The hottest Skills Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

2 Questions for You

The American Peasant • 2555 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🚌 Education Skills
  1. Asking clear questions helps start conversations better. It allows you to understand what someone really needs right away.
  2. Understanding students' goals in classes helps tailor the teaching approach. This way, you can mix in production techniques or focus on traditional methods based on their interests.
  3. Using direct questions in any interaction makes communication smoother. It helps you get to the point without unnecessary details.

How to Survive the AI Age: A Concrete Guide

The Algorithmic Bridge • 891 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. Don’t obsess over vague “AI skills” — pick one tedious task at your job and use AI to solve it, aiming for competence fast instead of mastery.
  2. Protect yourself and your thinking: separate your finances from your identity so a job change isn’t an identity crisis, keep one regular task AI-free, learn core skills yourself first, and know when to stop using AI.
  3. Get perspective and act on reality: talk to people who survived past industry collapses to see the transition’s shape, and remember employers’ beliefs about AI matter more than your own—adapt accordingly.

10 Survival Skills in an AI-Controlled Society

The Honest Broker • 11403 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. A college degree no longer reliably gets you a job and can feel like an expensive gamble. Many graduates are finding that the cost and odds don’t match the promise of steady employment.
  2. AI and automation are eating into entry‑level openings, so even traditional 'marketable' skills can get crowded out or replaced. This means new graduates can be outcompeted before they even start.
  3. Job seekers are often stuck in a cycle of mass applications, getting few interviews, and facing real financial and emotional strain. The current job hunt can be demoralizing and unsustainable for many people.

Open Thread: What Would You Teach Everyone?

Everything Is Amazing • 705 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🚌 Education Skills
  1. People from many different careers and life paths bring a huge range of expertise and perspective.
  2. That collective knowledge can surprise, delight, and teach others in ways a single person can't imagine.
  3. Asking everyone what they'd teach opens a simple, powerful way to share practical lessons and spread useful wisdom. It turns a community into a place where readers become teachers.

The Problem of the 99%: Why Almost No One Uses AI Well (And How to Solve It)

The Algorithmic Bridge • 498 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. A tiny minority of users capture most of AI's real productivity gains while almost everyone else uses it superficially. Power users use the platform's high-value "thinking" features roughly seven times more than the median paid user.
  2. AI's benefits are unevenly distributed across people, companies, and regions, creating concentrated pockets of supercharged productivity. Many large organizations and most users still haven't plugged AI into everyday workflows, so the gains remain localized.
  3. The standard adoption playbook fails because people don't know how to integrate AI into their existing work; hype and basic rollout aren't enough. Closing the gap requires teaching practical skills, encouraging practice, and embedding AI into real workflows.
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The Job Market Doesn’t Care If You Don't Believe in AI

The Algorithmic Bridge • 583 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
💼 Business Skills
  1. The job market now expects AI fluency in many roles, so not learning basic AI skills can seriously harm your employability regardless of your personal beliefs.
  2. AI-related job postings and roles have grown dramatically and employers are paying a significant wage premium for candidates who list AI skills on their résumés.
  3. Many listings are aspirational and productivity gains are still debated, but companies aren’t widely training employees, so you should proactively learn AI tools to stay competitive.

My Next Decision Making Class is Launching on November 18th!

Thinking in Bets • 138 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🚌 Education Skills
  1. A decision-making class starts on November 18th and will run for three weeks with live zoom sessions. It’s designed to help people make better decisions using a structured process.
  2. You'll learn what makes decision-making hard, like cognitive biases, and how to work better as a team when making choices.
  3. The course includes interactive sessions and projects, and past students found it transformative and beneficial for both personal and career growth.

If You Can't Leave The Grid, Be The Grid

OK Doomer • 245 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Skills
  1. Keep working and polish your ideas until they matter; recognition often comes after repeated rejection and proves you can overcome doubt.
  2. Expect serious climate and institutional disruptions this decade, so adapt now instead of waiting for others to save you.
  3. Learn practical, community-focused skills—like electrical work, plumbing, or emergency care—to keep systems running and help people rather than falling into despair.

All Hail the Putter-Togetherers

The Ruffian • 522 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Skills
  1. Some jobs rely on tacit, hands-on skills learned over years; those subtle, bespoke judgments can’t easily be written down or automated.
  2. Everyday objects often hide surprising complexity, and there’s a willing market for well-made, tangible products that justify slow, careful craft.
  3. Many roles are essentially 'putter-togetherers' who align people and moving parts—their judgment and coordination keep complex projects running and are hard to replace with machines.

So You Want To Become an Engineering Manager

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 539 implied HN points • 08 Aug 24
💼 Business Skills
  1. Make your career goals clear by sharing your intent with your manager. Talking about your desire to become an engineering manager will help you get guidance and support.
  2. Focus on developing crucial skills like self-awareness, people skills, and project management. These skills are essential for leading a team effectively.
  3. Look for growth opportunities within your current company or elsewhere. Being prepared is important, but finding the right chance to step into an EM role is key.

