The hottest Communities Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Substack is your corner of the internet

Substack Blog • 1668 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Communities
  1. Apps will show custom themed views for Substacks (starting on iOS), so tapping a publication brings you into its branded space with the newest post and a feed of that Substack’s notes and posts.
  2. Creators will soon be able to include community contributions and recommended Substacks in their feeds with optional controls and moderation, letting a Substack be a solo voice, a salon, or a broader community hub.
  3. Substack’s aim is to give creators both independence and scale: you can keep your own branding and relationships while still benefiting from discovery, recommendations, and network effects.

When Were Things The Best?

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2822 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. People often remember the past as better than it was, but many concrete things are way better today — especially information access, medicine, electronics, food, entertainment, and travel.
  2. Important social and civic things have declined: close‑knit communities, intact families, long job tenure, political cohesion, roads/infrastructure, and dating ecosystems are notably worse and hurt wellbeing.
  3. The truth is mixed: celebrate huge material and technological gains, but focus effort on fixing the social problems and managing rising expectations that drive much of our unhappiness.

The future is built by small, weird groups

The Novelleist • 629 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. Better futures are built by small, trust-rich groups that stay weird, focused, and intentional so their work can compound over time.
  2. Large algorithmic platforms reward virality, outrage, and simple narratives, which crushes nuance, slow thinking, and real creation and makes it feel like things can't get better.
  3. Instead of passive optimism or pessimism, join or create non-viral, small communities that prioritize curiosity, creation, and collective constraints so new, complex futures can be invented.

A quieter issue | #319

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 95 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. The newsletter is shifting to a shorter, less-frequent format so more time can be spent on book-length projects instead of trying to constantly produce new, novel pieces.
  2. There are curated reading and listening recommendations—books and essays about freelancing, change, habits, and experimental ways of living—plus a podcast aimed at creators balancing full-time work.
  3. Readers are asked to complete a short survey to help shape future content, and there’s an open invitation to join a global community along with a list of recommended tools and services for creators and travelers.

Manufacturing Epistemic Density

Abstraction • 24 implied HN points • 16 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Communities
  1. Being near people who already understand and topic (high epistemic density) makes short, frequent conversations possible, and those conversations turn into real progress and friendships.
  2. Removing coordination friction with simple tools (like an easy coffee scheduler) makes casual local meetings happen more often, and that consistency helps relationships form.
  3. AI has compressed the time to build small apps, so problems that once felt too small now merit quick, imperfect projects you can ship in hours or days.
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Revenge of the Dilettantes

Breaking Smart • 98 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Communities
  1. AI makes bespoke, one-off publishing and media workflows cheap and practical, so creators can publish essays, books, and artworks in custom formats instead of forcing them into standard platforms.
  2. AI tools empower dilettantes to be full‑stack creators, letting casual generalists produce art, code, and even robotics projects without needing deep craft mastery.
  3. AI transforms reading and learning by supercharging book clubs and study groups, enabling faster, deeper exploration, translation, and research that turns casual reading into sustained study.

Tuesday Thread: What Are You Working On?

Culture Study • 1000 implied HN points • 25 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. Engaging in gardening can be a fun and rewarding hobby. It allows you to witness small changes, like a plant budding, which can bring joy.
  2. Taking cuttings from plants can help you expand your garden without needing to buy new ones. It's a clever way to grow your collection.
  3. Working on a personal project or hobby can be a great distraction. It offers both relaxation and a sense of accomplishment as you see progress.

Your Attention Please: A New Era of Games Showcases is Here

A16Z GAMES • 139 implied HN points • 23 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Communities
  1. Game developers need to find new ways to get their games discovered in the post-E3 era.
  2. Smaller, targeted digital showcases are emerging to help reach specific player audiences beyond traditional large events like The Game Awards and Nintendo Direct.
  3. Game developers face challenges like game saturation, rising user acquisition costs, and the need for strategic marketing strategies to ensure their games get noticed.

