The hottest Management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Ne pas écouter ses investisseurs

Venture Prose • 499 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Investors may push for hyper-growth, but it's okay to build a company at your own pace.
  2. Investors will critique your execution, but it's important to read between the lines and improve where necessary.
  3. Focus on having the right attitude and work ethic to set the pace for your team, even if it means not always rushing.

Inside Aldersgate's financial woes

The Charlotte Ledger • 196 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
💰 Finance Management
  1. High-level staff members at Aldersgate met with state regulators due to concerns about financial mismanagement.
  2. State regulators increased oversight as tensions escalated among staff, board members, and residents.
  3. Aldersgate faced financial difficulties that led to state intervention and the dismissal of the CEO.

The Oversized Conglomerate

In My Tribe • 653 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Management
  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.

Transforming Meetings & Management, The New Bit Set By Apple For The Immersive Era, & The Great Refactor Of Creativity

Implications, by Scott Belsky • 373 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Management
  1. Meetings and management will be reimagined with AI-driven efficiency and productivity, creating 'intelligent organizations'.
  2. Apple's VisionOS sets a new standard for immersive experiences with gestures, virtual representation, and advanced technology.
  3. Generative AI technology will revolutionize creativity by reducing mundane tasks, shifting processes, increasing possibilities, and making tools more accessible for all.
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Gymshark part 2: co-founder exits, billionaire tax planning, securing the bag, and cash crunches

Net Income • 373 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Co-founder disagreements in growing businesses are common and it might be necessary to part ways if visions differ.
  2. Smart tax planning strategies can help wealthy individuals protect assets and leave a financial legacy for future generations.
  3. Managing cash flow in a rapidly growing business, especially with inventory-based models, is crucial for long-term success.

Team got cut. Scope didn’t.

Leading Developers • 160 implied HN points • 29 Jul 25
💼 Business Management
  1. CEOs often make tough decisions that affect employees, like layoffs, but they rarely cut project scopes. This can lead to increased pressure on remaining team members.
  2. After layoffs, teams are expected to be more productive with fewer people, which can create a heavy workload and lead to burnout. It's important to communicate the costs of adding new projects or features.
  3. In a high-pressure environment, it's crucial to map out the new reality and protect your team from burnout by ensuring they have necessary breaks and manage workloads effectively.

Effectiveness is Signal minus Noise

A Bit Gamey • 20 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
💼 Business Management
  1. Effectiveness comes from identifying the few things that truly matter and subtracting everything that interferes with them.
  2. Noise is socially acceptable — it feels like progress because it produces meetings, frameworks and consensus, but it quietly drains momentum and attention.
  3. Real focus means saying no and cancelling projects even when it’s uncomfortable; ask what the signal is, what’s interfering, and what would happen if you removed that interference.

it's all artificial

Dan Davies - "Back of Mind" • 353 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Management
  1. Organizations are forms of artificial intelligence, behaving to achieve outcomes.
  2. Robots in the future may become colleagues and middle managers, working alongside us.
  3. AI and management practices both involve managing vast amounts of information to make it manageable.

Minimum Viable Process

Lessons • 353 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Process is necessary as a company grows, but be cautious of adding too much without solving specific problems.
  2. Minimum Viable Process means starting from first principles and solving real pain with iterative changes.
  3. Good process can often mean removing things that are no longer effective or necessary.

The final post on remote work

Hot Takes • 353 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Remote work is not new and has been predicted, but the pandemic accelerated its adoption.
  2. Properly organized remote work boosts productivity by reducing interruptions.
  3. Investing in remote work leads to personal happiness, stronger communities, and positive environmental impacts.

Confidence vs. Arrogance

The Breaking Point • 459 implied HN points • 05 Sep 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Confidence is important in business but crossing into arrogance can lead to mistakes.
  2. Being confident means knowing your strengths and weaknesses, while being humble.
  3. Regular self-evaluation is essential to maintain a healthy perspective in business.

