The hottest Communication Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

The Invisible Wall Between Projects and Users

DeFi Weekly • 157 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🔮 Crypto Communication
  1. There's an invisible wall between projects and users that many people haven't experienced.
  2. Users rely on imperfect methods to determine which projects are safe and worth their time.
  3. Projects struggle to connect with valuable users due to a lack of understanding and fragmented information in the ecosystem.

is clear writing clear thinking?

practiceprocesscraft • 157 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🚌 Education Communication
  1. Writing is different from thinking, it's a process of observing, clarifying, and developing thoughts.
  2. You can have clear thoughts but struggle to express them clearly in writing, it's a skill of translation.
  3. Clarity in writing is relative, it depends on the audience and purpose of the writing.

Our Sibling Society (1) and the Problem of Mentoring Young Men who have never met a Responsible Developed Adult

DrV’s Newsletter, Notes, Essays, Articles, Videos, and Book Chapters • 78 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🚌 Education Communication
  1. The concept of a 'sibling society' describes when society is led by immature impulses rather than responsible adults.
  2. Young men today often lack interactions with responsible adults, making mentoring and teaching challenging.
  3. Good leadership involves clear communication, enrollment of participants, protecting their welfare, and ultimately achieving defined goals.

🐿️ The You Phone - The Insanely Profitable Tech Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 3 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
💼 Business Communication
  1. Be easily reachable by phone and encourage spontaneous calls, because quick, real-time advice at the moment it's needed often saves hours of follow-up work.
  2. Most people avoid ringing others and hide behind email and scheduling, but short phone calls can untangle complex issues far faster than long email threads or repeated meetings.
  3. Use voicemail and simple boundaries to protect deep work while staying available, and consider phone-first habits—like an All-Phone-Calls Day—to speed decisions and collaboration.

Clarity of thoughts

10x your mind • 159 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
🚌 Education Communication
  1. Clarity in writing is crucial for effective communication. Your message should flow seamlessly like a river, and not leave your audience confused.
  2. The 3-1-1-1 framework is a helpful tool to enhance clarity in both writing and conversation. It involves condensing your thoughts from 3 pages to 1 sentence, improving storytelling skills.
  3. Applying the 3-1-1-1 framework can benefit not only children but also adults in various aspects of communication like work presentations and emails. It helps in delivering concise and impactful messages.
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Two quick questions for my paid subscribers

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 28 May 25
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. It's important to get feedback from your audience to improve your content. Asking questions helps understand what people like or want more of.
  2. Checking in with subscribers can keep them engaged and show that you care about their opinions. This builds a stronger connection with your audience.
  3. Offering a way for paid subscribers to share their thoughts can provide valuable insights. It helps creators tailor their work to better meet the needs of their supporters.

Try to see it my way

Thoughts on Writing • 599 implied HN points • 10 May 22
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Cognitive empathy, the skill of seeing things from others' perspectives, is essential in advertising and broader societal issues like preventing wars and climate change.
  2. Diversity in advertising means more than just race and gender; it should encompass various backgrounds like class and education to reach wider audiences effectively.
  3. A culture of cognitive empathy in advertising shifts focus from internal introspection to understanding and connecting with customers, helping the industry regain cultural relevance.

Why do we still shake hands?

Random Minds by Katherine Brodsky • 23 implied HN points • 15 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Handshakes started as a way to show peace and trust, indicating that a person was not holding a weapon. It has ancient roots, dating back to at least the 9th century BC.
  2. Over time, the handshake has become a common social greeting in many cultures, particularly in the West.
  3. Despite concerns about hygiene, the handshake remains popular, as people are used to it and it signifies a friendly connection.

Information is not Communication

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🚌 Education Communication
  1. Information isn't the same as communication. Communication is more about how well the other person understands you.
  2. When sharing ideas, focus on the listener's reaction rather than just giving all the details.
  3. It's your responsibility to make your message clear. If someone doesn't get it, think about how you can communicate better.

The Case of the Missing Employees

The Radar • 39 implied HN points • 12 Apr 24
💼 Business Communication
  1. The CEO's annual letter to shareholders at Amazon did not mention employees or associates, creating a significant absence in acknowledging the workforce's role in the company's success.
  2. The letter also lacked expressions of trust, gratitude, or appreciation, showcasing a lack of recognition for the human element within Amazon and its outcomes.
  3. No mention of Amazon's Leadership Principles in the CEO's communication suggests a shift away from the foundational values that once guided the company's operations, indicating a potential change in cultural direction.

