The hottest Startup Growth Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

How a few college students bootstrapped one of the largest sports media websites in the world

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 74 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
🎾 Sports Startup Growth
  1. A few college students bootstrapped a global sports media site without raising outside capital, chasing viral platforms, or leaning on legacy media, showing indie teams can build massive audiences.
  2. It began as a dorm-room passion project with a narrow content focus and complementary founder skills—sports expertise plus technical know-how—which provided a practical foundation to grow.
  3. Patient, long-term commitment and steady work transformed the experiment into a 200-person, independently owned media company that ranks near the top of sports websites worldwide.

What Matters Most For Startup Growth? From VP of Growth at Facebook | 37% Of First-time VCs Might Not Able To Raise A Second Fund | VC Remote Jobs

Venture Curator • 199 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. For startup growth, focusing on retention is key. Many founders neglect retention in favor of customer acquisition, leading to business failure.
  2. Before pursuing growth tactics, startups should aim for product-market fit. Prioritize retention over growth hacking when the retention curve fails to flatten.
  3. Identifying the 'magic moment' for users, emphasizing tactics for virality, and aligning with the CEO as the north star for growth are essential strategies for sustained growth.

Data and Defensibility

Pivotal • 384 implied HN points • 12 Apr 25
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Data is becoming essential for business success and can create a competitive advantage, known as a 'moat'. It helps companies keep their customers and stay ahead of rivals.
  2. There are two main types of data advantages: controlling unique data and creating positive feedback loops with data. Both can help businesses grow and fend off competitors.
  3. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your data advantages is crucial. Companies need to know how to maintain their edge and adapt as technology and markets change.

Making Markets in Time

Pivotal • 394 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Silicon Valley focuses on 'temporal arbitrage', which is about making money over time by investing at different stages of a startup's growth. This helps investors bridge gaps between early ideas and established companies.
  2. The modern venture capital system divides funding into specific stages, like seed and series rounds. Each investor specializes in different stages, making the process smoother and more efficient.
  3. Success in venture capital often comes from being part of a shared consensus on what makes a company fundable. Investors try to follow trends rather than go against the grain to align with what other investors believe.

There is no 3x growth investment

Parth's Playground • 38 implied HN points • 12 Nov 25
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. There isn't a guarantee of tripling your money in new businesses. Startups are still figuring things out, so making precise predictions can be tricky.
  2. Some investors wrongly believe they’re making safe investments like Canada Goose, but in reality, many growth investments fail completely.
  3. It's more effective to look for investments that could potentially return ten times your money instead of trying to pin down a three times return, especially since venture investments often don't follow the same rules as private equity.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

VCs Beyond The Meme

Investing 101 • 133 implied HN points • 28 Jun 25
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Understanding your 'why' is important for anyone starting in venture capital. It helps guide your actions and decisions in the industry.
  2. Building a strong network through existing relationships and new connections is key. Engage with people genuinely, listen to them, and focus on helping others.
  3. Having many conversations can create valuable connections. Even if not everyone you meet is a founder, the network you build is still beneficial and can lead to new opportunities.

Decoding Space PR: Lessons from Agencies, Iconic Campaigns, and Crisis Playbooks

Space Ambition • 159 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Different space agencies like NASA and ESA have unique PR strategies. NASA engages with people through social media, streaming platforms, and direct communication to keep the public informed and excited about space explorations.
  2. Crisis management is really important in the space industry. Effective communication during setbacks can build or break trust, as seen in how NASA handled past tragedies compared to others.
  3. Creative PR campaigns can capture people's attention. Whether it's sending messages to the Moon or concerts at space centers, these imaginative ideas can help promote space tech and engage the public.

Whatever, do the secondary sale

benn.substack • 562 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. If you're a visionary founder who raises a lot of money and then sells shares for personal gain before mismanagement leads to the company's downfall, VCs will prioritize your ability to grow and persuade over your financial choices.
  2. In the world of venture capital, making money often trumps moral values, with investors backing those who are monetizable rather than necessarily 'nice.'
  3. While secondary sales by founders may raise concerns about focus and fairness to employees, making them transparent to the entire company could help ensure accountability and address potential disillusionment.

A deep dive on the growth efficacy of founder conviction

Mehdeeka • 10 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Founder conviction can drive strong growth, as seen in Sublime's development led by Sari Azout. Her clear vision attracts and inspires customers.
  2. Community engagement is key for brand growth. Sublime connects with users through Slack and Substack, making people feel a part of the brand's journey.
  3. Using personal brands and good marketing tactics makes a difference for B2B companies. Empowering executives to share their stories can enhance customer acquisition.

