The hottest Economics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Some results on income distributions and total utility

Splitting Infinity • 59 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🔬 Science Economics
  1. The type of income distribution models used like Pareto or lognormal can impact total utility calculations in economics
  2. There is an interesting relationship observed where the degree of inequality doesn't directly correlate with total utility in certain scenarios
  3. Introducing more risk-averse utility functions can bring the focus back on the importance of inequality in calculations

Ten Useful Concepts

The Ruffian • 454 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🚌 Education Economics
  1. Vampire Problems involve big life decisions with little data to go on
  2. Legibility is about making societies understandable for rulers, but can overlook the important things
  3. Minus K represents the willful ignorance and avoidance of understanding oneself and others under stress

Intro to Economic Life 1: Creatures on a Planet

Altered States of Monetary Consciousness • 410 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🚌 Education Economics
  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.

Unbridled Capitalism Works

Points And Figures • 399 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
💼 Business Economics
  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.

The End of Coffee

OK Doomer • 178 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Economics
  1. By 2050, scientists predict that coffee may not be available like it is today because of climate change. Countries that grow most of the world's coffee are facing droughts and weather problems.
  2. Coffee is important in our daily lives, both as a comforting drink and as a part of our culture. It's also been shown to boost our mood and attention.
  3. The rising prices and production issues for coffee show how climate change can affect even the smallest things we love. It's a reminder to think about how our habits might change in the future.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Support Japan Economy Watch With A Paid Sub

Japan Economy Watch • 199 implied HN points • 24 Jan 23
💼 Business Economics
  1. Free subscribers of Japan Economy Watch will still receive all posts and have full access to archives.
  2. Paid subscribers support the dialogue on Japan but do not receive additional posts, only gratitude from the author.
  3. Subscription options for Japan Economy Watch include a base price of $50 per year, a 'founding subscription' of $80 per year, and the ability to sign up for any amount $50 or higher.

Links - 01/25/2024

Value Investing World • 58 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
💰 Finance Economics
  1. Value investors focus on determining a fair price for a business based on its potential future earnings.
  2. Listening to the insights of the team members can lead to valuable improvements in processes.
  3. Encouraging people to have fun while carrying out tasks can lead to lasting change and improved outcomes.

Top Questions ahead of Battlefin’s Discovery Day Miami

The Data Score • 59 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
💰 Finance Economics
  1. The article highlights key questions for speakers at Battlefin's Discovery Day Miami, focusing on emerging technologies integration and data-driven insights in investment debates.
  2. The author tested ChatGPT for question generation, challenging its ability to create relevant and insightful questions for each panel session.
  3. The author compared their questions with ChatGPT's questions for each panel, reflecting on their differences and the strengths of human creativity against AI capabilities.

All Fear The Cloud and Twitter Financials

Alex's Personal Blog • 131 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
💼 Business Economics
  1. Twitter's financial health has changed a lot since Musk bought it. Today, it makes less money but is more profitable than before.
  2. There are mixed opinions about the future of AI startups and cloud services. Some believe they'll thrive, while others think they'll face tough competition and slim profits.
  3. Some companies, like Deel and Glean, are doing well in the AI space. They've shown strong growth and profitability, even in a tough market.

The USA vs China AI race may define Trump's second term

The Dossier • 131 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economics
  1. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, claims to have created a powerful new machine learning model that's cheaper than popular models like Chat GPT. This has sparked a lot of excitement in the tech community.
  2. Not everyone believes DeepSeek's claims, as some tech leaders are skeptical. They worry that the company might be using advanced tech smuggled in from other countries despite tight export laws.
  3. The competition between the U.S. and China in AI is heating up. With big investments from both sides, the outcome of this race could significantly impact political and economic landscapes in the near future.

Well, there goes the neighborhood

Alex's Personal Blog • 131 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economics
  1. The U.S. government is becoming more isolated due to recent political decisions and actions, which could have serious economic consequences.
  2. There is a clash between how startups operate and how the government is supposed to function, with concerns about too much control in the hands of a few leaders.
  3. Tariffs and other actions by the government are causing uncertainty in the stock market and making it harder for businesses, especially startups, to succeed.

