The hottest Management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

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

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 11 HN points • 22 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Management Career growth Leadership Technical Skills
  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 Football Finance Management Commercialization Ownership
  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.

How TPM Bridge Communication Gaps Between Tech and Non-Tech Teams

Building Rome(s) • 5 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
💼 Business Management Communication Collaboration Strategy Development
  1. Technical and non-technical teams often struggle because they don't share a common language. Clear communication is essential for collaboration.
  2. Using the 'Triangle of Translation' (Time, Money, Impact) can help bridge the communication gap. It allows teams to understand each other's priorities better.
  3. Focusing on clarity and empathy in discussions leads to better teamwork and improved product delivery. When everyone speaks the same language, trust is built.

How To Deal With Ambiguity As A TPM

Building Rome(s) • 20 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
💼 Business Management Leadership Strategy Operations Product Development
  1. Starting with a clear goal helps the team stay focused and find the right path, even when things get confusing.
  2. Breaking down problems into smaller parts makes them easier to handle and allows the team to address challenges step by step.
  3. It's important to keep moving forward, even when the answers aren't clear. Trusting your gut and adapting quickly can lead to progress.
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Be part of the solution, not part of the problem

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 2256 implied HN points • 17 Oct 23
💼 Business Management Accountability Incident Response Communication Documentation
  1. Notify all stakeholders before making any production changes to avoid becoming part of the problem.
  2. Overcommunicate during a problem by sharing information to involve stakeholders in finding solutions.
  3. Make yourself accountable for mistakes to be a part of the solution and promote learning and improvement.

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 Startups Venture Capital Finance Economics 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.

TBM 340: Path to $

The Beautiful Mess • 304 implied HN points • 13 Feb 25
💼 Business Management Finance Strategy Operations Startups
  1. Different teams have varying impacts on business outcomes, making it easier for some to show their value than others. For instance, a team focused on improving sales can clearly demonstrate their contribution, unlike teams juggling multiple tasks.
  2. Startups often change their team structure frequently to tackle immediate challenges, which can lead to chaos, but also strong focus when everyone rallies around a project. This flexible approach can help in growth and development.
  3. It’s important for organizations to recognize how their teams collaborate and support each other. Finding ways to help less effective teams focus or connect with important goals can boost overall performance and success.

The 3 top mistakes of managers under 30

Leading Developers • 103 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Career development Workplace culture Professional Growth
  1. Young managers often worry about their age and try too hard to prove themselves. It's better to ignore age and focus on maturity and confidence.
  2. Trying too hard to be liked can backfire. It's important to give honest feedback and set clear expectations without being overly apologetic.
  3. Making quick decisions can be risky. It's wise to consult team members, especially those with more experience, before deciding on important matters.

We are back!

Off to Lunch • 1218 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
💼 Business News Podcasts Leadership Startups 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.

The CTO's Silent Struggle

The CTO Substack • 279 implied HN points • 13 Jun 24
💼 Business Leadership Management Communication Technology Career development
  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.

TBM 316: Ultra Founder Mode

The Beautiful Mess • 925 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
💼 Business Leadership Management Entrepreneurship Accountability Self-Improvement
  1. Ultra Founder Mode is all about taking raw honesty and owning up to your weaknesses. It's crucial to be really self-aware and willing to face hard truths about yourself and your work.
  2. In this mindset, you take full responsibility for everything—successes and failures. There’s no blaming others; you say 'I' messed up, and you own that weight fully.
  3. Being a leader means being deeply involved in your team's day-to-day struggles. You need to feel their pressures and grind alongside them, absorbing all the chaos without immediately trying to fix everything.

Accountability and Authority

In My Tribe • 683 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
💼 Business Management Bureaucracy Leadership Accountability Authority
  1. Clear job descriptions should state the authority and the accountability of a role. This helps everyone know who is responsible for what.
  2. Bureaucracy tends to make it hard to point fingers when something goes wrong. In businesses, leaders try to keep accountability clear, unlike in government.
  3. When people have less authority in their jobs, it's harder to hold them accountable for results. Finding the right balance is crucial for effectiveness.

The Hagakure #85: In The Trenches

The Hagakure • 61 implied HN points • 28 Dec 24
💼 Business Leadership Startups Entrepreneurship Management Technology
  1. The author recently took a new job as a startup CTO and is sharing his real experiences in this role. It's a change from coaching others to being hands-on again.
  2. He wants to provide honest insights about the challenges he faces instead of polished advice. It's about showing the true ups and downs of the job.
  3. The author invites readers to join him on this journey and share what they want to learn about being in a leadership position. It's a way to connect and engage with everyone interested.

