The hottest Strategy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Profile: Ryan Reynolds and Owning the Outcome

Creating Value from Nothing • 132 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Own inbound sales end-to-end by building systems that route leads quickly and make signing up simple, so growth doesn’t stall.
  2. Solve root causes instead of surface symptoms by creating repeatable workflows, clear handoffs, and measurable definitions of “good” so the team doesn't rely on heroics.
  3. A scrappy, cross-functional culture with a bias toward action and rituals that celebrate gritty execution helps teams move fast, learn from outcomes, and sustain improvements.

TBM 395: Words! Damned Words!

The Beautiful Mess • 476 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Strategy
  1. Terms like “initiative” naturally mean different things to different people and at different zoom levels, so don’t force one single definition; use a thin base meaning and allow different shapes or scales with clear rules and interfaces.
  2. Abstract labels become harmful when they harden into rigid governance or accounting rules, so anchor decisions on concrete events (milestones, releases) or intentionally work around or rewire those constraints to protect learning and impact.
  3. Use practical lenses — interaction, constraint, governance, and relational — and tactics like event storming, naming exceptions, fractal artifacts, and designing for many frames to see how things actually behave and keep the system resilient.

This is Math Meets Money

Math Meets Money • 139 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Math Meets Money is a newsletter that helps scientists understand the business world using clear explanations. It's designed for those with scientific backgrounds who want to transition into business roles.
  2. The newsletter addresses common barriers scientists face when entering the business world. These include feeling over-qualified, under-qualified compared to others, and struggling with the specialized language of business.
  3. Readers can expect daily briefings on business terms and concepts, along with deeper dives into case studies and current events on weekends. This is all aimed at empowering scientists to innovate in industry.

Match The Pipes

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1745 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. In a system, the capacity of the output is limited by the narrowest part, or pipe, so expanding other parts won't help if that part doesn't change. It's important to identify and address this bottleneck to improve overall performance.
  2. As an executive, you have the unique ability to see the entire process and make decisions to improve it, unlike those focused on their own tasks. This broader perspective allows you to manage resources and workloads effectively.
  3. Creating pressure to increase productivity can have negative consequences, such as stress and burnout. It's better to find a balance that promotes a healthy work environment and supports productivity.

My super simple task management hack

Tiny Empires • 98 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Pick one clear big goal and use it as the filter for every task you consider.
  2. Each day choose exactly three meaningful tasks from your prioritized list and schedule them the night before or during a weekly planning session.
  3. Block out 1–3 hour calendar slots for those tasks, overestimate how long they’ll take, and treat them like real meetings to ensure focus and accountability.
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Blogging class: Multiple blogs

Sex and the State • 15 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Running multiple blogs doubles the setup and maintenance work and makes it harder for new readers to discover all your writing.
  2. People follow people more than topics, so keeping your work in one place helps readers connect with you across different subjects.
  3. You can’t please everyone, so it’s better to have a distinct voice that attracts devoted readers; only split into separate blogs if the audiences or goals are truly incompatible.

Tokens: The New Oil

Software Design: Tidy First? • 2010 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. When demand for your product grows rapidly, you need to shift your focus from exploration to expansion. It's all about managing resources to keep up with demand.
  2. Survival in this phase means making tough choices, like cutting features or limiting users, to ensure you have enough capacity. Don't worry about being perfect; just keep your product alive.
  3. Investors may be excited to fund you now, but your real challenge is managing resources effectively. Focus on quick, practical solutions to keep things running and adapt as you grow.

How Linear builds product

Lenny's Newsletter • 4166 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Linear operates without traditional product managers, relying on a head of product instead.
  2. Teams at Linear assemble around projects and disperse once the project is complete.
  3. Linear prioritizes taste, opinions, and strategy over metrics, A/B tests, and specific goals.

TBM 390: Governance by Principle, Not by Template

The Beautiful Mess • 528 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Governance models should be tailored to fit the specific context of a company. Just sticking to old processes might not work in fast-changing environments.
  2. It’s important to know that not all work fits into neat project boxes. Products and platforms evolve over time, and governance should reflect that fluidity.
  3. Many companies focus more on box-ticking than on truly advancing their goals. Effective governance should prioritize meaningful outcomes over just following rules.

AI is changing the rules of the game in Go-to-Market 🔄

The VC Corner • 819 implied HN points • 03 May 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. AI tools are changing how businesses go to market, so it's crucial to adapt to these changes. Companies need to actively promote their products rather than hoping they'll go viral.
  2. It's important to focus on attracting early customers who truly understand and care about your product. These customers can provide valuable feedback and help spread the word.
  3. The strategy for getting your first users is different from getting a larger audience later on. Initially, you should go where your target audience already is, instead of spreading your efforts too thin across various platforms.