Hertz’s Bad Bet on EVs was a Good Strategy

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 59 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
💼 Business Economics
  1. Hertz decided to sell 20,000 electric vehicles and switch back to traditional cars because customers weren't buying EVs as expected. The interest in electric vehicles isn't as strong as they hoped.
  2. Renting an EV can be challenging for customers since charging stations can be hard to find. This can make getting an electric car during a trip pretty stressful.
  3. Even though Hertz is backing away from their EV push, the decision to invest in electric vehicles initially was smart. In 2021, EVs seemed like a great opportunity for growth.

Mr. Haltiwanger and the Austrians

Bet On It • 140 implied HN points • 09 Jan 25
💼 Business Economics
  1. Austrian economists should pay more attention to John Haltiwanger’s research on creative destruction. His work shows how important entrepreneurial growth is to the economy.
  2. Entrepreneurs help move resources to better uses by discovering opportunities and improving efficiency. This competition helps the economy grow and evolve.
  3. Measuring how resources are reallocated can show if markets are really working well. If more productive firms gain market share, it indicates a healthy, dynamic economy.

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 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.

May 2025 Residential Construction

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 63 implied HN points • 18 Jun 25
💼 Business Economics
  1. Multi-family home construction is back to normal levels seen before COVID-19. This means more apartments and similar housing are being built again.
  2. Single-family home construction is still taking longer than usual. Builders are facing challenges, but they're working through them.
  3. Overall, the U.S. housing construction market is facing some issues like high mortgage rates and tariffs on materials. This has led to a drop in new builds, but it's not all bad news.

May 2025 Erdmann Housing Tracker & Inflation Update

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 63 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
💰 Finance Economics
  1. Inflation has been steady at around 2% for three years, but the housing market shows some delays in reflecting this change. This means that while prices overall are stable, housing costs might still be catching up.
  2. The shelter component of inflation is lagging behind, which can impact people's housing decisions. It's important to keep an eye on how these housing prices evolve over time.
  3. Tracking housing prices and inflation together is crucial for understanding the market. Knowing how they influence each other can help you make better financial decisions.

Blogger to Substack

Musings on Markets • 499 implied HN points • 25 Mar 22
💼 Business Economics
  1. The author has been blogging since 2008, sharing insights on finance and evolving their views on markets along the way.
  2. They decided to move their blog from Google Blogger to Substack because it offers a better experience for readers and is easy to manage.
  3. The content will still be free. The author encourages readers to choose their preferred platform without any changes to the writing style.

Don't be the Bryan Johnson of money.

Neckar’s Notes • 123 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
💰 Finance Economics
  1. Measuring money can be misleading. When focusing just on a number, like net worth, it can become unimportant and lose its meaning.
  2. Like health, money can dominate your thoughts when you don't have it. But when you do, it often fades to the background.
  3. Don't obsess over extreme methods to gain wealth or health. A simple, balanced approach can be more effective and sustainable.

Gini Coefficients...

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 115 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economics
  1. The Gini Coefficient measures income equality, where 0 means everyone is equal and 1 means one person has everything. It helps us understand how wealth is distributed in a society.
  2. Intermediate Gini values can be tricky to interpret. It's hard to know what a score like 0.25 or 0.62 really means in terms of real-life inequality.
  3. Understanding historical Gini scores can give insight into how different societies experience inequality, but the differences might not always feel significant or clear.

The RCT Agenda

Bet On It • 352 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🚌 Education Economics
  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.

In 2021, Larry Summers Won the Inflation Debate. Now His Victory Is Looking a Little Transitory.

Informer • 98 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
💼 Business Economics
  1. Larry Summers' victory in the inflation debate of 2021-22 is now appearing transitory as inflation rates have steadily decreased without a spike in unemployment.
  2. Wages play a crucial role in determining inflation levels, with high wage inflation being a reliable predictor of high price inflation.
  3. Keynes and his collaborators emphasized the importance of rising money wages as the essence of inflation, diverging from the Quantity Theory of Money.

The Outlook for Home Sales

Home Economics • 98 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
💰 Finance Economics
  1. Mortgage rates are high and home prices have not dropped, leading to decreased affordability and a decline in home sales.
  2. This post discusses the impact of economic factors on the housing market.
  3. The newsletter focuses on using data visualization to analyze economic news, particularly in the housing sector.

The Forgotten Case Against Milton Friedman

Informer • 98 implied HN points • 14 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economics
  1. Milton Friedman's ideas changed economics by challenging the Phillips curve trade-off between inflation and unemployment.
  2. James Tobin provided an alternative theory of inflation focusing on demand shifts between sectors.
  3. Progressives didn't fully embrace Tobin's theory, leading to disagreements on tackling inflation and interest rates.

