The hottest Economics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

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.

What Do They Want?

Points And Figures • 559 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Government Economics Social Issues Cryptocurrency
  1. Power is the ultimate goal for those in political positions, beyond money or economic profit.
  2. Political systems can be analyzed using economic theories like supply and demand curves applied to power dynamics.
  3. The push and pull between centralized and decentralized government is evident in various aspects, including cryptocurrency and tokenization.
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Chartbook 257: Santa's workshop economy and the question of unfree elvish labour.

Chartbook • 1716 implied HN points • 24 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Christmas Economics Mythology Labor Podcasts
  1. The economics of Santa's workshop involves serious questions about sovereignty over the North Pole.
  2. There is debate about whether elvish labor in Santa's workshop can be considered as unfree or 'slave' labor.
  3. Reindeer play a crucial role in Santa's workshop economy, with an interesting fact being that all of Santa's reindeer with antlers are female.

💥💥 Two takes on America’s emerging (maybe) productivity boom

Faster, Please! • 822 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
💰 Finance Economics AI Policy Clean Energy
  1. There are signs of a significant economic transformation with productivity growth outpacing historical averages.
  2. The American economy may be experiencing a new productivity boom, setting it apart from other advanced economies.
  3. The recent productivity upshift is likely a response to a tight hiring environment, prompting firms to boost efficiency and automation.

The RCT Agenda

Bet On It • 352 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🚌 Education Economics Research Science Academia
  1. The book highlights how the randomistas in economics might have a political agenda of serving government rather than challenging it, focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  2. Many economists focus on RCTs to measure causal effects of variables, emphasizing laboratory, field, and natural experiments in research, with randomization as the core of experimentation.
  3. Randomistas often avoid engaging in the debate of free markets vs. government, favoring government-centered policies in their research strategies, leading to limited exploration of free-market economics.

Scenes from Warwick

The Lens • 825 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🚌 Education Economics Students Books
  1. Many students were inspired to study economics after reading 'The Deficit Myth' by Stephanie Kelton.
  2. Students at the Warwick Economics Summit showed interest in integrating MMT and ecological economics.
  3. Torrens University offers online postgraduate courses in Modern Monetary Theory and Ecological Economics.

CPI 3.1%

Points And Figures • 666 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
💰 Finance Markets Inflation Investing Policy Economics
  1. Inflation might be higher than reported due to isolated evidence like price increases in certain sectors.
  2. The government's policies are putting strong inflationary pressure on the economy, impacting various sectors and housing market.
  3. Business news sources may have biases and push narratives, so it's important to seek objective insights for informed decisions.

Sacred Cows

The Lens • 904 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economics Federal Reserve Inflation Monetary Policy Public Perception
  1. Economists, market participants, pundits, and policymakers got some big things wrong in recent years, like the transitory nature of inflation.
  2. The public perception of elites may be that they often know nothing, even elites admit to being wrong on significant matters.
  3. There was a discussion on the impact of rate hikes on inflation, challenging the traditional narrative and the idea that monetary policy has no effect.

Media Notes

The Lens • 982 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
💰 Finance Economics Monetary Policy Inflation Interest Rates Debt
  1. Stephanie Kelton discusses alternative ways to handle inflationary pressures globally
  2. Central banks turning to rate hikes may not be the most effective solution for managing inflation
  3. Raising interest rates can have unintended consequences and may not always lead to desired outcomes

Fighting The Fed

Points And Figures • 426 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💰 Finance Markets Investing Economics Trading Banking
  1. Interest rate futures, including SOFR and Fed Funds, are indicating market expectations of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve by the end of the year.
  2. The author predicts that the Federal Reserve will not lower rates in 2024 due to concerns about inflation and unemployment.
  3. Considering predictions about the Fed and interest rates, strategies like buying real estate without waiting for lower rates, buying out-of-the-money puts, and playing butterfly spreads are suggested.

Against Agglomeration Economies

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 252 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
💼 Business Economics Cities Housing Urban Development
  1. Economists often overemphasize the productivity of cities as the reason for expensive housing, leading to misdiagnoses and biases.
  2. High income gains have been observed in cities that didn't experience significant growth in housing units, challenging the concept of agglomeration economies.
  3. Income disparities among cities have increased over time, with a significant impact from Closed Access displacement, showing the importance of considering factors beyond productivity in city assessments.

Viking Therapeutics has an $8 billion market cap with 27 full time employees. This is their story.

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 373 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
💼 Business Biotech Investment Startups Pharmaceuticals Economics
  1. Success in biotech often involves licensing and developing existing molecules, rather than creating completely new ones.
  2. To thrive in biotech, it's crucial to strategically select candidates and navigate clinical trials efficiently with the available resources.
  3. Viking Therapeutics' success was built on wisely choosing profitable indications, selecting the right molecules, and executing their development program effectively.

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.

