The hottest Productivity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Tips on Staying Active as a Busy Engineering Leader

The Healthy Engineering Leader • 59 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Mental health Nutrition Leadership Productivity
  1. It's important to stay active, especially if you have a busy job that requires a lot of sitting. Breaking up long periods of sitting can really boost your physical and mental health.
  2. Finding small moments to move during the day can make a big difference. Even a quick walk or stretching can improve your mood and energy levels.
  3. Using tools like standing desks or planning your workouts can help you stay on track. Plus, turning meetings into walking meetings is a fun way to stay active while working.

Workaholic, Skipping Dinner, 10x Brainstorm

Play Permissionless • 139 implied HN points • 28 Aug 23
💼 Business Productivity Entrepreneurship Work-life balance Remote work Self-care
  1. Being a workaholic can have drawbacks, like diminishing returns and energy drain.
  2. Setting boundaries around work hours and prioritizing tasks can lead to better productivity and clarity of thought.
  3. Balancing work time between working on the business and working in the business can be key to business success and personal well-being.
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The Story of Us

The Weasel Speaks • 137 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
💼 Business Self-Improvement Psychology Management Leadership Productivity
  1. Understanding your own strengths can be more beneficial than relying on personality assessments like MBTI.
  2. The Working Genius model by Patrick Lencioni highlights the importance of focusing on your strengths and collaborating with others.
  3. Identifying your working genius areas and frustrations can guide you on how to approach projects effectively and work with a team.

Best HOHs of 2024

My Home Office Hacks • 5 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
💼 Business Remote work Productivity Home Office Work-life balance Self-Improvement
  1. Home office improvements can make a big difference for productivity in 2024. Simple changes can help create a more focused and efficient workspace.
  2. Choosing the right home office tools is important. Picking items that suit your work style can enhance comfort and efficiency.
  3. It's helpful to share experiences and hacks with others. Learning from different home office setups can inspire new ideas and improve your own space.

Design Better Products and Systems with Jugaad Innovation [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 119 implied HN points • 29 Oct 23
💼 Business Design Innovation Productivity Leadership Entrepreneurship
  1. Frugality: Jugaad Innovation emphasizes doing more with less and maximizing value with minimal resources. It's about resourcefulness, focusing on essential elements for real value and results.
  2. Flexibility: Being agile and adaptable is crucial in business. Jugaad Innovation highlights the importance of pivoting when needed and seizing new opportunities.
  3. Quick Feedback Iterations: Building systems with tight feedback loops allows for fast iteration and catching flaws early. Constant customer feedback helps reduce the costs related to pivoting.

Paradox.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 30 implied HN points • 05 Jan 25
💼 Business Management Strategy Workplace Productivity Technology
  1. Companies today need to handle both Fragmentation and Integration to succeed. They should adapt to different types of workers and resources while ensuring everything works together smoothly.
  2. Fragmentation comes from having diverse employee types and many ways to reach customers, making it important for companies to simplify how they manage these aspects.
  3. To compete effectively, companies should create seamless services and use data smartly to combine insights, while also offering some customization without overwhelming customers.

Productivity theater is hard to kill

Public Universal Friend • 2 HN points • 03 Sep 24
💼 Business Productivity Management Work Culture Human Resources Corporate strategy
  1. Many workers spend a lot of time showing they're busy instead of focusing on real results. This 'productivity theater' makes work feel less meaningful.
  2. Using knowledge management systems can help improve teamwork, but they often lead to clutter and repetition instead. This makes it hard for teams to find useful information.
  3. It's important for companies to focus on the impact of work rather than just the effort put in. Trusting employees can lead to better performance and less stress.

From Charlie Munger to ChatGPT - The 'productivity gains' paradox

Platforms, AI, and the Economics of BigTech • 9 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
💼 Business Economics Technology Productivity Competition Strategy
  1. When companies see big productivity gains, it could mean they're losing their competitive edge in the long run. This happens because the benefits aren't always kept by the business, similar to how new technology can hurt original owners.
  2. It's important to figure out where productivity gains are coming from. If they're from the main product, the company might end up losing control and value, especially if they rely on outside suppliers.
  3. To stay ahead, businesses should focus on creating unique advantages with technology rather than just using it to improve what they already do. This way, they can keep more control over pricing and profits.