Killing A Bad Strategy Before It Kills you

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 4413 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Grand strategy helps you achieve big goals with limited resources. Since everyone faces resource limits, using what you have smartly can lead to unexpected successes.
  2. Foxes tend to predict better than hedgehogs because they use many ideas and adapt. Foxes keep an open mind, while hedgehogs stick to one big idea, even if it's wrong.
  3. Planning is important, but sticking too rigidly to a plan can be a mistake. It's better to remain flexible and adjust to new opportunities as they arise.

Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger and the Reading Unlock

SatPost by Trung Phan • 169 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Consistent deep reading compounds into rare insights and gives a long-term advantage; even reading 50–100 pages a day can put you in the top tier.
  2. Reading alone isn’t enough — the real payoff comes when you combine reading with skills, experience, capital and networks so a single insight can be turned into a big business or investment.
  3. In a distracted world the bar to stand out is low, so protect focus (curate feeds, limit short-form apps) and keep digging—turn every page to find opportunities.

Last Stop Before Willoughby

imetatronink • 3400 implied HN points • 10 Aug 23
🌍 World Politics Strategy
  1. A single-shot military could disarm the West for a decade after a serious campaign.
  2. The US would struggle to sustain a large, intense campaign similar to the one seen in Ukraine.
  3. Russian military capabilities have shown the ability to counter US strike missiles, posing a significant challenge.

Oxford FY2025 And New CEO

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Oxford released its full-year 2025 accounts, and they broadly match the results it showed at JPM.
  2. A new CEO for Oxford Nanopore has started.
  3. Oxford confirmed cancellation of P2S support and said the ElySION product is cancelled too; ElySION had been on the market for about a year.

Gamesmanship, Sportsmanship, and the Case of the Giant Boulder

The Leap • 559 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🎾 Sports Strategy
  1. Gamesmanship involves using clever tactics to gain an advantage in a game, sometimes bending the rules. It's important to know when it's okay to be strategic and when it might cross the line.
  2. Sportsmanship is about respect and fairness in competition, focusing on integrity and camaraderie. Good sportsmanship means playing by the rules and being gracious, win or lose.
  3. Understanding the balance between gamesmanship and sportsmanship can enhance how we engage in competitive activities. Finding the right mix helps maintain the spirit of the game and keeps it enjoyable for everyone.

Lightning Strikes Twice

imetatronink • 3085 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🌍 World Politics Strategy
  1. The Russian military strategy involves careful planning, patience, and adaptability.
  2. The Battle of Kursk in 1943 exemplified the use of Russian military deception known as maskirovka.
  3. Current events in Ukraine suggest Russian strategic prowess and an unexpected turn of events may be imminent.

Trump Laid a Trap and Democrats Went Into It Genitals-First

I Might Be Wrong • 26 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Strategy
  1. Democrats failed to visibly stand up for American voters during the State of the Union, which handed Republicans a potent attack line and forced months of damage control.
  2. A hard left shift is risky because Democratic voters are heavily concentrated in fewer states, making it hard to win the Senate and other national contests without appealing in swing and red-leaning states.
  3. Political psychology favors in-group loyalty to right-wing figures, while extreme left positions are often seen as siding with outsiders, so moving far left can alienate the broader electorate.

Creating value in the AI age

A Bit Gamey • 13 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Judgment — With information and execution becoming cheap, the scarce value is knowing what truly matters and making better decisions.
  2. Curation — As content and options multiply, people pay for clear filters that surface the useful signal from the noise.
  3. Direction — Speed alone creates faster confusion, so helping others choose the right path and save time is where durable value lives.

The AI Brush

Tippets by Taps • 14 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. AI is being used as a convenient narrative to justify restructurings, acting like a brush that can make painful corrections look strategic.
  2. Both real AI-driven productivity gains and prior mistakes (like over-hiring) are usually at play, so layoffs often reflect a mix of future-facing change and catching up on past errors.
  3. Markets respond to the framing — labeling cuts as “AI transformation” can boost stock prices — so it’s important to look past headlines and read the footnotes to see what actually changed.

Insights from 15+ GTM audits

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 108 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Make your ICP a hard constraint across everything — homepage, CRM, demos, outbound lists and content — and enforce disqualification criteria so you focus on buyers who actually convert.
  2. Choose a clear product category or primary use case before you try to differentiate. Name the main alternative you replace so buyers immediately know what to compare you against.
  3. Treat GTM as an end-to-end system: design structured demos, a simple sales process with stage exit criteria, aligned buyer-facing assets, and a content strategy that targets high-intent buyers. Doing fewer, consistent things beats many disconnected activities.

