The hottest Product Development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

How I Made My First Million Online

Day One • 479 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Choose a platform that fits your content format and engage with your community to build a loyal following.
  2. Creating products/services should revolve around solving your community's problems, listen to their struggles and offer solutions.
  3. Consistently create quality content, engage with others, and focus on helping people to build a successful online brand.

TBM 369: Sources Of Truth

The Beautiful Mess • 502 implied HN points • 27 Jul 25
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Many problems in product development aren't really about finding the 'truth.' Teams often struggle because they can't agree on what the truth is or if they even want to find it.
  2. Different groups in a company might have their own definitions and understandings of initiatives and goals, creating confusion. Trying to standardize everything can lead to teams working around rules instead of working effectively.
  3. While some companies simplify processes to make things easier, they can end up losing important details. It’s crucial to find a balance between understanding the complexity of the work and not getting overwhelmed by it.

TBM 364: Three Team Vibes

The Beautiful Mess • 608 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Different teams have unique vibes that you can sense just by asking about their work. For example, some teams feel focused and motivated, while others may seem confused or disorganized.
  2. Team dynamics can cycle through different modes, like being highly effective or feeling lost. It's important to recognize where your team stands to improve productivity.
  3. Company culture influences how teams operate. If teams focus too much on individual projects, it can lead to burnout and lack of coordination, while a healthy culture encourages teamwork.

Cost of Acquisition (CAC) trap.

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1022 implied HN points • 12 May 23
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Focus on optimizing payback period instead of just reducing CAC to improve ROI.
  2. Consider the profitability and long-term value of different acquisition channels before shutting them down based solely on CAC.
  3. The payback period is a superior metric for acquisition that focuses on reinvesting returns and optimizing various aspects like CAC, conversion rate, ARPU, and conversion time.
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Customers don't care about your AI feature

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 1246 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Most customers don't really care if a product is AI-powered. They want to know how it will solve their problems, not get lost in technical jargon.
  2. Highlighting the benefits and real outcomes of a product works better than focusing on the AI label. Show customers how your product can make their lives easier.
  3. Using 'AI' in marketing can sometimes backfire. It can lower customer expectations and doesn't always justify a higher price. It's better to focus on value rather than buzzwords.

It’s all about trials

Elena's Growth Scoop • 904 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Trials help showcase a product's value and can increase pricing power.
  2. Trials should be tailored to specific segments for the best results.
  3. Different trial configurations exist, including when to start, what is offered, entry requirements, duration, and type of offer.

A letter to security vendors

Frankly Speaking • 457 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. Security vendors should simplify the buying process for their products. Many buyers find the current process too complicated and just want to try the product quickly.
  2. Today's security teams are often filled with technical experts who want hands-on testing. Vendors need to let these teams explore products to see if they work in their specific environments.
  3. The procurement process needs to improve since it's making things harder for everyone. Companies spend too much time managing vendor relationships instead of focusing on security.

6 lessons from Y-Combinator, 10 years later

Pratap’s Substack • 317 implied HN points • 26 Mar 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Speed is important. It's better to launch something quickly, even if it has some flaws, than to wait for everything to be perfect.
  2. Don't always trust the experts. Sometimes, it's better to have fresh perspectives, and young talent can surprise you with their creativity.
  3. Talking to users is crucial. Getting direct feedback and engaging with them in person helps to really understand their needs and build a stronger product.

Quitting freelancing to build products

Kenny’s Sub • 239 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Freelancing can consume a lot of time and energy, making it hard to work on personal projects. Focusing entirely on building your own products might be a better choice for growth.
  2. Getting paid as a freelancer can be tricky and often requires chasing clients. Having good platforms can help with payment security and reduce the hassle.
  3. When developing products, it's important to try out various ideas. Finding what works best often means experimenting and adjusting based on feedback and demand.

Briefing: YouTube’s big bets, Snap slumps, Airbnb’s Winter Redesign

Department of Product • 353 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. YouTube is focusing on subscriptions with over 100 million paying subscribers, positioning itself as a subscription superpower.
  2. Snap's stock slumped after Q4 results, but the company reached 7 million paid subscribers for its product.
  3. Google Maps introduced LLM search, enabling users to search using key phrases for recommendations in the US, with expansion planned.

User Research Guide For Founders, Part 1: Getting Started

Elizabeth Laraki • 179 implied HN points • 25 Apr 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Set clear and specific research goals to know exactly what you want to learn from users.
  2. Choose the right research method, like interviews or usability studies, based on whether you need feedback on a concept or an existing product.
  3. Turn your research goals into specific questions that are easy for people to answer, making it easier to gather useful information.