The Wile E. Coyote Illusion

The Ruffian • 276 implied HN points • 22 Jul 23
💼 Business Economics Remote work AI Productivity Companies
  1. Economies can experience a 'Wile E. Coyote moment' where everything seems fine but is about to crash.
  2. Working-from-home (WFH) might seem productive at first, but lack of in-person interaction can lead to long-term issues.
  3. The 'Wile E. Coyote illusion' can be seen in various contexts, such as relationships, consumer markets, and AI development.

GPTs won't make you rich

Artificial Ignorance • 142 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Marketplace APIs Productivity Monetization
  1. GPTs are valuable for improving productivity with advanced prompts, document uploads, and external APIs.
  2. Building a business solely around GPTs is challenging due to factors like limited IP protection, competition, and uncertain revenue sharing.
  3. The true potential of GPTs lies in internal company use cases, where they can enhance efficiency and workflow automation.

Can Your AI Strategy Be Future-Proof? | Galileo’s Vikram Chatterji

Dev Interrupted • 18 implied HN points • 18 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Engineering Data Analysis Productivity
  1. AI models sometimes miss important details, like humans do. For example, they may overlook obvious outliers in data visualizations.
  2. Banks are changing their hiring tactics to attract tech talent by offering more flexibility and modern tools. This helps them stay competitive against tech firms.
  3. In a world where AI is growing, the ability to focus deeply is becoming more valuable than just knowing how to use AI tools. Staying focused can help engineers excel.

✅ AI in PR tool book chapter-a-day published on #FuturePRoof website

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Tools Public Relations Media Productivity Innovation
  1. A new book about AI tools for public relations is now available, with daily chapters being published online. It aims to help PR professionals work better and smarter.
  2. The book is based on insights from experts and includes practical case studies. This means readers can learn from real-world examples and not just theory.
  3. The process to create and publish this book was fast, taking only three months. This quick turnaround is important in the fast-changing world of technology.

Øyster Hunting, Elon book, Agency Math, Ditching ClickUp

Play Permissionless • 99 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
💼 Business Productivity Biography Entrepreneurship Recreation
  1. Ditching ClickUp for Airtable improved task management by consolidating data and tasks in one place, leading to a more efficient workflow.
  2. The Elon Musk biography by Walter Isaacson was found to be a bit boring with more focus on celebrity gossip than insights into how Elon Musk operates.
  3. Understanding the mathematical reasons behind agencies getting stuck at $50k MRR can help in strategizing ways to break through the revenue plateau.

The CTO's Perfect Week

The CTO Substack • 2 HN points • 31 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Team Management Productivity Tech Leadership Innovation
  1. As a CTO, it's important to shift focus from just coding to empowering your team. Your role is about building capabilities that help the company grow, not just doing the coding yourself.
  2. Devote specific days of the week to different themes, like 'Momentum Mondays' for delivery and 'Teaming Tuesdays' for collaboration. This structure can help manage your time and prioritize what matters.
  3. Start small by blocking out just 15 minutes a day for these focused activities. This can help you gradually build better habits and ultimately enhance your leadership impact.

Breaking Free Of Endless Discussion Loops

PeopleStorming • 79 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
💼 Business Management Communication Productivity
  1. Consider setting a 'doc-time' protocol to convert lengthy, unproductive discussions into written documents to ensure clear progress and avoid wasting time.
  2. Include sections like context, why the problem matters, who is involved, discussion history, proposed alternatives, and decision-making process in the document.
  3. Encourage clear ownership and empower team members to drive the process of transitioning from discussion to document for more effective and efficient communication.

TEA productivity framework — Making the best of your time, energy, and attention ☕️🚀

10x your mind • 99 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Productivity Time Energy Attention
  1. The TEA productivity framework focuses on optimizing time, energy, and attention for improved productivity.
  2. Each pillar of the TEA framework - Time, Energy, and Attention - plays a crucial role; lacking in one can lead to feelings of exhaustion, distraction, or being overwhelmed.
  3. To enhance productivity, invest in time by planning ahead, recharge your energy physically and emotionally, and direct your attention towards tasks by minimizing distractions.