Why Does the Fed Really Use SPVs?

Without Warning • 98 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
💰 Finance Economics
  1. SPVs are strategic tools used by the Federal Reserve in times of crisis.
  2. The Fed has used SPVs to provide emergency liquidity during crises since the Global Financial Crisis.
  3. Historically, the Fed's use of SPVs has been within its legal authority and not for evading limitations.

Links for July

Bullfish Hole • 98 implied HN points • 04 Jul 23
💾 History Economics
  1. There are concerns about lab leaks and gain of function research in relation to germs, COVID-19, and other pathogens.
  2. The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on higher education, academic work, and the academic labor market is a topic of concern.
  3. Cultural features and social mobility can be influenced by ecological factors and historical context.

Lawler: Early Read on Existing Home Sales in October

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25
💰 Finance Economics
  1. In October, existing home sales increased slightly to an annual rate of 4.09 million, which is a small rise from September and up from last year. This shows a steady demand in the housing market.
  2. The median price for single-family homes also went up by about 2.2% compared to last year, indicating that home values are on the rise.
  3. Analysts suggest that the market's estimate of the neutral interest rate, known as R*, is around 1.5%. This estimate aligns well with several economic models, showing a consistent outlook.

The Unholy Trinity of Venture Capital

Investing 101 • 161 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
💼 Business Economics
  1. Venture capital is changing a lot because of three main players: agglomerators, allocators, and absorbers. These groups shape what venture capital looks like today.
  2. Agglomerators raise huge amounts of money and focus on making profits from fees. They often manage many investments at once and aim to control more resources.
  3. Large funds often attract institutional investors looking for steady returns, but this can lead to competition for fewer investment opportunities, making it tough for smaller funds to succeed.

$269 This Week Playing Against Empire

The False Consensus Effect • 59 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Economics
  1. The author aims to live frugally under $300/week to resist governmental control and societal pressures.
  2. Encourages others, especially the youth, to follow a similar path of minimalistic living and contributions to charity.
  3. The author criticizes the current economic structure and lifestyle standards in the U.S., advocating for a simpler, more community-oriented way of life.

A map of my ignorance: Technostrategy and technofeudalism

Philosophy bear • 135 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Economics
  1. Many jobs, especially those in offices, could be replaced by AI soon. This change might make it hard for workers to find jobs and could create a big gap in wealth between those who benefit from AI and those who don't.
  2. Workers may start resisting these changes as jobs disappear. How this resistance plays out depends on the speed of job loss and the workers' ability to unite against it.
  3. The future of work will also depend on political reactions to AI. There might be new political groups forming to oppose AI advancements, reshaping how society views labor and automation.

Why we have a freemium model

Founders Confidential • 19 implied HN points • 15 May 24
💼 Business Economics
  1. A freemium model helps reach people who might not afford services otherwise. It allows companies to assist those, like students in developing countries, who are pursuing their dreams.
  2. Offering free services creates a lot of positive word-of-mouth. When people see value in free offerings, they tell others, which brings in new customers.
  3. Having a strong free tier pushes companies to provide a great user experience. It shouldn’t be frustrating to use; instead, it should show enough value to encourage users to consider paid features.

WSJ Editorial Cites My Writings on BOJ Dilemma

Japan Economy Watch • 179 implied HN points • 18 Jan 23
💰 Finance Economics
  1. The Bank of Japan decided to maintain its monetary policy which initially impacted the currency exchange rate and bond yields.
  2. An editorial in the Wall Street Journal referenced writings by Richard Katz concerning the BOJ policy, shedding light on the ongoing discussions.
  3. Richard Katz had a letter to the editor published in response to an op-ed about BOJ policy, showcasing differing opinions and contributing to the dialogue.

A Ghost Story About Pies

Vittles • 159 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Economics
  1. Pimbletts bakery is a big part of the history and culture of St Helens, where pies have been loved for generations. It shows how food connects to the town's industrial past.
  2. Despite its closures and comebacks, the new Pimbletts is facing criticism for not tasting as good as the original. People feel like the history and quality of the pies are being lost.
  3. St Helens struggles with its identity after losing many factories and jobs. Young people see little hope for the future, feeling the town is stuck living in the past.