Management Rituals: Quarterly Check-ins

QUALITY BOSS • 79 implied HN points • 04 May 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Quarterly check-ins help managers stay updated on their team's accomplishments and goals. They create space for important conversations about progress and development.
  2. The check-in process includes asking six questions that focus on both past achievements and future aspirations. This backward and forward approach ensures a comprehensive view of performance.
  3. These meetings do not replace regular feedback but complement it by providing a dedicated time for discussing growth and performance over a longer timeline.

The Tale of Two Teams

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1281 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Software development teams can take two different paths over time - one struggling to maintain progress and innovate, the other accelerating and exceeding expectations.
  2. Executives play a crucial role in steering teams towards successful software development by fostering a culture of continual improvement, tidy code, automation, and collaboration.
  3. Understanding software design fundamentals as an executive can help diagnose ineffective teams, bridge communication gaps between business and technology, and inspire innovation and excellence.

The Decade of Greed

In My Tribe • 470 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
💼 Business Management
  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.

Burning

Venture Prose • 339 implied HN points • 11 Jun 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Companies in the startup world face the risk of 'burning out' due to various reasons like lack of product-market fit, slow growth, or unsustainable economics.
  2. Entrepreneurs fall into categories like 'High Flyers' who start strong but need to sustain hype, and 'The Burn-Outers' who struggle to manage work-life balance while pushing their companies forward.
  3. Running a company successfully requires a balance of fundamental work, intense focus, and clarity of vision, along with surrounding oneself with a supportive team to navigate challenges.

Are you recently promoted to a Product Manager position? - Here are a few pitfalls to avoid

Ageling on Agile • 219 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
💼 Business Management
  1. The role of a product manager is different from roles like project manager, engineer, or business analyst.
  2. Newly promoted product managers should avoid the Dunning-Kruger effect by continuously learning and challenging themselves.
  3. Recognizing the Peter Principle is essential - not everyone is suited to be a product manager, and self-awareness is key.

TBM 270: Important Reader PSA

The Beautiful Mess • 1295 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Be cautious discussing heavier topics from newsletters with coworkers to avoid backfire.
  2. Focus on sharing non-threatening, useful ideas at work to align and engage others.
  3. Consider the Trojan Horse approach by introducing valuable, safe-to-fail ideas for deeper discussions.

The Bear Cave #246

The Bear Cave • 559 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Blue Orca Capital reported that Baldwin Insurance Group has been using some tricky financial practices to make their profits look better than they actually are. They claim the company has serious profitability issues.
  2. Recent leadership changes show a lot of turnover among company executives, with several CFOs and CEOs resigning or being let go. This could indicate bigger problems within those companies.
  3. There are also activist reports about Byrna Technologies, suggesting they might be exaggerating their business success. The reports claim many of their dealers don’t really exist or aren't effective.

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

High Growth Engineer • 1238 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  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.

TBM 323: Quick Tool Tips

The Beautiful Mess • 542 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
💼 Business Management
  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.

Copart

Business Breakdowns • 314 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Copart is a company that plays a crucial role in the automotive industry by handling totaled cars through auctions on a global scale
  2. The company's business model thrives on providing services like towing, storage, processing fees, and bidding platforms for salvaged vehicles
  3. Copart's scale advantages, intelligent shareholder base, and conservative management contribute to its strong position in the market

The Manager’s Iceberg

The Engineering Leader • 159 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Managers do a lot of work behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed. This includes tasks like coaching, resolving conflicts, and setting goals that are crucial for team success.
  2. Being a manager means putting the team's needs first and supporting them to succeed. It can be tough because their work might not get immediate recognition.
  3. It's important to be patient with your manager and understand they have many responsibilities. Asking how you can help them can strengthen your working relationship.

Is the Tao smarter than the Dow?