Updates from the Founder

Concordium Monthly Updates • 176 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
💼 Business Communities
  1. Concordium is focusing on marketing with new internal team and clear narrative for communication.
  2. Engaging PR specialists to target media with sharp messages about Concordium.
  3. Growing communities, enhancing ID features, and supporting developers are key priorities for Concordium.

Mark Fisher was right: The desire for Starbucks really is the thwarted desire for communism

The 21st Century Proletarian • 79 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. The desire for Starbucks might be a yearning for a communal space like communism, highlighting how economic systems affect our social interactions.
  2. Third places, like coffee houses or the Agora in ancient Athens, play a crucial role in fostering community, political consciousness, and social connections.
  3. The shift from real-life third places to online bubbles has led to increased loneliness, with digital interactions lacking the depth and variety of human connections found in physical communal spaces.

Reviewing Las Vegas

Wooly's Post Repository • 78 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🏝 Travel Communities
  1. The Las Vegas Strip offers easy fun with money, no planning required
  2. Vegas provides a break from being 'too online' and demands physical interaction
  3. Outside the Strip, Vegas lacks depth and connections, more suitable for temporary stays

Scenes and Villages

Skunk Ledger • 337 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. Villages are communities you're born into, with a diverse mix of people and shared experiences.
  2. Scenes are communities you stumble into, centered around a specific interest or trait, with high standards.
  3. Scenes can be productive but may lack diversity and struggle with certain social functions, unlike villages.

It's 2024 and they just want to learn

Democratizing Automation • 150 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Communities
  1. 2024 will be a year of rapid progress in ML communities with advancements in large language models expected
  2. Energy and motivation are high in the machine learning field, driving people to tap into excitement and work towards their goals
  3. Builders are encouraged to focus on building value-aware systems and pursuing ML goals with clear principles and values

Assorted links and comments

The Permanent Problem • 2 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. Popup and startup-style communities act as labs for culture and governance, using long-term physical immersion to let new social practices and habits take root.
  2. Economics strongly shapes whether people join tight-knit communities. As wealth and basic security rise, more people can afford to choose intentional communal living over career-first lifestyles.
  3. Organizers are shifting from temporary gatherings to incubating real projects inside these communities, moving from proof-of-concept toward building lasting institutions and attracting diverse builders and tools.

Why Subcultures Die

David Friedman’s Substack • 134 implied HN points • 28 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. Subcultures age, decline, and die because of difficulties in attracting and retaining young members.
  2. Introducing new elements can rejuvenate a subculture and attract new members.
  3. Organizations that limit membership age ranges can maintain vitality over time by evolving with changing ideologies and issues.

Welcome to @Scotland

Scottish News • 19 implied HN points • 12 Nov 23
🏝 Travel Communities
  1. Scotland's autumn palette is a masterpiece of fiery hues and vibrant colors
  2. Embrace Scottish hospitality in cozy Highland retreats
  3. Celebrate local flavors and the Scottish way of life in autumn and winter

How to kickstart a community with your peers on Substack

Substack • 76 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Communities
  1. Connect with the right people on Substack to find support and collaboration opportunities.
  2. Explore Substack features like following writers in your category and participating in online communities.
  3. Invite like-minded writers and creators to connect and initiate meaningful conversations to build a supportive community.

Before the Crowd Shows Up

Working Theorys • 62 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Communities
  1. Arriving early to new arenas can offer unique opportunities.
  2. In the early stages of new arenas, there is potential for valuable connections and experiences.
  3. Being an early adopter in new arenas involves risk but can lead to significant rewards.

Longitudinal Trends: Ideological Diversity In Universities v. Surrounding Communities

Symbolic Capital(ism) • 0 implied HN points • 04 Feb 19
🚌 Education Communities
  1. Universities are becoming more ideologically homogenous, mirroring the political leanings of the communities they are embedded in.
  2. There is a longitudinal correlation between the political leanings of faculty at universities and their surrounding communities.
  3. Addressing the ideological imbalance in academia may require extending access and opportunity to a broader swath of the population, outside of just influencing attitudes within academic circles.