The hottest Efficiency Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

What I'm preparing for in 2025

next big thing • 76 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. AI is becoming a big part of software development, allowing small teams to create successful products quickly and efficiently. By 2025, we will see a lot more companies thriving because of this.
  2. We are moving towards using AI not just as helpers but as real team members. In 2025, AI will be more about collaboration rather than just assistance.
  3. There will be breakthroughs in other technologies like healthcare or energy that could surprise us, just as AI did in the past. These advancements will create new opportunities for startups.
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People use the tools they know

The Daily Developer • 39 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. When faced with a challenge, people generally resort to using the tools they are familiar with.
  2. Sometimes, trying different tools or approaches, like hiring someone else, can be more efficient and cost-effective.
  3. Being aware of the tools you know and how they impact your work is important for productivity and success.

Drivers of success

Tech and Thoughts • 2 HN points • 31 Jul 24
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Good communication is really important for success. It helps everyone understand each other and work better together.
  2. Having the right information and logistics is key. When things are organized and everyone has the info they need, success comes more easily.
  3. Competence matters, but it shouldn't overshadow other factors like communication and logistics. Balancing all these elements leads to better results.

Achieving Government Efficiency Requires More, Not Less, Investment

The Good Science Project • 44 implied HN points • 18 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Efficiency
  1. Government efficiency means getting more value from every dollar spent, not just cutting costs. Investing wisely can help achieve better results.
  2. To make government work better, we need to invest in research and development. This can help find smarter ways to deliver public services that benefit everyone.
  3. Cutting government spending isn't the answer to making it more efficient. We need to assess which programs work best and invest in them to create more social value.

Issue #17 Career-Smart Leaders Are Doing AI Differently. Are You?

OSS.fund Newsletter • 18 implied HN points • 17 Jul 25
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Career-smart leaders focus on making AI part of existing workflows instead of treating it as just a shiny new tool. This helps teams trust AI more and see real benefits.
  2. It's important to measure success not just by AI engagement but by how much it improves cycle times and closes rates. Focusing on practical outcomes can boost your career.
  3. Adopting AI should start small and be stress-free for users. Leaders who manage expectations and simplify processes tend to create better organizational readiness for change.

Sales and Marketing and Dev Ops, Oh My!

Sarah's Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 26 Apr 22
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Efficiency in operational teams is crucial for the overall effectiveness of an organization. They play a vital role in supporting other departments to work faster and better.
  2. Operational teams like SalesOps, MOps, and DevOps have unique functions but share a common goal of increasing efficiency and saving time for the organization.
  3. Current tools and practices in operational teams can still involve manual tasks, hindering efficiency. Providing education and support for scale is essential for driving true efficiency across all operational areas.

Jevons Paradox

davidj.substack • 35 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Jevons Paradox shows that when something becomes cheaper to use, people tend to use more of it, which can actually lead to higher overall consumption. This means that efficiency gains may not reduce usage as expected.
  2. When teams save money through efficiency, they're likely to spend their budgets on new projects instead of cutting costs. They want to use their saved money to create more value.
  3. Using tools that are easier and more efficient can lead to discovering new ways to use them, increasing overall spending on those tools instead of cutting back. This often justifies bigger budgets for future projects.

5 Years Late, Only #2

More Than Moore • 116 implied HN points • 16 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. The supercomputer Aurora faced delays and its performance fell short compared to expectations.
  2. Efficiency metrics show Aurora's performance ratio lagging behind other systems on the Top500 list.
  3. Limited timeframe for optimization impacted Aurora's benchmark results, emphasizing the challenge of extracting peak performance.

#100 - Playing Offense

davidj.substack • 95 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Data quality starts with the Product Requirements Document and Analytics Requirements Document.
  2. For product changes, defining data requirements through a Data Design Document is crucial.
  3. Being part of the product development process improves efficiency, speed, and collaboration in data management.

Surrogate Activities

Brain Lenses • 19 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Efficiency
  1. Jacques Ellul believed that modern technology has led to a loss of intellectual and practical liberty.
  2. Ted Kaczynski, influenced by Ellul's ideas, took a different path by using violence to address technology's negative impact.
  3. The concept of Surrogate Activities derived from Ellul's ideas focuses on non-essential tasks hindering efficiency and personal growth.

The unreasonable effectiveness of LLMs

John’s Contemplations • 19 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. LLMs have displayed surprising reasoning abilities like solving math problems using words.
  2. LLMs can be trained to use tools to address their weaknesses and improve tasks like code generation.
  3. LLMs work well due to the general nature of language, the breakdown of complex tasks into simpler steps, and the efficiency of neural networks like Transformers.

Algorithmic Bitcoin Mining

nicosmid • 19 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. Algorithmic Bitcoin mining automates tasks for increased efficiency and less human intervention.
  2. Real-time data is used to optimize mining operations.
  3. Benefits of algorithmic mining include efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and improved hardware health.

3 Things Athletic Training can teach you about Interview Preparation [StoryTime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 02 Oct 22
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Athletic training principles can be applied to interview preparation for peak performance and best results.
  2. Avoid inefficient approaches like solving hundreds of Leetcode problems or spending excessive time studying; focus on enjoying the process.
  3. Lessons from athletic training, like discipline and strategy, can benefit your journey in various aspects of life.

How To Create Compound Efficiencies In Engineering

Dev Interrupted • 102 implied HN points • 20 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. Efficiency improvements in engineering come from continuous habits, not just one-time decisions.
  2. Real-time visibility into metrics and guidance on 'good' metrics can drive organic productivity improvements.
  3. Automating pull requests & code reviews can significantly reduce cycle time and improve productivity in dev teams.

