The hottest Community Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

❤️ I Got Married ❤️

Newcomer • 2378 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Eric Newcomer got married and shared details about his wedding in Hudson Valley.
  2. Technology played a significant role in making the wedding special and memorable.
  3. The wedding was a reminder of the importance of people, love, and relationships over technology.

On Joining OpenAI

Artificial Ignorance • 138 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Community
  1. Joined OpenAI to work on Developer Experience, helping developers learn and build with OpenAI’s technology.
  2. Public news roundups are ending, and the newsletter will shift toward longer deep dives with more engineering-specific, practical content for builders.
  3. Experimenting with Substack Chat for paid subscribers (office hours and topic threads) while explicitly avoiding confidential or leaked information and keeping the writing practical and grounded.

The Goal Versus the Mission

CRAFT TALK • 2220 implied HN points • 22 Oct 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Community
  1. It's okay to take a break from writing during times of stress.
  2. Striving for perfection is a goal, but not the ultimate mission. Embrace imperfections.
  3. Reading your book out loud can help you notice quirks and improve your writing.

Of Relationships and 'Rona

Natural Selections • 10 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Lockdowns and rules upended normal life and left many people, especially older people, feeling isolated and lonely.
  2. Small, regular acts of connection — phone calls, messages and visits — can grow into a deep friendship that helps both people feel seen and less alone.
  3. Vaccine mandates and pandemic stigma caused real losses and divisions, including lost roles and jobs, but personal bonds still endured and brought comfort even after loss.

Messages from the compost heap

Austin Kleon • 3197 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Reading classics like Don Quixote can be surprisingly funny and relatable, showing that older books are often much more lively than we think.
  2. Riding a bicycle can bring joy and a fresh perspective to life, making the city feel like a new place to explore.
  3. Boredom is important for everyone, not just kids. It can help spark creativity and give us time to think.
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Advice Time! Advice Time!

Culture Study • 2988 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Joining a community can really help lift your spirits. It's nice to feel cared for and connected to others.
  2. You can ask for help on any topic, big or small. People love to share their thoughts and advice from their own experiences.
  3. Helping others is just as important as getting help. Be ready to give advice too, and keep the conversation going.

Five years here: post #250!

Brain Pizza • 264 implied HN points • 27 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. A creator is marking five years on the platform and celebrating their 250th post.
  2. They’ve been consistently prolific — about 50 posts a year, each 1,000–2,000 words, adding up to roughly 400,000 words in total.
  3. The full post is behind a paywall and requires a subscription, though a 7-day free trial is offered.

Working Hard or Hardly Working

Some Unpleasant Arithmetic • 24 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Market-driven economic change uproots communities and erodes social bonds, which lowers trust and can produce crime, political backlash, and long-term despair.
  2. Work has become a central source of identity, driving grind culture and extreme hours that cause burnout and are often counterproductive, while also deepening inequality and gender gaps.
  3. Strong social networks and community matter for jobs and meaning, but AI, clique-driven hiring, and growing loneliness are making the labor market less meritocratic and leaving many people isolated.

Ask Me Anything, Anyone

Singal-Minded • 158 implied HN points • 24 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. He's hosting an open Ask Me Anything and inviting readers to post questions in the comments, open to anyone with a Substack account.
  2. He plans to publish a post answering some questions by the end of the year and says he'll favor questions that get more likes.
  3. The invitation is framed as a low‑stakes experiment to boost engagement and see how the wider Substack community responds over the holidays.

SAVE THE DATE-you're invited

Disaffected Newsletter • 479 implied HN points • 08 May 24
🎙 Podcasts Community
  1. Join a live show recording on May 9 at 7 pm US Eastern time in Discord for subscribers. It will be a discussion with writer Joseph Sciambra.
  2. The show will explore controversial questions about the relationship between child abuse and homosexuality, including causes and correlations.
  3. Paid subscribers can interact during the event and their questions will be included in the episode when it's released.

How Do You Balance Responsibilities To Yourself/Your Kin & Your Wider Community?

Culture Study • 3834 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. It's important to figure out how to balance your own needs with the needs of your family and community. This can include deciding between things like private and public schools for your kids.
  2. People face tricky choices when it comes to their careers, like choosing a job that pays well versus one that helps the world. Each choice comes with its own set of feelings and challenges.
  3. Many folks want to hear about how others manage these tough decisions and what emotions come up. Sharing experiences can help everyone understand and support each other better.

