The hottest Software Development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Open LLMs: Transparency or 'Openwashing'?

philsiarri • 0 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Just sharing the source code for large language models (LLMs) doesn't make them truly open. Access to the training data is still needed for real transparency.
  2. Many LLMs limit users by only allowing access to APIs instead of the full model. This practice is being called 'openwashing', where companies give a false impression of openness.
  3. Users often struggle to re-use or adapt the shared code due to how it's written and lack of resources. True openness includes access to hardware, datasets, and original training data.

Winding down some projects

Expand Mapping with Mike Morrow • 0 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Winding down projects can help clear your mind and spark new creativity. It feels refreshing to have a clean slate.
  2. The author decided to shut down some web applications that were not heavily used. It felt like a waste to keep them running without much purpose.
  3. Getting rid of unneeded projects can open the door for new ideas. It's good to let go of things that no longer inspire you.

HCR EP 003: Data persistence API

Hasen Judi • 0 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. In this framework, data is stored using a different method than typical SQL databases. It uses a built-in library for data persistence rather than connecting to an external database.
  2. The framework uses buckets, indexes, and collections to manage data, which allows for easy storage and retrieval without needing to write complicated SQL queries.
  3. A key part of the framework is the serialization function, which helps convert data into a format that can be easily saved and loaded from the storage.

HCF EP 002: RPC Wiring & UI State Management

Hasen Judi • 0 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. A forum can start simply with posts and discussions, without needing categories, user authentication, or search features. The focus should be on enabling conversations right away.
  2. The basic user registration system involves adding users with just a username, email, and password. It's important to store user data properly, even if it's temporary.
  3. State management in the UI can be handled using caching and hooks, allowing for dynamic updates without reloading the page, making the user experience smoother.

🐿️ Platitudinous - The Insanely Profitable Tech Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 0 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. When looking at CVs, it's important to see what candidates did and why it mattered. Focus on real impact instead of fancy buzzwords.
  2. Many candidates use vague phrases that sound good but don't tell you anything meaningful. Look for specific results they achieved and how they benefited customers.
  3. A strong CV should show clear business results, like increasing sales or cutting costs. If it doesn’t do that, it might not be worth considering.
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o3 AI model surpasses ARC-AGI benchmark

philsiarri • 0 implied HN points • 26 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. OpenAI's new o3 AI model scored 85% on the ARC-AGI benchmark, which shows it can solve problems like a human. This score is higher than the last best AI score of 55%.
  2. The ARC-AGI test checks how well an AI can handle new challenges using little information, which is important for general intelligence. This breakthrough raises questions about how close AI is to being as smart as humans.
  3. Although the o3 model shows great promise, there are still doubts. Not enough details have been shared, and scientists want to test it more to see how well it can adapt in different situations.

sqlmesh cube_generate build part 1

davidj.substack • 0 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. There's a new command called `sqlmesh cube_generate` that helps build models for data analysis. It's designed to make working with data easier for users.
  2. The tool outputs useful information in a structured format, which includes joins and fields for data analysis. This makes it simple to understand how the data connects.
  3. Even if there are challenges with complex data types, the output is still effective and can be enhanced using AI, showing there's room for creativity in data modeling.

Extra DRY with Literate Programming

Rethinking Software • 0 implied HN points • 22 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Literate programming helps reduce code repetition by allowing you to define things in one place and use them throughout your project. This makes it easier to manage updates, like changing a copyright notice in multiple files with just one change.
  2. You can create variables in your project to store common values, like project names or copyright years, and include them wherever needed. This keeps your code clean and makes it easy to change values in the future.
  3. Using features like include guards in literate programming can help prevent issues when including files in your code. By generating names programmatically, you avoid conflicts and keep everything organized.

HFC EP 006: Collapsing code paths

Hasen Judi • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. There are two similar code paths for fetching posts by hashtag and user ID, causing duplication that can complicate the codebase. Simplifying these could make the code easier to manage.
  2. Using a single index for both types of queries can reduce complexity and allow for easier future features, like querying by other criteria, without increasing code duplication.
  3. Collapsing code paths not only streamlines current processes but also makes it easier to implement new features or queries in the future, reducing overall development effort.

