The hottest Engineering Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Grounding your story

Sunday Letters • 219 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering Design Career Communication Personal Development
  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.

The CBot

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Gadgets Innovation Biotech Engineering Devices
  1. The CBot is an important part of DNA sequencing, especially for older instruments like the HiSeq. It takes in samples and helps generate clusters, which are crucial for accurate DNA analysis.
  2. Even though the HiSeq was discontinued, the technology in the CBot goes back many years, showing that some designs can last a long time in the field.
  3. The CBot uses a unique fluidic system with a disposable manifold instead of a vacuum chuck, which makes it easier to handle but raises questions about why such a feature was needed.

Bitcoin Tech Talk #378

jimmysong • 216 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🔮 Crypto Bitcoin Economics 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 Data science AI Machine Learning Data Visualization 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.

The Hero Culture Trap | Sowmya Subramanian

Dev Interrupted • 9 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering Culture Metrics Business Leadership
  1. Building a good team means moving from putting out fires to being proactive. Focus on planning ahead so your team doesn’t always have to deal with emergencies.
  2. Rushing to ship new features isn't always best. Sometimes, following others and quickly adapting ideas can work better in the long run.
  3. When writing code, clear instructions lead to better results. If you’re vague, your code might end up messy and confused.
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What does extreme ownership really mean?

Arpit’s Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Career growth Engineering Leadership Education Technology
  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.

Engineering Crits at Figma: Interview with Laura Peng

High Growth Engineer • 307 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Design Engineering Feedback Collaboration Process
  1. Consider the level of detail in crits based on the feedback needed for effective decision-making.
  2. Structure crit meetings with clear expectations, silent reviewing periods, and follow-up synchronous discussions.
  3. Approach feedback in crits by giving and receiving early, focusing on empowering team confidence, and maintaining a positive, collaborative culture.

Follow These Tips To Improve Android App Performance

Better Engineers • 19 implied HN points • 26 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Software Mobile Development Performance 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.

The Client Side of Over-The-Air Updates

burkhardstubert • 179 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Software Updates Devices Engineering Industry
  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.

Comprehension of Concurrency is a Lifelong Journey

Push to Prod • 19 implied HN points • 23 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Concurrency Debugging Systems
  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.

The Future of Large Scale Open Source AI

Chaos Engineering • 3 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Open Source Machine Learning Engineering Community
  1. Kubeflow is an important open-source tool for making AI and machine learning easier and more scalable. It helps developers build and manage their AI projects more effectively.
  2. The Steering Committee aims to increase the use of Kubeflow by collaborating with companies and improving user-friendly features. They want to ensure that more people can use and enjoy the platform.
  3. Open-source AI tools are becoming very important as the technology grows. Focus on building strong communities and good support will help everyone succeed in using AI effectively.

Frame Rate, experiments, messes

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 09 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI Innovation Software Engineering Learning
  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.

Dan Easton - GEET Gotchas & Tips

Remote View • 275 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Engineering Innovation Meetup
  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.

Database Wars, Insane SQLite Facts, Static Search Trees Optimized, & More

HackerPulse Dispatch • 8 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Databases AI Engineering Software Performance
  1. Static search trees are great for quick data searching. They are built for data that doesn't change much, making them much faster than regular search methods.
  2. AI can't build strong engineering teams on its own. Engineers need to take action and push for programs that help train and mentor new hires.
  3. SQLite is a super popular database used by millions, but it's managed by just a small team. Its simplicity and reliability make it a favorite for many applications.

How Far Can Moore's Law Go?

Tapa’s Substack • 79 implied HN points • 07 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Computing Hardware Engineering AI Electronics
  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 Space Tech Investing Engineering Automation Entrepreneurship Market Dynamics
  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.

2024 benchmarks for the DX Core 4

Engineering Enablement • 13 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Productivity Engineering Innovation Benchmarking
  1. Smaller companies are quicker at delivering work than larger ones. Tech companies with fewer than 500 developers are particularly fast, completing more tasks per week.
  2. Tech companies spend more time creating new features and have a better experience for developers compared to traditional businesses. This helps them innovate more effectively.
  3. Large traditional companies may work slower, but they often have fewer errors in their work. This makes them safer, even if they don't deliver as quickly as tech firms.

Industry Impact, Predictive Tech, and Financial Prospects of Solar Storms Forecasting

Space Ambition • 199 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
🔬 Science Astrophysics Technology Engineering Environmental Science
  1. Solar storms can disrupt important systems like GPS, communications, and power grids. Understanding these storms helps us protect our technology and infrastructure.
  2. Predictive technology now allows us to forecast solar storms 20 hours in advance. This gives us time to prepare and possibly avoid some of the negative impacts.
  3. As satellite technology grows, so does the risk from solar storms. We're learning to adjust satellite operations to minimize damage and keep them functioning better in space.

