The hottest Management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Issue #15 – The Data Quality Conundrum (Part 1 – Root Causes)

The Data Ecosystem • 399 implied HN points • 21 Jul 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Poor data quality is a big problem for organizations, but it's often misunderstood. It's not just about fixing bad data; you need to figure out what's causing the issues.
  2. Data quality has many aspects, like accuracy and completeness. Good data helps businesses make better decisions, while bad data can cost a lot of money.
  3. To solve data quality issues, you need a complete approach that looks at different root causes. Simply fixing one part won't fix everything, and different sources might create new problems.

TBM 391: You’re Not Misaligned. You’re Thinking Differently.

The Beautiful Mess • 740 implied HN points • 27 Nov 25
💼 Business Management
  1. People think differently: Some focus on details and concrete solutions, while others think more abstractly about purpose and possibilities. Understanding these styles can help improve teamwork.
  2. In workshops, participants have varying styles of engagement. Some jump right in with ideas, while others need clarity and examples. A good facilitator should help everyone find their comfort zone.
  3. Even if you know how you and others think, not everyone will care about self-awareness. It's essential to show up with good intentions and adapt as best as you can.

Where New Engineering Managers Fail

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 179 implied HN points • 15 Aug 24
💼 Business Management
  1. New engineering managers often struggle with accepting their new role. It's important to embrace this change or else it confuses the team and weakens your leadership.
  2. Many new managers make the mistake of telling their team too much instead of listening. Encouraging team members to share their ideas leads to better solutions and shows that you value their input.
  3. It's common to hold on to tasks instead of delegating them. Letting your team handle their own work not only helps them learn but also frees you up to focus on management responsibilities.

One-on-one coaching moment for paid subscribers

Ageling on Agile • 39 implied HN points • 09 Oct 24
💼 Business Management
  1. One-on-one coaching sessions are available for paid subscribers. These sessions allow for personal engagement on topics like Agile, Product Management, and Leadership.
  2. Each subscriber can have six half-hour coaching moments a year. These moments can help clarify work-related issues and provide guidance.
  3. Feedback from subscribers shows that the coaching is valuable. Many find the insights helpful for understanding their challenges and finding solutions.

The Software Games: Endless Grind

Leading Developers • 73 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Management
  1. Careers can feel like an RPG: early on you level fast, but over time routine work gives less value and progression slows.
  2. When the XP you earn shrinks while promotion requirements grow, engineers get stuck, demotivated, and often consider leaving.
  3. Managers should actively create stretch opportunities and tune work difficulty so people stay in the learning zone; internal moves or new responsibilities can provide growth without switching companies.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Match The Pipes

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1745 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
💼 Business Management
  1. In a system, the capacity of the output is limited by the narrowest part, or pipe, so expanding other parts won't help if that part doesn't change. It's important to identify and address this bottleneck to improve overall performance.
  2. As an executive, you have the unique ability to see the entire process and make decisions to improve it, unlike those focused on their own tasks. This broader perspective allows you to manage resources and workloads effectively.
  3. Creating pressure to increase productivity can have negative consequences, such as stress and burnout. It's better to find a balance that promotes a healthy work environment and supports productivity.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers (10/14)

Human Capitalist • 19 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Several key job changes happened recently, showing interesting shifts in various industries. People are moving to new roles that might change their companies significantly.
  2. Big tech alumni are finding new opportunities in different fields, indicating a trend of high talent being reused across industries. This could lead to innovation in sectors outside big tech.
  3. Monitoring job changes can be valuable for investors, recruiters, or anyone interested in career movements. Staying updated helps you know where talent is heading.

Tokens: The New Oil

Software Design: Tidy First? • 2010 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
💼 Business Management
  1. When demand for your product grows rapidly, you need to shift your focus from exploration to expansion. It's all about managing resources to keep up with demand.
  2. Survival in this phase means making tough choices, like cutting features or limiting users, to ensure you have enough capacity. Don't worry about being perfect; just keep your product alive.
  3. Investors may be excited to fund you now, but your real challenge is managing resources effectively. Focus on quick, practical solutions to keep things running and adapt as you grow.

