The hottest Competition Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Beating Hikaru

Zwischenzug • 373 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
🎾 Sports Competition
  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.

Observations: Georgia 27, Auburn 20

The Auburn Observer • 373 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
🎾 Sports Competition
  1. Auburn had a real chance to beat the No. 1 team in the country, Georgia, in an intense game.
  2. The game was lost by Auburn due to inefficiency on third downs, both on offense and defense.
  3. Despite the loss, Auburn showed progress and competitiveness against a top-tier opponent.

How Japan Won the Lithography Industry

The Asianometry Newsletter • 2368 implied HN points • 24 May 23
🕹 Technology 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.

BREAKING: Frontier adds flights to 7 cities from CLT

The Charlotte Ledger • 196 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
💼 Business 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 Competition
  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.
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The 22-Year-Old Who Unlocked the Secrets of Ancient Rome

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1252 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Competition
  1. The Vesuvius Challenge offered a $1 million prize for decoding ancient scrolls, sparking interest in AI deciphering
  2. Luke Farritor won a prize for using AI to read an Epicurean work of criticism on a scroll from the Villa dei Papyri
  3. Deciphering ancient scrolls has the potential to reshape our understanding of the ancient world and rewrite assumptions about history

Openings vs. Ratings

Zwischenzug • 314 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
🎾 Sports Competition
  1. At lower levels, expect to face 1. e4 often and focus more on Black opening preparation.
  2. In mid ratings, the London system is common, so be prepared for it.
  3. As you climb the rating ladder, face a variety of moves, so focus on preparing for the most common ones at your level.

the lonely pinnacle

derailleur • 699 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🎾 Sports Competition
  1. The Tour of Flanders has a rich history and culture tied to the region of Flanders.
  2. The race is characterized by challenging conditions, with riders facing harsh roads and tough competition.
  3. Tadej Pogačar's victory showcased his exceptional strength and skill, proving him to be a dominant force in cycling.

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 Competition
  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.

We Must Outcompete Our Elders

Everything Is Bullshit • 294 implied HN points • 16 May 23
📖 Philosophy Competition
  1. Continually outcompeting elders is key to human progress and satisfaction.
  2. Intergenerational Competition Theory suggests achieving collective success through generational growth.
  3. Societal stability and satisfaction can be linked to the ongoing improvement of each new generation over the previous one.

Gemini 1.0

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1164 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Competition
  1. Gemini 1.0 comes in three sizes: Ultra, Pro, and Nano for different tasks.
  2. Gemini Ultra achieves high accuracy and surpasses GPT-4 in many benchmarks.
  3. Gemini Pro is a substantial upgrade, but the full potential of Gemini is yet to be seen with Bard Advanced.

Resilience Series Part 5: Robertet

Business Breakdowns • 255 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. Robertet is a company that specializes in natural ingredients for perfumes and foods.
  2. The company's resilience comes from family ownership, vertical integration, and strong customer relationships.
  3. Robertet differentiates itself by focusing on natural ingredients and has a strong global network of suppliers.

Marc Andreessen"You Can't Build A Successful Company Without Thinking On Idea Maze !"| VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 199 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. Good startup ideas are well-developed, multi-year plans that consider various paths and changes in the market, known as the Idea Maze.
  2. The Idea Maze concept helps founders think strategically about their company's journey, by mapping out potential paths to success or failure.
  3. When navigating the Idea Maze, founders can gain insights from history, analogies, theories, and direct experience to make informed decisions.

Inside Netflix’s $82.7 Billion Gamble: How Ted Sarandos Outmaneuvered Hollywood for Warner Bros. Discovery

Huddle Up • 26 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
💼 Business Competition
  1. Netflix is buying Warner Bros. Discovery for $82.7 billion, winning a bidding war and gaining major franchises plus HBO Max’s roughly 130 million subscribers. This would make Netflix far larger than any streaming rival.
  2. Industry concerns are that the merger could shorten theatrical release windows, hurt movie theaters, and weaken terms for many actors, writers, and production staff, making it a clear antitrust flashpoint.
  3. Netflix plans to pursue a legal strategy to win DOJ approval and believes the deal’s economics still work even if regulators push back or try to block the merger.

A lot of times you just need more bidders

Something to Consider • 19 implied HN points • 14 Jul 24
💼 Business Competition
  1. Having more bidders in an auction often leads to better outcomes. More bidders means a higher chance that someone will value the item enough to buy it.
  2. In auctions, it's usually better to have more bidders than to have perfect control over the auction. More bidders can drive up the price and lead to better allocation of goods.
  3. Collusion is less likely to happen when there are many bidders competing against each other. More competition means it's harder for bidders to secretly agree on lower prices.

639 days later

SuperJoost Playlist • 257 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. Microsoft closes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard after 639 days of regulatory scrutiny.
  2. Expect Microsoft to promote Sarah Bond to CEO of Activision Blizzard to address workplace toxicity.
  3. The future of gaming will be better informed with more acquisitions likely in the industry.

stuck in the moat

Dan Davies - "Back of Mind" • 235 implied HN points • 12 May 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. The concept of a 'moat' in business, popularized by Warren Buffet, has been misunderstood and misapplied by many.
  2. The original idea behind a 'moat' was to protect a business's unique advantage, not simply to create barriers through legal means.
  3. The focus on 'moats' led to a shift in management attention towards maintaining profits through artificial means rather than product improvement.

