The hottest Competition Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Former Facebook Research Scientists Raise $20 Million Seed Round for Enterprise Foundation Model Startup

Newcomer • 982 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
💼 Business Technology Startups Venture Capital Competition Enterprise
  1. Former Facebook research scientists raise $20 million for a foundation model startup called Contextual AI
  2. Contextual AI's foundation model for enterprises aims to address existing model challenges like hallucination and data privacy
  3. Competition in the foundation model space is intense, with companies like Cohere and Vectara already in the game

How Japan Won the Lithography Industry

The Asianometry Newsletter • 2368 implied HN points • 24 May 23
🕹 Technology Industry Semiconductors Manufacturing Innovation Competition
  1. In the late 1980s, Japanese firms dominated the lithography market, overtaking American suppliers.
  2. The US led the early semiconductor industry, influencing chip development and government interest.
  3. Japan's VLSI project in the 1970s propelled their indigenous semiconductor industry through collaborative research and development.

SVB's Demise: The Hidden Cost of Overcharging in the Competitive Banking Landscape

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman • 1638 implied HN points • 17 Aug 23
💼 Business Banking Competition Monopoly
  1. Silicon Valley Bank collapsed due to overcharging customers, not a classic bank run scenario.
  2. SVB's business model relied on overcharging depositors, which led to customers seeking better deals elsewhere.
  3. In competitive industries like banking, overcharging customers is a risky game that can lead to loss of business and eventual downfall.
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The robotics company working with OpenAI to eat every warehouse worker's lunch

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 651 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Robotics Artificial Intelligence Automation Investment Competition
  1. Brett Adcock's humanoid robot company aims to replace human workers in warehouses with subscription-based robots that can work 20 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  2. Figure AI collaborates with OpenAI to combine robotics and AI, aiming to create 'embodied AI' by leveraging OpenAI's strengths in language models and Figure's expertise in robotics.
  3. Adcock positions Figure AI to compete with Elon Musk's humanoid robotics effort 'Optimus' and dismisses other competitors due to limitations in hardware or software capabilities.

"Life on This Earth in the Year A.D. 2000"

Londonist: Time Machine • 179 implied HN points • 19 Apr 24
💾 History London Transport Competition Events Architecture
  1. In 1954, there was a competition predicting life in the year 2000, with a focus on London's transport future.
  2. The competition attracted a diverse group of participants from various backgrounds and regions around the world.
  3. Transportation was the most popular topic in the competition, with the winning proposals envisioning rooftop roadways for London in 2000.

Adyen N.V. Investment Thesis

The Wolf of Harcourt Street • 819 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
💰 Finance Investment Payment processing Competition Market Dynamics Valuation
  1. Adyen's success is attributed to its ability to simplify complex payment processing challenges for businesses, nurturing customer relationships and offering tailored solutions.
  2. Adyen competes in a crowded payment processing landscape, facing challenges such as intense competition, commoditization of payments, and the need to differentiate through value-added services.
  3. Adyen is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing digital payment market and expand its reach by supporting emerging technologies and offering versatile payment solutions.

Ryder Cup Saturday: Tensions Flare As Europe Maintains Big Lead

The Quadrilateral • 648 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
🎾 Sports Golf Competition Drama Teams Tensions
  1. The Ryder Cup showcases passion, skill, and sportsmanship in a tense competition.
  2. Players' true characters are revealed under pressure, exposing both excellence and questionable behavior.
  3. Saturday's events at the Ryder Cup highlighted intense competition, contentious moments, and the need for a significant comeback from Team USA.

Algorithms start out as magic. But then become captive to corporate interests.

Asimov’s Addendum • 19 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
🕹 Technology AI Algorithms Big Tech Data Privacy Competition
  1. Google has been found to have abused its power to control search engine results, limiting competition. This means they had an unfair advantage to keep other companies from competing effectively.
  2. Algorithms that start off as amazing tools can end up being exploited for corporate gain. The way Google uses its algorithms looks like magic at first but turns out to serve its own business interests.
  3. To foster fair competition in the tech industry, we need more transparency and rules about how algorithms work. This could lead to better choices for users and support new companies to grow.

Getting exec buy-in for developer productivity initiatives

Engineering Enablement • 14 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
💼 Business Leadership Productivity Investment Metrics Competition
  1. Focus on the specific needs of leaders. Show how your ideas can solve their biggest issues to get their support.
  2. Talk about money. Explain how improving developer productivity can directly impact profits and save costs.
  3. Create a sense of competition. Use benchmarks to show how the organization compares to others, making leaders want to improve.

Chess is 99% taking pieces

Zwischenzug • 628 implied HN points • 22 Jul 23
🎾 Sports Chess Strategy Learning Competition Instruction
  1. In chess, 99% of the game is about taking your opponent's pieces and not hanging your own.
  2. For many players, improvement comes from mastering basic concepts like piece safety rather than advanced strategies.
  3. Efficiency matters, so seek out resources that help you practice and improve on keeping your pieces safe in chess.

Simplifying your product strategy is a competitive advantage

amivora • 11 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
💼 Business Strategy Product Marketing Innovation Entrepreneurship Competition
  1. Keeping your product simple can help you stand out in a crowded market. People appreciate products that are easy to understand and use.
  2. It's important to focus on what makes your product essential, instead of trying to add too many features. This helps users quickly see the value.
  3. Prioritizing what to keep and what to cut is key. If you're not willing to cut things that seem valuable, you might not be prioritizing deeply enough.