Xenobots: Self-Replicating Biobots

Solve Cancer in 365 days • 2 HN points • 14 Sep 24
🔬 Science Biology Technology Engineering Health Robotics
  1. Xenobots are made from frog cells and can swim, heal, and move in groups. They are different from regular robots because they are living organisms created by scientists.
  2. Researchers design Xenobots by separating skin and heart cells and using computer algorithms to find the best ways to make them move. This combines biology with engineering.
  3. Xenobots can self-replicate by using loose stem cells to create new Xenobots. They could help with pollution cleanup and even serve purposes in medicine, like repairing organs.

Edge 437: Inside BlackMamba, One of the Most Important SSM Models Ever Created

TheSequence • 112 implied HN points • 08 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Software Engineering Startups
  1. BlackMamba combines two powerful AI techniques: mixture-of-experts (MoEs) and state space models (SSMs). This helps it process long sequences and solve various AI tasks more effectively.
  2. The Mamba SSM is known for its efficiency, and BlackMamba builds on that strength while improving performance with MoE strategies.
  3. The creator is starting a new company focused on AI evaluation and benchmarking, looking for team members with expertise in these areas.

The Ill-Defined Space Global Orbital Launch Summary: 2024

Ill-Defined Space • 9 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Rocket launches Aerospace Industry Global trends Engineering
  1. In 2024, there were 254 orbital launches, showing a 20% increase from 2023. SpaceX was a big player, responsible for most of these launches.
  2. The U.S. dominated the launch industry with 154 launches, which was 61% of global activity. SpaceX alone conducted 87% of those U.S. launches.
  3. Other countries also participated, like China with 66 launches, but they didn't match the U.S. numbers. Japan and India each managed 5 launches, showing varying levels of activity.

The NextSeq 2000 Optical System

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 13 Dec 24
🔬 Science Biology Physics Chemistry Technology Engineering
  1. The NextSeq 2000 utilizes structured illumination to improve imaging quality. This technology allows for clearer images of very small features that were hard to see before.
  2. This updated information aims to reach a broader audience, moving from a previous platform to this one.
  3. The content is exclusive for paid subscribers, highlighting the value in subscribing for more detailed insights.

How to be the favorite engineer among your product manager and designer

High Growth Engineer • 465 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
💼 Business Career development Product Management Engineering
  1. Collaboration with product managers and designers can be challenging due to differing priorities and project impacts.
  2. Engineers often face the dilemma of balancing what they can do, what the PM wants, and what the PM thinks they can do.
  3. Maintaining a good relationship and meeting deadlines are key aspects of being a favored engineer among product managers and designers.

O-Day - Explaining Frank Polifka's Windhexe

Remote View • 216 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🔬 Science Technology Physics Engineering Chemistry Biology
  1. A technology called Windhexe can turn various materials into powder, even turning gravel to dust and reducing waste into powder.
  2. The Windhexe device functions by creating a tornado-like vortex in a chamber, causing materials to be smashed and pulverized into tiny particles.
  3. Windhexe technology has been used by different companies for processing food wastes, manufacturing debris, and even for drying materials quickly.

Troubleshooting 101: Possibility Spaces and Proxies

Load-bearing Tomato • 5 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering Networking Troubleshooting Software Protocols
  1. When facing a problem, break it down into smaller pieces to see what might be causing it. This way, you can quickly rule out big areas and find the real issue.
  2. Always remember that tools and data can sometimes be misleading. It's important to check the real situation and not just trust what you see on the screen.
  3. Keep track of what you've already validated in your troubleshooting process. Rechecking things that are already confirmed can waste a lot of time.

Ion Torrent Proton Chip Manifold

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Engineering Hardware Design Manufacturing
  1. The Ion Torrent Proton uses a unique chip manifold design that is quite intricate and beautiful. It seems it can't be made from a single piece; instead, it might need to be made in two parts and then joined together.
  2. The chip manifold's complexity showcases advanced engineering in its design and fabrication process. This attention to detail highlights the innovation in developing such technology.
  3. The information shared is for paid subscribers, indicating that there are exclusive insights available for those who support the content. It's a way to provide deeper knowledge to interested readers.

Inconsistency as a service

Gradient Ascendant • 13 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Software Development Engineering Quality Assurance Data processing
  1. Testing is really important for both hardware and software, especially when things can fail sometimes. In making chips, a lot of resources go into making sure they work properly.
  2. With AI like LLMs, you have to keep checking their outputs because they can be unpredictable. It's smart to set up a test system to know if what you're getting makes sense.
  3. We're still figuring out the best ways to test AI technology. Just like with traditional software, it will take time to develop good practices for making sure LLMs work well and reliably.