The hottest Measurement Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Facebook’s Agents Still Run. Apple Keeps Wiping Their Memory.

Big Tech • 515 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Measurement
  1. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency effectively killed persistent cross-app identifiers like the IDFA for most users, so apps can no longer track individuals across apps without consent.
  2. Apple replaced that surveillance with privacy-preserving tools like SKAdNetwork and AdAttributionKit. These systems use verified Universal Links, crowd-anonymity thresholds, and delayed, aggregated postbacks so advertisers can measure performance and re-engage users without personal identifiers.
  3. Facebook’s SDK still runs in many apps but lost its ability to build individual behavioral profiles, forcing Meta to rely on probabilistic and aggregated measurement, while Apple’s own ad business has grown inside the new privacy guardrails.

GDP is Inevitable

Cremieux Recueil • 477 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🔬 Science Measurement
  1. When you add up many positively correlated variables with positive weights, different composite scores tend to become very similar because shared covariance grows faster than unique variance, so the sums converge toward perfect correlation as components increase.
  2. GDP will naturally correlate highly with lots of other measures since it aggregates overlapping components (and is sometimes included in other indexes), and aggregation reduces within-group noise which mechanically inflates between-group correlations.
  3. Adding items to make a composite more reliable often makes it harder to distinguish from other composites, so improving reliability can reduce discriminant validity (for example, measures like grit can converge with conscientiousness).

Pre-Class Assignment for Tuesday: 2026-01-27 :: Econ 196 :: Productivity & Technology

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 69 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🚌 Education Measurement
  1. The demographic transition radically changed population trajectories: a small change in long-run growth rates produces huge differences in population over centuries, so modern population levels are far higher than they would have been under the old growth regime.
  2. Using capability-specific measures—like photons or lumen-hours for lighting—shows that technological improvements have raised practical living standards far more than conventional real-output or real-wage measures imply.
  3. Measuring prosperity requires both these capability-based metrics and attention to distribution, environment, and nonmarket welfare, and hands-on quantitative exercises (e.g., Python arithmetic) are a powerful way to teach what technology and growth actually mean.

The Tale of the Strawberries

Cremieux Recueil • 507 implied HN points • 13 Nov 25
🚌 Education Measurement
  1. Trends can look similar, but the reasons behind them can be very different. Just because two places produce more strawberries doesn't mean they do it the same way.
  2. Measurement invariance is important. This concept means you can’t just compare numbers across different times or places without understanding how they were measured.
  3. Not all trends matter equally. Sometimes the reasons behind the changes are significant, and other times they might not be. It's essential to dig deeper to understand what the numbers really mean.

How Has U.S. Manufacturing Been Going Over the Past Generation?

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 176 implied HN points • 03 Dec 25
💼 Business Measurement
  1. Official measures understate manufacturing productivity because producer deflators miss big quality improvements. Using consumer-facing hedonic adjustments pushed through input–output tables raises measured TFP a lot, especially in computers and electronics.
  2. Even after correcting for mismeasurement, manufacturing shows a clear slowdown after the 2007–2009 financial crisis; the strong gains are concentrated in a few ICT subindustries while much of manufacturing has essentially stagnated.
  3. If quality growth has been undercounted, manufacturing matters more for growth and policy than official data imply, so researchers should dig into why ICT dominates the gains and test robustness to margins, globalization, and measurement choices.
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Lies, damned lies, and photodiodes

lcamtuf’s thing • 2040 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Measurement
  1. Photodiodes can have a wide range of response speeds, and the advertised specs often don't tell the whole story. It's important to understand how they are tested, as this can affect their performance.
  2. When building precise measurement devices with photodiodes, two types of currents play a role. One is fast, while the other can take much longer to settle down, impacting the overall signal quality.
  3. Using techniques like reverse bias can improve performance, but some effects are inherent to the photodiodes themselves. Understanding these limitations is key for achieving accurate measurements.

PCE and the *Supercore* Inflation Reading

The Informationist • 1120 implied HN points • 02 Apr 23
💰 Finance Measurement
  1. PCE is a monthly inflation measure that tracks consumer spending on goods and services.
  2. PCE methodology differs from CPI in coverage, methodology, and population coverage.
  3. Supercore PCE Deflator, preferred by the Fed, removes food, energy, gas, electricity, and housing from core inflation readings.

3.0 The Birth of Electromagnetism

Fields & Energy • 279 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🔬 Science Measurement
  1. Coulomb created the torsion balance, a tool that helped him measure tiny forces between electrically charged objects. This was a big step in understanding electricity and magnetism.
  2. His findings showed that electric forces follow a similar pattern to gravitational forces, which Newton discovered. This means both types of forces can be explained using related mathematical laws.
  3. Coulomb's work laid the foundation for modern electromagnetism, even though he faced challenges during the French Revolution. His contributions are still recognized today, as the unit of electric charge is named after him.