More Efficiency, More Demand

Fish Food for Thought • 47 implied HN points • 31 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. When tools make tasks cheaper and easier, we usually do more of those tasks, not less; efficiency expands demand and creates new uses.
  2. Automation tends to shift work, not eliminate it — machines handle repetitive parts while people take on harder, higher-value tasks like interpretation, edge cases, and oversight.
  3. AI will grow opportunities for engineers and data scientists by increasing the amount of software and systems to build, maintain, secure, and govern, shifting work toward architecture, judgment, and integration rather than rote coding.

AI is breadth-first, not depth-first

The AI Frontier • 99 implied HN points • 06 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. AI works well across many tasks but struggles with the details. It can help with brainstorming or basic coding but doesn't replace expert-level understanding.
  2. When building AI products, think beyond one industry or function. There are opportunities where different jobs connect and can benefit from shared data.
  3. It's important to understand what experts want from your AI. They expect quality insights, so your AI should be ready to provide that next level of detail.

Should everyone do everything now?

Anant’s Newsletter • 6 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. AI tools have made it easy to do credible work in neighboring roles, collapsing the old boundaries between engineering, design, and product.
  2. That ease creates a Dunning‑Kruger risk where people reach superficial competence and ship work that misses many subtle but important details and edge cases.
  3. The right response is to learn other disciplines deeply enough to know where your judgment ends, use AI to help but exercise restraint, and defer to specialized craft knowledge when needed.

How To Improve Retention

Growth Croissant • 668 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Segment subscribers by voluntary and involuntary cancels to improve retention.
  2. Use tactics like special offers and downgrades in the cancel flow to reduce voluntary cancels.
  3. Encourage annual plans to benefit from upfront cash and better retention.

How Bolt.new hit $40M ARR in 5 months

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 362 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Bolt.new succeeded because it had the right technology at the right time, quickly building on improvements in AI. This allowed them to grow rapidly after initially struggling for years.
  2. They made their user experience simple and easy for anyone to use, which helped people feel excited about creating and sharing their projects. This lack of barriers led to more users trying their product.
  3. Their growth strategy revolves around users sharing their creations, which naturally attracts new users. They also focus on quickly releasing updates and new features, keeping excitement high among users.

Marketing day

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Working hard on marketing doesn't always guarantee great results. Spending 12 hours led to only a few followers and impressions.
  2. Creating original content might attract more attention than just reaching out to people. Focusing on product improvement could be more valuable.
  3. It's important to track the right metrics for success. Being aware of sign-ups can help identify areas that need improvement.

The 'delayed opinions givers' - engineering teams everybody hates

Leading Developers • 70 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. Prioritize unblocking other teams and put their urgent needs before your own most of the time, because being helpful builds trust and speeds up the whole company.
  2. Don’t give delayed attention — slow reviews and late answers cause wasted developer weeks, messy merges, technical debt, and demoralized engineers, so respond promptly to requests you agree to handle.
  3. Make work visible and set boundaries: use simple trackers so requests don’t get lost, help teams the first few times while teaching them to do better, and escalate or block repeat abusers.

🧠 Knowledge Series #23: Passkeys explained

Department of Product • 314 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. Passkeys are digital keys replacing traditional passwords, enhancing security and creating unique keys for each account and device.
  2. Major companies like Uber, Apple, Google, and Microsoft are actively supporting and implementing passkeys for a passwordless future.
  3. Product teams can implement passkeys by understanding how they work and following a step-by-step guide for integration.

Getting better at 𝕏

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. To grow your audience on X, try following big accounts in your field and engaging with their posts. This way, you can gain followers by sharing your thoughts and support.
  2. Using SEO tags can help more people find you on Google, which is a smart way to increase visibility for your business.
  3. Creating a community for your product can foster discussions and improvements, even if it feels a bit empty at first. It's a great way for users to connect and share ideas.

Oh no, don't look - it's Developer Marketing

Permit.io’s Substack • 39 implied HN points • 24 Jul 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Marketing to developers is really different from regular marketing. You can’t just tell them they’re doing things wrong; you need to connect with their community and understand their challenges.
  2. At conferences, it’s important to engage with developers at different levels. Not everyone taking a sticker will become a customer, and that's okay. It's more about building relationships.
  3. Offering flexibility in your product is key. Developers have different needs, so let them use only what they want without forcing features on them.

Long overdue life updates

box. • 419 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Finding a balance between creating for an audience and focusing on personal projects is tricky but important. Having too many outside distractions can slow down real work, so taking breaks from attention helps keep goals on track.
  2. Loneliness is a big issue that needs meaningful solutions. Sometimes it's hard to work on this emotionally heavy topic, but caring about it makes the work feel worthwhile.
  3. Managing time as a solo founder can be challenging. Setting boundaries and valuing personal time helps stay focused on what truly matters, without getting overwhelmed by small tasks.

