The hottest Productivity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Write Every Day... Or Don't!

The Fairest Writer • 259 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📚 Literature Writing Tips Creative Process Literary Analysis Productivity Author insights
  1. Writing every day can help you stay connected to your projects, but it's not always practical for everyone. Finding a balance that works for you is key.
  2. It's important to listen to your own creative energy and not force yourself to write when you don't feel inspired. Taking breaks can actually help renew your motivation.
  3. Setting rigid goals like daily word counts can hurt your creativity. It's better to focus on nurturing your ideas rather than feeling pressured by deadlines.

Improve your focus, productivity and mood by recreating the sun

Metabolic Repair • 19 implied HN points • 21 Aug 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Productivity Wellbeing
  1. Bright lighting can help you focus and feel more alert. If your workspace is too dark, try adding more light to boost your mood and productivity.
  2. Sunlight has a specific lighting quality, so using bright, focused lights can mimic that effect. Using movie spotlights is a great way to simulate sunlight indoors.
  3. The best setup involves placing a strong light behind you to mimic the sun's position. This will help light up your workspace without glaring on your screens.
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"Great features, not products," leveraging found productivity, and the era where we can no longer believe our eyes.

Implications, by Scott Belsky • 648 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Startups Productivity Regulation Creativity
  1. Focus on creating great features, not just products, in the startup ecosystem.
  2. Consider how excess productivity from AI can be used in entertainment, philosophy, and creative projects.
  3. The rise of AI will shift jobs to industries less impacted by AI, emphasizing qualitative skills and the importance of imagination and creativity.

DORA: AI boosting productivity, hindering delivery

Bit Byte Bit • 65 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Productivity Development Innovation
  1. AI is making developers more productive, but it's also slowing down software delivery. This means while developers can code faster, it doesn't always translate to quicker releases.
  2. Larger changes in software deployment can be riskier and slower. It's often better to make smaller changes that are easier to manage.
  3. The speed of AI adoption might be leading to short-term delivery issues, but organizations might eventually find better ways to balance productivity and delivery as they adapt.

Productivity

Genuine Impact - Charting Finance, Investing & Tech • 314 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Productivity US States
  1. Productivity levels differ across OECD countries based on factors like research and development, education, and infrastructure.
  2. In the US, productivity has improved over time due to advancements in technology and management practices.
  3. Washington State stands out as the most productive US state, attributed to being a technology hub and home to major innovative companies.

Want to Create 4 Weeks of Content? Here’s My #1 Proven Productivity Technique!

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 679 implied HN points • 14 Jul 23
🚌 Education Content creation Productivity Writing Tips Work-life balance Side Hustles
  1. Focusing on one task at a time helps you get more done. Trying to do too many things can lead to feeling overwhelmed and achieving less.
  2. Having a clear content creation plan can help maintain productivity even during busy times like maternity leave.
  3. Side hustles can be a great way to balance personal life and work goals. They provide extra income and allow for creativity outside of your main job.

Looking for problems instead of solutions

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 27 May 24
💼 Business Mindset Problem Solving Teamwork Leadership Productivity
  1. It's important to focus on solutions rather than just identifying problems. Always looking for issues can slow down progress and creativity.
  2. Effective people know when to take action, even if they don't have all the details. It's okay to jump into something and learn as you go.
  3. When you have concerns, think about whether they are relevant now or just distractions. Finding solutions should be your priority to keep moving forward.

Please stop overusing Baumol’s cost disease

Something to Consider • 59 implied HN points • 29 Jun 24
💼 Business Economics Labor Productivity Healthcare Education
  1. Baumol's cost disease is often misused to explain high costs; it doesn't make things unaffordable, just shifts what we spend on.
  2. This theory shows that wages can rise in unproductive areas, like music or certain services, because they adjust to wages in other sectors.
  3. If services like healthcare or education are getting more expensive, it might be because they're experiencing lower productivity, not because they're doomed to be unaffordable.

You Think Freelancing Means Freedom? Think Again

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 59 implied HN points • 29 Jun 24
💼 Business Freelancing Entrepreneurship Work-life balance Productivity Self-Improvement
  1. Freelancing can feel freeing, but it often leads to stressful situations, like juggling client work with personal life. It's important to recognize when to seek help or create a team you can trust.
  2. Transitioning from freelancing to entrepreneurship requires a clear understanding of your lifestyle goals and what success means to you. It's not just about making money, but building a fulfilling life.
  3. Personal growth and willingness to change are key to evolving your business. Being open to learning and shifting your role can help you create a more sustainable and enjoyable work environment.

How to avoid being legible (and why it's good)

Defender’s corner • 119 implied HN points • 10 May 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity Solitude Productivity Art Self-Expression
  1. Explaining why "being legible" can be a challenge leads to a new perspective on creative work and self-expression.
  2. Embracing uncertainty and allowing oneself to follow instincts can lead to more productivity and a sense of fulfillment.
  3. Being comfortable with saying "I don't know" as a valid answer can alleviate anxiety and promote a healthier approach to creativity.

Staying in balance ⚖️

André Casal's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 16 Aug 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Mindset Productivity Personal Development
  1. Your mindset shapes your life. A strong, positive mindset can lead to happiness, even during tough times.
  2. Pushing yourself can be exciting, but it’s important to balance hard work with self-care and important life activities.
  3. Recognizing where you struggle is key. It's okay to ask for advice on how to stay balanced while pursuing your goals.

