The hottest Consulting Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

TBM 362: How (And Why) We Help

The Beautiful Mess • 370 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
💼 Business Consulting Change Management Leadership Organizational Behavior Workplace culture
  1. Consulting can either follow a set plan or focus on helping people discover their own solutions. It's important to understand the difference and choose the right approach.
  2. It's normal to feel torn between sticking to the usual ways of doing things and wanting to create real change. Recognizing this struggle is the first step to addressing it.
  3. Being aware of how we show up in our work is crucial. It helps us connect better with others and can lead to more meaningful change.

Caterpillar to Butterfly

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1237 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Software Expertise Design Consulting Scaling
  1. As organizations grow, the need for specialist skills becomes more important. It's not enough to have hobbyists; experts are needed to handle complex tasks.
  2. When specialist teams form, their priorities might clash with client teams' needs. Client teams often want quick fixes, while specialists aim for quality work.
  3. To handle increased requests, organizations should empower client teams to solve their own issues. This self-service approach helps manage workloads and creates better efficiency.

A few charts on where AI adoption is going

Tanay’s Newsletter • 113 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Adoption Models Business Consulting
  1. The cost of using advanced AI models has dropped dramatically, making it easier for businesses to experiment and integrate AI into their products. This change opens up new possibilities for reaching millions of users.
  2. Reinforcement learning is proving effective for tasks with clear outcomes, which could lead to better performance of AI models over time. As these models improve, we can expect more widespread use of AI.
  3. The journey to adopting AI takes time, but it's happening faster than past innovations like electricity or telephones. Today, a significant portion of people are regularly using AI tools.

How An Informed Minority Took Over The World’s Biggest Firms

High ROI Data Science • 119 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
💼 Business Strategy Management Economics Consulting Information Systems
  1. Information asymmetry is when one group knows more than another. This can create unfair advantages in social systems and businesses.
  2. The Werewolf Game illustrates how a small, informed group can control the majority. This game teaches us about strategy and deception in group dynamics.
  3. To protect ourselves from manipulation, we need to build mental firewalls. Knowing about information asymmetry helps us fight back against unfair advantages.

Opp Consulting is a Scam

startupdreams • 105 implied HN points • 25 Feb 25
💼 Business Consulting Scams Marketing Startups Entrepreneurship
  1. Opp Consulting promised qualified leads and guaranteed meetings but failed to deliver. Instead, they sent mass emails that damaged the company's reputation.
  2. The consulting service charged a lot of money but did not follow through on their commitments. After 90 days, not a single meeting was scheduled.
  3. If you're considering using Opp Consulting, it's best to stay away to avoid wasting your resources. They have been labeled a scam based on this experience.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Open Thread 366

Astral Codex Ten • 7089 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Media Consulting Forecasting Education
  1. Anyone can share thoughts or ask questions in the open thread. It's a space for discussing anything on your mind.
  2. There are opportunities for people interested in AI safety, including a course that can help you get started in the field.
  3. An AI forecasting project is looking for news outlets to publish articles on future predictions about AI advancements.

Valuable, but not productive

Passing Time • 970 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
💼 Business Consulting Finance Career Entrepreneurship Work Life
  1. Many elite graduates end up in consulting and finance jobs, even if they don't know much about these fields. They often choose these paths due to pressure and anxiety about what to do after college.
  2. While jobs in consulting and finance are lucrative, they often don't contribute much to society. The work can feel unproductive and doesn't create a lasting impact or legacy.
  3. These high-stress jobs can lead to burnout and affect personal lives. People may sacrifice their health and relationships for prestige and money, but there are other fulfilling paths to explore.

From 9-to-5 to Building a Career Portfolio: How One Consulting Project Changed My Life

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 612 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
💼 Business Career development Consulting Networking Personal Branding Skill Building
  1. Building a solid skill set is crucial early in your career. Try out different skills and projects to find what you enjoy and what works for you.
  2. Seizing opportunities is key. Say yes to things that can help you grow, and be proactive about creating your own chances.
  3. Think of your career like building an investment portfolio. Every skill, project, and connection adds value, so keep investing in yourself and your network.

Thank You for 100k: A Journey Through 2024 and Beyond

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 294 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
💼 Business Consulting Data Analysis Content creation Leadership Community Building
  1. In 2024, I gained over 100,000 subscribers on both YouTube and Substack. I really appreciate the support and plan to create even better content next year.
  2. This year showed trends like cloud data migrations and smaller, fractional data teams, which are changing how companies handle data. It's important to keep an eye on these shifts in the data world.
  3. Looking ahead to 2025, I want to finish my book on data leadership and offer more webinars and mini-courses. I'm excited to engage even more with my readers and build a community.