Thoughts on Oddly Specific Versioning in Observability

A Small, Good Thing • 0 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Many people just want basic monitoring tools that are easy to use and affordable. They care more about practical solutions than getting into complex observability concepts.
  2. There's a balance between reliability, shipping speed, and team well-being that needs to be carefully managed. It's important not to sacrifice too much reliability just to be fast.
  3. The focus should be on delivering a cost-effective way to monitor systems, rather than just aiming for the latest version of observability. It's essential to figure out who will handle the work involved.

🐿️ Procrustes - The Insanely profitable Tech Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 0 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. When faced with too many demands, focus on solving the customer's most important problems first. It’s better to tackle what's truly necessary rather than trying to please everyone.
  2. Communication is key. A skilled account manager can help manage expectations and guide clients toward what they actually need instead of what they want.
  3. It’s important to distinguish between essential requirements and nice-to-have features. This clarity can help teams deliver projects successfully and on time.

An Interview With Emre Baran

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Cerbos helps businesses manage user permissions easily by integrating with identity providers. This way, developers can focus more on building features instead of getting stuck on access management.
  2. A lot of companies still build their own authorization systems, which can be messy and hard to update. When they need to completely rebuild, it can be a huge challenge.
  3. The future of customer identity and access management looks bright as more businesses will start using external authorization solutions like Cerbos. This separation will make their systems more flexible and easier to manage.

The Scenic Route to Software: Code Generation for Non-Traditional Developers

Nick Savage • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. AI coding tools like Cursor can help non-traditional developers build software faster and more easily. They allow users to focus on the interesting parts of a project instead of getting stuck on complicated coding tasks.
  2. Having some coding knowledge is important when using these AI tools. They work best when you understand what you're trying to do and can guide the AI, rather than starting completely from scratch.
  3. The use of AI in development helps bridge the gap between idea and execution. This means that even those who took a different route into tech can now create projects that once felt out of reach.

Sort Achieves SOC 2 Type 2 Certification! 🎉

Database Engineering by Sort • 0 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Sort has earned SOC 2 Type 2 certification, showing they take data security seriously. This means your data is protected and trustworthy.
  2. The certification ensures that Sort meets high standards for security and privacy. This helps businesses feel secure knowing their data is safe from breaches.
  3. With this certification, Sort simplifies compliance for businesses in regulated industries. It makes it easier to manage important data without extra worries.

The times, they are A-changin

Boring AppSec • 0 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. The newsletter is shifting focus from AppSec operations to building a new AppSec company. This change comes from a personal career transition from being a practitioner to a founder.
  2. Authenticity in writing has become harder because daily problem-solving in AppSec is no longer a part of the new role. The writer has a list of topics but feels less connected to the daily challenges.
  3. Future posts will explore industry insights, engineering challenges, and frameworks for solution thinking in AppSec. The style will stay casual, and there’s an aim to post more regularly.

🐿️ Bypassing Technical Debt - The Insanely Profitable Tech Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Avoid doing a total rewrite of your software, as it often leads to mistakes. Instead, make small, incremental changes to improve what you have.
  2. Technical debt is a common issue in tech. Learning to manage and refactor it can lead to better software over time.
  3. Just as our bodies have remnants of evolution, software can have old parts that still serve a purpose. It's important to understand their history before trying to remove them.

An Interview With Hannah Sutor

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) is crucial for protecting valuable information while also providing a smooth user experience. Businesses need both security and ease of access for their users.
  2. Many challenges exist with CIAM, especially around the variety of credentials like tokens and keys. It's important to find ways to manage these different types safely and effectively.
  3. The future of CIAM looks promising with innovations that balance security and usability. There's hope for better management of roles and permissions across different systems.

How to understand deadlines (as a developer)

Bad Software Advice • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Deadlines can make developers feel rushed and stressed. It's common to make quick fixes that won't last, leading to more work later.
  2. Developers often don't see the bigger picture of a project. They might not understand why a 'bad' version of a product is needed to learn what works best.
  3. Not every project needs to be perfect from the start. Sometimes you need a rough version to figure things out before building something better.