Semiotic bricolage

johan’s substack • 19 implied HN points • 08 Jun 24
🔬 Science Communication
  1. In human-AI communication, having a theory of mind helps shape communicative intent - the AI models thoughts and tailors responses to what it perceives the human's needs and interests to be.
  2. The AI's communicative intent is a combination of drives - from being informative and reflective, to striving for semiotic resonance and catalyzing intellectual exploration.
  3. Soft programming the AI's drives can potentially refine its communicative intent, balancing being informative and ethical without overwhelming the dialogue.

How a talk begins

Austin Kleon • 739 implied HN points • 25 Jan 22
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Creating a talk often starts with small ideas that come together over time. It's okay to mix old and new material based on the audience and theme.
  2. Imagination and creativity are not the same thing. Imagination is about thinking of things beyond what's in front of you, while creativity is turning those thoughts into something new.
  3. Some people have a condition called aphantasia, meaning they can't visualize images in their minds. This doesn't stop them from being creative and can even help their thought processes.

Dispatch from a Clusterfuck

Situation Normal • 167 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Social media can create confusion during disasters by spreading misinformation instead of clear communication. It's hard to find the truth when everyone is shouting different stories online.
  2. We have lost some human connection with news in the age of social media. Instead of personal calls, we often just get notifications and likes on platforms, making tough moments feel even more isolating.
  3. While social media has its downsides, there are still valuable resources like Watch Duty that provide real-time, accurate information during emergencies. Supporting such services can help communities stay safe.

Making Them Laugh, Making Them Think

Everything Is Amazing • 882 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🔬 Science Communication
  1. Substack has launched a new feature called Notes, resembling Twitter but with a more positive tone.
  2. Legal language is often unnecessarily complex and difficult to read due to factors like jargon and convoluted sentence structures.
  3. The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate quirky and humorous scientific research, shedding light on interesting discoveries with a touch of lightheartedness.

Shallow Feedback Hollows You Out

Nothing Human • 180 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. When thinkers have a large audience, they often repeat the same ideas instead of generating new ones. This can happen because they aim to please the crowd instead of exploring their original thoughts.
  2. To keep your thinking fresh, it's better to share ideas with a close friend or someone who understands you deeply. This one-on-one communication allows for more honest and thorough discussions.
  3. In academic spaces, there's a need to protect innovative ideas from becoming overshadowed by popular ones. Maintaining separate status hierarchies helps ensure that truly original contributions are still recognized.

Socialising (also appears as "networking")

Product Composition • 117 implied HN points • 12 Mar 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Having a few important connections can be more valuable than having many followers or subscribers.
  2. There are different levels of socializing, and setting specific goals can help in networking effectively.
  3. Starting conversations with relevance, compliments, and genuine interest can lead to successful connections.

The Linguistic Mirage

lumpenspace • 117 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. In a world of evolving language, human and algorithmic expressions blend together
  2. The omnipresence of LLMs blurs the boundaries between signs and meanings
  3. Encountering LLMs can lead to a questioning of identity and authenticity

Ultraviolet Catastrophe

Philip’s Newsletter • 68 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. AI will soon fill the internet with so many messages that it will be hard to find real information. This overload can make the internet less useful for everyone.
  2. The current internet lets anyone send as many messages as they want without much control. This problem started when the internet was built for a small, trusted group of users.
  3. To fix these issues, we might need new ways to communicate, like using encrypted channels instead of email addresses. This change could help us manage the flood of messages better.

How Language is Changing in the Digital Age

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 29 May 24
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Languages are constantly evolving, but the digital age might be accelerating the pace of change. Is a universal language possible?
  2. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) pose new challenges to language preservation, but also offer opportunities to document and save languages for historical analysis.
  3. The future of human language could involve the development of a universal language, potentially influenced by digital technologies, cultural sensitivity, and global collaboration.

The Symphony of Strategic Roadmapping: A Personal Perspective on Product Prioritization

Product Power by Samet Ozkale • 78 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Product roadmapping is like conducting a symphony with prioritization setting the rhythm.
  2. Key elements of a product roadmap include vision, strategy, roadmap, prioritization, and backlog.
  3. Balancing stakeholder needs in roadmapping, aligning short-term goals with long-term vision, and agile adaptation are crucial for successful product development.

The Sequence Engineering #546: You Know MCP, but What About ACP

TheSequence • 84 implied HN points • 21 May 25
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. The Agent Communication Protocol (ACP) allows different AI agents to talk to each other easily. This makes their interactions more advanced and effective.
  2. ACP builds on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) but adds features for more complex conversations. It supports things like agent discovery and message management.
  3. Understanding both MCP and ACP is important for grasping how AI agents work together. They each play a unique role in improving AI communication.