Living Evil: Unearthed Bodies And Sacrificial Lambs

Richard Lewis • 1906 implied HN points • 17 May 23
💼 Business Ethics Leadership Management Work Environment Corporate culture
  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.

How I'm Building My Business To Run Without Me

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 179 implied HN points • 04 Jul 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Management Productivity Marketing Operations
  1. Many business owners think their business can't run without them due to fear of losing quality. But with the right systems, it can thrive even in their absence.
  2. Bottlenecks come from controlling client communication and deliverables too tightly. Letting go and empowering others can free up time and improve efficiency.
  3. Creating clear processes and hiring help allows business owners to focus on growth. Shifting to scalable models can also help in generating consistent income.

The Decade of Greed

In My Tribe • 470 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
💼 Business Corporate Finance Investing Economic History Management Stock Market
  1. The 1980s was known as the 'decade of greed' where corporate competition and higher stock prices became the focus. Companies were often run for personal perks rather than to boost shareholder value.
  2. The leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco showcased how investment strategies changed, with firms paying high prices for companies, anticipating future profits. This often led to restructuring that wasn't always kind to employees.
  3. Despite concerns about overpaying for stocks and creating economic instability, overall wealth has increased in America since the 1980s. What seemed excessive at the time might now look like a small correction in the grand scheme.

Living Evil: Covid, Counter-Strike And An Unnecessary Rebranding

Richard Lewis • 1886 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Management Branding
  1. Evil Geniuses faced challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic with management disregarding safety protocols and putting staff at risk.
  2. The Counter-Strike team's decline was highlighted by poor management decisions and player dissatisfaction.
  3. An unnecessary rebranding at Evil Geniuses led to public ridicule and internal disapproval, showcasing a disconnect between management and staff.

DO TOO MUCH

Rational in the Fullness of Time • 312 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
💼 Business Leadership Entrepreneurship Management Innovation Growth
  1. Leaders need to go above and beyond in their efforts. Doing more can inspire others to care and work harder too.
  2. When achieving goals, over-communication and quick reactions can be more effective than waiting and planning too much.
  3. To create something meaningful, embrace the idea of doing too much. It's a part of pushing boundaries and achieving great things.

High-performance engineering managers

Elevate • 1113 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Data Analytics Training Employee engagement
  1. Effective managers have key traits that significantly impact employee performance, happiness, and retention, as proven by Google's Project Oxygen.
  2. Soft skills like coaching, communication, and support are more valued than technical expertise by employees, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence in management.
  3. Using rigorous people analytics, organizations can identify and develop high-impact management behaviors specific to their unique culture, leading to improved leadership and employee satisfaction.

Your complete guide to board rooms

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 276 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
💼 Business Management Finance Corporate Governance Startups Leadership
  1. Know who's in the room during board meetings. The CEO, CFO, and tech leaders each have specific roles and responsibilities that are crucial for a productive discussion.
  2. Keep your board meetings under 3.5 hours. Long meetings can tire everyone out, so aim for a focused agenda that encourages valuable input from all members.
  3. Send out materials for the meeting 48 to 72 hours in advance. This allows everyone to prepare without being overwhelmed, and it helps keep the meeting on track.

Using fake deadlines without driving your engineers crazy

Leading Developers • 98 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Productivity Engineering Workplace
  1. Setting deadlines helps teams focus and improve productivity. When there’s a finish line, people are more likely to get things done quickly.
  2. Involve your team in setting deadlines to avoid frustration. If they help decide what's realistic, they'll feel more committed to meeting the goal.
  3. It's okay to be flexible with deadlines. Sometimes things change, and what's important is clear communication with the team about any adjustments.

There's a whole lot of ugly out there when it comes to growth teams.

Elena's Growth Scoop • 904 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
💼 Business Marketing Management Growth Finance Leadership
  1. The growth teams face systematic failures in the industry due to various issues like unclear growth fundamentals and bad strategic decisions from executives.
  2. Symptoms of a bad growth team include not focusing on monetization, neglecting retention, and obsessing over 'hacks' instead of building sustainable growth engines.
  3. To build a successful growth team, companies need to prioritize monetization, retention, and data-driven decision-making, and ensure alignment between departments for optimal results.