Things are changing round here 🚀

Boiling The Ocean • 19 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
💼 Business Consulting Job Market Startups Technology Trends
  1. BTO is getting a fresh start with a new look and content focus. This is exciting because it means there will be better and more relevant information.
  2. They are launching a new platform called Cheddar, which makes applying for consulting jobs much easier. It's like having all job listings in one place.
  3. The relaunch will focus on key topics like industry news, AI tools, and job opportunities, and will be sent out every month. This change aims to keep everyone updated and informed.

The CTO’s Consulting Rate Calculator

The CTO Substack • 499 implied HN points • 29 Jun 24
💼 Business Consulting Entrepreneurship Startups Technology Leadership
  1. Determine your consulting rate based on client revenue and C-Suite salaries. This helps set a fair price for your services.
  2. Consider the complexity of the company and its engineering team size. A larger or more complicated organization may require a higher fee due to increased work.
  3. Always get paid before starting the work. This ensures that clients respect your time and commitment right from the beginning.

This is Math Meets Money

Math Meets Money • 139 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
💼 Business Finance Operations Strategy Recruitment Consulting
  1. Math Meets Money is a newsletter that helps scientists understand the business world using clear explanations. It's designed for those with scientific backgrounds who want to transition into business roles.
  2. The newsletter addresses common barriers scientists face when entering the business world. These include feeling over-qualified, under-qualified compared to others, and struggling with the specialized language of business.
  3. Readers can expect daily briefings on business terms and concepts, along with deeper dives into case studies and current events on weekends. This is all aimed at empowering scientists to innovate in industry.

Why more clients aren't buying from you (yet)

The Ask Newsletter — by Ellen Donnelly • 10 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
💼 Business Marketing Sales Entrepreneurship Consulting Branding
  1. Show your expertise in action. Document your thought processes and how you solve problems to help potential clients see your value.
  2. Position yourself as an authority by clearly sharing your unique mission and message. This attracts clients who resonate with your vision.
  3. Build relationships instead of just relying on cold leads. Most clients come from referrals and connections within your network.

The cult of data has gone too far

Wednesday Wisdom • 113 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Data Analysis Decision-making Corporate culture Consulting Tech industry
  1. Relying too much on data can lead to wrong decisions because numbers don't always tell the full story. Sometimes, human judgment or understanding is needed.
  2. Data can create a false sense of certainty, making people ignore the uncertainties and assumptions behind those numbers. It's important to be honest about what the data truly represents.
  3. Setting goals based on numbers can make teams lose sight of the real-world processes they are supposed to improve. Chasing metrics blindly can lead to poor outcomes.

TBM 332: The Last Strategy Framework You'll Ever Need

The Beautiful Mess • 674 implied HN points • 09 Jan 25
💼 Business Strategy Management Innovation Consulting Operations
  1. Strategy frameworks help teams figure out what questions to ask and how to answer them. They provide tools to organize and visualize ideas for better clarity.
  2. Different strategy frameworks focus on various aspects of a business. Some are good for visual thinkers, while others suit goal-oriented people or those who prefer simpler approaches.
  3. Understanding and applying strategy is challenging because it's about real-life situations. Successful strategy involves collaboration, adaptability, and accepting uncertainty rather than relying on perfect plans.

TBM 329: Deep vs. Broad Context Traps

The Beautiful Mess • 608 implied HN points • 26 Dec 24
💼 Business Management Consulting Psychology Strategy Workplace
  1. Having deep knowledge in one area can make people think their ideas will work everywhere. But different situations need different approaches.
  2. People with broad, but shallow knowledge might see patterns everywhere but miss the unique details that influence outcomes.
  3. It's good to mix deep and broad experiences. Reflecting on your past can help you understand where your beliefs come from and how they fit into different contexts.

Proposals Don't Work

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 159 implied HN points • 15 Jul 24
💼 Business Consulting Pricing Models Business Strategies
  1. Creating proposals is hard and often time-consuming because it can be overwhelming to decide what to offer clients. Instead of struggling with proposals, it's better to focus on defining clear services.
  2. Ditching proposals for a scalable pricing model can save time and make it easier to get clients. Using upfront billing means clients agree to your terms right away, like a product purchase.
  3. There are different pricing models you can use, like one-time services, monthly subscriptions, or a mix of both. This way, you can offer consistent services without repeating the proposal process for each client.