Group meetings waste time

Respectful Leadership • 108 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
💼 Business Management Marketing Teamwork Productivity Collaboration
  1. Group meetings can take too long and often don't use everyone's time well. Fewer people in meetings may lead to better and faster decisions.
  2. It's helpful to have a single person from each team act as a bridge during meetings. This keeps the focus on their main jobs while still solving issues together.
  3. A good manager knows when to end long discussions and helps keep teams on track. The best solution may be to avoid unnecessary meetings altogether.

Tinkering | #285

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 127 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Coding AI Creativity Learning Productivity
  1. Taking time for playful activities, or 'tinkering,' is important for creativity. It can help spark new ideas and keep your work enjoyable.
  2. Learning new skills like coding can be less intimidating with the right resources. Finding good courses or tools can make the process easier and more fun.
  3. Balance is key in life. Sometimes, stepping back from productivity can lead to greater discoveries and personal growth.

The Bank of England's Jonathan Haskel on Inflation, Productivity, Brexit, and More

The Overshoot • 511 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
💰 Finance Inflation Productivity Brexit Monetary Policy Economic Impact
  1. The Bank of England is grappling with the challenges of high inflation, low GDP, and rising unemployment due to tight labor and energy markets.
  2. There is significant uncertainty in economic forecasts, leading to a cautious approach in monetary policy decisions.
  3. Brexit has had a major impact on the UK's productivity growth and economic performance, with factors like weak business investment and health-related inactivity contributing to the situation.

Time is emphasis: planning your calendar as a leader

Lessons • 511 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
💼 Business Time management Leadership Productivity Delegation Strategy
  1. Your calendar as a leader affects what gets done in the company and how you spend time and resources.
  2. Setting clear priorities and having a structured calendar system are crucial for spending time on strategic priorities.
  3. Create a calendar skeleton to lay out core activities and priorities, and regularly revisit and adjust your system.

Peak Office

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 537 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
💼 Business Workforce Trends Real Estate Productivity
  1. Office utilization in the US is only at 21%, half the level before the pandemic, showing a significant shift towards remote and hybrid work.
  2. Despite worker demand for remote jobs, there is a notable shortage of such positions compared to on-site and hybrid roles, potentially leading to workforce dissatisfaction.
  3. The return-to-office mandates are largely driven by the need for US-based employers to optimize investments in commercial property and uphold control over employees, rather than being solely productivity-driven.

Compress your life, feel better

An Educated Guess • 58 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Stress management Self-Improvement Productivity
  1. Being busy can make life feel overwhelming and less enjoyable. Many people feel they can't fit in fun or self-care because they're too occupied.
  2. Using a tech concept called compression can help manage daily tasks better. If tasks are repetitive or similar, your brain can handle them more easily, kind of like how a ZIP file works.
  3. Stress isn't just about how much work you have. It's also about how tasks are organized and whether they're predictable, which can make a big difference in how we experience our day.

Unlocking the Time Management Puzzle

QUALITY BOSS • 59 implied HN points • 17 Jun 24
💼 Business Leadership Productivity Time management Strategy Coaching
  1. Time blocking can be challenging because admin tasks often take over the blocks. It's important to set separate times for these tasks to protect your focused work.
  2. Interruptions can break your flow, so setting 'do not disturb' periods or specific times to check messages can help. Communicating the importance of your focused time to your team is crucial.
  3. Procrastination can still happen even with a schedule. Breaking tasks into smaller steps or tackling the hardest tasks first can make projects feel more manageable.

Resisting the Enshittification of Work

Make Work Better • 157 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
💼 Business Work Culture Productivity Leadership Trends Employee Wellbeing
  1. Enshittification is when a service becomes worse over time due to profit-focused changes, just like users notice on platforms like Google and Amazon.
  2. Many workers are feeling burnt out and overwhelmed by constant notifications and meetings, leading to a lack of satisfaction at work.
  3. Leaders need to actively improve workplace culture to combat this decline and make work a source of meaning instead of stress.

The O-Ring Theory of Economic Development

Something to Consider • 59 implied HN points • 15 Jun 24
💼 Business Economic Theory Human Capital Productivity Trade policy Labor markets
  1. Production can be broken down into many steps, and a failure at any step can ruin the entire process. The skill level of workers, known as human capital, plays a key role in this.
  2. Regions can be stuck in a bad place with low investment in education due to a lack of returns. Immigration can help individuals escape this situation, leading to better education and economic growth in both their new home and their original country.
  3. Trade policies can significantly impact production. Quotas can be much more damaging than tariffs because they disrupt the entire production process, leading to larger losses than expected.

No RSS Feed? No Problem. Using Claude Sync, Claude Projects and GitHub Copilot Workspace to automate everything

Olshansky's Newsletter • 114 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Tools Software Development Automation Open Source Productivity
  1. Missing RSS feeds can be a hassle, but there are tools available to create them easily for any blog. Using platforms like Claude Projects and GitHub Copilot, people can automate the feed generation process.
  2. Using AI tools like Claude and GitHub Copilot can make daily tasks more efficient. They help simplify coding tasks and can significantly boost team productivity.
  3. By building custom RSS feed generators, developers can keep track of content from blogs that don’t offer subscription options. This means staying updated on favorite blogs is still possible, even without traditional feeds.

Foundations

Venture Prose • 419 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Productivity Leadership Success Work ethic
  1. Success is about making people around you happy, including employees and customers, while also ensuring profitability for sustainability.
  2. Having a healthy balance is crucial; success should not drain all your energy, you must prioritize maintaining your physical and mental well-being to last in the long run.
  3. Happiness and fulfillment come from connecting with your inner self and surrounding yourself with the right people who share your aspirations and provide support.