The Essential Intangibles

DruGroup • 139 implied HN points • 03 Sep 24
💼 Business Skills
  1. Being a skilled leader isn't enough; you also need certain qualities called intangibles. These qualities may not be easy to measure, but they are essential for effective leadership.
  2. Leadership intangibles include selflessness, risk-taking, and transparency. Focusing on these traits can help leaders build better relationships with their teams.
  3. You can learn and improve these intangibles through your everyday experiences, rather than needing special training. Recognizing and addressing your blind spots can make a big difference.

When "I Built" Became "I Ordered"

decodebytes • 87 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. Saying "I built" used to mean someone had done the hard, iterative work and gained deep understanding.
  2. Today "I built" often just means you described what you wanted and AI produced it, so the person may lack scar tissue or real intuition about how it works.
  3. That shift reduces the credibility and meaning of claiming to have built something and makes genuine craftsmanship harder to recognize amid mass-produced outputs.

How To Earn Foreign Currency in 2024

Day One • 1118 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
💼 Business Skills
  1. You can earn foreign currency by offering your current skills or business to a global market.
  2. Become good at what you do and start sharing your work from day one to build your audience.
  3. Learning the business side of your skill is crucial to monetizing it, alongside targeting the foreign market for potential growth.

A Tech Interview that Doesn't Suck

Jacob’s Tech Tavern • 2186 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. Hiring great team members is really important because it affects everyone's work speed. Good hires help the team, while bad ones slow everyone down.
  2. Many tech companies rely on LeetCode tests to screen candidates, but this method might not show true skills. There could be better ways to assess coding abilities.
  3. Finding a more effective hiring process can improve how companies choose candidates, leading to better outcomes for teams. It's all about making informed decisions.

Starting Early

Obvious Bicycle • 854 implied HN points • 04 Jun 25
🚌 Education Skills
  1. Starting early is important for mastery. Many successful people began their passion before they turned ten, showing that practice over time leads to excellence.
  2. Be prepared to struggle when learning something new. Everyone starts off as a beginner and it takes time and effort to become skilled.
  3. Time will pass regardless, so it's better to start working on your goals now. You'll grow and have something to show for it in the future.

How To Earn From Your Skills In 2024

Day One • 519 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
💼 Business Skills
  1. Quality is greater than quantity when building skills. Focus on depth and excellence in one area before branching out.
  2. Practice and sharing are crucial for skill development. Don't let fear or ego hinder you from showcasing your work and seeking feedback.
  3. Transitioning to high-demand sectors like blockchain or AI requires understanding the sector's culture and history. Put in the work to adapt and excel.

Even better fix!

atomic14 • 519 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. Improving your skills is important and can be fun. Searching online can help you learn new things.
  2. Making small updates to your work can lead to better results. It's always good to think about how to enhance what you already have.
  3. Sharing your journey with others can invite feedback. It's nice to ask for opinions and involve people in your learning process.

The Creative Playground

Ralph Ammer • 825 implied HN points • 01 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Skills
  1. The secret to jumpstarting creativity is having fun and being immersed in a game with clear goals and rules.
  2. Drawing exercises are like structured games that set creative limitations to free up our creativity.
  3. To build a creative playground, make variations, limit your time, pick a format, and focus on improving a skill.

Bread Bakers Guild of America

Wordloaf • 353 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🍲 Food & Drink Skills
  1. The Bread Bakers Guild of America has been connecting bakers since 1993, emphasizing natural leavening and handwork.
  2. BBGA offers resources and a network for bakers at all skill levels, from home bakers to professionals.
  3. Camp Bread event by BBGA provides hands-on sessions, workshops, and resources for learning and growth in the baking industry.

AI Certifications to Pursue in 2024

Rod’s Blog • 436 implied HN points • 29 Dec 23
🚌 Education Skills
  1. AI certifications can boost career prospects and earning potential in a fast-growing field like Artificial Intelligence.
  2. When choosing an AI certification, consider whether you want a formal certification from a professional body or an educational institution, the specific topics and domains that interest you, and the features and benefits of the program.
  3. Some recommended AI certification programs for 2024 include Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, Certified Artificial Intelligence Scientist by ARTIBA, and Jetson AI Courses and Certifications by NVIDIA.

Education of a Typing Man

Register Spill • 294 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🚌 Education Skills
  1. Experimenting with different keyboard layouts can improve typing skills.
  2. Learning to touch-type with all 10 fingers can boost typing speed and accuracy.
  3. Consistent practice and use of typing tools can lead to significant improvement over time.

Lol that's so hard lol

Disaffected Newsletter • 1179 implied HN points • 25 Jan 23
🎭️ Culture Skills
  1. Many people today struggle with basic driving skills because they rely too much on technology. This creates a feeling of helplessness when facing tasks that used to be easy.
  2. Younger generations might not know how to drive manual cars, which used to be normal for everyone. This lack of practice leads to fewer people being skilled at driving altogether.
  3. In many areas of life, we're letting automation take over simple tasks, which makes us less capable of handling challenges when technology fails. Convenience is nice, but it might come at a cost to our abilities.