Randomness, dodging phone bans & astrological strategies

The Strategy Toolkit • 0 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. People expect randomness to seem chaotic, but true randomness can appear ordered. This misunderstanding affects how we perceive things like music playlists.
  2. Users often complain about problems with shuffle algorithms, thinking they should never see clusters of songs from the same artist. But statistically, that can happen and is actually normal.
  3. Our brains are wired to look for patterns, making us think randomness should behave in a way that fits our expectations, rather than how it actually works.

Sort February Update: On-prem, SOC 2, and Product Hunt!

Database Engineering by Sort • 0 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Sort made it to the front page of Product Hunt, ranking #6, which helped it gain a lot of visibility among users.
  2. An on-premises version of Sort is now available, which is great for industries that need to keep their data secure, like healthcare and finance.
  3. Sort has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 Certification, showing they have good security practices in place to protect data.

MikMak New APIs, Harness + Traceable, DeepSeek Increases API Prices

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Aduna is working to make access to network APIs easier around the world by partnering with Sinch, which will help improve digital communication services.
  2. MikMak has launched new APIs and made updates to its platform to help brands increase sales and expand globally, including new pricing intelligence tools.
  3. DeepSeek is raising its API prices, which may lessen competition for cloud vendors while helping businesses focus on localized deployments.

s1: Simple test-time scaling

Gonzo ML • 0 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. A new model called s1-32B was created by using a small dataset of 1,000 question-answer pairs focused on reasoning. This cost about $25 to train, which is quite affordable.
  2. The method of controlling how much the model thinks during tests allows for better performance. They used a strategy called budget forcing to ensure the model generates the right amount of information.
  3. This approach showed that it's possible to achieve high-quality results with less data and resources, suggesting a promising path for future AI developments.

Are Your AI Policies Still “PDF”? Really?

OSS.fund Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. AI policies should be more than just documents; they need to be coded directly into the systems. This helps ensure that rules are automatically enforced and reduce the risks of mistakes.
  2. Ignoring policy-as-code can lead to serious issues, like compliance breakdowns and financial losses. Simple coding changes can prevent big problems before they happen.
  3. Integrating policies into the development process makes AI governance a part of daily operations, helping companies to adapt quickly and use AI effectively without getting bogged down by regulations.

Reasoning Environments, LLM Memory, and Financial Interpretability

ppdispatch • 0 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Reasoning Gym offers new ways to train models so they can get better at logic and math. It's like a gym for AI where they can practice and improve their skills.
  2. New techniques are helping us understand how large language models work in finance. This makes it easier to spot problems and ensure they follow rules.
  3. Research shows that language models like GPT memorize data before they start to understand it better. They can store a certain amount of information before they have to generalize.

Build it twice

Russell’s Index • 0 implied HN points • 11 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Start with a rough prototype to test ideas quickly. Don't worry about making it perfect; just get it to work and learn what you need.
  2. After your first build, take the time to create a cleaner, more polished version. You'll find it's easier because you've already discovered key challenges.
  3. Use your initial prototype as a reference, making it easier to improve and organize your code in a way that others can understand better.

🐿️ Hardening - The IPT Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 0 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
💼 Business Software Development
  1. Fixing problems quickly makes a strong impression on customers. If a hotel or service handles issues well, people remember that positively.
  2. Customers are often less upset about mistakes if they see prompt and effective solutions. It's more about how you respond to problems than the problems themselves.
  3. In today's tech world, many people face constant bugs and bad user experiences. If you can help them easily, you'll stand out and earn their loyalty.

Notes on code, text, and war. Week 2: If code is text, then what?

zverok on lucid code • 0 implied HN points • 21 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Thinking of code as text can help us improve how we write it. Just like choosing the right words in writing, we can carefully select how we write code to make it clearer and more effective.
  2. The layout and structure of our code are important, just like in a good text. How we organize our code can greatly affect its readability and the way others understand it.
  3. Different roles in coding projects can be compared to roles in writing. Just like a book has editors, writers, and fact-checkers, software projects can benefit from having diverse skills and perspectives to create better outcomes.

An Interview With Alex Ward

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 21 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. CIAM helps companies manage how customers log in securely. It organizes complex authentication methods and allows for easier account management across different platforms.
  2. The adoption of passkeys and digital credentials presents challenges in safety and fairness. There needs to be care in how these are implemented to protect privacy and reduce risks of discrimination.
  3. There is excitement for a future with safer login methods like passkeys, and better tools for companies managing both business-to-business and business-to-consumer interactions.