How To Get 40 Hours Daily

Day One • 1058 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Time management Sleep Productivity Self-Improvement Consulting
  1. Prioritize and manage your time effectively to make room for more tasks, even in a busy schedule.
  2. Focus on getting a good night's sleep for increased productivity and take advantage of Kairos moments for important actions.
  3. Implement time blocking by budgeting your time hourly, helping you stay organized and productive throughout the day.

From his brother's couch to $300/hour on Upwork

Kenny’s Sub • 179 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
💼 Business Freelancing Entrepreneurship Marketing Consulting Remote work
  1. Starting as a freelancer on platforms like Upwork can lead to great success, as experienced by those who raised their rates significantly while building a solid reputation.
  2. Building a strong profile on Upwork is important because positive reviews and job history can make you more visible to clients, even if it costs you some fees.
  3. Handling difficult clients is part of freelancing; offering refunds quickly can help maintain your reputation when problems arise.

Simu Liu Slings Dumplings

Snaxshot • 679 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Trends Beverages Snacks Consulting
  1. Simu Liu was seen slinging dumplings at an event, showcasing a celebrity involvement in food production.
  2. SXSW and EXPO events featured interesting trends like the rise of natural sour products and the consumer dictating new products.
  3. Observations included the amount of VC funding at EXPO, celebrity sightings endorsing products, and collaborations between restaurants and emerging brands.

Create a SWOT in 2 Minutes

The Security Industry • 21 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
💼 Business Market Analysis Cybersecurity Consulting
  1. A SWOT analysis helps businesses identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, which can guide their strategy. It's a simple way to evaluate a company's position in the market.
  2. Using tools like HarvestIQ.ai can make creating a SWOT analysis quick and easy, potentially saving time compared to hiring a consultant. This software can provide detailed insights on vendors and competitors.
  3. Businesses should keep an eye on the evolving cybersecurity landscape and the competition, as changes in regulations and economic conditions can impact success and growth opportunities.

The corporate solopreneur

Kenny’s Sub • 159 implied HN points • 18 Jun 24
💼 Business Freelancing Entrepreneurship Consulting Networking Project management
  1. It's important to understand the context of your clients' businesses. Many small businesses don't have complex plans like big corporations do.
  2. Asking detailed project questions can be unhelpful when working with smaller clients. They may only need basic support for their immediate needs.
  3. Using the right tools for each specific job is crucial. If your current skills don’t fit, it's okay to seek help or adapt your approach.

Amorphous consulting

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 319 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
💼 Business Consulting Management Strategy Organization Ethnography
  1. There are two types of consulting: concrete and amorphous. Concrete consulting is clear and focused on known problems, while amorphous consulting deals with unclear and complex issues.
  2. Amorphous consulting involves starting with open conversations to uncover hidden problems. The consultant learns about the organization’s inner workings that insiders often overlook.
  3. The true value of an amorphous consultant comes from asking the right questions and understanding what clients initially can't see. This helps clarify the scope of the work over time.

UX Roundup: AI Research Window | AI Skill Substitution | World Economic Forum Predicts More UX Jobs | AI-UX Consultant | Bad Bird Lip-Synch

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 19 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI UX Design Job Market Research Consulting
  1. There is a limited time to study how people use AI since soon everyone will have experience with it. Right now, researchers can still compare results between people who use AI and those who don't.
  2. The introduction of AI is changing job markets significantly. Some jobs, like translation, are declining, while others, like web development, are booming because AI helps workers be more productive.
  3. The World Economic Forum predicts that UX jobs will grow by 50% in the next five years. While there's some skepticism about job predictions, there is a general agreement that UX roles will keep increasing as AI continues to evolve.

A good start

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 239 implied HN points • 10 Apr 24
💼 Business Consulting Management Strategy Leadership Organizational
  1. Amorphous consulting is about tackling unclear and emerging problems that organizations face. It's often the first step in consulting even if clients don't recognize it or want to pay for it.
  2. Starting with amorphous consulting is cheaper and quicker than hiring a concrete consultant right away. It avoids the lengthy process of re-scoping a project.
  3. Amorphous consultants ask the 'dumb' questions that uncover hidden problems. This approach is useful when there's uncertainty, helping organizations find solutions they didn't even realize they needed.

Q&A with IBM CEO Arvind Krishna

More Than Moore • 93 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
💼 Business Consulting Technology AI Revenue Innovation Partnerships
  1. IBM is focusing on consulting, cloud services, AI, and research, as it no longer has a consumer division. Companies turn to IBM for help in improving efficiency and upgrading their technology.
  2. The launch of new AI models, like Granite, shows IBM's commitment to innovation in AI. They believe smaller, more efficient models are the future, making AI cheaper and easier to use.
  3. IBM is changing its approach to partnerships, focusing on collaboration with other companies instead of competing. This strategy helps enhance their offerings and build stronger business relationships.