Debugging productivity

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
💼 Business Productivity Management Efficiency Time management Software
  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.

Introducing the Good Manager Leaderboard

The Lunacian • 230 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🔮 Crypto Blockchain Gaming Rewards Management Delegation
  1. The Good Manager Leaderboard is a new way for managers to earn rewards by tracking how well their delegated axies perform in games. Managers can now see their rankings and compete for prizes based on Axie Experience Points (AXP).
  2. Managers in Axie Classic can start checking their stats right away, while those in Origins and Homeland will get access soon. This adds a competitive edge and helps managers see how they're doing each month.
  3. There's a total of 1,500 AXS available as monthly rewards based on AXP earned, encouraging managers to increase their scholars' gameplay and participation. It's a great opportunity for managers to earn more while leading their teams.

The Oversized Conglomerate

In My Tribe • 653 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Public Policy Political theory Management Regulation
  1. A government that does a few things well is better than one that tries to do many things poorly. When the government gets involved in too many areas, it often struggles to manage them effectively.
  2. The federal government acts like a big, clumsy business conglomerate. It has overlapping agencies and goals that conflict, making it hard to oversee and improve its work.
  3. When considering government interventions, we should expect them to be less effective than planned. This means we should rethink how much we ask the government to do and focus on making sure it does a few things really well.

Gather, decide, execute

The Engineering Manager • 19 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
💼 Business Management Leadership Productivity Communication Tech Tools
  1. Having a personal system to manage information is really important for effective management. It helps you stay organized and recall important details.
  2. The gather-decide-execute method allows you to process information efficiently. You gather insights, make decisions based on them, and then take action to implement those decisions.
  3. Keeping your system simple and adaptable is key. If it's too complicated or doesn't fit your changing needs, you're less likely to stick with it.

TBM 323: Quick Tool Tips

The Beautiful Mess • 542 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
💼 Business Management Strategy Tools Processes Teamwork
  1. Make tools fit your needs by trying them out and getting feedback. This way, you can avoid forcing your team into a system that doesn't help anyone.
  2. Involve all kinds of team members in decisions about tools. If you only ask certain roles, you might miss out on important ideas and needs from others.
  3. Start simple before automating. Test simple methods first to see what works, then build on those ideas rather than jumping straight into complicated solutions.

How to be(come) a manager

Wednesday Wisdom • 123 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
💼 Business Management Career Leadership Training Mentorship
  1. Becoming a manager means doing a different job, not just coding. You won't have much time for hands-on tasks, so you need to let that go and focus on managing your team instead.
  2. It’s important to find a mentor and connect with peers who can help you learn how to manage better. Talking with others in similar situations can give you fresh ideas and support.
  3. You need to learn the tools and skills required for management. Understanding processes, having tough conversations, and giving feedback are all key parts of being a successful manager.

The slow death of the hands-on engineering manager

Leading Developers • 139 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Management Artificial Intelligence Coding Productivity
  1. Many engineering managers want to code more, but their roles shift them away from hands-on work. Finding even a few hours a week to code can help stay engaged with the team.
  2. Choosing small, impactful tasks can keep managers involved in coding. Projects that help the team or solve annoying issues can be both beneficial and satisfying.
  3. Creating internal tools, like a chatbot for documentation, can improve efficiency and learning. Such projects can bring value to the team while allowing managers to practice their skills.

How we built a business out of recession - chapter 30 - Q is for Quentin

The ZIPster • 35 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startup Finance Management Leadership
  1. CitNOW started as a small business and grew a lot over time. It shows how you can build something big from humble beginnings.
  2. Hiring the right people is super important for a company's success. Finding someone who can help guide and improve the business can make a big difference.
  3. Past mistakes can teach valuable lessons. It's essential to learn from experiences to avoid making the same errors in the future.

How we built a business out of recession - chapter 31 - back the fuck off

The ZIPster • 26 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Management Leadership Marketing
  1. Board meetings can get crowded and political, causing frustration among members. It's important to keep discussions focused and ensure everyone feels heard.
  2. Adapting to new ideas, like a data product, can help a company stay competitive. Valuing data is essential for creating new revenue opportunities.
  3. Conflict can arise when leadership roles and ideas clash. It's crucial to stand firm on important decisions to protect the team's vision and goals.