Intro to Economic Life 1: Creatures on a Planet

Altered States of Monetary Consciousness • 410 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🚌 Education Economics Philosophy History Environment Political
  1. The economy is not separate from the planet, but rather a part of it, with everything deriving from the ecological systems of Earth. This interconnectedness should be a foundational element of economic analysis.
  2. Products we see as separate entities are actually collections of human labor and resources from the planet, with objects being made up of multiple acts of labor combined with natural elements like sunlight, air, water, and food.
  3. The illusion of separation in the economy can hide exploitative practices and hinder our ability to make informed decisions, leading to disconnection, confusion, and alienation. Understanding these interconnected processes is crucial to developing a holistic view of the economy.

Anti-Communism and 20th-century Economics

In My Tribe • 865 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🚌 Education Economics History Philosophy Sociology Government
  1. Great economists of the 20th century were motivated by the conflict between capitalism and communism.
  2. There was a trade-off between freedom and economic pain, with differing views on how to handle it.
  3. The focus of 21st century intellectuals has shifted to issues like climate change and terrorism, moving away from the economic debates of the past.

James Burnham’s managerialism eighty years later

Global Inequality and More 3.0 • 555 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🚌 Education Theory History Politics Economics Ideology
  1. James Burnham proposed the concept of 'managerialism' as a replacement for capitalism, where managers rule while capitalists take a passive role.
  2. Burnham's predictions were proven wrong, but his analysis of the shift towards managerialism and the role of state in the economy remains relevant for reflection.
  3. Despite Burnham's inaccuracies, his ideas on managerial revolution and the potential for alternative economic systems in the future can still offer valuable insights.

Top Links 380 How Congress is holding up the defense-industrial boom, China's green hydrogen push, Keynes on the politics of time &. a disaster brewing in Congo

Chartbook • 286 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🌍 World Politics Green Energy Economics History
  1. The post shares top links about Congress affecting the defense-industrial boom, China's green hydrogen efforts, Keynes' views on time politics, and a looming disaster in Congo.
  2. Adam Tooze's Chartbook Newsletter provides great links and content related to various global topics.
  3. The post features an image by Hiroshi Hamaya, a renowned Japanese documentary photographer from the 20th century.

The cocoa question

Asian Century Stocks • 805 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💰 Finance Commodities Markets Stocks Economics Supply Chain
  1. Cocoa prices have spiked due to poor crops in West Africa, leading to challenges for chocolate producers.
  2. The tightness in the cocoa market is expected to persist, but historically, markets tend to return to balance within three years.
  3. High cocoa prices impact processors and chocolate manufacturers, who eventually pass on costs to consumers over approximately two years.

CFPB Proposes Rule To Close TILA Overdraft "Loophole"

Fintech Business Weekly • 661 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
💰 Finance Regulation Banking Investing Fintech Economics
  1. CFPB proposed a rule to close the TILA overdraft loophole, aiming to protect consumers from billions in junk fees.
  2. The proposed rule would require large banks to treat overdrafts like credit products, disclosing APRs and considering actual costs.
  3. Exempting banks under $10 billion in assets from the rule has sparked debate, highlighting the complexity of regulating banking fees.

ANOTHER: The Inside Gold-For-Oil Deal That Could Rock The World's Financial Centers

The Dollar Endgame • 339 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💰 Finance Economics Markets Geopolitics Gold Monetary System
  1. A controversial blogger in 1997 exposed a hidden gold-for-oil deal that impacted global geopolitics.
  2. Gold prices might have been suppressed to maintain the international monetary system's stability.
  3. The delicate balance between gold, oil, and currencies has historical roots and holds the power to disrupt financial systems.

Fear Not

The Better Letter • 511 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
💰 Finance Investing Market Analysis Personal Finance Economics
  1. Fear sells and makes money, driving many market predictions based on fear.
  2. Investors face fear daily, driven by narratives over data, making them susceptible to fear-mongering.
  3. Long-term investment is crucial; while fear may lead to short-term moves, the market trends upwards over time, favoring investment.

Capitalism put an end to systematic warfare

Wood From Eden • 960 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Warfare Evolution Economics Capitalism
  1. Capitalism led to the decline of systematic warfare as the main way for producers to compete.
  2. Human evolution has been a struggle between individual and group selection, where societies with best productivity survived wars.
  3. The shift to the market economy allowed producers to compete directly, promoting productivity without the need for destructive warfare.

Noah Smith, I Don't Buy The Comparative Advantage Argument

Am I Stronger Yet? • 141 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Economics Future implications Workforce Artificial Intelligence
  1. Economic models based on comparative advantage may not hold in a future dominated by AI.
  2. The argument that people will always adapt to new jobs due to comparative advantage overlooks issues like lower quality work by humans compared to AI and transactional overhead.
  3. In a world with advanced AI, confident predictions based on past economic principles may not fully apply, raising questions about societal implications and the role of humans.