The hottest Engineering Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Theory

Software Design: Tidy First? • 220 implied HN points • 21 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Software design is all about balancing behavior and structure to create value.
  2. Coupling affects the cost of software changes, meaning changes can get expensive if things are too tightly linked together.
  3. Understanding these principles helps in making better decisions about how to organize and maintain software.

Why AI Agents Feel Contrived and Useless, Despite the Impressive Demos

Enterprise AI Trends • 612 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI agents work best in simple tasks, but they might confuse people in more complex situations. Humans need to be involved to understand the creative process.
  2. When AI does too much on its own, it can be harder for people to trust and evaluate its work. This can lead to mistakes that are hard to spot later.
  3. Businesses usually prefer working with guided AI tools instead of fully autonomous agents. They want reliability and clear understanding over just speeding things up.

Harmony, melody, and coding with AI

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 07 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. We are experiencing a shift in programming that changes how we interact with code and AI. Just like moving from desktop to cloud, this new way will come with challenges and need new thinking.
  2. Combining traditional coding with AI models is important. It's like writing music where the code provides a solid structure, while AI adds creativity and flexibility.
  3. To succeed in this new environment, programmers should keep learning and adapting, using both past knowledge and new technologies carefully together.

Return of Multi-tasking?

Software Design: Tidy First? • 265 implied HN points • 16 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Multi-tasking is becoming more common in work environments again. People are finding ways to balance multiple tasks effectively.
  2. There's value in focusing on one task at a time, but new tools are changing how we approach work.
  3. Embracing tools and technologies can help integrate multi-tasking into our daily routines.

Author's Introduction

Fields & Energy • 439 implied HN points • 30 Sep 23
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Physicists and engineers often focus on different aspects of understanding reality. Physicists typically ask 'why' things happen, while engineers ask 'how' to make things work.
  2. Electromagnetism is a key part of our everyday experience, but training in this field has become disconnected between physics theory and practical applications. There's a need for better communication and education between physicists and engineers.
  3. New ideas in science can often be met with skepticism or rejection. It's important to question established norms and be open to fresh perspectives, even if they challenge widely accepted beliefs.
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Mach 1 with Python!

Bite code! • 733 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. You can measure distance using sonar technology, which was once considered advanced but is now easily available and affordable for projects like Raspberry Pi.
  2. Creating fun experiences, like detecting when people pass through a giant Mario pipe and playing a sound, requires careful planning and some troubleshooting.
  3. Working with hardware can be tricky, as it often involves dealing with unexpected issues and requires patience, but it can lead to creative and playful outcomes.

Good Luck/Bad Luck. Good Design/Bad Design

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Software can be easy to create but hard to maintain. It's important for engineers to think about how their choices today will affect the future.
  2. Using simple designs and clear roles in a project can help avoid complicated problems later. Teams should focus on making changes quickly and smartly.
  3. Sometimes, the best solution is to remove unnecessary parts instead of adding more. If something isn't needed right now, it's better to not include it.

Be an active listener at work ⚡

Arpit’s Newsletter • 216 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Good engineers actively listen to understand the intent and context in meetings and discussions.
  2. Asking the right questions clarifies ambiguities and prevents mistakes during development.
  3. Active listening indicates high ownership mindset and gives necessary visibility in the organization.

SRE Archetypes

Alex Ewerlöf Notes • 196 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. SREs can be grouped into 4 archetypes: Admin, Firefighter, Toolsmith, and Architect.
  2. SRE roles can vary based on industry, size, and team structure.
  3. These archetypes are not fixed and a single SRE may fit into multiple archetypes based on skills and needs.

Functional Genie

Software Design: Tidy First? • 243 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. When coding in Rust, it can be tricky to use the right idioms, especially when dealing with functions that return an Option. It's good to pay attention to how you handle these results.
  2. In Rust, the common way to check for values is with an 'if' statement, which can take some getting used to if you're new to the language.
  3. Building a high-quality map implementation in Rust can be performance competitive, but learning the language and its features is essential for success.