The Generalist’s Productivity Stack

The Generalist • 5063 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Start your day by choosing three important tasks to focus on. This helps keep your day organized and priorities clear.
  2. Try speaking your emails instead of writing them. It saves time and makes responding easier, especially for tricky messages.
  3. Use tools like Claude to help take notes while you read. It saves you time and keeps your information organized for later use.

TBM 390: Governance by Principle, Not by Template

The Beautiful Mess • 528 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Governance models should be tailored to fit the specific context of a company. Just sticking to old processes might not work in fast-changing environments.
  2. It’s important to know that not all work fits into neat project boxes. Products and platforms evolve over time, and governance should reflect that fluidity.
  3. Many companies focus more on box-ticking than on truly advancing their goals. Effective governance should prioritize meaningful outcomes over just following rules.

Killing A Bad Strategy Before It Kills you

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 4413 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Grand strategy helps you achieve big goals with limited resources. Since everyone faces resource limits, using what you have smartly can lead to unexpected successes.
  2. Foxes tend to predict better than hedgehogs because they use many ideas and adapt. Foxes keep an open mind, while hedgehogs stick to one big idea, even if it's wrong.
  3. Planning is important, but sticking too rigidly to a plan can be a mistake. It's better to remain flexible and adjust to new opportunities as they arise.

Who does what and how to support them

Leading Developers • 125 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Management
  1. Match resources to missions by balancing immediate company efficiency, engineers' growth and challenge, and the team's long-term durability and flexibility.
  2. Build a simple knowledge map of tech, systems and soft skills to spot single points of failure and to surface clear development opportunities.
  3. Support people based on task-relevant maturity — how experienced they are with the specific task — not just job title, and reduce inertia by lowering activation energy with small, deliberate steps when rotating ownership.

Welcome to the EM Diary!

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 159 implied HN points • 01 Aug 24
💼 Business Management
  1. This blog shares real-life experiences of an Engineering Manager to help others grow into leadership roles. It's based on practical stories rather than high-level advice.
  2. It's aimed at senior engineers, team leads, and new engineering managers, providing actionable advice without any confusing jargon.
  3. Readers can expect weekly posts that are easy to understand and filled with insights about the daily life of an Engineering Manager in tech.

What I Gave Up To Become An Engineering Manager

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 62 HN points • 29 Aug 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Moving from individual contributor to engineering manager means letting go of past habits. You need to make room for new responsibilities and ways of working.
  2. As a manager, you won't build things directly. Instead, you'll help your team create and support multiple projects, shifting focus from personal achievements to team successes.
  3. Managers face longer feedback loops and must learn to communicate tough issues early on. This shift encourages patience and improves team dynamics.

TBM 366: Empowered For Delivery, But...

The Beautiful Mess • 1547 implied HN points • 08 Jul 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Many tech companies have a mix of old and new management styles. Teams are told they can be independent, but managers still hold a lot of control and responsibility.
  2. Feedback and questioning traditional methods are often not encouraged, making it hard for employees to voice concerns. This creates a culture where dissent is not easily accepted.
  3. It's important to accept the reality of your workplace while finding ways to build trust and safety within your team. Look for better work environments if your values clash with your company's operations.

Junk Bond Trader

Where's Your Ed At • 13056 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Elon Musk is perceived as a modern-day hustler, skilled at manipulating media and markets without creating tangible value.
  2. Musk's success lies in picking companies and products that promise eternal growth, even if the reality doesn't align with the hype.
  3. The acquisitions of SolarCity, Twitter, and the Cybertruck showcase Musk playing outside the odds, relying on emotion, and making risky bets.

