The hottest Company Building Substack posts right now

Knowing yourself clearly is a superpower: it makes your choices, work, and relationships line up and attracts the right opportunities.
There should be no divide between work and play — a unified life means you’re building toward the truest version of yourself instead of living in separate roles.
If you can state your personal "equation" (your core inputs and priorities), everyone understands what to expect; that shared clarity cuts conflict, helps others support you, and lets your influence scale.

Writing is primarily a tool for thinking and self-reflection, and doing it consistently compounds the creator even more than it grows an audience.
Venture capital and startup culture have become noisy and scale-obsessed, so what’s needed are conviction-led or “adventure” investors and builders who focus on durable, mission-driven companies rather than chasing hype.
In a hyperlegible, attention-driven world, embracing nuance, forming independent beliefs, and understanding interdependencies are essential to avoid being programmed by trends and to build things worth building.

Success often requires effort, dedication, and patience over immediate gratification.
In the world of entrepreneurship and investing, it's important to have a long-term perspective and not get caught up in instant success narratives.
Building meaningful companies requires ethics, rhythm, and alignment, along with cultivating long-term relationships with founders.

Great leadership requires making tough decisions that go against popular opinion.
CEOs must prioritize what's best for the long-term success of their company, even if it means making unpopular choices.
Building a successful company often means making difficult decisions that may challenge the norms and expectations of others.

The name 'Steelhead' for the substack comes from its connection to the challenging, yet rewarding nature of startup building and investing, similar to the difficulty of catching a Steelhead fish.
Erik Zahnlecker's newsletter will focus on topics related to company building and investing, drawing from his personal experiences and industry trends.
Starting a business or investing is tough and often comes with a low success rate, but the potential rewards can be significant for those who persevere through the challenges.

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People often use in-group thinking as an 'intellectual seat belt' to feel safe and avoid critically evaluating their beliefs.
Being open to being wrong promotes the pursuit of truth, as it challenges existing beliefs and pressures ideas for improvement.
Questioning mainstream beliefs and pursuing wrongness can reveal potential weaknesses, leading to a deeper understanding and pursuit of truth.

Enduring company building is crucial for founders to balance pace, growth, and longevity.
Product Marketing is the bridge between inspiration and practicality in an organization.
Influence without authority is a vital skill for individuals at all levels in a company.

Important knowledge may not always be found in books, but in the minds of a few individuals
Successfully scaling human organizations is vital for long-term success
Effective leadership and management can be learned and involve setting high standards along with deep devotion