The hottest Feedback Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Why your Leadership team needs a candid self-assessment

The Leadership Lab • 196 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Assessing your leadership team is crucial, as it impacts the overall success of the company.
  2. Conduct a candid self-assessment with your leadership team, focusing on good questions and embracing candor.
  3. Regularly assessing and addressing improvement areas within the leadership team can significantly boost a company's performance.

Navigating the Shift from Feature to Product Teams and Building a Product Mindset

An Innovator's Sketchbook • 98 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Transitioning from feature to product teams involves empowering cross-functional teams focused on outcomes and value.
  2. The localization industry is evolving with AI, leading to job destruction but also creating new business opportunities.
  3. Feedback is important for team growth, and using the 'Situation-Behavior-Impact' framework can lead to effective and powerful feedback.

Developer Experience: Cracking The Code For Peak Productivity

Wisdom over Waves • 39 implied HN points • 20 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Feedback
  1. Achieving a flow state is crucial for peak productivity. Minimizing interruptions like emails, popups and delays helps maintain focus and enhance performance.
  2. Reducing cognitive load is essential. Providing clear domain knowledge and simplifying technical aspects contribute to better understanding and productivity.
  3. Establishing a fast feedback loop is key. Faster identification of issues, learning from failures, and making data-driven decisions lead to better performance and quality.
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Two quick questions for my paid subscribers

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 28 May 25
🎭️ Culture Feedback
  1. It's important to get feedback from your audience to improve your content. Asking questions helps understand what people like or want more of.
  2. Checking in with subscribers can keep them engaged and show that you care about their opinions. This builds a stronger connection with your audience.
  3. Offering a way for paid subscribers to share their thoughts can provide valuable insights. It helps creators tailor their work to better meet the needs of their supporters.

Introducing a new front page for Substack

Substack Blog • 724 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Feedback
  1. The new Home experience on the Substack app aims to boost growth for writers and offer readers a universe of great writing.
  2. The reading queue in the app helps readers keep up with their favorite subscriptions and never miss new content.
  3. The explore feed and inbox features are designed to enhance discoverability and customization for users within the Substack ecosystem.

In Quality, the secret sauce is feedback!

Wisdom over Waves • 79 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Feedback
  1. Quality in software is about fast and fabulous delivery without compromising on quality.
  2. Defining quality can be subjective, meeting customer needs they may not even know they have.
  3. Feedback is the secret sauce to understanding customer needs, with practical tips like frequent releases, attentive listening, and exploring multiple feedback layers.

Photo highlight: Week 1

One bag many places • 39 implied HN points • 05 Apr 24
🏝 Travel Feedback
  1. The author is experimenting with creating content, aiming to post long-form content weekly and something in-between, like a weekly photo highlight
  2. The photo highlighted is of an orange moped in Zurich, noted for its color contrast with a blue building in the background and green bush, plus the sharpness of details like rain on the moped
  3. Author reflects on possible improvements like a blue sky in the background, less busy background, and seeking feedback on how to enhance future photos

Shallow Feedback Hollows You Out

Nothing Human • 180 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Feedback
  1. When thinkers have a large audience, they often repeat the same ideas instead of generating new ones. This can happen because they aim to please the crowd instead of exploring their original thoughts.
  2. To keep your thinking fresh, it's better to share ideas with a close friend or someone who understands you deeply. This one-on-one communication allows for more honest and thorough discussions.
  3. In academic spaces, there's a need to protect innovative ideas from becoming overshadowed by popular ones. Maintaining separate status hierarchies helps ensure that truly original contributions are still recognized.

Find someone who is a catalyst for your power: (Working with Your Gift #3)

Meaning-Making • 117 implied HN points • 20 Mar 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Feedback
  1. Finding a catalyst can enhance and amplify your gifts, making you more powerful.
  2. Different types of catalysts include mutually strengthening relationships, friendly competition, cheerleader-type support, and honest feedback from a peer group.
  3. Embrace the catalysts in your life to unlock your full potential and amplify your latent power.

Why I’m excited about AI-assisted human feedback

Musings on the Alignment Problem • 459 implied HN points • 29 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Feedback
  1. The use of reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) has been successful in aligning models with human intent like following instructions.
  2. Training AI systems on tasks that are hard for humans to evaluate may not be directly solvable with RLHF due to challenges in generalization and evaluation.
  3. AI-assisted human feedback, like recursive reward modeling (RRM), can help tackle complex tasks by involving human evaluation in aligning AI systems.