2024-06-14-Smallness

Paul’s Substack • 2 HN points • 14 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. Simplify type checks to optimize CPU performance. For example, using indices for type testing can be more efficient than complex branching.
  2. Functional Programming allocates data on a stack in LIFO order, simplifying garbage collection. This approach can lead to more efficient memory management.
  3. Atom interning, creating atoms only once, can be optimized using hash-table strategies for memory efficiency.

Programming With 5 Bits of RAM

72 Degrees North • 19 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. Programming in constrained environments like 5 bits of RAM can be challenging but feasible.
  2. Turing machines provide a simple, yet powerful model of computation that can perform any computation.
  3. Efficiency and complexity in programming languages can be evaluated based on state count and read-only memory needed for interpretation.

Balancing Speed and Sustainability: The Operational Dilemma of Reusable Cups in Drive-Thrus

Gad’s Newsletter • 50 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Introducing reusable cups in drive-thrus can slow down the service, leading to longer wait times and potential inefficiencies.
  2. Starbucks' focus on operational efficiency conflicts with the introduction of reusable cups, impacting speed and customer satisfaction.
  3. Visible queues in drive-thrus make operational inefficiencies more apparent, potentially affecting customer decisions and perception.

Money does not make a great product

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 15 Jan 23
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Money alone doesn't guarantee a great product. Instead, you need skilled experts and a dedicated team who really care about the work.
  2. A smaller, focused team can often create better outcomes than a large group. Quality and commitment are more important than throwing money at a problem.
  3. Dedication matters more than expertise. Strong work ethic is key, and having a passionate team can lead to innovative solutions and success.

Being in the details

The Engineering Manager • 11 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Being involved in the details of your organization is crucial. It helps you make better decisions and keeps you accountable for your team's work.
  2. Good management means delegating responsibility but also staying accountable. You need to know what your team is doing and the progress of important projects.
  3. It's possible to be detail-oriented without micromanaging. Techniques like direct reports, regular deep dives, and collaborative work can help you stay engaged.

Four ways to prioritise tasks and optimise productivity

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 23 Feb 25
🚌 Education Efficiency
  1. Use a triage system to prioritize tasks based on urgency and severity, similar to how medical teams manage injuries. It helps ensure that the most important tasks are handled first.
  2. Choose your productivity metric wisely. Whether it's deadlines, workload, completion speed, or task importance, the right focus can help you work smarter.
  3. Different strategies like prioritizing by deadlines or importance can help you manage tasks better. Each approach has its benefits, so pick the one that aligns with your goals.

Debugging productivity

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Like a computer, people can get overwhelmed with too many low-priority tasks. This can lead to being busy but not accomplishing important work.
  2. It's often better to group similar tasks together instead of trying to complete everything perfectly. This can help you get more done overall.
  3. Sometimes taking a break or pausing can be more effective than rushing into action. A thoughtful approach can lead to clearer decisions and better results.

Time Pressure in Software Development

Engineering Enablement • 28 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. Time pressure in software development is influenced by poor effort estimates, project management issues, and company culture.
  2. Three theories explain the effects of time pressure: Yerkes-Dodson Law, Job Demands-Resources Model, and Dimensional Model of Emotions.
  3. Time pressure impacts individuals by decreasing confidence, process by affecting quality assurance, and efficiency and quality by increasing efficiency up to a certain point.

Minimum Viable Bureaucracy

The Good Science Project • 33 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
🔬 Science Efficiency
  1. Efforts to reduce administrative burden on researchers are crucial for efficiency.
  2. The concept of 'Minimum Viable Bureaucracy' advocates for streamlined processes in federal agencies.
  3. Comparing paperwork requirements between agencies can help identify inefficiencies in bureaucratic processes.

If you can code, you can write!

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 15 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🚌 Education Efficiency
  1. Writing and coding both involve problem-solving and require creativity.
  2. Clarity and simplicity are essential in both coding and writing for better understanding and maintainability.
  3. Efficiency in expression, readability, structure, and continuous improvement are key aspects that writers and programmers share.

How (in)efficient are engineering organizations?

Engineering Enablement • 14 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. On average, developers report 22% of their time being wasted, resulting in significant potential productivity loss.
  2. Efficiency in engineering organizations varies widely within teams, showing room for improvement and optimization.
  3. There is a correlation between the size of an organization in terms of employee count and revenue with the amount of developer time wasted, indicating larger organizations may struggle with efficiency compared to smaller ones.

Doing less with less

Seth’s Substack • 3 HN points • 01 May 23
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. During economic downturns, many companies adopt a 'do more with less' strategy by reducing costs and staff.
  2. A 'do more with less' approach can buy time and drive efficiency, but it may lead to hidden risks and instability.
  3. Consider a 'less with less' strategy of narrowing focus and cutting scope to continue innovating with a concentrated effort.

Automate, Delegate, Eliminate

Perspectives • 9 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
💼 Business Efficiency
  1. Identify tasks that can be automated, delegated, or eliminated to work more efficiently.
  2. When transitioning to a managerial role, focus on empowering and growing your team.
  3. Prioritize building leverage in your life by streamlining tasks and freeing up time.

Efficient LLM inference

Artificial Fintelligence • 10 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🕹 Technology Efficiency
  1. Optimizing code through profiling can lead to surprising reductions in overhead.
  2. Distillation is often more effective than training a smaller model or quantization.
  3. Quantization can be a cost-effective method to reduce model size and inference costs.