The hottest Strategy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

3 Ways To Thrive.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 25 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Finding balance is important. It means weighing the old ways against new ideas to grow and adapt.
  2. Unity helps teams succeed. When everyone shares a common goal and works together, they can achieve more than just individual talents.
  3. Integration is about blending different perspectives. It means accepting and using diverse opinions and ideas to create strong solutions.

"Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast"

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Organizational culture is more than just values or behaviors; it's the prevailing attitudes, routine behaviors, and shared norms of an organization.
  2. To change a culture, leaders need to champion stated values persistently until they become ingrained in behaviors and routines.
  3. Creating a culture shift takes time and commitment; leaders can't simply dictate a new culture, it requires sustained effort to embed new values and behaviors.

Brief note on innovation, distribution, and moats

Logos • 19 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Strong distribution is more important than complex technology. It's hard to get your product in front of people, even if you have a great product.
  2. Startups often succeed not because of better tech, but by disrupting market rules. They reach new customers by using different methods that big companies might overlook.
  3. While tech complexity can show growth potential, it doesn't guarantee a competitive edge. Companies need to innovate to keep up, but that innovation doesn't have to be super complicated.

Strategy Is About Confident Decision-Making

The Strategy Deck • 19 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Strategy in business involves making confident decisions for success and profitability.
  2. Three fundamental elements of strategy are investment decisions, analysis and prioritization, and stakeholder involvement.
  3. Types of strategy work include business strategy, product strategy, and strategic planning, each with specific focuses and benefits.
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Why no academic discipline studies strategy

Strategy Notes • 19 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🚌 Education Strategy
  1. Many academic disciplines study various subjects but not specifically strategy.
  2. Studying past cases in strategy is beneficial, but it is not the same as actively studying and practicing strategy.
  3. The focused study of success in strategy has been divided into too many fields, impacting the overall understanding and approach to strategy.

Strategy ≠ shopping list

Strategy Notes • 19 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
💼 Business Strategy
  1. A strategy is not just a list of things to buy, it's more than that.
  2. The right kind of growth is important when considering strategy.
  3. A good strategy is not about purchasing new items, but about the core strategic planning and decision-making.

Strategy for Startups

Ways of Working • 19 implied HN points • 08 May 23
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Strategy is the plan for an organization to achieve its vision.
  2. Startups go wrong by mistaking mission, vision, and goals for strategy, not eliminating options, and inducing strategy whiplash.
  3. Creating a strategy requires identifying the starting point, assessing company stage & purpose, gathering inputs, soliciting feedback, going on a PR tour, and executing & iterating.

Debunking the Myth of Network Effects

Platform Papers • 19 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Network effects can be powerful in digital platforms but may not always lead to the expected outcomes. A merger between pet-sitting platforms revealed that horizontal preferences and platform differentiation can play a significant role in user behavior.
  2. The strength of network effects can be challenging to quantify due to external factors influencing participant value. Understanding factors like switching costs and repeat exchanges is crucial in assessing the true impact of network effects.
  3. Having multiple competing platforms can be more beneficial than having a single dominant one. This diversity can foster healthy competition, innovation, and prevent monopolistic practices, highlighting the importance of antitrust regulations.

On going first

Infinitely More • 12 implied HN points • 30 May 25
📖 Philosophy Strategy
  1. In many games, going first can give a big advantage, which isn't always fair. It's important to find ways to balance the game for both players.
  2. Rules like the 'swap rule' in games like Hex can help make things fair, but they may not always work perfectly for every game.
  3. For games like Go, figuring out the right value to give the second player can be tricky, and the common values used might not actually be the best.

The Limits of Strategy

What Is Called Thinking? • 136 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Strategy
  1. Strategy has its limits because achieving goals can lead to an infinite regress.
  2. Avoid placing too much focus on short-term wins and instead consider long-term, noble aims.
  3. Inner peace and self-knowledge are essential to navigate the uncertainties of life strategies.

Five unlikely books to understand how AI transforms the economy

Platforms, AI, and the Economics of BigTech • 8 implied HN points • 03 Aug 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Understanding AI's impact on the economy requires looking beyond typical AI books. Focus on how technology reshapes industries and organizations instead.
  2. Books that discuss system design, constraints, and structural changes are vital for grasping how new technologies like AI will influence business.
  3. Key insights can come from reading unexpected subjects, like the economics of digital media or the history of shipping containers, which show the broader effects of technology.