The Essential Cybersecurity Skillsets for 2024

Rod’s Blog • 257 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. Cybersecurity professionals should have curiosity and critical thinking skills to question and understand cyber events.
  2. A strong technical foundation in IT, cybersecurity, and cybercrime is crucial for protecting digital assets.
  3. Cybersecurity professionals need impactful problem-solving abilities to make a difference in people's lives by safeguarding their data and privacy.

Skills for [Platform] Product Managers

The Platform Space • 176 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
💼 Business Skills
  1. Think in systems to understand the big picture and make informed decisions.
  2. Learn to manage senior stakeholders' expectations and communicate effectively.
  3. Build relationships across teams, align on roadmaps, and prioritize user needs for successful product management.

Where We're Going ...

UnfairNation by Ehsan Zaffar • 6 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. The future is moving too fast for old, predictable career roads — you can’t assume a single major or job will map your whole life anymore.
  2. Raw knowledge and fixed skills are less valuable because information is easy to access and many tasks are being automated by AI.
  3. Adaptability is the most important asset now: learning how to learn, staying curious, communicating well, and being open to new ideas will let you thrive when the ground shifts.

Are you recently promoted to a Product Manager position? - Here are a few pitfalls to avoid

Ageling on Agile • 219 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
💼 Business Skills
  1. The role of a product manager is different from roles like project manager, engineer, or business analyst.
  2. Newly promoted product managers should avoid the Dunning-Kruger effect by continuously learning and challenging themselves.
  3. Recognizing the Peter Principle is essential - not everyone is suited to be a product manager, and self-awareness is key.

Fake

TrueHoop • 294 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
🎾 Sports Skills
  1. Faking in basketball can disrupt the defender's timing and slow down the offensive player.
  2. Faking is a basic skill that all basketball players can do, but many NBA players don't utilize it effectively.
  3. Coaches often discourage NBA players from faking during games.

When the ladder disappears

The Engineering Manager • 10 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. A lot can change in five to ten years, often unpredictably, so planning toward a specific job title or destination is unreliable.
  2. Three big forces — AI changing how knowledge work gets done, flatter organisations that cut management rungs, and a shifting idea of “senior” toward orchestrating systems — are making traditional career paths less certain and changing which skills will matter.
  3. Instead of aiming for titles or ladder rungs, define a personal north star: who you are, what you value, and the kinds of work you want to do, then use that as your guide for decisions and for coaching your team.

My search for a home base

Milk Trekker • 235 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🏝 Travel Skills
  1. The author is looking for a home base in the US to spend 6-8 months a year
  2. They want to establish a communal living space focused on farming and dairy production
  3. The author values routine and is seeking a place for personal growth and self-care

We do Math because it's hard

Kids Who Love Math • 335 implied HN points • 21 Dec 24
🚌 Education Skills
  1. Math can be really hard to learn for everyone, at any age. It's normal for students to find math difficult as they progress in their education.
  2. Choosing challenges like math for kids can help them build perseverance. It's often easier to support their learning in a comfortable environment like home.
  3. It's important for kids to enjoy the challenge they're taking on. If they like math, they're more likely to stick with it and succeed.

Teaching Juggling

Bram’s Thoughts • 98 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🚌 Education Skills
  1. Teaching juggling effectively involves using stepping stones for gradual progression.
  2. Using a collaboration between a beginner and an expert can make juggling easier and more motivating.
  3. Starting with simpler patterns like four balls and three hands can lead to successful juggling skills.

A 3-Year Roadmap For Starting a Consultancy

Michael’s Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 11 Oct 23
💼 Business Skills
  1. Starting a consultancy is a 3-year journey with specific themes and success criteria for each year.
  2. In year 1, focus on experimentation to develop fundamental entrepreneurship skills and choose a business path.
  3. In year 2, build a foundation by mastering consulting skills and selecting a specialization; In year 3, focus deeply on that specialization.

Everyone is above average

One Useful Thing • 858 implied HN points • 24 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Skills
  1. AI can elevate skills of lower performers to above average levels in various fields.
  2. AI acts as a leveler, helping people in the bottom half of skill distribution excel with its assistance.
  3. The impact of AI on skills distribution is not entirely clear, and changes are happening rapidly.

You Get Out of it What You Put Into it

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 7 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🚌 Education Skills
  1. Hard work and focused, sustained practice determine how much you really learn and how good you become; doing the minimum produces shallow results.
  2. Short-term shortcuts or outsourcing thinking (for example to AI) can avoid work now but leave you without real skills like writing and critical thinking later on.
  3. Most meaningful achievements require large time investments and trade-offs, so decide what matters to you and be willing to put in the reps.

The Art of Difficult Conversations

rebelwisdom • 275 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🚌 Education Skills
  1. Difficult conversations can be opportunities for growth and connection by embracing polarity.
  2. Developing curiosity, flexibility, and playfulness can help navigate challenging discussions with loved ones and strangers.
  3. Learning communication techniques and models can enhance relationships and facilitate deeper connections.