Ambition, fun and not

benn.substack • 1252 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Starting a startup sounds great because you can choose your projects and team, but it comes with a lot of hard work and stress. Many founders regret getting into it despite the glamorous idea of freedom.
  2. Once startups grow into businesses, they lose some of their initial fun and freedom. The excitement of being a creator changes to dealing with corporate responsibilities and customer demands.
  3. Even if a startup has bold ideas, like Cluely's innovative concept, they often end up focusing on practical business solutions. This shift can make their original ambitious vision seem smaller than intended.

Meditations on Founder Mode

The Engineering Leader • 79 implied HN points • 08 Sep 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Founder Mode allows leaders to be more hands-on and in touch with their company. This helps them make quick decisions that align with their original vision.
  2. While Founder Mode can be effective in early stages, it doesn't scale well in larger companies because one person can't manage everything.
  3. Great leaders know when to switch between being hands-on and delegating tasks. This flexibility is key to adapting to a company's growth and changing needs.

When, why, and how to stop coding as your day job

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 11 HN points • 22 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Management
  1. Stepping away from coding allows you to focus on being a more effective manager. When you stop coding, you can better support and lead your team.
  2. Many technical leaders struggle to balance coding and management, often feeling they must still code to stay relevant. However, shifting your focus to team leadership is essential for growth.
  3. To remain connected to technology, take an interest in your team's work and continue learning. You can still engage with technology without it being the main part of your job.

The Enshittification of Manchester United

Grace on Football • 1159 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Management
  1. The Glazers' ownership of Manchester United has led to mismanagement on and off the pitch, creating a downward trajectory for the club.
  2. The concept of 'enshittification' can be seen in how tech platforms first cater to users, then prioritize business customers over users, and eventually focus on extracting maximum value for themselves before declining.
  3. Manchester United's shift towards prioritizing commercial success over sporting success has negatively affected the club's growth and standing, leading to concerns about the future of the team.

The 5 levels of communicating impact as an engineer

High Growth Engineer • 1285 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Management
  1. When communicating your work as an engineer, it's important to go beyond just saying what you did. Focus on showing the impact and results of your actions.
  2. Use clear and specific numbers to explain how your work improved outcomes. This helps leadership understand the significance of your contributions.
  3. The best way to showcase your impact is to tie it to business goals and finances. If you can show how your work saves money or increases revenue, it makes your achievements even more valuable.

Gonzo Awards: Worst Manager Of The Year

Richard Lewis • 1356 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Management
  1. In esports, there are often inexperienced people leading big projects and teams.
  2. Nicole LaPointe Jameson won the Worst Manager Of The Year award for a string of concerning actions at Evil Geniuses.
  3. Despite failures, some in the industry excused her behavior, leading to negative impacts on those working in esports.

#49 - Shift Right, Dear Middle Manager.

OSS.fund Newsletter • 37 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
💼 Business Management
  1. AI is likely to cut or compress coordination-heavy middle management jobs first, like meeting coordinators, status reporters, and standardised team leads.
  2. Managers who design systems, own outcomes, and handle ambiguity will become more valuable and are less likely to be replaced.
  3. Survival means automating coordination, owning a measurable outcome, becoming the control plane that sets policies and escalations, and moving closer to money or risk.

The 49-Year Unicorn Backlog🦄, AI has a gross margin problem🤖, The Path to CFO📚

The VC Corner • 379 implied HN points • 26 May 24
💼 Business Management
  1. There is a significant backlog of unicorn startups that have yet to go public. This may impact the market's dynamics.
  2. Artificial Intelligence is facing challenges with its gross margins. Companies need to find ways to improve profitability as costs rise.
  3. There are clear steps and paths for finance professionals aiming to become CFOs. Understanding the necessary skills and experiences is crucial for career advancement.

“The Hardest Coordination Problem on Earth”

The Generalist • 1060 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Focus on velocity, not just speed. It's important for your team to move quickly but also in the same direction towards the same goals.
  2. Use clear decision rights to maintain order. Make sure everyone knows who is responsible for what decisions to avoid confusion and internal politics.
  3. Don’t try to change everything at once. Some old practices may still be effective, and it's better to identify which parts need innovation rather than reinventing the entire process.