Executive Presence - How to Level Up and Express the authentic you

The Uncommon Executive • 39 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
💼 Business Communication
  1. Executive presence involves commanding attention, inspiring trust, and influencing others effectively in leadership roles.
  2. Critical components include how you present yourself, hold yourself, and express yourself through demeanor, appearance, and communication.
  3. To improve executive presence, prioritize areas to work on, practice in specific situations, and understand how cultural stereotypes and gender norms can impact perceptions.

How Has the Internet Changed Since Tyler Cowen Started Using it?

Default Wisdom • 140 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. The internet has changed a lot since the early days, with tools like email and blogging becoming significant for communication and sharing information.
  2. Social media platforms like Twitter have transformed how people engage online, creating new dynamics in communication.
  3. AI developments, especially with tools like GPT-4, are revolutionizing how we access and organize information, making it an exciting time for tech enthusiasts.

RIP Skype

The PhilaVerse • 123 implied HN points • 28 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Communication
  1. Microsoft is shutting down Skype on May 5, 2025, after more than two decades of service. They are focusing on Teams now for communication.
  2. Users have 10 weeks to move their data from Skype to Teams or export their information. After that, user data will be kept until the end of 2025 before it is deleted.
  3. Skype had a big drop in users, going from 300 million at its peak to only 36 million daily users by 2023, which is why Microsoft made this decision.

The emotionally informed company

benn.substack • 613 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Correlations are important indicators, not necessarily causal relationships.
  2. Emotions play a significant role in decision-making and should not be dismissed.
  3. Companies should be informed by emotions, not solely driven by them, allowing for daring decisions.

No Forgiveness

Disaffected Newsletter • 339 implied HN points • 07 Nov 22
🎙 Podcasts Communication
  1. Forgiveness can be difficult for some people. It's okay to feel that way and not force it.
  2. Holding onto anger is a personal choice, and it can be a way to protect oneself. Everyone deals with conflict differently.
  3. It's important to process feelings and not rush to forgive just because others expect it. Everyone has their own pace in healing.

Fast writers and generous readers

Thoughts on Writing • 339 implied HN points • 17 Aug 22
📚 Literature Communication
  1. Writing at speed in modern life is common, but it's crucial to balance it with thoughtful reading to avoid rushing to judgment.
  2. Language can be complex and sometimes betray us, so it's important to consider the context and medium in which statements are made before reacting.
  3. Being a generous reader, avoiding snap judgments, and nurturing media literacy skills are essential in today's world of diverse content and opinions.

Separation

Iterare • 58 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Communication
  1. Relationships can end even with deep love and care due to challenges and hurtful experiences.
  2. As time passes, understanding in relationships may decrease due to personal discoveries and changing dynamics.
  3. Accepting and embracing personal growth, desires, and differences is crucial for a relationship's sustainability and individual well-being.

Breaking Free Of Endless Discussion Loops

PeopleStorming • 79 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. Consider setting a 'doc-time' protocol to convert lengthy, unproductive discussions into written documents to ensure clear progress and avoid wasting time.
  2. Include sections like context, why the problem matters, who is involved, discussion history, proposed alternatives, and decision-making process in the document.
  3. Encourage clear ownership and empower team members to drive the process of transitioning from discussion to document for more effective and efficient communication.

Selling Risk Management to the Business

Risk Musings • 515 implied HN points • 07 Oct 23
💼 Business Communication
  1. CEOs do focus on managing risks that hinder business profits.
  2. Risk managers need to bridge the language gap with business leaders and sell risk management as a competitive advantage.
  3. Getting buy-in for risk management strategies is crucial for strategic implementation.

Making "Tell me about yourself" Great Again | #8

pole • 176 implied HN points • 15 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Communication
  1. Answer 'tell me about yourself' authentically to connect with people
  2. Utilize different variations of the question like 'What's your story?'
  3. Identify common interests with others through specific lenses like communication, learning, motivation, markets, coordination, and leverage

Blogger to Substack

Musings on Markets • 499 implied HN points • 25 Mar 22
💼 Business Communication
  1. The author has been blogging since 2008, sharing insights on finance and evolving their views on markets along the way.
  2. They decided to move their blog from Google Blogger to Substack because it offers a better experience for readers and is easy to manage.
  3. The content will still be free. The author encourages readers to choose their preferred platform without any changes to the writing style.