Maps of scenius

Austin Kleon • 2178 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Scenius is about creativity that comes from a group, not just individual genius. Joining or creating a supportive community can help boost your creative efforts.
  2. Successful sceniuses have elements like friendly competition and easy sharing of ideas and tools. This sense of connection can lead to more innovation and creativity.
  3. Balancing connection with others and taking time alone is crucial for creativity. Both interacting with a community and having time to reflect can enhance your creative output.

who are you (hoo hoo)???

Both Are True • 118 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Say hi and connect — everyone is invited to introduce themselves and join the community in the comments.
  2. Be real and spontaneous — embrace questions, oddness, and unpolished ideas instead of polished brand messaging.
  3. Celebrate change and play — treat the new year and the shifting online neighborhood with humor, curiosity, and togetherness.

It's Open Mic Day: Tell Us What You're Doing

The Honest Broker • 8145 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Community
  1. It's Open Mic Day at The Honest Broker, a chance for people to share their projects and plans.
  2. The community is encouraged to talk about their creative endeavors, business launches, non-profit work, or anything they need to publicize.
  3. The focus is on supporting each other and spreading the word about various projects and initiatives.

You’ve received a new Axie Score!

The Lunacian • 1334 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
🔮 Crypto Community
  1. An Axie Score shows how much someone contributes to the Lunacia community. A higher score means more influence over future decisions in the game.
  2. You can use your Axie Score to vote on community matters, and there are ideas to add more benefits like game access or special rewards.
  3. New badges are coming to recognize community contributions, and they will help increase your Axie Score, reflecting your involvement in the Lunacian community.

Open Thread 365

Astral Codex Ten • 2890 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. You can participate in discussions on various topics in the open thread. Feel free to ask questions or share ideas.
  2. There is a remote job opportunity for contractors in AI-related fields with flexible hours. You can earn $100 per hour while helping measure performance between AI and humans.
  3. Additional comments and discussions are available on a range of topics including national IQ, political party systems, and cultural insights. It's a chance to learn from different perspectives.

It's Peak Summer ADVICE TIME!

Culture Study • 1115 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Summer is a great time for sharing advice and connecting with others. It helps build a community where people can support each other.
  2. Asking for advice can be hard, but it's important to be open and willing to seek help from others.
  3. Empathy and understanding create a safe space for people to celebrate successes and share struggles together.

A New Comments Section Policy

Glenn Loury • 4146 implied HN points • 24 May 23
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Paying subscribers will be the only ones allowed to leave comments on future posts.
  2. The community's dynamic is shaped by those who are most invested in it.
  3. Implementing more flexible commenting policies is a goal for the near future.

How to find your people

Austin Kleon • 4536 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Writing a blog post or making a video can help you connect with like-minded people. It’s a way to find your community.
  2. Keeping a diary or journal can be a great way to reflect on your thoughts and feelings. It's nice to have a collection of other people's diaries to read too.
  3. Books can be more fun if we think of them as toys. Instead of just reading them, we can enjoy them in a playful way.

how to talk to single people

Airplane Mode with Liz Plank • 1022 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Single people are a growing population and should be treated with respect and dignity.
  2. Being in a relationship doesn't guarantee happiness, and single people often lead fulfilling lives outside of dating.
  3. Avoid making assumptions about single people's desires and priorities, and focus on celebrating their achievements and providing support.

Open Thread 357

Astral Codex Ten • 3510 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. You can ask any questions and share thoughts in the open thread. It's a space for casual discussions.
  2. There will be meetups around the world for the community, including a big event in New York from December 13-16.
  3. Acknowledgment of a sad news about Nikolas Doucet, which reflects the importance of community support during tough times.

Watching the dead

Kvetch • 178 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
📰 News Community
  1. Ordinary community members — fathers, elders, and local leaders — were killed, and many bystanders showed remarkable bravery and self-sacrifice to stop the attackers.
  2. The violence has left deep grief and trauma, abruptly orphaning children and filling families with fear, guilt, and uncertainty about the future.
  3. Official political responses felt inadequate and evasive, while neighbours, strangers, and non-Jewish teachers offered powerful, spontaneous solidarity and practical support.