On Arts Competition and Arts Cabals

Castalia • 519 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Art Literature Competition Self-Expression
  1. Art does not have to be about being the best; it's about personal expression and the journey of creating. Everyone has something interesting to say if they express themselves sincerely.
  2. Competition in art can be helpful and push artists to improve, but it should be personal and not about judging others. It's okay to be ambitious and strive for greatness.
  3. Arts cabals, on the other hand, create unnecessary divisions and can stifle creativity by deciding who gets to be seen or heard. True art should be open and inclusive, valuing all creators.

high drama over the krka

derailleur • 959 implied HN points • 18 Jun 23
🎾 Sports Cycling Competition Emotions Teamwork Victory
  1. The Tour of Slovenia's fifth stage featured high drama over the Krka river.
  2. The top contenders in the race were separated by mere seconds, making the competition intense and close.
  3. Matej Mohorič won the stage, honoring a fallen cyclist and emphasizing the importance of cherishing every moment in cycling.

What Losing in Open Source AI Means

From the New World • 43 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Open Source Innovation Regulation Competition
  1. China is advancing rapidly in open source AI, creating models that are even competing with top American ones. This shows that the US might be falling behind in this area.
  2. The difference in policy is significant, with China actively supporting its open-source community while America is being cautious and restrictive. This could lead to a lost edge in technology for the US.
  3. Open source is essential for spreading AI technology worldwide. Many countries can adapt open source models to fit their needs, which means more innovation and collaboration beyond just big tech companies.

The Lions executed their plan

Purple Insider • 294 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Football Team Strategy Player development Competition Team Building
  1. The Detroit Lions successfully executed a rebuilding plan, defying low expectations and rebuilding from scratch.
  2. By stocking up on draft picks and developing young talent, the Lions transformed into a competitive team in a short time.
  3. The success of the Lions serves as a contrast to other teams like the Minnesota Vikings, highlighting the importance of strategic roster building and decision-making.

at what point do we stop?

derailleur • 999 implied HN points • 17 May 23
🎾 Sports Cycling Competition Safety Weather Injuries
  1. The Giro d'Italia race has seen multiple major contenders falling due to various reasons like crashes and illness.
  2. There is increasing concern about the safety and well-being of athletes in cycling events, especially in challenging conditions.
  3. There is a need to address weather-related challenges in cycling by making the sport's institutions more resilient to such events.

Ampere Computing is probably dead.

Irrational Analysis • 79 implied HN points • 20 May 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Tech startups Competition Market Analysis
  1. Ampere Computing is likely facing challenges as most of their customers have transitioned to other solutions.
  2. Despite unique product advantages, Ampere Computing is struggling as customers are moving to alternatives in the market.
  3. Lack of transparency on technical details raises doubts about Ampere Computing's innovation and competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.

How to Formulate Your Unfair Advantage Strategy

Running Lean Mastery • 412 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
💼 Business Strategy Competition Marketing
  1. Unfair advantages are characteristics that can't be easily copied or bought, like insider information or network effects.
  2. Unfair advantages differ from competitive advantages in that they have exclusivity and defensibility, making them harder to copy.
  3. Differentiate between a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) for customers and an Unfair Advantage directed towards competitors.

A Grandmaster's Guide to Machine Learning Challenges

Mindful Modeler • 339 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data Analysis Competition Podcast Challenges
  1. Focus on creating an end-to-end pipeline first, experiment with simple models, and then scale up gradually for better results in machine learning challenges.
  2. Success in a challenge correlates with time invested, so choose challenges that motivate you and spend time understanding the data before committing.
  3. Adopt a strategy to pick challenges that interest you, prioritize an experimentation loop, and aim to optimize later for overall success.

China On Track To Pass Japan in Auto Exports

Japan Economy Watch • 479 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
💼 Business Automotive Technology Market Industry Competition
  1. China is set to overtake Japan in auto exports, driven largely by the rise of EVs.
  2. Japanese automakers risk repeating the decline of the Detroit Three by resisting the shift to electric vehicles (EVs).
  3. The dominance of Japanese automakers is being challenged by Chinese brands, mirroring a historical pattern of established companies failing to adapt to technological shifts.

Beating Hikaru

Zwischenzug • 373 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
🎾 Sports Chess Competition Cheating Tournament Strategy
  1. The importance of strategic moves in chess and unexpected turnarounds in a game.
  2. The experience of being selected for fair play screening in chess tournaments and the stress it can bring to players.
  3. The challenges and implications of cheating suspicion in online chess tournaments, and the need for transparent and fair anti-cheating measures.

BREAKING: Frontier adds flights to 7 cities from CLT

The Charlotte Ledger • 196 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
💼 Business Transportation Air Travel Competition
  1. Frontier Airlines is adding flights to 7 new cities from Charlotte, becoming the No. 2 airline in terms of destinations served.
  2. Fares on new routes will start as low as $19, focusing on underserved and overpriced routes from CLT.
  3. Frontier's expansion in Charlotte could potentially help lower airfares in a historically high-priced market.

tenth slice

let them eat cake • 339 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🍲 Food & Drink Baking Competition Reflection
  1. The author did not make it to the final in Lyon for a food competition, but the experience was still remarkable and enjoyable.
  2. The winning entries at the competition were impressive, and the winners were described as very kind individuals.
  3. Reading more of the author's posts requires a subscription, but a 7-day free trial is available for access to the full post archives.