. Being effective means they should be smart and good at what they do, enjoying their work.
  3. It's important for a partner to be an independent thinker, making their own decisions and forming their own opinions.

Why writing = thinking

Devansh’s Newsletter • 10 implied HN points • 18 Jun 25
🚌 Education Communication
  1. Writing helps us organize our thoughts, making it easier to solve complex problems. It's like having a tool to keep track of many small ideas that add up to a bigger solution.
  2. Our short term memory can be a barrier to deep thinking, but writing lets us externalize our thoughts. When we put ideas on paper, it frees our mind to focus on bigger concepts.
  3. Writing can be a personal journey and may change over time. It's important to find what feels right for you, rather than feeling pressured to perform.

The “doorknob phenomenon” in user interviews

UX Psychology • 59 implied HN points • 18 Feb 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Communication
  1. In user interviews, the 'doorknob phenomenon' describes when interviewees wait till the end to share significant information, similar to patients telling crucial details as they leave the doctor's office.
  2. To prevent the 'doorknob phenomenon', ask participants open-ended questions like 'Anything else?' during the interview to encourage them to share more.
  3. Avoid rushing to fill awkward silences in interviews as intentional silence can prompt interviewees to offer additional valuable insights.

Any Cables Monthly #7

AnyCable Broadcasts • 19 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. AnyCable development is active - version 1.3.0 released with new features like embedded NATS and StastD support.
  2. RubyConf Australia videos are available, including talks on Asynchronous Rails and building Stream Processing Applications with Ruby & Meroxa.
  3. Real-time applications go beyond human users - examples include integrating phone calls into web apps and controlling EV chargers with WebSockets using protocols like OCPP.

Good Grounds

Venture Prose • 219 implied HN points • 02 Jan 20
💼 Business Communication
  1. Discipline is crucial for control over tasks and high efficiency in work.
  2. Consistency is key for gradual improvement and mastering skills over time.
  3. Clear thinking leads to clear writing, which is essential for effective communication and achievement of goals.

Organizational lessons from a Director of Analytics at LinkedIn [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 07 Aug 22
💼 Business Communication
  1. Define processes and delegate implementations as you progress in seniority, focusing on strategy and long-term goals, while trusting your team with day-to-day tasks.
  2. Communicate obsessively within your team to align on needs, goals, and challenges, fostering a culture of clear communication and mutual understanding.
  3. Clarity is crucial in business cases and evaluations, ensuring that all stakeholders can articulate the purpose and priorities of a project, promoting productivity and direction.

Five critical patch updates for the English language

Thoughts on Writing • 99 implied HN points • 16 Sep 21
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. A constructed language called Lojban aims to reduce ambiguity, demonstrating how language design can impact communication.
  2. Words like 'compare' and 'explain' can lead to misunderstandings due to multiple meanings, affecting how statements are interpreted.
  3. Language vulnerabilities can hinder effective communication and understanding, showcasing the importance of clarity and precision in expression.

Level Up Your Video Meetings: The Game-Like Magic of Virtual Frosted Glass App

MeetingGlass Substack • 1 HN point • 22 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. The MeetingGlass app makes video meetings feel more real and engaging. Its frosted glass design adds elegance and privacy, making discussions more comfortable.
  2. It includes fun, game-like features that liven up long meetings. This makes it easier to stay focused and enjoy conversations with teammates.
  3. The app is easy to use for everyone, regardless of tech skills. It helps improve communication and creativity in remote work settings.

Jia Qingguo calls on Beijing to relax control to encourage non-govt efforts to tell China's story

Pekingnology • 56 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🌍 World Politics Communication
  1. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes the importance of telling China's story well to enhance international communication; there's a need for improvement as some countries show a decline in positive views toward China.
  2. Challenges in telling China's story abroad include misconceptions that it's solely the government's responsibility, restrictions on non-govt interactions, and lack of incentives for leaders in foreign affairs.
  3. Recommendations to address these challenges include raising awareness about public participation, reducing restrictions on exchanges, and encouraging retired officials to engage in foreign activities.

Which facts matter?

Random Minds by Katherine Brodsky • 18 implied HN points • 18 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. It's important to share facts that the other person cares about, not just what you think is important. This makes it more likely for them to be persuaded.
  2. Changing someone's mind is difficult and sharing facts alone often isn’t enough. You need to understand their perspective first.
  3. Identifying the right facts to share takes effort and skill. It's worth it if you want to connect and communicate effectively.

How TPMs Lose Credibility and What to Avoid

Building Rome(s) • 20 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
💼 Business Communication
  1. Credibility is crucial for TPMs because it's how they build trust with their teams and leaders. Consistently following through on promises and communicating effectively helps maintain that trust.
  2. Small mistakes can lead to big problems. Overlooking details, not following processes, and poorly communicating can damage a TPM's credibility quickly.
  3. Being proactive rather than reactive is important. TPMs should anticipate potential issues to show they're engaged and capable, which strengthens their credibility.