How to Receive Feedback

Build To Scale • 59 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Candid feedback is valuable, seek it out even when it's not all positive.
  2. Receiving feedback graciously and learning from it is crucial for personal and professional growth.
  3. Actively seek honest feedback from trusted sources, listen without immediately reacting, and work on areas for improvement over time.

How to be more Effective.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 39 implied HN points • 10 Aug 25
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Time is the most valuable asset we have, and how we use it shapes our lives. Successful people focus on using their time wisely to achieve their goals.
  2. In any interaction, it's important to give rather than take. Approaching meetings with generosity and empathy helps create meaningful connections.
  3. Feedback is essential for improvement. To get better, we should give constructive feedback and also seek it actively from others.

The Best Day

The Weasel Speaks • 98 implied HN points • 01 Apr 23
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Employee engagement is crucial for better business results.
  2. The key drivers for employee engagement are direction, coaching, and career support.
  3. Developing relationships, trust, and communication skills are essential for effective leadership and employee engagement.

Engineering Crits at Figma: Interview with Laura Peng

High Growth Engineer • 307 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Feedback
  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.

A Call To Write

Sarah's Newsletter • 259 implied HN points • 17 May 22
📚 Literature Feedback
  1. The importance of writing to express your voice and thoughts even if you're not an expert.
  2. Encouragement for minority readers to share their perspectives and start writing.
  3. The commitment to continue writing regularly, even if other projects become a priority.

5 Myths About Growth Mindset That Are Sabotaging Your Goals

Weekend Developer • 19 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
🚌 Education Feedback
  1. Having a growth mindset involves more than just positive thinking; it's about accepting failures, learning from mistakes, and putting in consistent effort.
  2. You can't have a growth mindset in all areas of life at once; prioritize where you want to grow and focus your efforts there.
  3. Effort alone is not enough for growth; it must be combined with good strategies, feedback, and continuous commitment.

Progress Report for Paid Subscribers #2

Trantor Publishing • 39 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
📚 Literature Feedback
  1. Author has been busy in January with multiple chapters published and an exclusive short story for paying subscribers.
  2. Author is planning a raffle for paying subscribers to win signed paperback copies of their book as a thank you gesture.
  3. Author is seeking input from subscribers on potentially re-working the ending of one of their works and is open to suggestions for future content.

Video Lecture: Data-Reality Gaps

FILWD • 39 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🚌 Education Feedback
  1. Data-reality gaps exist when there is disconnect between data representation and reality
  2. A data generation model helps in identifying gaps like selection bias and interpretation gap
  3. Understanding different gaps in data can lead to more accurate visualization and interpretation

Giving Feedback

Build To Scale • 39 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Feedback should be timely, specific, and actionable to help someone improve.
  2. Good managers teach employees best practices in their field, emphasizing long-term success over quick fixes.
  3. Deliver feedback with kindness and the goal of helping someone grow, erring on over-communication to ensure clarity and development.

When to Scale or Keep Iterating

The Data Score • 59 implied HN points • 10 May 23
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Achieving product/market fit is crucial for the success of a startup or new product as it means the product meets the needs and preferences of the target market, leading to customer satisfaction and retention.
  2. Iterating on a handcrafted approach at the start can help find product/market fit before scaling to avoid unwanted tech debt and ensure the product evolves to meet client outcomes.
  3. To determine product/market fit, look for signs like user retention, surveys showing strong customer preference, and organic growth, then iterate quickly based on critical feedback to ensure the product is indispensable to users.

🎓 How a Senior engineer effectively onboards at a new job.

Become a Senior Engineer • 19 implied HN points • 28 Mar 24
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Focus on learning about the organization and its dynamics during the initial weeks instead of showcasing your skills right away.
  2. Build strong relationships early on by meeting teammates, getting into details, asking questions, and offering help to increase your influence.
  3. Set clear goals with your manager for the first 90 days to balance networking, learning, and making tangible contributions.

Early Look: WITI Recommends

Why is this interesting? • 180 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Feedback
  1. A new recommendation site called WITI Recommends is being tested out by Why is this interesting.
  2. They are seeking feedback from their paid subscribers before launching the site to the public.
  3. Paid subscribers can start a 7-day free trial to access full post archives.

