The hottest Productivity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:
10x your mind 59 implied HN points 06 Oct 22
  1. Mastering 'doing nothing' is essential for achieving a balanced and productive mind. Taking time to be non-busy and still is crucial for creative thinking.
  2. Boredom and tech guilt are common issues faced by modern adults and children. Constantly turning to screens to avoid boredom can lead to a lack of satisfaction and meaningful accomplishments.
  3. Encouraging 'doing nothing' time, especially for children, can foster innovation and creativity. Allowing space for boredom and unstructured activities is vital in a world that values innovation over following instructions.
Gad’s Newsletter 38 implied HN points 08 Jan 24
  1. Manufacturing jobs in the US are seeing an increase in employment due to domestic production efforts and legislation like the Chips Act.
  2. Wage fairness and safety remain concerns in the manufacturing industry, despite some improvements over time.
  3. Enhancing productivity and improving worker conditions must go hand in hand for sustainable progress in the manufacturing sector.
My Home Office Hacks 5 implied HN points 17 Feb 25
  1. Ideogram is a cool tool that creates images based on your descriptions. There's a free version available, so you can try it without spending money.
  2. You can save money easily by putting a penny in a jar on January 1 and adding an extra penny each day. By the end of the year, you'll have a nice amount saved up for gifts.
  3. The Rocketbook Core is a reusable notebook that lets you write and save your notes to the cloud. It's a great way to stay organized and reduce waste.
10x your mind 39 implied HN points 19 Jan 23
  1. Productivity pays the bills and is necessary during hand-to-mouth situations.
  2. Creativity feeds the intellect and brings excitement through unpredictability and surprises.
  3. Finding a balance between productivity and creativity is key to growth and success, embracing chaos and adopting frameworks can lead to habitual creativity paying the bills.
10x your mind 39 implied HN points 05 Jan 23
  1. It's crucial to differentiate between urgent and important tasks in order to prioritize effectively.
  2. The Eisenhower Matrix is a useful tool for categorizing tasks based on urgency and importance, helping in decision-making and time management.
  3. Tasks can be classified into categories like 'Do', 'Schedule', 'Delegate', and 'Delete' based on the Eisenhower Matrix, enabling efficient task management.
My Home Office Hacks 5 implied HN points 10 Feb 25
  1. Using AI tools like ChatGPT for invoicing is useful and doesn't feel like cheating. It can save a lot of time and effort.
  2. You can create a personalized invoice template just by asking ChatGPT for specific details about your company and billing needs.
  3. If you have back pain, using adjustable workstations like Altwork can help you work comfortably, even while lying down.
Research-Driven Engineering Leadership 19 implied HN points 11 Dec 23
  1. Gratitude has a significant negative relationship with perceived stress and fatigue in software engineers - more gratitude means less stress and fatigue.
  2. Women software engineers reported higher levels of stress and fatigue on average compared to men in the study.
  3. Showing gratitude in software engineering teams can reduce stress, increase happiness, and boost productivity - leaders should prioritize cultivating a culture of gratitude.
Dev Interrupted 88 implied HN points 22 Jun 23
  1. Stack ranking is natural human behavior, but it may not be suitable for engineering teams.
  2. Data-driven does not mean stack ranking; software development teams are more like bands where everyone depends on each other.
  3. Avoid data-driven leadership anti-patterns by knowing your 'why', measuring more than individual stats, and not relying on easily available metrics.
The Leadership Lab 78 implied HN points 13 Mar 22
  1. Being stuck on a problem doesn't mean there are no solutions, it often means being wrapped up in uncertainty or tradeoffs. Try to focus on creative possibilities and action instead of getting caught up in stories about the paths.
  2. When feeling stuck, shift your mindset by asking 'What if?' or 'I wonder' questions. These questions can help you identify new possibilities and bring out your creativity.
  3. It's important to balance seriousness with playfulness. Challenge yourself with the question 'What would you do if you were world class at this?' to tap into your ambition and strive for excellence in a more positive and engaging way.