10 Trend Predictions for Coaches, Consultants & Experts in 2025

The Ask Newsletter — by Ellen Donnelly • 15 implied HN points • 15 Jan 25
💼 Business Consulting Coaching Entrepreneurship Marketing Trends
  1. More professionals will work part-time or freelance while running their businesses, allowing for more flexibility and varied income streams. This change is reshaping what commitment looks like in the workplace.
  2. In 2025, service providers will focus on creating one standout offer instead of many products, making it easier for both them and their customers. This means simplifying what they sell helps avoid overwhelming buyers.
  3. Successful deals will often happen quietly behind the scenes, showing that the best service providers may not always be the loudest on social media. It's becoming more common to have valuable exchanges out of the public eye.

What Is A Productized Service

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 99 implied HN points • 12 Jun 24
💼 Business Freelancing Consulting Entrepreneurship
  1. Productized services offer a way to package and standardize services, making them easier to sell and manage. Instead of customizing everything for each client, providers can offer fixed services at set prices.
  2. By defining specific services and hiring skilled professionals, businesses can scale their operations. This means they can serve more clients without overwhelming themselves.
  3. Selling productized services can lead to more consistent income through subscriptions or recurring payments. It's a simpler approach that can work for freelancers as well as larger companies.

Stop Building Startups. Start Consulting Instead.

Michael’s Newsletter • 707 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Consulting Networking Marketing Income Streams
  1. Consider starting a consultancy business instead of a startup as it is more manageable and helps avoid common mistakes.
  2. Consulting allows you to solve real problems, start faster, and serves as a stepping stone to product development.
  3. Leverage your existing network for consulting opportunities, including past clients, recruiters, and real-life communities.

Seattle Data Guy In 2024

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 871 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Data Analysis Consulting Content creation Community Building
  1. Seattle Data Guy's work in 2023 involved filming videos, virtual conferences, and writing articles and newsletters.
  2. Client trends in 2023 showed shifts towards greenfield projects, solution design, marketing, and education.
  3. Popular articles in 2023 covered topics like data modeling, breaking out of tutorial hell, and essential templates for data analytics.

10 Ways to Price and Package AI (for any customer)

Good Better Best • 6 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
💼 Business Pricing SaaS Consulting Marketing Partnerships
  1. AI can be effectively priced using different strategies like freemium, free trials, and personal add-ons. These methods encourage users to explore AI features while still aiming for possible upgrades.
  2. Offering tiered pricing or credit models helps companies capture different user needs. This way, customers can choose plans that suit their usage levels and budget.
  3. AI can be positioned as a premium offering within corporate plans. This not only adds value to the product but can also justify higher prices for enterprise clients.

💥One down, eleven to go...💥

PETITION • 334 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
💼 Business Bankruptcy Legal Finance Retail Consulting
  1. Recent bankruptcies in the corporate sector include companies like Humanigen Inc., Audacy Inc., and Eye Care Leaders.
  2. GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2024 due to financial struggles and liquidity issues.
  3. In Rite Aid's bankruptcy case, issues arise regarding store closures, conflicts over lease rejections, and negotiations with stakeholders.

A peak behind the curtains of a 20k/month consultancy

Kenny’s Sub • 239 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
💼 Business Consulting Freelancing Networking Entrepreneurship Client Relations
  1. Balancing client work and personal projects is important. Setting aside specific times or days to work on personal goals can help prevent getting overwhelmed by client demands.
  2. Being genuine and helping others can build strong professional relationships. Sharing experiences and engaging authentically on platforms like LinkedIn can lead to valuable connections.
  3. It's crucial to keep pushing out of your comfort zone. Reflecting on your goals and staying focused on your 'why' can motivate you to pursue long-term ambitions instead of getting stuck in the short-term grind.

A thank you to supporters

Disaffected Newsletter • 439 implied HN points • 26 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Consulting Narcissism
  1. Thanks to supporters, there are special consulting rates available for returning clients and Disaffected supporters. You can get a lower price if you're a supporter or returning client.
  2. Consultation focuses on issues like family dynamics or workplace mistreatment. The consultant aims to help people think through their choices and improve their situations.
  3. If someone can't afford the rates, they are encouraged to reach out for a personalized pricing option. The consultant is willing to work with individuals facing financial challenges.