The hottest Economics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Why Is It So Hard to Build an Airport?

Construction Physics • 22131 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business Infrastructure Aviation Construction Economics Environmentalism
  1. Airports are crucial for global economy, with aviation contributing significantly to GDP.
  2. Building airports is notoriously difficult due to opposition from various interest groups, particularly related to noise concerns.
  3. Despite challenges in airport construction, the aviation industry has managed to adapt and accommodate increased air travel by adding runways, expanding infrastructure, and increasing passenger capacity per plane.

Why I Don't Read Reddit

The Honest Broker • 14196 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Finance Management Companies Economics
  1. Reddit relies heavily on unpaid labor with 60,000 daily active moderators compared to around 2,000 employees.
  2. After 18 years, Reddit still isn't profitable, accumulating a $717 million deficit, but it shows potential for profitability with increasing revenues and reduced losses.
  3. Reddit's CEO earned $193 million last year, prompting questions about excessive compensation, and Reddit is heavily reliant on advertising for revenue, putting it in a risky position concerning Google competition.

A Cycle of Misery: The Business of Building Commercial Aircraft

Construction Physics • 27768 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
💼 Business Aviation Manufacturing Industry Competition Economics
  1. Developing a new commercial aircraft is incredibly expensive, with development costs exceeding billions and posing significant financial risks to companies.
  2. Aircraft manufacturers face challenges in predicting market demand and trends, with incorrect guesses leading to financial losses and potentially fatal setbacks.
  3. Given the high costs and risks involved in developing new aircraft, manufacturers often opt to revise existing models to mitigate costs, keep pilot training minimal, and maximize efficiency.

Winner Takes All

Doomberg • 5270 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
💰 Finance Investing Stock Market Cryptocurrency Economics
  1. In the stock market, rapid swings in market value can be astonishing, such as Nvidia's $270 billion intraday swing – highlighting the unpredictable nature of markets.
  2. Rampant speculation in assets like Bitcoin can be a sign of impending currency devaluation, drawing parallels to historical financial crises like the Weimar Hyperinflation.
  3. Michael Saylor's aggressive strategy of leveraging debt to buy Bitcoin with MicroStrategy serves as a unique case study of riding high in the volatile crypto market, showcasing the power of 'pumpamentals.'

Pakistan needs a plan

Noahpinion • 13588 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Economics Geopolitics Foreign Investment Education
  1. Pakistan needs stability, privatization, education, foreign investment, and peace to improve its economic situation.
  2. The country is facing a significant debt crisis due to borrowing from organizations like the International Monetary Fund, resulting in a continuous increase in foreign debt.
  3. To escape the debt trap, Pakistan should focus on investing more, especially through privatization, attracting foreign direct investment, enhancing education, and seeking peace and economic cooperation with India.
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The Rise of Western Individualism

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 4431 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology History Society Religion Economics
  1. Western individualism stems from historical factors like the power of the Western Church and its unique taboos on family structures.
  2. WEIRD societies have distinct characteristics: hyper-individualism, focus on intentions, patience for delayed gratification, and a willingness to adhere to rules even without enforcement.
  3. The rise of Western individualism influenced laws, innovation, and economic prosperity, with key factors like belief in moralizing gods, influence of formal institutions, and the impact of impersonal markets.

Book review: "Power and Progress"

Noahpinion • 8706 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
📚 Literature Book review Economics Innovation Critique History
  1. The impact of technological innovation on human welfare depends on how society chooses to use these innovations, highlighting the importance of social decisions.
  2. The book discusses how power dynamics in society influence the choices made regarding technology, with recent decisions leaning towards negative impacts.
  3. Society can shape technology to distribute benefits more widely by focusing on inventions that complement workers instead of replacing them, presenting a controversial but essential concept.

The way we live in the United States is not normal

Changing The Channel • 33626 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social Issues Healthcare Economics Culture Society
  1. In the United States, there is a sense of normalcy around high costs for education and healthcare, which contrasts with other countries where these are considered basic human rights.
  2. The social dynamics in the US make casual, spontaneous interactions with friends difficult to maintain, unlike in some other parts of the world where daily connections are more common.
  3. The increasing expenses, especially in housing, in the US are leading to a situation where even successful professionals find it challenging to afford a balanced life, pushing many towards burnout and dissatisfaction.