Dev Interrupted 9 implied HN points 26 Nov 24
  1. Having the right engineering process can actually boost your team's speed and help everyone take responsibility for their work. It's about finding the right balance, not too much or too little process.
  2. Many developers feel scared of strict processes, but a flexible approach can reduce problems and improve workflow. It's all about making processes work for your team, not against it.
  3. Using AI tools can improve productivity and keep developers focused on challenging tasks. Instead of replacing jobs, these tools help with repetitive work, allowing for better project focus.
Engineering Enablement 9 implied HN points 25 Nov 24
  1. Engineers often have bad days due to issues with their tools and systems. Problems like unreliable tools or slow processes can make it tough to work efficiently.
  2. Having a bad day can lower a developer's productivity and increase their stress. Both senior and junior developers feel these effects, but in different ways; seniors may get frustrated, while juniors often doubt their abilities.
  3. Research confirmed that issues causing bad days also slow down work processes. Measuring things like how long it takes to complete tasks showed that these problems really affect productivity.
Sunday Letters 59 implied HN points 20 Dec 22
  1. Measuring developer productivity is really hard. Common metrics like lines of code or bugs fixed often don't tell the full story and can even be manipulated.
  2. It’s important to think about how a metric could be misused before applying it. Focusing on the wrong metrics can lead to unhelpful outcomes and confusion.
  3. Organizations learn and respond to metrics, but sometimes they take things too literally. Choosing the right metrics carefully is crucial to avoid unintentional negative effects.
Dev Interrupted 9 implied HN points 19 Nov 24
  1. Only about 20% of developers say they are happy in their jobs. This suggests many people in the field are feeling dissatisfied.
  2. Factors like low pay, workplace culture, and issues with technical debt are major reasons behind this unhappiness. It's important to look at these issues to help improve developer satisfaction.
  3. A new project called Flock aims to address problems with the popular Flutter toolkit. The creators want to make a community-driven platform that fixes bugs and speeds up development.
Engineering Enablement 8 implied HN points 03 Dec 24
  1. PR throughput is a useful metric for understanding the health of a software system. It can highlight issues that developers face while coding, helping teams identify where improvements can be made.
  2. It's important to use PR throughput as part of a larger set of metrics. This approach helps ensure that you get a balanced view of productivity, developer satisfaction, and overall system efficiency.
  3. When measuring PR throughput, context matters. A rise in this metric can mean different things, like increased workloads or improved processes, so it's essential to look deeper into the reasons behind the changes.
QUALITY BOSS 19 implied HN points 23 Oct 23
  1. Time blocking is a powerful method for managing tasks and improving productivity. It's not just about scheduling hours for work but really planning out all your tasks and priorities.
  2. Using tools like Reclaim.ai can help you keep everything organized and ensure that tasks get done. It can also make rescheduling easier when plans change.
  3. To improve time management, identify your tasks, prioritize them, and don't hesitate to delegate. Regularly review your strategies to see what's working for you.
Intentional Wisdom 19 implied HN points 26 Feb 23
  1. Constantly add value in everything you do to serve others and generate happiness and economic value.
  2. Improve productivity by planning your week in advance, focusing on important goals, and reducing decision fatigue.
  3. Stay informed and prepared for the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence that will impact our daily lives.
Brain Lenses 19 implied HN points 14 Feb 23
  1. Jacques Ellul believed that modern technology has led to a loss of intellectual and practical liberty.
  2. Ted Kaczynski, influenced by Ellul's ideas, took a different path by using violence to address technology's negative impact.
  3. The concept of Surrogate Activities derived from Ellul's ideas focuses on non-essential tasks hindering efficiency and personal growth.
Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ 19 implied HN points 31 Aug 23
  1. Your mental state is really important when making decisions. If you're stressed or tired, it's harder to think clearly and make good choices.
  2. Finding 'Domino Decisions' can help you focus on what actions will make the biggest impact. It's about identifying the small steps that lead to bigger changes.
  3. To solve problems effectively, it's essential to find the root causes. Just treating symptoms won't fix issues in the long run.