Introducing the Deep Cuts podcast

escape the algorithm • 79 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🎙 Podcasts Feedback
  1. The Deep Cuts podcast is not like a typical podcast, it's more of a mixtape of episodes from unpopular shows, creating a unique listening experience.
  2. The first season of Deep Cuts focuses on the theme of 'firsts', bringing listeners to unexpected creative universes with each episode.
  3. To subscribe to Deep Cuts, you can choose your preferred podcast app or manually enter the feed URL, with Spotify currently not allowing private podcast feed subscriptions.

Revisited and updated: How I reduced my marking time from 4 hours a week to 15 minutes

Eclecticism: Reflections on literature, writing and life • 3 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
🚌 Education Feedback
  1. You can massively cut marking time by building praise and criticism comment banks and using spreadsheet formulas to randomize and concatenate feedback for quick copy‑paste delivery.
  2. Automatically generated comments can sound genuine and be useful, but they sometimes mismatch the student’s work and will require occasional clarification or manual edits.
  3. Spreadsheets are handy for tracking assignments and progress—functions like =randbetween() can generate scores quickly, though you may need to overwrite or adjust numbers and consider broader signs of progress like bravery.

Educating with Radical Candor

The Absent-Minded Professor • 39 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🚌 Education Feedback
  1. Radical Candor involves caring personally and challenging directly to give effective feedback.
  2. Getting to know the people you work with is key to caring personally and providing valuable feedback.
  3. Being honest and giving feedback promptly, with empathy, is crucial for effective communication and growth.

How to handle critical feedback

PeopleStorming • 39 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Feedback
  1. During feedback conversations, focus on being curious and open-minded rather than defensive.
  2. Ask yourself 3 important questions when emotionally triggered during feedback: Check the story you're telling yourself, understand the actual feedback, and identify your feelings.
  3. Criticism triggers cortisol production in our bodies, while praise triggers oxytocin; understanding this can help rationalize reactions to feedback.

10 Ways for Leaders to Build World-Class, Healthy Teams

PeopleStorming • 39 implied HN points • 30 May 23
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Create a safe space where team members can take risks, share ideas, and acknowledge errors to encourage collaboration and innovation.
  2. Form diverse teams with varied backgrounds and skills to ignite creativity, challenge norms, and create products that appeal to a wider audience.
  3. Support team members' growth by offering learning opportunities, mentorship, and skill-building, resulting in a stronger and more capable team.

The Path Ahead For Homeland

The Lunacian • 138 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Feedback
  1. Return to foundational Axie building principles: focus on iterative development, community involvement, social features, and cross-platform accessibility.
  2. Revamp Homeland gameplay by emphasizing social strategy, quicker gameplay, and reducing clicking for better user experience.
  3. Introduce combat elements, avatar axies for social interaction, AXP integration, and restructured Moonfall quests to enhance the player experience in Homeland.

Inconclusiveness as narrative strategy

The Leftovers • 59 implied HN points • 27 Sep 22
📚 Literature Feedback
  1. Inconclusiveness can be used as a narrative strategy in writing, adding intrigue and depth to the story.
  2. It's important not to take all feedback to heart, as sometimes what might be seen as a flaw can actually be a deliberate choice by the author.
  3. Receiving rejection in creative endeavors is common, but it can also mark a turning point in one's artistic journey.

Intermission: Coming Up, Laid Down

The Abbey of Misrule • 178 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Feedback
  1. Paul Kingsnorth has upcoming events in Ireland and the USA focused on ancient Christianity and localism.
  2. He has been active in various podcasts this year, discussing a range of topics from Christianity to transgenderism.
  3. Paul is seeking feedback from his readers on his podcast appearances and is considering starting his own podcast focused on the spiritual crisis of the modern world.

The Trough of Feedback

Investing 101 • 106 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
💼 Business Feedback
  1. Understanding the dynamics of healthy relationships is crucial in the world of tech and startups, especially regarding venture capitalists.
  2. Venture capitalists often become overly concerned with seeking validation and can struggle with providing valuable feedback due to various insecurities.
  3. The feedback process in venture capital, known as The Trough of Feedback, can be challenging due to the balance between honesty, long-term relationship building, and reputation management.

Look at yourself in the mirror

Tech Ramblings • 39 implied HN points • 25 Jun 23
💼 Business Feedback
  1. People often show only their strengths and avoid talking about mistakes. It's important to face your failures honestly.
  2. Many founders mistakenly believe their company is doing well without understanding the real numbers. They need to check their reality against actual progress.
  3. Getting honest feedback is key to knowing if you're on the right path. Without it, it's hard to measure how well you're doing.