The Measurement Trap

Fish Food for Thought • 32 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Relying too much on numbers for management can blind you to important factors. It’s essential to recognize that not everything that matters can be measured.
  2. Nike's recent struggles show how chasing measurable goals can hurt a company's core values. Ignoring brand loyalty and innovation for data-driven decisions can lead to serious problems.
  3. Good leaders need to balance what they measure with understanding the unmeasurable parts of their organization, like team morale and creativity. The best insights often lie outside the numbers.

Time for Ukraine's Offensive?

Comment is Freed • 116 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics Strategy
  1. The Pentagon leaks reveal concerns about Ukraine's offensive capability and readiness
  2. The Russian offensive has faced setbacks and challenges, highlighting weaknesses in their strategy
  3. The Ukrainian offensive strategy may involve subtle, strategic maneuvers rather than direct frontal assaults to change the course of the war

Transformation, Leadership & Talent: A conversation with David Kenny.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 25 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Transformation needs to have a clear direction. It's about knowing what you want to achieve, not just how fast you move.
  2. Leaders should build trust by being honest and clear. They need to be open about their decisions and willing to change when new information comes in.
  3. Diversity is key to business success. Having different perspectives helps in solving problems and finding the best talent from all backgrounds.

Mining for ... jewelry?

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 13 Dec 21
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Big ideas often look messy and impractical at first. They aren't always obvious, so it’s important to look deeper.
  2. Finding valuable ideas is like mining for ore, not finished jewelry. You need to recognize potential within rough concepts.
  3. Instead of expecting perfect ideas, focus on exploring the possibilities and challenges that come with them.

Pricing Roundup (featuring Casey Hill)

Good Better Best • 2 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. PerformYard made their pricing page clearer by simplifying the layout. This helps potential customers understand the options better and navigate easily.
  2. Pipedrive has introduced usage thresholds that will help them manage pricing based on customer usage. This change is common in CRM tools and may lead to more upgrades.
  3. Buffer rebranded some features as Community and added new functions. This shift aims to enhance user engagement by emphasizing community aspects.

How To Deal With Ambiguity As A TPM

Building Rome(s) • 20 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Starting with a clear goal helps the team stay focused and find the right path, even when things get confusing.
  2. Breaking down problems into smaller parts makes them easier to handle and allows the team to address challenges step by step.
  3. It's important to keep moving forward, even when the answers aren't clear. Trusting your gut and adapting quickly can lead to progress.

How to think about social effectiveness to protect creative budgets

The Social Juice • 24 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. When discussing social media success, it's important to focus on effectiveness, not just creativity. You need to tell a complete story about how your ideas impact the brand and business.
  2. To have a strong approach, measure three key areas: channel effects, brand effects, and commercial effects. This way, you can show not only how many people saw your content but also how it influenced brand awareness and sales.
  3. Always establish clear success measures before starting a project. This helps everyone understand how to evaluate success and can lead to better budget support in the future.

Principles and discomfort

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 31 Jul 22
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Companies should write down their principles, but they need to focus on real-life situations. It's important to consider what happens during conflicts or tight deadlines.
  2. It's good to prioritize principles so everyone knows what matters most. Listing trade-offs can help teams make better decisions when things get tough.
  3. Successful teams must design principles that reflect real choices and constraints. This way, they can handle stress better and understand what they truly value.

Decisions Before the Decision

DruGroup • 79 implied HN points • 23 Mar 22
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Before making a big decision, ask yourself five key questions: When do you need to decide, who should be involved, what are your options, where might your choices lead, and how will you respond to outcomes.
  2. Getting the right people in the room can help improve decision-making. Their different perspectives can highlight mistakes and open up better choices.
  3. Thinking through the potential results and responses to your decision can ensure you’re prepared for whatever happens next. It helps make the final choice clearer and gives you more confidence.