Atlas Won’t Shrug

Doomberg • 7754 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
💰 Finance Energy Commodities Economics Markets Policy
  1. The human need for energy continues to grow despite various historical crises and catastrophes.
  2. Energy is not just an input into the economy but is actually the foundation of the economy itself.
  3. The idea of peak cheap oil being a crisis is challenged, with the belief that humanity would adapt swiftly to any temporary constraints in energy availability.

Everything Looks Like A Nail

Where's Your Ed At • 25075 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
💼 Business Technology Venture Capital Inequality Economics
  1. Marc Andreessen wants to portray himself as a victim despite his immense success and wealth.
  2. Andreessen promotes a vision of continuous technological advancement, but his actions and investments often prioritize maintaining the status quo.
  3. Andreessen's manifesto is filled with contradictions and hypocrisy, advocating libertarian economic thinking while benefiting from government intervention.

The bottomless financial insanity of the Rwanda scheme

Striking 13 • 2515 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🌍 World Politics Government Finance Policy International relations Economics
  1. The UK's Rwanda scheme is shown to be financially insane, with exorbitant costs and no real impact, according to a recent report.
  2. The Home Office's approach to the scheme is criticized for its irrationality, waste of money, and failure to address the asylum backlog effectively.
  3. Comparison with the costs of a functioning asylum system highlights the extreme financial inefficiency and lack of logic in the Rwanda scheme.

Can a Writers Strike Save Hollywood from Monopoly?

BIG by Matt Stoller • 53286 implied HN points • 14 May 23
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Labor Media Economics Monopolies
  1. Hollywood is facing a crisis with streaming services struggling to profit while dominating the industry.
  2. Legal changes in the U.S. over the years have stripped independent producers of bargaining power, impacting the quality of content.
  3. The ongoing writers' strike highlights the need to address the structural issues in the industry caused by consolidation and lack of market signals.

🤖⏭ Nvidia's surge hints at AI's transformative potential. But what's next?

Faster, Please! • 913 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
💰 Finance Stock Market AI Economics Technology Investing
  1. Nvidia's surge in the stock market indicates the potential of AI and its transformative impact.
  2. The stock market reflects high optimism towards AI, but it hasn't reached the levels of previous tech bubbles.
  3. The increase in Nvidia's market value seems to be supported by actual earnings, not just speculative investments.

🧪⚛🧬 Broken promises: CHIPS Act funding for science research falls short

Faster, Please! • 822 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Research Economics Policy AI Health
  1. Despite promises made in the CHIPS and Science Act, Congress significantly underfunded key agencies and programs for scientific research, hindering progress in fields like artificial intelligence.
  2. Investment in basic scientific research, often a public good with long-term benefits beyond immediate financial gains, is essential for innovation and societal advancement.
  3. Government-funded R&D has historically played a crucial role in business sector productivity growth, supporting the argument for increased federal spending on research and development.

Recommended Reading, Part III: Economics

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 791 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🚌 Education Economics Debunking
  1. The physiocratic curriculum delves deep into economics, highlighting a long reading list and raising unanswered questions.
  2. Classical economics is explored starting with Richard Cantillon, followed by influential figures like Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Henry George.
  3. Alternative economic theories include Austrian economics, Austro-Classical synthesis, and American School, offering unique perspectives on trade, tariffs, and government intervention.

Slavery was bad

Slow Boring • 7095 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics History Economics Slavery Political Discourse Capitalism
  1. Slaveowners among America's founding fathers knew slavery was bad, but still profited from it.
  2. In the early 19th century, the South shifted to viewing slavery as a 'positive good,' leading to political divides and eventually the Civil War.
  3. A new paper by economic historians argues that the costs of slavery far outweighed the benefits, likening enslavement to theft.

The Berlin Wall has fallen, but Germany remains divided

Back To Sifar • 59 implied HN points • 14 Apr 24
🌍 World Politics Germany Cold War Economics Ideology Infrastructure
  1. Western and Eastern Germany remain vastly different today due to historical events like the Cold War and post-World War 2 division.
  2. Significant disparities exist between Western and Eastern Germany in areas like religion, GDP per capita, and political tendencies, reflecting the lasting impact of past economic and political decisions.
  3. Investments in developing the Eastern part of Germany are ongoing, aiming to bridge the gap and achieve true unity in the country.