AI-Designed Enzymes

Asimov Press • 457 implied HN points • 13 Feb 25
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Researchers are now able to design complex enzymes from scratch using AI. This new ability could help create custom enzymes for various chemical reactions.
  2. The process of designing these enzymes is not easy, as they need to change shape during reactions. Scientists have developed methods to improve their ability to predict how these enzymes will work.
  3. Even though the newly designed enzymes are not as fast as natural ones yet, this work is a big step toward making more effective enzymes for scientific and industrial purposes.

Finding the CAP theorem of agents

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 02 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. The CAP theorem shows that in any distributed system, you can only achieve two out of three things: consistency, availability, or partition tolerance. This means when things go wrong, you have to choose which one you're willing to sacrifice.
  2. In AI programming, there's a similar tension between using complex AI models and the need for reliable, deterministic code. Balancing these two aspects is a challenge, much like the early challenges with web applications.
  3. As technology evolves, the understanding and frameworks around these issues may improve. Just like how programmers now design around the CAP theorem, we might see better solutions and choices for AI challenges in the future.

Grounding your story

Sunday Letters • 219 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Engineers can have many interests and skills, not just coding, which makes them versatile. It's okay to be like a 'paladin' who does many things well, even if it takes longer to master everything.
  2. Balancing different skills means you might not be the best in just one area, but you can excel in roles that need different perspectives, which is valuable.
  3. It's important to clearly define how you see yourself and communicate that to others. Having a simple and grounded story helps people understand your unique blend of skills.

Features & Options Revisited

Software Design: Tidy First? • 220 implied HN points • 13 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Software has two main ways to create value: features and options. Features are what the software can do now, and options are what it can potentially do in the future.
  2. Features give immediate benefits, while options provide possibilities for growth and adaptation. It's important to balance both in software design.
  3. It's essential to have a clear plan and structure when developing software. This helps ensure that all important parts are included and can be effectively communicated.

Bitcoin Tech Talk #378

jimmysong • 216 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🔮 Crypto Engineering
  1. Jordan Bush explains the deeper meaning of rendering onto Caesar in the Bible, shedding light on the issue of taxes and statism in the church.
  2. The story of a successful mathlete from Stanford reveals the costs of engaging in a fiat system and the debt that comes with it.
  3. Scott's reflections on having children, particularly twins, offer insights on parenthood and the impacts of a fiat mentality on framing life experiences.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 517

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 339 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Data science, AI, and ML are rapidly evolving fields, with new technologies and techniques emerging frequently. Staying updated through news and articles can help professionals keep their skills relevant.
  2. Fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) is a growing demand in the job market. Many companies are now looking for experience with LLMs alongside traditional skills like Python and SQL.
  3. Understanding different data visualization goals, like storytelling versus exploration, is important for effectively communicating data insights. This can improve how data is presented in reports and analyses.

What does extreme ownership really mean?

Arpit’s Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Engineering
  1. Extreme ownership means taking initiative and completing tasks without waiting to be told what to do.
  2. Keeping everyone on the same page by proactively sharing progress and potential roadblocks is crucial for success.
  3. Extreme ownership does not mean working twice as hard, but rather taking complete ownership and ensuring delivery of assigned tasks.

⚛️🌟 Our fusion future: A Quick Q&A with … nuclear engineer Michael Ford

Faster, Please! • 456 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Fusion energy has great potential and is seen as safer than fission because it doesn't have the same risks of catastrophic accidents.
  2. Many companies are investing in fusion technology, which is leading to a quicker development pace than in the past.
  3. Public perception and understanding of fusion will be important for its acceptance and can affect the costs and deployment of fusion power systems.

Making a plan

Register Spill • 334 implied HN points • 04 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Making a plan before starting a project is crucial for success.
  2. A detailed plan helps in thinking through the tasks and potential challenges.
  3. Writing down tasks and delegating them can improve productivity and efficiency.

Hello World

Bram’s Thoughts • 334 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. The user is trying out 'real' blogging for the first time.
  2. The blog posts will likely cover various engineering topics unrelated to Chia.
  3. Readers can find the user's puzzles at a specific link or play a game on a website.

The Making of a Senior Engineer 💡: Guest Post by Addy Osmani

High Growth Engineer • 1238 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Engineering
  1. To transition into senior engineering roles, you need to shift from hands-on work to systems thinking, focusing on strategic leadership and fostering team autonomy.
  2. Senior engineers lead through influence rather than pure authority, emphasizing building trusted relationships, setting vision, and empowering teams.
  3. Developing critical leadership skills as a senior engineer involves improving empathy, communication, collaboration, systems thinking, and execution orchestration, while overcoming common pitfalls like losing sight of the big picture and excessive control.