What's Important? • 32 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
💼 Business Management
  1. Companies that treat employees like family by investing in their welfare and communities build loyalty and long-term resilience, which fuels innovation and survival.
  2. Authentic leaders who stay open and 'receive'—drawing on mature love, contribution, and an external intelligence—unlock far more creativity, growth, and win-win outcomes than ego-driven or purely market-driven leaders.
  3. Wealth can create isolation, but putting even a small portion of resources into personal transformation and community connection can reintegrate capital and lead to outsized, positive returns where money follows the right contribution.

The tough reality of being a "glue person"...

The Beautiful Mess • 595 implied HN points • 18 Oct 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Being a glue person means your achievements are often overlooked, but your mistakes are very visible to others.
  2. You have to balance many expectations, which can be stressful and sometimes put you in difficult positions.
  3. It’s important to recognize your own successes, set boundaries, and take care of yourself to avoid burnout.

OpenAI: Altman Returns

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1388 implied HN points • 30 Nov 23
💼 Business Management
  1. The new board at OpenAI is officially back to its previous state.
  2. An investigation and the actions of the new board will gradually reveal the future of OpenAI.
  3. Having a strong board that can hold the CEO accountable is crucial for organizations like OpenAI.

DO TOO MUCH

Rational in the Fullness of Time • 591 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
💼 Business Management
  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.

Why Companies are Turning on Remote Work [Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 139 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. The remote work vs in-person debate is becoming more divisive with many companies now choosing to return to in-person work.
  2. Financial reasons such as increased turnover due to layoffs, real estate investments, and management preferences are driving companies to push for in-person work.
  3. Despite the preference for traditional office culture, studies show remote work can be just as productive, inclusive, and even boost creativity and performance.

Real Clarity

Venture Prose • 299 implied HN points • 23 Apr 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Finding equilibrium in startups involves balancing sales, tech, and product investments.
  2. Clarity in startups means aligning narrative with reality, managing expectations vs. realizations.
  3. Startups face challenges in maintaining clarity and facing the unpredictability of change.

Beyond Prediction: Shaping Your Work Story in an Uncertain World

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 488 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
💼 Business Management
  1. There are seven main stories shaping how we think about the future of work. Each one explores different trends and possibilities, like technology, job loss, and education.
  2. We can't predict exactly what will happen, but we can choose which narrative we want to believe in. Our choices can shape our future work experiences.
  3. Lifelong learning and adaptation are becoming essential. As technology changes, we need to keep learning to stay relevant in our jobs.

AI will replace you at your job if you let it

Technically • 28 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
💼 Business Management
  1. If you hand the core parts of your job to AI without meaningful oversight or creativity, your employer may decide the AI can do it instead of you.
  2. Relying on AI for foundational tasks prevents you from learning the craft and developing good judgment, which makes you less valuable over time.
  3. Use AI to augment your work, not replace it. Start small by automating narrow repetitive tasks, keep guardrails and testing in place, and combine model outputs with your own insight and personalization.

Doing Fast & Slow

Venture Prose • 279 implied HN points • 07 May 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Set a pace of execution that matches ambition and expectations to avoid subpar efforts and performance from your team.
  2. Find a balance between being fast and slow in your thinking and actions, while being intentional about setting expectations and goals.
  3. Work-life balance is like a rope that tightens and loosens, finding equilibrium between being super busy and not, rather than aiming for a perfect balance.

What Reid Hoffman Understands About the Human Balancing Act

The Geek Way • 99 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Reid Hoffman is regarded as a brilliant entrepreneur and investor who has made significant impacts in Silicon Valley and the tech sector.
  2. Understanding first principles for running an organization can be linked to evolutionary principles, providing insights into human organizational behavior.
  3. The balancing act between being ultrasocial and self-interested is a fundamental principle in human nature and can explain various challenges in the business world.

Letter #90: Andrew Pastor (2021)

A Letter a Day • 275 implied HN points • 10 Jun 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Good investment ideas can come from unexpected sources, like a round of golf or a casual conversation.
  2. Successful investments often share common traits that aren't found through traditional stock screens.
  3. Applying specific filters, such as assessing risk and uncertainty, evaluating management decisions, and understanding company culture, can help in identifying valuable investment opportunities.