Moving beyond MVP

Running Lean Mastery • 530 implied HN points • 26 May 23
💼 Business Product Development
  1. The term MVP has evolved over time and can be confused with other terms like experiment or demo.
  2. Introducing a new term, MDVFP, to emphasize the smallest desirable, viable, feasible product.
  3. The MDVFP is not a landing page, prototype, or just an experiment - it's a distinct concept.

I've found the last missing piece 🔍

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 13 Aug 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. The founder had productive calls with developers, gaining insights to improve their project after the launch. It's important to listen to experienced people to refine your ideas.
  2. They enhanced their landing page by adding testimonials and changing the pricing strategy, which could help attract more customers. Good copy and clear pricing can make a big difference.
  3. The next steps include generating social proof and setting up a Product Hunt pre-launch page, showing a plan to engage potential users and increase visibility before launch.

Preparing to launch 🚀

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 12 Aug 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Testing the payment flow is crucial. It's important to ensure the payment system works correctly before launching, so real-world testing with coupon codes can help ease nerves.
  2. Improving the landing page can make a big difference. Sometimes stepping away helps you see what's unnecessary or unclear, allowing for better, more precise wording.
  3. Planning next steps is essential for a successful launch. Focus on pricing strategy, generating social proof, and preparing for platforms like Product Hunt to boost visibility.

The emerging startup playbook

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 962 implied HN points • 09 Oct 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Create a minimum remarkable product that really stands out. This means your initial product should be good enough to impress people right away, as getting their trust back later is tough.
  2. Use storytelling to engage your audience. Instead of a big launch event, try to build a community around your product through authentic content and personal stories.
  3. Stay lean by using automation and AI to keep things efficient. It's better to have a small, skilled team that can innovate rather than hiring lots of people to get things done.

We beat Liquid Glass

The Rectangle • 84 implied HN points • 07 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. Apple introduced a new design called Liquid Glass that was meant to look like glass, but it didn't work well on devices like phones and laptops. Many users found it confusing and hard to use.
  2. Apple did make some changes to Liquid Glass to improve accessibility, allowing users to adjust how transparent it is, but they didn't address other big problems with their operating systems.
  3. There seems to be a shift in Apple's approach, as they focused on a new design instead of fixing bugs and improving user experience. This has raised questions about their commitment to quality and usability.

Distribution is not a "moat" in AI

Enterprise AI Trends • 253 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. Distribution alone doesn't ensure success in AI markets. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it will protect a business from competition.
  2. Relying on trendy coding styles can actually hurt a company by increasing competition and reducing profits. It's like speeding without knowing where you're going.
  3. Established companies with strong relationships can benefit more from new trends than new players. They already have a secure place in the market.

AI news roundup: You see what you want to see

The AI Frontier • 79 implied HN points • 23 May 24
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. Recent AI updates have sparked excitement and frustration; everyone interprets them differently, like a Rorschach test.
  2. The improvements in AI tech are impressive, particularly in multimodality, but their impact varies between consumer and enterprise applications.
  3. The AI market is growing rapidly, with hype increasing and many companies looking to innovate, but there are still big questions about the future and how to stay competitive.

The bull case for AI startups

The AI Frontier • 59 implied HN points • 13 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Product Development
  1. AI startups have a lot of room for innovation, even with big companies investing heavily in AI. There are still many opportunities for new ideas and products.
  2. Startups can take more risks and try out unusual ideas that bigger companies might avoid due to reputation concerns. This freedom can lead to exciting new products.
  3. While big companies have access to a lot of data and resources, startups can be more flexible and connect data from various sources. This can give them an advantage in creating better solutions for customers.

Getting the product on the hands of customers ♥️

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 07 Aug 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. It's important to get feedback from both experienced and beginner developers to improve the product. This will help make the product easier for everyone to use.
  2. The landing page needs continuous updates based on feedback to better attract potential users.
  3. Preparing for a launch on platforms like Product Hunt involves creating promotional content and a support network to maximize visibility and impact.

Week in review

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 05 Aug 24
💼 Business Product Development
  1. Mastery cycles help you learn skills quickly by breaking the process into steps: try, review, and improve. This keeps you organized and focused on growth.
  2. The Dunning-Kruger effect shows that people often think they're smarter than they are at first. Overcoming challenges makes you more aware of how much there is to learn.
  3. Reflection and planning are just as important as doing the work. Taking time to think about what you've done helps you get better and avoid falling into bad habits.