Sadiq Khan’s Techno Feudalism

The Free Mind • 1375 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Government Climate Technology Economics Society
  1. Sadiq Khan's plans reflect a clear long-term vision, gradually changing private car ownership and lifestyle expectations.
  2. Cities like London are aiming for radical changes by 2030 to combat global warming, pushing for zero meat, dairy, and limited clothing consumption.
  3. The concept of 'radical incrementalism' involves small changes leading to significant impacts in shifting public behavior, like the introduction of pay-per-mile road charging.

⏩🔬 Good news: We know how to accelerate the US economy

Faster, Please! • 1188 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
💼 Business Economics Policy AI Health Clean Energy
  1. Increasing public money for R&D can boost business productivity and private sector investment.
  2. Historically, technological innovation and public R&D have played a significant role in driving economic growth.
  3. There is a correlation between higher public investments in nondefense R&D and long-term increases in total factor productivity (TFP) in the business sector.

How Millennials Grew Up and Got Old

Culture Study • 6860 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Generations Identity Society Economics Challenges
  1. Millennials are experiencing a shift in societal focus as they move from being the future to the middle generation.
  2. The pandemic has impacted millennials in various ways, from financial challenges to changing perspectives on owning homes.
  3. Millennials are navigating feelings of age and exhaustion, dealing with societal issues and personal milestones.

Will AI Cause Massive Deflation?

cryptoeconomy • 1493 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
💰 Finance Economics Technology Central Banking Inflation
  1. There will not be durable deflation in the future unless major changes happen to the dollar or the Federal Reserve.
  2. Technology like AI can lead to deflation by lowering prices, but central banks like the Federal Reserve counteract this by absorbing the deflation.
  3. A special type of bad deflation occurs when dollars are taken out of circulation, often due to events like financial panics, leading to economic challenges.

⚛ Nuclear power: Faster, please! But also cheaper, please!

Faster, Please! • 1188 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Energy AI Economics Policy Innovation
  1. Nuclear power needs to be developed faster and at a lower cost to be a reliable energy source for the future.
  2. New generations of reactors, like small modular ones, are emphasized for the advancement of nuclear energy.
  3. Building nuclear power plants faces significant delays and challenges globally, hindering progress in the industry.

The Deposit Myth

Altered States of Monetary Consciousness • 481 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
💼 Business Banking Economics Finance Education
  1. When it comes to 'bank deposits', the traditional verb-noun pairing can be misleading. The term 'deposit' typically implies something being put in, but with banks, it refers to something issued out by the bank like digital casino chips.
  2. Comparing banks to casinos can help understand the concept better. When you 'deposit' cash in a bank, it becomes their asset, and you receive digital chips as a liability. This is opposite to the usual understanding that a deposit is something put in the bank.
  3. The language around 'bank deposits' can create misunderstandings, especially in economics. An update in how we define and understand 'bank deposits' can help clear up these misconceptions and align with the actual operations involved.

Unbridled Capitalism Works

Points And Figures • 399 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
💼 Business Economics Startups Industry Management Innovation
  1. Unbridled capitalism works: In a capitalist society, businesses must prioritize growth to survive. Without growth, businesses risk failure or acquisition.
  2. Philanthropy and profit: Successful entrepreneurs historically engage in philanthropy after building their businesses. Making money is essential for a business to exist.
  3. Employee culture and strategic decisions: Maintaining employee trust and fully committing to strategic decisions, like pivoting to blockchain, are crucial for the success of a startup.

Where Steve Jurvetson Sees Dead Companies

The Geek Way • 399 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
💼 Business Innovation Technology Management Industry Economics
  1. Software proficiency is crucial in modern business - companies need to adapt and iterate quickly to stay competitive.
  2. Legacy companies face challenges in transitioning to modern software practices and may struggle to keep up with agile competitors.
  3. The 'geek way' of upgrading a company involves more than just technology - it extends to decision-making, culture, and overall organizational strategy.

The Battle Between The Inner Life and The Outer Life

Sparks from Culture by David Roberts • 1179 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Literature Economics Society Philosophy History
  1. Modern American capitalism has constrained many lives, leading to angst and a pursuit of more slow-paced lives.
  2. E.M. Forster's 'Howards End' explores the conflict between inner and outer ways of life, highlighting the impact of capitalism on personal relations and daily duties.
  3. There is resistance to hyper-capitalism in modern America, with a growing push for a slower life, nature, and emphasis on inner values.