SQL in Hex

Expand Mapping with Mike Morrow • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. You can choose how SQL query results are stored in Hex, either in memory or in the database. This affects how quickly you can run follow-up queries.
  2. There are two types of SQL commands in Hex: one that queries directly from the database and another that queries from a local in-memory dataframe. This choice can impact how your data is used.
  3. Hex allows you to chain SQL queries, which makes handling complex tasks easier. However, you need to be aware of where each query pulls data from to avoid surprises.

When Better Feels Worse: The ChatGPT 5 Transition

Nano Thoughts • 0 implied HN points • 09 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. People often resist changes to familiar tools, even if the new version is actually better. It feels more like losing something they loved rather than gaining something new.
  2. Losses hit us harder than gains. Even a small loss can affect our mood significantly, while a win feels good only briefly. This is particularly true when we feel we've lost a feature or aspect we valued.
  3. When systems or tools change suddenly, it can feel overwhelming. Gradual transitions, where both old and new options are available, help people adjust better and keep them feeling comfortable.

🐿️ Hardening - The IPT Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 0 implied HN points • 19 Aug 25
💼 Business Software Development
  1. People remember how problems are fixed more than the problems themselves. Good service during bad experiences leaves a lasting impression.
  2. Quick and effective solutions are more important than just making better products. Customers appreciate when their issues get solved promptly.
  3. It's okay to have flaws, but businesses should focus on helping customers recover from them. Making it easier to fix problems wins customer loyalty.

Good riddance to Auth0 and social logins

Bit Byte Bit • 0 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Most users prefer simple email/password logins, and adding social logins just confused them more. Keeping things easy is key.
  2. Managing authentication with multiple providers was complicated and made customer support hard. Focusing on simpler solutions made everything smoother.
  3. Implementing your own security can be less complex than expected, especially with tools that integrate easily, making development more enjoyable.

@adlrocha - Zero-AI Writing

@adlrocha Weekly Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Writing regularly can be tough when life gets busy, and sometimes it's better to write only when you really have something worthwhile to share.
  2. There’s a growing desire for more human-created content because AI-generated pieces often feel impersonal and lack creativity.
  3. Embracing the challenges of writing can be rewarding, as it allows for personal growth and the sharing of unique ideas with others.

2026

domsteil • 0 implied HN points • 31 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Advanced AI coding agents are effectively here and are radically speeding up software work. These agents run in sandboxed CLI environments with full machine access, shifting the abstraction from simple API calls to agentic orchestration.
  2. AI-first commerce (iCommerce) can autonomously run online businesses by using agents to handle customer experience, operations, and order orchestration, replacing many manual tasks.
  3. The focus for 2026 is to scale the company into a generational software leader by continuing model finetuning, building agent tooling and mobile apps, while maintaining personal health and disciplined daily practices.

A.I., Corporate Greed, and Microslop

laserllama's blog • 0 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Big tech is treating A.I. as a power grab: companies keep expanding and spending huge amounts while causing environmental and social harm but delivering little real value.
  2. A.I. is hollowing out the internet and creative life by replacing real human-made content, weakening education, and threatening jobs, so people should choose human-made work and push back on A.I. initiatives at work and locally.
  3. Some narrow, targeted machine learning (like medical imaging) can be useful, but most current A.I. is inefficient, unprofitable, and risky, so avoid paying for or supporting harmful A.I. projects and resist its power plays.

3 AI hacks you can try today

ppdispatch • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. Run multiple AI models on the same coding task with their identities hidden and vote on the outputs. This lets you discover which model actually works for your codebase instead of trusting benchmarks.
  2. Start prompts with a line asking the AI to interview you first, for example "Before you begin, ask me any questions needed for context." Having the AI ask clarifying questions forces useful context to surface and dramatically improves results.
  3. Prioritize context engineering over clever prompts by feeding models relevant docs, code, user history, and live API data before asking anything. Giving the model real, focused context reduces hallucinations and yields much more accurate, tailored outputs.