From seven failures to 10x growth

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 354 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Growing from 0 to 1,000 users was harder than the next 999,000 for Jam.
  2. Key factors for Jam's success included dogfooding, focusing on high quality, and having few, focused pilots.
  3. Jam's growth strategies involved continuous improvement, strong focus on user feedback, and engaging with the community through events and content.

From 0 to 10 million users in four years

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 307 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Copy.ai's rapid growth from 0 to 10 million users in four years was fueled by fast MVP iterations, leveraging AI like GPT-3, and a focus on early monetization.
  2. The monetization strategy of starting at $3 per month and then testing higher price points was crucial in Copy.ai's journey towards a platform model with a $49 per month subscription.
  3. Key to Copy.ai's scaling success was a strong growth strategy that included early user acquisition via social media, SEO optimization, and a specialized marketing team dedicated to different channels.

"Bloat is Beautiful" 🎨

The SaaS Baton • 78 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Customers often desire flexibility in products, even if it means adding more complex features.
  2. In the fast-paced world of SaaS, finding multiple product-market fits is crucial for company growth and success.
  3. Collecting and addressing day-to-day sales process frictions can greatly optimize a sales organization.

Board members as BDRs 🤝

The SaaS Baton • 78 implied HN points • 10 May 23
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Board members can be valuable BDRs due to their connections and experience.
  2. Data maturity progresses from gut feelings to data-driven decisions through central data platforms and data analysis.
  3. Explaining the unique potential and market dynamics of emerging regions can help attract investors and growth opportunities.

Seeking Simplicity

Seeking Solutions • 58 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Simplicity in life leads to richness and fulfillment.
  2. Cutting down on expenses and unnecessary items can lead to financial and personal growth.
  3. Alone time can offer opportunities for self-discovery and forming meaningful connections in the community.

Everyone Thinks They Are Underfunded

Superfluid • 13 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Many businesses feel underfunded, but the real issue is how capital is allocated, not its availability. Some sectors get much more funding than others, leaving some companies behind.
  2. There's a growing trend where venture capital is moving towards non-traditional tech areas. Companies in industries outside the usual tech focus can attract investment if they use technology creatively.
  3. If you're a founder feeling underfunded, remember there are other funding sources besides VCs. Being resourceful and strategic can help you grow your business sustainably, even without large amounts of capital.

How to (consistently) get 4.8* App Ratings [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 1 HN point • 30 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Startup Growth
  1. Consistently achieve high app ratings like 4.8". It's not easy, but it's simple. Understand two key concepts: asking for reviews and identifying 'wow' moments.
  2. Requesting app reviews is crucial. Users rarely leave reviews on their own, so ask for feedback using StoreKit APIs in iOS and strategically place these requests at key points in your app's critical path.
  3. Focus on delivering 'wow' moments in your app, ask for reviews at that peak point. Balancing user satisfaction with review requests on the critical path is essential for maintaining a high app rating.

Kent Beck: Business

Software Design: Tidy First? • 2 HN points • 30 Aug 23
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Kent Beck learned from his grandfather that business can be about maximizing benefits for oneself at the expense of others.
  2. Kent Beck initially believed that by creating value for others, nature would provide for him, but he later realized he needed to actively create a path for value to return to him.
  3. Kent Beck's journey taught him that running a business doesn't have to mirror his grandfather's questionable practices; a business can be mutually beneficial for customers and himself.

MKT1 Guide to Channel <> Startup fit

MKT1 Newsletter • 2 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Relying on just one growth channel for startups is a myth. It's better to use multiple channels together like a basketball team for successful growth.
  2. Each startup should choose channels that fit their unique strategy and audience. Testing and optimizing various channels over time is crucial.
  3. Combining different channels can create a more effective growth strategy. Be open to adapting as marketing trends and tools change.

0 to 10 Billion

Venture Prose • 19 implied HN points • 29 May 19
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. French entrepreneurship has shown significant growth in market maturity and capital raised, leading to ambitious founders and valuable companies.
  2. Venture capitalists are supporting entrepreneurs with high ambitions to create companies worth over $10 billion at exit or IPO, fostering growth and innovation.
  3. Entrepreneurs should surround themselves with individuals who push them to unlock their full potential and think big, aiming for ambitious goals rather than settling for mediocrity.

Why You Should (Still) Join Pinecone

Why You Should Join • 4 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Startup Growth
  1. Pinecone has seen significant growth and is actively hiring for various roles in different locations.
  2. Pinecone developed the first fully managed database for vectors, making working with vectors easy and efficient.
  3. Pinecone remains a market leader with a strong team, continuous product improvements, and a growing customer base.

Little Bets

Good Better Best • 3 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
💼 Business Startup Growth
  1. Start with small-scale experimentation rather than top-down planning.
  2. Make iterative changes to your pricing strategy over time.
  3. Polish your pricing page with low-pressure, incremental adjustments.