Gather, decide, execute

The Engineering Manager • 19 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
💼 Business Communication
  1. Having a personal system to manage information is really important for effective management. It helps you stay organized and recall important details.
  2. The gather-decide-execute method allows you to process information efficiently. You gather insights, make decisions based on them, and then take action to implement those decisions.
  3. Keeping your system simple and adaptable is key. If it's too complicated or doesn't fit your changing needs, you're less likely to stick with it.

Most Interesting Machine

DruGroup • 2 HN points • 11 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. Using a portable email machine in the 90s was a unique experience. It allowed people to send and receive emails in a time when email wasn't very common yet.
  2. The process involved dialing a pay phone and using a device to send emails, making it feel high-tech for its time. It was a fun and eye-catching gadget that amazed people around.
  3. The email machine became outdated quickly with the rise of other technologies like BlackBerrys and smartphones. This shows how fast technology evolves and how we adapt to new tools.

The Snow Melts At The Periphery

Dev Interrupted • 56 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
💼 Business Communication
  1. Initial signs of trouble in an organization often show at the edges, not the center.
  2. Senior leaders should actively stay connected to the outside world to avoid becoming isolated.
  3. Building connections with allies at the periphery can help senior leaders retain the agility and insights of smaller organizations.

Letter #13: How Newsfasting Sharpens my Hearing

Charles Eisenstein • 2 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Taking a break from news helps clear your mind and allows you to focus on other important things. It can be a good way to reset your mental state.
  2. The constant noise from the news can make it hard to hear what really matters. By tuning it out, you open yourself up to new perspectives.
  3. Fasting from news reminds you that there are different ways to understand the world beyond what is presented in the headlines. It helps deepen your awareness and listening skills.

August Open Thread and Data Leak Update (2025)

The Corbett Report • 6 implied HN points • 03 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. There's been a major data leak affecting some users, but luckily no financial info or passwords were exposed. Only names and email addresses were involved.
  2. The response to the leak has been slow, with limited media coverage and the organization behind the service not treating it with the urgency it deserves.
  3. The membership sign-up process is being updated, and there will be new resources released soon on how to better manage email privacy.

How to Coach People Effectively

Kartick’s Blog • 17 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
💼 Business Communication
  1. Set clear expectations for coaching by charging a fee and giving homework. This helps find serious candidates and saves time.
  2. Listen actively to the person being coached and tailor your advice to their understanding. Use questions that guide them to their own conclusions.
  3. Keep conversations focused on one topic at a time and use visual aids to clarify points. This makes discussions more effective and organized.

hello I am not ready yet

vrk loves paper • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. The writer hasn't started their newsletter yet because they want to build an audience first.
  2. They have written an about page which gives more information about the newsletter.
  3. They encourage people to subscribe, promising that the first newsletter will be coming soon.

Some updates and the like

Just Enough to Get Me in Trouble • 18 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. A new original piece will be published on December 21st, where several writers will share their personal philosophies.
  2. There will be a live Community Writing Circle in Sonoma on January 13th, inviting all types of writers to connect and create.
  3. A portion of paid subscriptions goes to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, supporting important initiatives for those with CP.

The Tradeoffs of Language

Living Fossils • 15 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Communication
  1. Language is a useful tool for communication, but it can also create confusion when it’s too complicated or specialized. Sometimes, people forget that not everyone has the same knowledge.
  2. Using clear and simple language helps everyone understand better and makes communication more effective. It’s better to avoid fancy words when simple ones will do.
  3. In therapy and other helpful conversations, it’s important to use language that clients can easily grasp. This builds trust and understanding between the therapist and the client.

Language models and language change, redux

The Counterfactual • 39 implied HN points • 07 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. Language models like GPT-3 could have different effects on how language evolves, including slowing it down, speeding it up, or having no effect at all.
  2. One possible outcome is that language models might make our communication more concise, which could lead to unusual and harder-to-understand language forms.
  3. While GPT-3 can generate reasonable ideas about language change, it's important to be skeptical of its understanding and treat its responses as interesting but not always reliable.

Descriptivism

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 25 Sep 22
📖 Philosophy Communication
  1. Language is complex and can't be boiled down to strict rules. People use language in many different ways, and that's okay.
  2. Binary thinking often simplifies complicated issues, making it hard to have productive discussions. It's important to recognize that many problems aren't just black and white.
  3. Embracing complexity opens up better conversations. Instead of forcing a win/lose situation, focusing on the nuances can lead to understanding and progress.

Ep#4 : Soft Skills

The ZenMode • 42 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. Soft skills are equally important to technical skills in software engineering. They are often the secret weapon that distinguishes those who struggle from those who thrive.
  2. The path to coding proficiency requires a growth mindset, independence, logical thinking, and patience. Embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and persevere for long-term success.
  3. Essential soft skills for programmers include communication, collaboration, adaptability, and empathy. These skills are crucial for success in a dynamic field where teamwork, continuous learning, and user-centered solutions are key.