Adventures in Zone 2 Cardio Training | Part 1

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 1118 implied HN points • 29 Sep 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Measurement
  1. Zone 2 cardio training is essential for metabolic health and involves moderate intensity fat-burning exercise that can be sustained for an hour.
  2. Training in Zone 2 can improve endurance, fat oxidation, and lactate clearance in slow-twitch muscle fibers, benefiting overall fitness and potentially impacting fasting tolerance.
  3. Measuring lactate levels using a meter provides precise feedback for optimal training intensity in Zone 2, leading to rapid progress and efficient workouts.

Impedance, part 2: why do LCR meters exist?

lcamtuf’s thing • 1224 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🔬 Science Measurement
  1. Impedance can be divided into resistance, capacitive reactance, and inductive reactance.
  2. Digital multimeters measure resistors, capacitors, and inductors by applying different methods.
  3. LCR meters, despite their limited features, provide valuable insights into impedance through scalar impedance and phase offset measurements.

Physics for Everyone, Lecture 2: The Gestalt of Physics, Tools for Seeing

Critical Mass • 12 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🔬 Science Measurement
  1. Order-of-magnitude thinking uses powers of ten and rough estimates to keep your intuition tied to reality and avoid being fooled by big numbers with false precision.
  2. Approximation (the “super cow” idea) means building simplified models that include only the features you need so messy real-world problems become solvable without misleading yourself.
  3. Dimensional analysis tracks basic units like length, time, and mass to guess the form of answers, catch impossible results, and often derive relationships with minimal detailed information.

Decoding Developer Productivity

Wisdom over Waves • 79 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Measurement
  1. Estimating software development work and productivity is tricky due to the unknowns and constant changes in the software development process.
  2. The desire to measure developer productivity stems from the human need for clarity in transactions, like buying software products, despite the complexities and uncertainties involved in software development.
  3. It's time to change the perception of software developers as mere code generators and start recognizing them as creative problem-solvers who bring unique value to the development process.

GDP still wins

Economic Forces • 11 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
💼 Business Measurement
  1. GDP remains the best single-number summary of economic activity because no alternative captures the full picture of what an economy is doing.
  2. GDP correlates with many outcomes people care about — like lower infant mortality, better education, reduced extreme poverty, and higher self-reported happiness — because it measures the resources available to fund services and infrastructure.
  3. Despite its limitations, a well-measured GDP is practical and informative for policymaking and teaching, so attempts to outright replace it haven’t gained traction.

Measuring distortion

Only Wonder Knows • 58 implied HN points • 19 May 23
🔬 Science Measurement
  1. When working with non-linear systems, be cautious and pay attention to distortion.
  2. Measuring distortion in systems may require using techniques like injecting two tones.
  3. Characterizing distortion involves understanding how system limitations affect harmonic levels.

Price Theory and the Price Level

Economic Forces • 6 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
💰 Finance Measurement
  1. Measuring the price level requires price theory because common price indexes are just approximate constructs and can systematically mis-measure the theoretical concept.
  2. The correct price-level measure is the money cost of a constant-utility bundle, so weights should adjust as consumers substitute and as future/asset prices matter; fixed-weight indexes and the exclusion of asset prices produce substitution bias and other errors.
  3. Those measurement flaws make it harder to test theories of price-level determination and can mislead policymakers, causing noisy empirical results and potential policy mistakes.

You can't escape construct validity

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
🚌 Education Measurement
  1. Measuring abstract concepts like happiness is really tough. Researchers need to find good ways to define and measure these big ideas accurately.
  2. Construct validity is important for any type of research claim. It checks if what you're measuring actually reflects the concept you're interested in.
  3. Making decisions, like hiring or choosing a restaurant, involves relying on imperfect measures. It's essential to understand the limitations of these measures to make better choices.

OSD 330: The rise of sensorship

Open Source Defense • 28 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Measurement
  1. Sensors help us understand and measure things better. The more accurate our sensors are, the more we can improve our products and practices.
  2. In different fields, the use of sensors is at various stages. Some areas, like competition shooting, are advanced, while others, like non-lethal weapons, have much room for growth.
  3. Using objective measurements can change our understanding of different situations. By having clear data, we can make better decisions and improve our overall knowledge.

Evaluating Team Effectiveness with a Data-first Approach | Bhavini Soneji, Executive Leader (ex-Cruise, Headspace, Microsoft)

platocommunity • 19 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
💼 Business Measurement
  1. Empowering people to discover their strengths and amplify their impact is key in leadership.
  2. When measuring team effectiveness, consider the three buckets: what (strategic value), how (execution), and who (team dynamics).
  3. Combining measurement with follow-through techniques is crucial to determine if you're measuring the right things and drive continuous improvement.