10 Quick GTM Fixes You Can Ship This Week

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 34 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Know exactly who to sell to — document a five‑point ICP and a list of disqualifiers (ANTI‑ICP) and enforce it so your pipeline stops getting noisy.
  2. Pick one clear positioning anchor (product category or use case) and make it consistent across homepage, LinkedIn, demos, and sales materials; pause weak channels and focus deeply on the strongest one.
  3. Tighten execution with simple processes and metrics — add source attribution, track lost reasons, set hard open/close deal criteria, review demo recordings, and actively use case studies and referrals.

Clouded Judgement 3.6.26 - Get in the Token Path

Clouded Judgement • 16 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. The biggest cloud-era infrastructure winners aligned their revenue with the platform's core consumption unit — they "owned the meter" so more usage automatically meant more revenue.
  2. In AI, tokens are becoming that core unit, so companies directly in the token path (models, inference platforms, and coding agents) can structurally scale as token consumption rises.
  3. Being in the token path is necessary but not sufficient — companies must build real differentiation and moats (better developer UX, vertical models, security/compliance, or proprietary data) and move quickly before token economics commoditize.

Ride Across the River

imetatronink • 2535 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Strategy
  1. Russian military strategy in the ongoing war in Ukraine focuses on attrition
  2. Ukrainian Armed Forces face significant challenges with depleted resources and ammunition shortages
  3. Speculation on potential Russian actions includes allowing a Ukrainian counter-offensive towards Crimea before a strategic Russian move

MicroTimes Interviews T/Maker’s Heidi Roizen and Royal Farros (1994)

Computer Ads from the Past • 256 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. They pivoted from selling a Mac word processor to focusing on content like ClickArt and multimedia ZoomBooks, and that shift unlocked rapid growth and consistent profits.
  2. They took VC money, bought other art libraries, and brought in experienced managers to redesign products and packaging so they could win retail shelves and sell at multiple price points.
  3. They invested in technical know-how (CD-ROM, multi-platform formats, a reusable ZoomBooks interface) and used joint ventures with TV networks and publishers to share costs and reach much bigger audiences.

War Analysis

Black Mountain Analysis • 2397 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🌍 World Politics Strategy
  1. Artemovsk has fallen, marking the beginning of the collapse of Ukraine.
  2. Russian military strategy is goal-driven and not date/time-driven.
  3. The war efforts in Ukraine are financed in Rubel, allowing Russia to produce war equipment without financial concerns.

Meditations on Founder Mode

The Engineering Leader • 79 implied HN points • 08 Sep 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Founder Mode allows leaders to be more hands-on and in touch with their company. This helps them make quick decisions that align with their original vision.
  2. While Founder Mode can be effective in early stages, it doesn't scale well in larger companies because one person can't manage everything.
  3. Great leaders know when to switch between being hands-on and delegating tasks. This flexibility is key to adapting to a company's growth and changing needs.

#49 - Shift Right, Dear Middle Manager.

OSS.fund Newsletter • 37 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. AI is likely to cut or compress coordination-heavy middle management jobs first, like meeting coordinators, status reporters, and standardised team leads.
  2. Managers who design systems, own outcomes, and handle ambiguity will become more valuable and are less likely to be replaced.
  3. Survival means automating coordination, owning a measurable outcome, becoming the control plane that sets policies and escalations, and moving closer to money or risk.

Storytelling is the new clickbait, can B2B capitalise?

Mehdeeka • 5 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. New short, personal story formats grab attention by using first-person hooks, cliffhangers, and subtle or late product mentions to drive clicks.
  2. B2B can use storytelling, but only if your customers are actually on those platforms; focus on building an owned, engaged audience and a distinctive brand using platform-native formats.
  3. Don’t chase every trend — audit channels, compare time and budget to results, cut underperformers, and reallocate resources to focused experiments or to hiring/outsourcing so you can do fewer channels well.

The NFL has entered the Scorigami Era

Silver Bulletin • 334 implied HN points • 14 Nov 25
🎾 Sports Strategy
  1. The NFL is scoring more points than ever, leading to strange final scores that were rare before. Think of scores now being like high school locker combinations rather than traditional ones.
  2. New strategies for 4th down plays are changing how teams approach scoring. Teams are going for it more often, which is helping them build longer drives and creative scoring.
  3. Kicking has become easier with new rules, allowing for higher accuracy and longer field goals. Fans are seeing kickers make amazing plays that impact the game's outcome.

Leave the "Casino": You don't need to play silly games as an indie entrepreneur | Q&A with Jessica Lackey | #320

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 98 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Don’t gamble on quick fixes, viral hacks, or pricey masterminds — those are the “casino” tactics where the house usually wins. Focus on real business models and the trade-offs that make them sustainable.
  2. Building a profitable solo business takes time and clear choices, often years of work; prioritize frameworks, consistent long-form content, and relationship-driven sales instead of chasing follower counts.
  3. Operational thinking and repeatable rhythms matter: use frameworks and processes to run your business, and treat products (like books) as leverage that still require years of work and ongoing maintenance alongside active client work.