Follow These Tips To Improve Android App Performance

Better Engineers • 19 implied HN points • 26 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Identifying performance issues in an Android app is crucial. It helps you understand what's wrong and fix problems like slow rendering and frozen frames.
  2. Using tools like Firebase Performance Monitoring can help find specific issues. This way, you can pinpoint what's causing delays and how to address them.
  3. To improve app performance, avoid long-running tasks on the UI thread. Techniques like lazy loading and using View Stubs can make your app run smoother.

Slack's greatest magic trick

Top of the Lyne • 314 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
💼 Business Engineering
  1. Net Revenue Retention is a science, not art, and can be engineered
  2. Successful subscription businesses have at least 20% of revenue driven by expansion, with some as high as 40%
  3. Slack's segmentation engine is a complex but well-crafted marvel of data science and engineering

The Client Side of Over-The-Air Updates

burkhardstubert • 179 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Choosing the right over-the-air (OTA) update solution is important. Memfault was preferred because it offered better documentation and support compared to Mender.
  2. OTA updates can save time and provide quick feedback, making them more efficient than manual updates. Manual updates can be costly and lead to serious issues, especially when manufacturers have to comply with strict legal requirements.
  3. There are different strategies for implementing updates, like A/B strategies that ensure reliability and safety. It's crucial that updates work flawlessly to maintain user trust and avoid interruptions during their work.

How to use AI in security

Frankly Speaking • 508 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI is becoming essential for companies, just like the internet once was. Every business will need an AI strategy as it can boost their operations.
  2. Instead of resisting AI, security teams should welcome it. Setting up policies that allow safe use of AI fosters innovation rather than stifling it.
  3. AI can improve security tasks, like app security and incident management, which are often tedious. It can help analyze data quickly and flag issues, making processes more efficient.

Introducing RunLLM v2

Generating Conversation • 140 implied HN points • 29 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. RunLLM v2 is designed to be a smarter AI Support Engineer that fits into how teams already work. It's built to help with more than just answering questions.
  2. The new platform features a revamped user interface that allows users to create multiple agents and customize their actions based on team processes.
  3. RunLLM v2 includes a reasoning engine that digs deeper into data analysis. It can help find solutions to tech issues by using tools like log analysis and telemetry.

Comprehension of Concurrency is a Lifelong Journey

Push to Prod • 19 implied HN points • 23 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Understanding concurrency is a long-term process that requires ongoing learning. It's normal to feel confused, but every experience adds to your knowledge.
  2. It's important to be open about your knowledge gaps. Accepting that you don't know everything helps you grow and learn from others.
  3. Mistakes and misunderstandings are part of the journey. Embracing these moments can lead to valuable insights and a deeper comprehension.

Square waves, or non-elephant biology

lcamtuf’s thing • 2040 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Analyzing electronic circuits with square wave signals is more complex than with sine waves.
  2. Square waves can be approximated as a sum of sine waves at the fundamental frequency and odd multiples.
  3. Understanding the behavior of square waves and their harmonics is essential for circuit design and noise suppression.

Frame Rate, experiments, messes

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 09 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI technology is developing quickly, and if you don’t engage with it yourself, you might be caught off guard by new advancements. It's better to stay updated by trying things out.
  2. Many people still don’t experience AI firsthand and only learn about it from news. Trying out tools like GPT-4 can help you understand its potential.
  3. Being spontaneous and messy in your approach is key to creativity. Don't worry about making things perfect; experimentation can lead to great innovations.

More fun and games with high voltage...

atomic14 • 173 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. High voltage projects can be tricky but also fun. You can get some wild voltages and sparks, which makes experimenting exciting.
  2. Sometimes, your equipment might not work as expected. Issues like voltage ripple can affect how things like LEDs operate.
  3. Finding the right tools is important. Some boards are better for driving specific loads, like nixie tubes, and can work smoothly with other components.