Introducing the AI Measurement Framework

Engineering Enablement • 13 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Measurement
  1. AI can help organizations but measuring its impact is tough. Companies need to figure out which tools work best for them.
  2. The AI Measurement Framework is a new way to understand how AI is used and how it adds value. It helps measure AI's success in organizations.
  3. A live webinar is coming up to explain the framework and share real-world insights. Joining it can be a good way to learn more about making the most of AI.

A Case for Moderate IQ Skepticism

Tom Thought • 19 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🔬 Science Measurement
  1. Performance on cognitive tasks is correlated, so individuals who excel in one area tend to excel in others as well.
  2. IQ tests are useful in predicting various life outcomes, but it's important to recognize that they are not a direct measure of intelligence.
  3. It's crucial to be skeptical of assigning deep meaning to specific IQ scores, especially when comparing across different populations.

Time response of first order systems

Only Wonder Knows • 19 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🔬 Science Measurement
  1. When measuring a system's response time, make sure to wait for at least five time constants to reach a stable state.
  2. First order systems have a unique time response that can be calculated using simple expressions.
  3. Extracting the time constant of a system involves analyzing data, normalizing measurements, and ensuring a good fit to confirm the system's behavior.

Implicit measures in UX

UX Psychology • 99 implied HN points • 11 Oct 21
🕹 Technology Measurement
  1. Self-report methods like questionnaires and interviews are commonly used in UX research, but they have limitations due to factors like social desirability bias and limited introspection.
  2. To fully understand user experience, it's important to consider unconscious motives like emotions and implicit attitudes, which can be measured using implicit techniques such as the Implicit Associate Test (IAT).
  3. Implicit measures, like the IAT, provide insights into unconscious processes influencing behavior, and can offer additional valuable information in UX research compared to traditional explicit measures like questionnaires.

✅ Monday briefing: Back to the future, AI over claims, sewage clean-up, Labour briefing, news verification, words to axe, and more

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Measurement
  1. The public relations field is slow to adopt new technology like AI, which limits innovation and effectiveness in the industry.
  2. Many people working in public relations don't fully understand the metrics they use, which can lead to problems in measurement and reporting.
  3. There's a growing focus on cleaning up environmental issues, like pollution from sewage, but some investments are criticized as being mainly for show.

DevRel: What to avoid, when to hire, and how to succeed

Developer GTM – by Calyx Consulting • 1 HN point • 12 Mar 24
💼 Business Measurement
  1. DevRel's impact can be measured, but setting up measurement can be costly. Focus on project-level success metrics and 'north star' metrics like Developer NPS and retention through the funnel.
  2. Hire DevRel when existing work like tech writing or evangelizing is becoming overwhelmed due to company scale. DevRel should adapt to the company's changing needs.
  3. DevRel reporting structure varies: in a company with a developer tool, it may report to marketing; for non-core tech, product or engineering. Executive support and understanding the role are key.

The Trouble With Measuring AGEs — Butter and More

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 06 Oct 11
🏥 Health & Wellness Measurement
  1. Immunological techniques for measuring AGEs may not provide accurate results because they are like throwing gum at a wall - crude and questionable in terms of specificity and reliability.
  2. Chromatographic methods are a more reliable alternative to measure AGEs, as they allow for precise identification and measurement of individual compounds in a sample.
  3. Critics, including notable researchers like PJ Thornalley and Thomas Henle, emphasize the importance of using chromatographic techniques over immunological methods for accurate quantification of AGEs in food.

The goldfish principle and objective benchmarking

Probable Wisdom • 0 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Measurement
  1. The Goldfish Principle emphasizes managing context like a goldfish's limited memory, crucial for LLM application development and innovation.
  2. Objective Benchmarking involves setting up evaluation criteria to measure progress effectively, vital for tasks with uncertain outcomes like LLM application development and innovation.
  3. Embracing the Goldfish Principle and Objective Benchmarking helps navigate uncertain opportunities successfully, supporting teams and organizations to thrive in unpredictable environments.

How to Measure Anything

TeamCraft • 0 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🚌 Education Measurement
  1. The ability to measure anything can greatly increase your ability to estimate ROI on data initiatives and reduce uncertainty for informed decision-making.
  2. Rethink measurement by understanding that you only need to reduce uncertainty to a manageable level, not eliminate it completely.
  3. Techniques like the Rule of Five, decomposition, and challenging false assumptions about data can help in measuring intangible aspects effectively.