Momentum and the Gambler's Fallacy

Admired Leadership Field Notes • 1022 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Strategy
  1. Momentum in sports can lead to a shift in energy and positivity, affecting the outcome of a game.
  2. Even though statistical experts claim momentum is not real and linked to the gambler's fallacy, it is a common occurrence in sports that can impact a team's performance.
  3. Teams that effectively harness momentum by maintaining a streak of positive outcomes have a higher probability of winning, as seen in data analysis of NFL games.

#45 - Thought Experiment - Your "flexible" is hiding operational debt

OSS.fund Newsletter • 94 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. What you call flexibility may be hiding operational debt: manual workarounds, spreadsheets, and institutional memory erode margins and create single points of failure.
  2. AI can encode client-specific rules and handle exceptions at scale, letting you deliver personalized experiences without increasing marginal human effort.
  3. Audit recent special deals, map their hidden workflows, and encode repeatable rules so agents handle predictable exceptions while humans focus only on true edge cases.

The Defiant Way to Build an AI-First Brand (Stop Playing Safe)

Crypto Good • 9 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Use AI to be defiant, not just efficient — make visuals that demand attention instead of blending in.
  2. Use bold images paired with fearless quotes. Pull inspiration from songs, books, or found objects and learn the AI skills to remix and superimpose text into unique visuals.
  3. Build with AI every day and combine multiple models and workflows to keep your brand voice unmistakable. Share your process, iterate publicly, and use practical tools to accelerate your mission.

The Shape of Leadership

Fish Food for Thought • 83 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Leadership can take two effective shapes: a V-formation with clear direction, roles, and efficiency, or a murmuration with decentralized, rule-based adaptability.
  2. The right pattern depends on the situation — use V-style structure when coordination and reliability matter, and murmuration-style autonomy when uncertainty, speed, and learning matter.
  3. Leaders make either pattern work by shaping conditions: rotate leadership, clarify purpose and constraints, build trust and feedback, and align incentives so the chosen pattern isn’t undermined.

My 5 Favorite Not Boring Essays of 2025

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 146 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Strategy
  1. Electric technology is rapidly getting cheaper and better, so electric products will increasingly outperform combustion and enable new things; where and how components are made will shape who wins.
  2. Technology expands our capacity but doesn’t create meaning for us, so we must choose how to spend our extra hours by paying attention, seeking novel experiences, and building relationships.
  3. There’s huge opportunity in real differentiation and craft amid widespread copycat slop, and as AI commoditizes routine tasks humans win by moving up the stack into creative, relational, and higher‑level work done with joy and purpose.

Executive Amplification

Fish Food for Thought • 18 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. What leaders say and do carries outsized weight, shaping how people prioritize work and even how employees see their roles. This influence changes behavior across the organization, not just tasks.
  2. Small or offhand remarks often get treated as directives, which creates wasted time, unnecessary meetings, and misaligned effort. These ambiguous signals introduce friction and distract teams from high-value work.
  3. Leaders need to be intentional about their signals: clarify intent, model priorities with actions like protected calendar time, and assume everything they say will be amplified. Clear, purposeful communication reduces misinterpretation and aligns follow-through.

TBM 387: Lenses

The Beautiful Mess • 330 implied HN points • 12 Nov 25
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Using different lenses helps us see various sides of a problem in product work. Each lens gives us a unique perspective, so more than one is needed.
  2. Understanding customer journeys and personas can reveal different experiences for different groups. This helps in tailoring services or products more effectively.
  3. Team interactions and boundaries play a big role in how work gets done. Recognizing these can improve communication and efficiency across teams.

Building An Empire

Compounding Quality • 982 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Kelly Partners Group is a professional services firm offering accounting and consulting services.
  2. The company aims to emulate 'The Berkshire Hathaway of Accounting' through strategic acquisitions.
  3. Kelly Partners Group showcased great financial results and expansion, including a move into the United States.

Talent is the key in an AI Age.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 80 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
💼 Business Strategy
  1. Talent is the primary sustainable advantage: skilled, motivated people create and preserve innovation, service, and brand experiences. AI and other tools only multiply value when they are in the hands of well-trained talent.
  2. Firms must invest heavily in training, reskilling, and rewarding people alongside their AI spending, because technology and data alone won't create differentiation. Leaders and managers should be measured and compensated on how well they attract, develop, and retain talent.
  3. To attract, retain, and help people thrive, focus on pay, recognition, and autonomy; purpose, values, and connection; and freedom, identity, and growth. Employees also act as advocates and their satisfaction should be tracked with tenure, turnover, surveys, and other people metrics.