Nobody Really Knows How to Survive What's Coming

OK Doomer • 1082 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Nobody really knows what's coming in the future or how to prepare for it. Each person's approach is just an educated guess based on their own experiences.
  2. It's hard to prepare for multiple disasters at once, and with time running out, it's important to focus on what really matters and not get overwhelmed.
  3. Many people live in tough situations and never had a chance to prepare, so it's essential to recognize that everyone is doing their best with the resources they have.

I’m building a cooperative media ecosystem

The Novelleist • 2736 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. The goal is to create a media platform owned by the writers, not big media companies. This helps ensure that stories and ideas come from creative individuals, fostering a better media environment.
  2. Instead of focusing on problems, the aim is to spark ideas and solutions for a better future together. This will include publishing various themes in print magazines and books, sharing profits fairly.
  3. The plan involves inviting other writers to collaborate on projects, learning from the process, and slowly building a community. It's about teamwork to make meaningful content and potentially inspire change.

I'm doing Inkhaven

Aliveness Studies • 9 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
📚 Literature Community
  1. A month-long Berkeley writing residency forces daily output (residents must publish 500+ words a day), giving strong structure and accountability for people who want to write more.
  2. The program’s main benefits are community, feedback, and networking — being around other writers and experienced bloggers can help workshop pieces, boost productivity, and even support mental health through co-regulation.
  3. Even without clear long-term goals, committing to a focused month can clarify thinking, be a fun way to explore the area, and many participants report very positive experiences.

How to Make Cities Safe

Uncharted Territories • 1945 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
🔬 Science Community
  1. Having eyes on the street is crucial for making neighborhoods safe and livable
  2. Local shops with stable businesses and engaged owners contribute to a sense of safety and community
  3. Visibility, through good lighting and active street life, helps deter crime and promote safety

Crypto Cults: A Framework

DeFi Education • 1079 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🔮 Crypto Community
  1. In crypto, the best projects often create intense loyalty like cults, not just regular communities. People connect on a deeper emotional level, making them highly devoted followers.
  2. Successful crypto projects usually have a strong leader who inspires and drives the movement. These leaders often embody the values of the brand and attract passionate supporters.
  3. A sense of exclusivity and belonging is crucial for cult brands in crypto. Members feel united against an 'enemy,' and they love showing they are part of something special with symbols, language, and shared goals.

Vol. 2, Issue 35 - Kimberley’s Pokémon Day Memories

Johto Times • 39 implied HN points • 29 Aug 24
🎭️ Culture Community
  1. Kimberley shared her fun memories from the Pokémon Day event at Walibi World in 2008. She and her family enjoyed activities like searching for inflatable Poké Balls and took home cool merchandise.
  2. The Pokémon Company is preparing for exciting new releases. A new trading card expansion called 'Surging Sparks' is coming soon, along with a special Pokémon GO season called 'Max Out'.
  3. Pokémon has made a big impact on Kimberley's life, helping her to connect with others and build a large collection. She feels grateful for the friends and experiences she has gained through her love for Pokémon.

Sacrifice

Becoming Noble • 1654 implied HN points • 05 Nov 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Community
  1. True leadership involves making radical sacrifices, setting an example for others to follow, and fostering a culture of self-sacrifice and service.
  2. Service is an integral part of leadership, and true faith leads to authentic sacrifices.
  3. Demanding and authentic leadership can inspire profound acts of service and energize people to make meaningful sacrifices.

Help me save the world, but don't tell Marcos: a train data Secret Santa

12challenges • 171 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Community
  1. MARCOS is a simple crowdsourced system and web tool that maps which train carriage door corresponds to which station exit so you know exactly where to stand.
  2. If the data is made free and global it could save commuters small amounts of time every day and make stations easier to navigate for parents, elderly people, and busy travelers.
  3. The project is currently empty and needs help — people can star the GitHub, add stations via pull requests, and share it widely, but the effort is meant to be a Secret Santa surprise for Marcos.

Medium School Will Officially Open Its Doors and 30-Day Writing Challenge in April

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 579 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
🚌 Education Community
  1. Medium School is opening soon, offering a chance for people to improve their writing skills. It's a great opportunity for anyone looking to get started with their writing journey.
  2. There's a 30-day writing challenge to encourage participation and help boost your writing practice. Even if you're late to join, it's never too late to start.
  3. The school will provide resources and support to help writers earn from their work. The aim is to help participants progress from making little money to achieving their goals.