The AI Manager's Schedule

Artificial Ignorance • 105 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Management
  1. AI turns many maker tasks into delegated work, so your day shifts from long deep blocks to lots of short five-to-fifteen minute management intervals and juggling multiple agents.
  2. New top skills are clear vision, smart delegation, and orchestration — you need to know the end state, break work into bite-sized chunks, and run or coordinate multiple agents, and you must keep strong taste and bullshit detection to judge AI output.
  3. The change can speed up shipping and hugely amplify experienced people, but it also brings risks like micromanagement fatigue, juniors not learning, and initial slowdowns from debugging AI output; over time tools should reduce overhead and make these managerial skills broadly valuable.

We are back!

Off to Lunch • 1218 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Off to Lunch newsletter is back for 2024 with exciting plans, including relaunching Business Leader magazine.
  2. The podcast associated with Off to Lunch covers big business stories and interviews key figures like the CEO of Seedrs and UK boss of Peloton.
  3. Important news stories highlighted include weakening UK job market, Artifact app closing down, and Adidas CEO sharing his phone number with all staff for feedback.

Complain & Propose

Software Design: Tidy First? • 3026 implied HN points • 27 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Management
  1. Always offer a solution when you raise a complaint. This helps others see the way forward and saves time.
  2. Consider things from the other person's point of view. Everyone has their own valid perspective, and understanding that can improve communication.
  3. Don't let emotions cloud your judgment about others' intentions. Assume people mean well, even if they lack experience.

The CTO's Silent Struggle

The CTO Substack • 279 implied HN points • 13 Jun 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Being technically correct isn't enough for a CTO. It's important to communicate effectively with the rest of the team to be truly understood.
  2. CTOs often feel unheard and frustrated, especially when their technical insights aren’t respected. They need to connect their concerns to the company's overall goals more clearly.
  3. Success as a CTO comes from focusing on team dynamics and collaboration rather than just being right. Building relationships and understanding others' perspectives is key.

The Shape of Leadership

Fish Food for Thought • 83 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
💼 Business Management
  1. Leadership can take two effective shapes: a V-formation with clear direction, roles, and efficiency, or a murmuration with decentralized, rule-based adaptability.
  2. The right pattern depends on the situation — use V-style structure when coordination and reliability matter, and murmuration-style autonomy when uncertainty, speed, and learning matter.
  3. Leaders make either pattern work by shaping conditions: rotate leadership, clarify purpose and constraints, build trust and feedback, and align incentives so the chosen pattern isn’t undermined.

Executive Amplification

Fish Food for Thought • 18 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
💼 Business Management
  1. What leaders say and do carries outsized weight, shaping how people prioritize work and even how employees see their roles. This influence changes behavior across the organization, not just tasks.
  2. Small or offhand remarks often get treated as directives, which creates wasted time, unnecessary meetings, and misaligned effort. These ambiguous signals introduce friction and distract teams from high-value work.
  3. Leaders need to be intentional about their signals: clarify intent, model priorities with actions like protected calendar time, and assume everything they say will be amplified. Clear, purposeful communication reduces misinterpretation and aligns follow-through.

TBM 387: Lenses

The Beautiful Mess • 330 implied HN points • 12 Nov 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Using different lenses helps us see various sides of a problem in product work. Each lens gives us a unique perspective, so more than one is needed.
  2. Understanding customer journeys and personas can reveal different experiences for different groups. This helps in tailoring services or products more effectively.
  3. Team interactions and boundaries play a big role in how work gets done. Recognizing these can improve communication and efficiency across teams.

Living Evil: Unearthed Bodies And Sacrificial Lambs

Richard Lewis • 1906 implied HN points • 17 May 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Multiple reports of harassment and misconduct by key figures in the esports industry were brought to light, leading to their termination.
  2. New management at Evil Geniuses used past incidents involving employees as excuses to remove them, while also driving out senior employees who challenged their decisions.
  3. The company culture at Evil Geniuses shifted dramatically after the departure of senior staff, leading to a challenging and unbearable work environment.