The hottest Start-ups Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

How we built a business out of recession - chapter 27 - kingmaker

The ZIPster • 35 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
💼 Business Start-ups Entrepreneurship Management Sales Investment
  1. CitNOW started small but grew quickly because they found a real need in the market. Their hard work finally paid off when big clients began to show interest.
  2. Growing a business means taking risks, like moving to a bigger office when your team expands. It’s important to adapt and hire the right people as demand increases.
  3. Team dynamics matter a lot in a start-up. Changing roles and titles can help everyone focus on what they do best and keep the business moving forward.

Your guide to AI: June 2025

Guide to AI • 3 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI Research Industry Policy Start-ups
  1. AI is becoming a big part of national strategies, with countries treating AI infrastructure like essential factories to boost their economies.
  2. Companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are leading the AI market, with OpenAI dominating business subscriptions while competition is ramping up.
  3. Big tech firms are now partnering with defense companies, showing a shift in how the tech industry views its role in national security.

Why Start-up CEOs no longer require a full-blown data team

The Orchestra Data Leadership Newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
💼 Business Start-ups Data Analytics Data Tools
  1. CEOs are moving away from hiring full data teams and are opting for small consultancies to set up their data stack, reducing risk and cost.
  2. One-person data teams in startups face overwhelming responsibilities, leading to chaos and potentially costly decisions.
  3. New technologies like Orchestra help single-person data teams maintain visibility and orchestration without expensive tools, accelerating the data value businesses receive.
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Japan Reality Check #5: Are start-ups and VC a good investment in Japan?

Japan Optimist • 176 implied HN points • 25 Mar 23
💼 Business Investing Venture Capital Start-ups Economic Policy Entrepreneurship
  1. Japan's start-ups and venture capital outperform global peers with a 18% net IRR per year in the decade before COVID.
  2. Japan's venture capital ecosystem attracts top talent and continues to grow, showing a 7% outperformance over TOPIX.
  3. Japan's government actively supports entrepreneurship and innovation, aiming to create '100 Unicorns by 2027' through public-private partnerships and deregulation.

The United States is NOT The Best at R&D

The Polymerist • 199 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
💼 Business Innovation Regulation Industry Marketplace Start-ups
  1. Successful R&D projects often take longer than expected, like Evonik's 10+ year journey into biosurfactants
  2. In Europe, a longer-term view in R&D is enforced, making it more appealing for chemical innovation than the US
  3. There is a need for a breakout success in sustainable chemical startups in the US, similar to Tesla in the automobile industry

How to get into tech as a behavioral scientist

The Kahneman Bot • 19 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
💼 Business Tech Start-ups Product Management Data science Behavioral Science
  1. To get into tech as a behavioral scientist, consider starting in a junior PM role, transferring internally, working at a startup, or starting your own company.
  2. Before transitioning into tech, make sure you enjoy building software and understand how tech teams work.
  3. Experienced behavioral scientists can enter tech by joining a big tech company as a researcher, rebranding as a data scientist, or joining a tech company that values behavioral science as part of its IP.

Pippa Passes: SVB, Alien Motherships, Mathematical Constants, New Physics, Manhattan Project v2, CBDC, and Indra’s Net

Dr. Pippa's Pen & Podcast • 29 implied HN points • 12 Mar 23
💼 Business Start-ups Funding Banking Venture Capital Entrepreneurship
  1. The financial world has issues with captive models, where banks raise money for clients and hold it, leading to potential risks like re-hypothecation.
  2. Start-ups, especially in Silicon Valley, faced challenges with raising capital and high failure rates, raising questions about the funding and support system for these businesses.
  3. There is a need to better understand the difference between having a brilliant product and building a successful business, as many founders struggle to make that transition.

🌿 40% of seaweed start-ups are female led.

paxtier • 1 implied HN point • 10 Mar 24
💼 Business Start-ups Investing Markets Deals
  1. About 40% of seaweed start-ups are actually led by women, showing a significant presence of female leadership in the industry.
  2. In developing countries, women play crucial roles in various stages of the seaweed value chain, such as farming, harvesting, processing, and marketing, empowering them economically and socially.
  3. While progress has been made with female leadership in the algae industry, challenges like limited access to resources, unequal pay, and underrepresentation in decision-making processes still exist, highlighting the need for further action towards gender equality.

Gesture control and the QWERTY effect

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 25 Feb 13
🕹 Technology Interfaces Wearables Devices Start-ups
  1. Our interaction with devices has evolved from keyboards to touchscreens and gestures.
  2. Personal-specific interfaces like MYO offer customization for individuals, while device-specific interfaces like LeapMotion rely on standardized gestures.
  3. The battle between device-specific and personal-specific interfaces has implications for entrepreneurial strategies in the interface space.

China Cyber Security Start-ups and Angel Investment Status Report(2020-2022)

CyberSecurityMew • 0 implied HN points • 29 May 23
💼 Business Cybersecurity Investment Start-ups Consulting Tech industry
  1. 91 cybersecurity start-ups completed their first round of financing in the past 3 years, taking an average of 22 months
  2. About 16% of companies completed their first financing within 60 days, while more than 21% took about 3 years or more
  3. Z-ONE Consulting is specialized in cyber security business research and acceleration in China, offering various services for cyber security start-ups

Learning about Estonia's Digital Society

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🕹 Technology Digital Society Start-ups Cybersecurity Information Management
  1. Estonia leads the world in having the most $1 billion-plus valued start-ups per capita, showcasing a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  2. Estonia has achieved an outstanding digital society, with a government that operates paperlessly and based on the principle of entering information only once, setting a new standard for efficiency and convenience.
  3. The success of Estonia's digital transformation was not immediately evident in the physical environment, highlighting the importance of deliberate legal and political decisions driving technological advancements.

✅ Monday briefing: WaddsCon, NFT marketing, agency start-ups, Edelman distrust barometer, online literacy call, synthetic media, TikTok marketing guide, misinformation conversation, and more...

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 24 Jan 22
💼 Business Marketing Public Relations Start-ups Media Social media
  1. WaddsCon is looking for case studies and examples of best practices in media relations for their upcoming sessions. This is a great chance to share your knowledge and learn from others.
  2. There's a need for improved online literacy to tackle misinformation in today's digital world. Experts suggest that governments and tech companies should work together to create a healthier online environment.
  3. Using TikTok for marketing works best when brands partner with creators to make genuine and uplifting content. Engaging with the platform's community can lead to better results for brands.