The hottest Company Culture Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Problems at Yelp (YELP)

The Bear Cave • 1096 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Revenue has stalled and recently turned negative, with ad clicks falling — a clear sign the business is losing momentum.
  2. Rising competition from social platforms and the move from web search to AI agents are making Yelp less relevant to consumers and advertisers.
  3. A high-pressure, often sleazy sales culture and many angry or disgruntled merchants are harming Yelp's brand and making growth harder.

At Calif, you're a star

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 1218 implied HN points • 10 May 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Success formula inspired by Joel Spolsky: treat programmers like stars, provide top-notch perks, and prioritize spending on talented employees.
  2. Prioritize long-term investment in the business over short-term profits, ensure employees are treated well, and focus on quality of service to clients.
  3. Maintain a high standard in business practices, provide elite-level service to clients, and prioritize comfort and convenience for employees to enhance productivity.

Why your LinkedIn is about to get very busy

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 6359 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Many people are unhappy with their jobs and looking to switch. A lot of employees feel under-compensated and are actively searching for new opportunities.
  2. Paparazzi often take risks to capture celebrity moments, even during natural disasters. Some question whether the images are worth the danger involved.
  3. Mark Zuckerberg's claims about free speech seem insincere, as he continues to censor content under pressure from the government. Both political sides prioritize controlling speech that opposes them.

How Linear builds product

Lenny's Newsletter • 4166 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Linear operates without traditional product managers, relying on a head of product instead.
  2. Teams at Linear assemble around projects and disperse once the project is complete.
  3. Linear prioritizes taste, opinions, and strategy over metrics, A/B tests, and specific goals.

Being a New Grad Here is a Service to Yourself

Creating Value from Nothing • 318 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Company Culture
  1. Do the case and do it well — it’s a near 1:1 preview of the actual job and the best way to know if the daily work truly fits you.
  2. New grads at this type of startup get real responsibility fast, handling customer calls, data, reports, and even leading vendor decisions or automation projects within months.
  3. What excites you matters — if you show genuine interest, management will make room for you to run experiments and own projects, which speeds up learning and impact.
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Adding a work trial to your interview process

Lenny's Newsletter • 1336 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. A work trial in the interview process simulates actual work and helps in gauging a candidate's fit and skills.
  2. Work trials provide more insights on candidates' performance and dedication compared to traditional interviews.
  3. Good trial projects involve candidates working on real tasks similar to what they would do in the actual role.

Analytics Team: Strategic Partner or Service Org?

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1139 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Having a data-driven culture is important for making informed decisions and connecting actions to business outcomes.
  2. In many companies, data is not well managed and can lead to frustration when trying to implement a data-driven culture too soon.
  3. Striking a balance and ensuring data accuracy is crucial before pushing for a data-driven culture.

TBM 364: Three Team Vibes

The Beautiful Mess • 608 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Different teams have unique vibes that you can sense just by asking about their work. For example, some teams feel focused and motivated, while others may seem confused or disorganized.
  2. Team dynamics can cycle through different modes, like being highly effective or feeling lost. It's important to recognize where your team stands to improve productivity.
  3. Company culture influences how teams operate. If teams focus too much on individual projects, it can lead to burnout and lack of coordination, while a healthy culture encourages teamwork.

Big Tech Myths And Facts: Vision Pro, Google Culture, Digital Ad Market Edition

Big Technology • 3878 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Company Culture
  1. Big Tech companies are experiencing a mix of record revenue and deep layoffs as they navigate the costs of developing new technologies like AI and mixed reality.
  2. Apple may face challenges with the Vision Pro as it might not reach mass-market success until 2030 or beyond, despite initial hype.
  3. Google is acknowledging the need to address its slow-moving culture by simplifying its organizational structure and removing layers to improve efficiency.

TBM 331: Strategy & Decisiveness

The Beautiful Mess • 859 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Being strategic involves making choices, but not all strategies are about being decisive. Sometimes, being flexible and open to options can be just as important.
  2. Real-world strategy often faces messy challenges. It's not just about having a perfect plan; it's about navigating the unpredictable nature of business and making practical decisions.
  3. It's okay to admit uncertainty and avoid over-pressuring teams for quick decisions. Some trade-offs and juggling acts are just part of the process.

Don't just apply, opt-in

Creating Value from Nothing • 662 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Candidates can experience the company culture firsthand by attending events like the Super Weekend. This allows them to see what working there is really like.
  2. Meeting actual customers and solving real-world problems helps potential hires understand the company's mission and approach better.
  3. The company commits to hosting regular Super Weekends to attract talented individuals and let them see how great the team is. It's a chance for candidates to really opt-in rather than just applying.

Building a technical career path at Spotify

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 19 implied HN points • 11 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Company Culture
  1. Spotify emphasizes that career paths should fit the company's culture. Using a framework from another company often doesn't work well.
  2. Creating a career path framework should happen after seeing a real need for it, rather than forcing it too early in a company's growth.
  3. The Spotify model focuses on team success and personal growth, not just climbing a ladder. It encourages diverse development without penalizing role changes.

Results, Actually

benn.substack • 639 implied HN points • 27 Dec 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Data-driven companies get a lot of attention, but many people still prefer investing in companies led by experienced individuals. This shows that experience holds significant value in business decisions.
  2. People like to be seen as unique or contrarian, but they often know what others like. This means that even when choosing something different, they still have a sense of the mainstream.
  3. There’s a funny perspective on what robots are, with younger generations seeing different meanings in technology compared to older ones. What one generation sees as a robot, another might just see as a gadget.