Why Monopolies Hate Repair

Fight to Repair • 118 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
💼 Business Competition
  1. The fight for the right to repair is closely tied to the fight against monopolies. Companies like Apple use control over repairs to limit competition and maximize profit.
  2. Monopolies can hinder a circular economy by prioritizing profit over repairability. The push for a real circular economy requires challenging traditional capitalist notions.
  3. Legislation like the Digital Markets Act can help combat the restrictive practices of monopolies and create a more repair-friendly future. Advocating for right to repair policies and regulations is crucial in this fight.

The pre-standard phase

Hot Takes • 216 implied HN points • 08 Aug 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. Innovative ideas flourish during the pre-standard phase of a technology or industry.
  2. Establishing dominance early can lead to becoming the standard in the market.
  3. Not all innovations in the pre-standard phase will become the standard; some may fade away like passing trends.

The Absurdity of the Open Letter Calling for a Pause on AI Development

The A.I. Analyst by Ben Parr • 216 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Competition
  1. An open letter calling for a pause on AI development is viewed as flawed by the author.
  2. The approach of trying to pause AI development for safety reasons is considered unrealistic and not well thought out.
  3. The author suggests that collaboration, transparency, and practical solutions are needed to guide AI's development instead of proposing a blanket pause.

The Rise of Closed AI Systems: A Shift in the AI Paradigm

Rod’s Blog • 99 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Competition
  1. Open AI systems have been widely used in the past, promoting collaboration and sharing of AI technologies, but the trend is shifting towards closed AI systems that offer advantages like protecting intellectual property and user privacy.
  2. Closed AI systems, developed by private companies, are not accessible to the public or other researchers, leading to questions about transparency, accountability, and competition in the AI market.
  3. The emergence of closed AI systems presents a mix of benefits and challenges, such as fostering innovation and efficiency while potentially hindering collaboration and knowledge sharing in the AI community.

Problems at Coca-Cola (KO)

The Bear Cave • 1026 implied HN points • 21 Sep 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. Coca-Cola is facing new challenges in advertising and cultural relevance.
  2. Upstart brands like Prime and Celsius are growing rapidly and taking market share.
  3. Coca-Cola's failure to innovate has made room for newer brands to succeed, especially with younger generations.

Apple’s #2 Business Keeps Growing

CIRP - Apple Report • 98 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
💼 Business Competition
  1. Apple's Services segment is growing faster than other segments like iPad, Mac, Wearables, Home, and Accessories.
  2. 60% of Apple customers pay for expanded iCloud storage, making it a popular service.
  3. Apple Music has the highest penetration among Apple's media services, showing strong competition in this sector.

Banishing The Inner Critic

The Ruffian • 245 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🎾 Sports Competition
  1. Madison Keys won the Australian Open by playing more instinctively and accepting her mistakes. She realized that losing while being true to herself was better than winning by playing tightly and feeling stressed.
  2. She worked on her mental health through therapy, which helped her feel happier and less burdened by the pressure to win. She learned that success in tennis doesn't define her worth as a person.
  3. Keys found success by caring less about the outcome of her matches. By reducing her focus on winning, she could play more freely and confidently.

Should regulated utilities be prevented from owning EV charging assets?

Knowledge Problem • 196 implied HN points • 23 Feb 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. The default presumption should be to quarantine the monopoly in regulated utilities owning EV charging assets to prevent anti-competitive practices.
  2. Regulated utilities entering competitive EV charging markets may have unfair advantages by leveraging their regulated status.
  3. Allowing regulated utilities to own EV charging assets could stifle innovation and competition in the market compared to independent firms.

When fantasy gets real

TrueHoop • 98 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Competition
  1. Fantasy sports can stir up real emotions and conflicts among friends and family.
  2. Managing a fantasy team involves strategic decisions in trading players and lineup choices.
  3. Success in fantasy sports can come from a combination of good player management and matchup strategies.

Ubisoft’s subscription plan

SuperJoost Playlist • 257 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. Ubisoft's share price jumped 10% after obtaining exclusive worldwide cloud gaming rights to all Activision titles
  2. Ubisoft's subscription model struggles to retain subscribers despite initial influx from promotions
  3. Competition from platform holders like Sony poses a challenge for publisher-based subscriptions like Ubisoft+

When Quitting Isn’t an Option: Lessons from an 8-Year-Old at a Chess Championship

Behavioral Value Investor • 89 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25
🎾 Sports Competition
  1. It's important to stay resilient and fight back, even when things look hopeless. You never know when your opponent might make a mistake.
  2. Lessons from coaching can apply to many areas of life, including how we handle challenges and setbacks.
  3. Investing, like chess, requires discipline and a willingness to adapt. Keeping a positive mindset can help you navigate tough times.

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 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.

WINNER TAKES ALL

The Nature of Training • 19 implied HN points • 22 Jun 24
🎾 Sports Competition
  1. People's qualities are similar but their results vary greatly.
  2. In the real world, winners often take the most rewards.
  3. Investing in improvement can lead to significant rewards, especially in competitive environments.

How to Beat Larger Competitors

The Breaking Point • 339 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
💼 Business Competition
  1. Facing competition from bigger companies is inevitable in business.
  2. Strategies like deposition, commoditization, and disruption can help compete with larger competitors.
  3. Beating larger competitors takes time and persistence, but smaller companies can succeed against bigger rivals.