On attack, defence and the beautiful game

The Jolly Contrarian • 19 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🎾 Sports Strategy
  1. Different values are placed on attack and defence in sports like football based on the asymmetry of payoffs between the two roles.
  2. Defenders focus on conservative, coordinated actions to maintain the status quo, while attackers take big risks to improve the position.
  3. Infinite games, characterized by complex systems and unpredictable outcomes, require the ability to adjust, react, adapt, and capitalize on opportunities in a changing environment.

Adriana Tica Chats with Ellen: All things strategic marketing

The Ask Newsletter — by Ellen Donnelly • 10 implied HN points • 04 Jun 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Building authority online takes time and effort. It’s important to focus on a clear, strong idea that showcases your unique perspective.
  2. Consistency is key in marketing. You don’t need to be on every platform, but having one place for potential clients to find you is essential.
  3. Even great writers can struggle with newsletters. It's vital to understand the marketing side to make sure your newsletter is profitable.

Your Way

Venture Prose • 199 implied HN points • 14 Jan 20
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Successful companies often build on the strongest aspects of their industry and work backwards. This approach can lead to innovative solutions that address user needs in unique ways.
  2. When evaluating a team for investment, consider their vision (people), timing (time to market), and long-term commitment (built to last). These factors are crucial for sustainable success.
  3. Companies can excel by focusing on building innovative products, strong infrastructure, and effective distribution strategies. It's essential to adapt and evolve these elements while keeping clarity of vision.

Unintended Consequences

Fish Food for Thought • 21 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Making changes based on certain metrics can lead to unexpected problems. For example, Wells Fargo's sales goals pushed employees to open fake accounts.
  2. Good intentions behind laws and incentives can sometimes backfire. The Cobra Effect shows how trying to control a cobra population led to more snakes instead.
  3. It's important to regularly rethink our goals and how we measure success. Metrics can guide us, but we must also consider their potential downsides and the bigger picture.

The edge in trading IPOs: 18% annual return

Quant Trading Rules • 2 HN points • 08 Jun 24
💰 Finance Strategy
  1. Marsten Parker's IPO trading strategy focuses on frequently buying and selling IPOs shortly after they go public, with clear rules for entry and exit.
  2. Buying IPOs at all-time highs showed a significant edge over buying non-IPO stocks at all-time highs, with IPOs performing better after 20 days.
  3. Tweaking profit targets and stop-loss orders in IPO trading strategies can significantly impact annual returns, demonstrating the importance of optimizing these parameters for better performance.

30-60-90 For TPMs

Building Rome(s) • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. When starting in a big tech company, your first month should focus on understanding the company's structure and people. It's important to learn the processes and key players to effectively navigate your new role.
  2. At startups, you need to adapt quickly, often ramping up in just a few weeks. Jump in and start contributing right away, as limited resources mean you’ll likely wear many hats.
  3. Building relationships is key in any new role. Prioritize meeting with colleagues and stakeholders to enhance collaboration and gather insights that will help you succeed.

The MKT1 Field Guide to B2B Startup Marketing

MKT1 Newsletter • 6 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Having a specific marketing strategy helps avoid random activities that don't contribute to goals. Focus on what works for your startup and stick to it.
  2. Your marketing efforts should combine 'fuel' (the content and messages you create) with an 'engine' (the channels and processes you use). Keep both balanced for better results.
  3. Building a strong marketing team involves hiring versatile members who can contribute to multiple areas. This approach helps create a more effective and adaptable marketing strategy.

4 reasons why PMs and UXR should understand business strategy

Askwhy: UX Research, Product Management, Design & Careers • 50 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Understanding business strategy helps drive alignment and focus, ensuring products contribute to company goals and avoiding feature creep.
  2. Knowing consumer trends, markets, and competitive landscape aids in developing relevant products and making informed decisions to stay competitive.
  3. Engaging with business strategy leads to better decision-making through frameworks like second-order thinking and inversion, fostering alignment within the organization.

The most popular MKT1 resources & templates of 2025

MKT1 Newsletter • 1 implied HN point • 18 Dec 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. MKT1 produced a large set of templates and resources in 2025 that people have been using.
  2. They have a “fuel” problem: lots of great tools exist but no strong system to make users aware of them.
  3. This paid-subscriber newsletter is meant to surface the most popular and useful templates to paying members so those resources get noticed.