Minimum Viable Process

Lessons • 353 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Process is necessary as a company grows, but be cautious of adding too much without solving specific problems.
  2. Minimum Viable Process means starting from first principles and solving real pain with iterative changes.
  3. Good process can often mean removing things that are no longer effective or necessary.

Rocks Are Thrown at Glass House

Mindset Value • 314 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Glass House faces criticism despite being a positive company in the cannabis industry.
  2. The scarcity mindset in the cannabis industry leads to competition and criticism.
  3. Glass House stands out through its positive corporate culture, environmental practices, and social justice efforts.

You Cannot Be Afraid of Your Team

The Breaking Point • 179 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. If you let fear of how your team will react control your decisions, you're not really leading.
  2. It's important to seek your team's input but remember that final decisions are yours to make.
  3. As a leader, you need to accept that not everyone will be pleased with your decisions, and that's part of the job.

Klaviyo is hiring for 150+ roles💰

Black Tech Pipeline • 157 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Klaviyo is hiring for over 150 roles in various locations and job positions.
  2. The company emphasizes personal authenticity, collaboration, and lifelong learning for its employees.
  3. Job listings include positions like Account Executives, Engineers, Managers, and more offering competitive salaries.

Why Mobility is the Key to Innovation

Sarah’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 14 Jul 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Mobility is crucial for innovation, as it allows people, ideas, and resources to move around. When talented people switch companies, they bring new ideas that can spark creativity.
  2. A growth mindset is important for companies to thrive. When employees learn from challenges and share their skills, it helps the whole organization improve and innovate.
  3. Successful companies mix long-term employees with new talent. This blend helps keep the culture strong while also bringing in fresh ideas to drive growth.

TBM 227: Explicit vs. Implicit Strategy

The Beautiful Mess • 1507 implied HN points • 18 Jun 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. A strategy should be a clear description of challenges, decisions on what to address, and specific actions to impact those challenges.
  2. Translating strategy into tangible goals and budgets is crucial for making it meaningful to people in the organization.
  3. Creating a safe space for hard discussions, dedicating time for strategy development, and focusing on deployment are essential for making a strategy effective.

TBM 272: The Biggest Opportunity (Part 2)

The Beautiful Mess • 661 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Skilled pragmatists in companies can represent a major opportunity for improvement. They are reliable and capable but may not go above and beyond due to skepticism about the value of extra effort.
  2. When trying to improve behaviors in a team, it is crucial to be specific about the desired actions and outcomes. Vague terms like 'drive' or 'passion' can lead to misunderstandings.
  3. Listening to individuals in different categories can provide valuable insights for understanding motivations and barriers to certain behaviors in a team. Embracing diversity in perspectives is key to achieving more together.

201. Does your company serve "weenies" or "shrimp"?

Hardcore Software • 337 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. A famous memo at Microsoft highlighted the importance of being cost-conscious and avoiding extravagance.
  2. The concept of 'Shrimp and Weenies' emphasized the need for frugality, even in a successful company like Microsoft.
  3. The challenges of maintaining a lean and efficient culture as a company grows in size were evident at Microsoft and continue to be relevant in other companies.

How Octopus Energy used culture to reach the top

Make Work Better • 43 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Octopus Energy has a unique culture that focuses on trust, autonomy, and a shared mission, rather than strict values or rules.
  2. Removing back-to-back meetings from schedules can lead to more productivity and creativity, allowing employees to connect and work on important tasks.
  3. Many leaders might think frequent one-on-one meetings help their teams, but sometimes it's better to communicate feedback in a more timely and structured way.

Book Review: “Working Backwards” by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr 4/5

Poczwardowski Notes • 78 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Amazon's success is attributed to its unique culture that fosters innovation and success in various domains.
  2. The book highlights Amazon's key principles, processes, and culture, and shares stories of successful product developments like Kindle, Prime, Prime Video, and AWS.
  3. Amazon's approach to creating new products, including using 'Working Backwards' method and the 'Narratives and the Six-Pagers' concept, showcases their emphasis on effective communication and clear thinking.

Culture is Contagious

Ways of Working • 78 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Company culture is the set of values, beliefs, and attitudes that shape an organization.
  2. Company culture can be contagious and influences how we behave and think.
  3. Being mindful of company culture is important as it can impact our growth and well-being.

Being an Engineering Manager at Meta

Leading Developers • 100 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Company Culture
  1. At Meta, managers are there to support their engineers, who have the freedom to choose their projects and set goals. This leads to a culture where trust and autonomy help engineers excel.
  2. Managers at Meta are evaluated based on the impact of their team and how they help individual contributors grow. It's important for managers to realize their role in coaching and supporting their engineers, rather than taking credit for their success.
  3. Meta encourages a fast-paced environment where developers can easily set up their work and start contributing quickly. This focus on efficiency comes from long-term investments in tools that make working faster and smoother.

"Top Employer"

The Radar • 39 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
💼 Business Company Culture
  1. Being named a 'Top Employer' by the Top Employer Institute involves a process audit - it doesn't necessarily reflect on all aspects of being a great place to work.
  2. The certification criteria for 'Top Employer' mainly focus on HR processes and branding, leaving out key factors like employee sentiment, safety, turnover, and retention.
  3. The process of getting certified as a 'Top Employer' raises questions about transparency and whether the opinions and experiences of employees are truly being considered.