Dan Easton - GEET Gotchas & Tips

Remote View • 275 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Experienced GEET engineer Dan Easton shared valuable information in a live call to help people building GEET modified engines.
  2. The forum allowed individuals to share experiences and address questions about GEET technology.
  3. Henk Jurrien highlighted the importance of not using brass on exhaust pipes in GEET reactors.

The Sequence Opinion #687: The Gemini Effect: Transforming Robotics with Multimodal Foundation Models

TheSequence • 140 implied HN points • 17 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Robotics is changing because of new AI models called transformers. These models help robots understand language and perform tasks without needing special programming for each job.
  2. Gemini Robotics, a new technology from Google DeepMind, combines powerful AI with robotics. This allows robots to learn and adapt to different tasks more easily than ever before.
  3. There's a big debate about whether large or small AI models are better for robotics. The article dives into this topic and discusses how these models can help robots in many ways.

Meeting Prevents Exceeding

Software Design: Tidy First? • 353 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. You can't meet and exceed expectations at the same time. Focusing only on meeting others' expectations can limit your personal growth.
  2. Setting your own goals helps you think independently and be more creative. When you manage your own expectations, you can achieve unexpected results.
  3. Learning to take risks and act on your own ideas is important for growth as an engineer. The more you practice this, the better you'll become at finding your own path.

How Far Can Moore's Law Go?

Tapa’s Substack • 79 implied HN points • 07 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Moore's Law shows that the number of transistors on chips grows, but the real limit to performance is how efficiently we can use power. Even if we add more transistors, we might not get better performance without better power management.
  2. We need to consider the costs of power and cooling when designing chips, not just the cost of the hardware itself. Cooling efforts can be more complex and expensive as we push for higher performance.
  3. New technologies and materials like photonics, 3D chip designs, and even concepts like spintronics might help enhance computing performance, especially for memory-related tasks, but there are many challenges to overcome.

Spacetech Failures: Analyzing Major Industry Missteps and Lessons for Investors

Space Ambition • 259 implied HN points • 29 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. The spacetech industry has seen many failures, like Iridium's bankruptcy and Falcon 1's launch issues, but these stories show how important it is to adapt and learn from mistakes.
  2. Space exploration is getting increasingly crowded and risky with satellite constellations like Starlink, which raises concerns about space debris and potential collisions in orbit.
  3. The integration of AI in space missions is still developing, and while AI can help reduce human errors, we need to carefully test and approve these systems for safe use in space.

An AI Support Engineer for every open-source project

Generating Conversation • 140 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. An AI Support Engineer is being created to help with open-source projects. This tool aims to support technical companies and improve customer service workflows.
  2. The creators have built a prototype that features AI Support Engineers for popular open-source projects, and they are inviting feedback from users.
  3. They have plans to enhance the tool further with advanced features like user memory and integration capabilities.

🚀 SpaceX is making a space Mayflower voyage possible

Faster, Please! • 456 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. SpaceX is making space travel cheaper and more accessible, which could allow for new settlements in space. This change could make colonizing asteroids a real possibility.
  2. NASA's Artemis program has spent a lot of money without achieving its goals, raising questions about its effectiveness. Some people believe that commercial companies like SpaceX could do these missions more efficiently and at lower costs.
  3. The idea of colonizing other planets can be compared to historical migrations on Earth, showing that private ventures may succeed better than expensive government projects. Learning from past colonization might help humanity settle in space.

The Making of a Gene Circuit

Asimov Press • 290 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. The repressilator is a simple gene circuit that helps scientists understand how to control living cells. It's made of three genes that work together in a loop to create a rhythmic 'on-off' signal.
  2. Michael Elowitz and his team proved that you could design circuits in living cells, which opened the door to synthetic biology. This means we can now program cells to perform specific tasks.
  3. Modern advancements have built on the repressilator, allowing us to create complex gene circuits that can mimic computing processes inside cells. This shows how biology can become a tool for engineering and technology.

📝 Guest Post: How to Build the Right Team for Generative AI*

TheSequence • 994 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. You may not need ML engineers for Generative AI projects due to the availability of pre-trained models like GPT-4.
  2. Prompt engineering, the clear articulation of needs in natural language, is a crucial skill for AI application development.
  3. Product managers and domain experts play a significant role in shaping AI products through prompt engineering, reducing the need for technical experts.