Three psychological effects that screw with your team's productivity

PeopleStorming • 99 implied HN points • 08 Aug 23
💼 Business Productivity Psychological Effects
  1. The Planning Fallacy: We often overestimate the impact of work and underestimate its cost, known as the planning fallacy. To combat this, consider worst-case scenarios when planning.
  2. Sunk Cost Fallacy: We tend to continue investing in something because we've already put in time or resources, even if it's not the best decision. Regularly assess if the payoff aligns with the cost to avoid this.
  3. Complexity Bias: We often choose complex solutions when simple ones would suffice. Combat this bias by taking action, choosing practical systems, and simplifying mental models.

How your team can use Open Source to improve productivity [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 07 May 23
🕹 Technology Open Source Productivity Tech Giants Software Development Business strategy
  1. Open source solutions can provide quick fixes to problems many consider major. They are readily available and already in use by people.
  2. Business leaders and managers often underestimate the significance of open source in technology. It's a powerful resource that can greatly benefit organizations.
  3. Utilizing open source software has become crucial in the tech industry. Knowing how to leverage it can be a game-changer for tech leaders and businesses.

4-quarters mind hack 🕑

10x your mind • 99 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mindfulness Productivity Self-care Well-being Mental health
  1. The 4 Quarters Method suggests dividing your day into four parts, allowing you a fresh start every quarter.
  2. Assign key tasks and activities to each quarter based on your energy levels and priorities for better time management.
  3. By structuring your day into quarters, you can efficiently tackle obstacles and turn each quarter into a success.

Flexibility vs Randomness

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
💼 Business Creativity Entrepreneurship Productivity Workflows
  1. Finding the right balance between sticking to your creative vision and being flexible is really important. You need to be open to learning without losing what makes your ideas unique.
  2. Having ADHD can make creativity fun but also tricky, as it can lead to random thoughts. It's useful to create limits for yourself so you can explore ideas without getting too distracted.
  3. Using techniques like 'timeboxing' or a 'parking lot' for ideas helps organize your thoughts. This way, you can capture creative sparks without letting them derail your main goals.

Nine rules for effective meetings

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 15 Dec 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Productivity Meetings Teamwork
  1. Every meeting should have a clear leader and a specific purpose. This helps everyone know what to focus on and what to achieve.
  2. It's important to keep everyone involved in the discussion, but also to stay on topic. This means selecting participants carefully and using tools to stay organized.
  3. Conclude meetings with clear actions and responsibilities. This ensures that everyone knows what they need to do next and helps keep things moving forward.

Setting yourself up for success in 2025

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 25 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
💼 Business Career development Personal Growth Productivity Coaching Goal setting
  1. Being intentional about your actions is key to success. Instead of just reacting to life, create what you want by setting clear goals.
  2. To gain clarity on your goals, reflect on what excites you and what drains you. Identify your core life pillars to measure your growth.
  3. Protecting your focus is essential. Avoid distractions with tools like vision boards and time management systems to stay aligned with your intentions.

RDEL #42: How does developer satisfaction lead to improved productivity?

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 19 implied HN points • 13 May 24
💼 Business Productivity Research Work Culture Leadership Employee Satisfaction
  1. Empowerment is key: Giving engineers more control over their work leads to higher productivity and job satisfaction.
  2. Promote continuous learning: Encouraging ongoing learning and development increases adaptability and productivity.
  3. Ensure engineers feel valued: When engineers feel their contributions are important, it results in higher-quality outcomes.

Happy "Only Day I Can Get Any Fucking Work Done" Day to All Who Celebrate

I Might Be Wrong • 8 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
😂 Humor Work Culture Thanksgiving Productivity
  1. Many people find they can get a lot more work done in a quiet office, especially after a holiday. This calm time can help avoid distractions like complaints and unnecessary conversations.
  2. Modern workplaces can be bogged down by excessive emails and team chat messages. It's important to keep communication focused and relevant to avoid overwhelming everyone.
  3. There's a need for better office etiquette regarding communication. Personal updates and excessive replies can disrupt productivity and should be minimized.