The hottest Tech Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Celebrating Greek wins

The Greek Analyst • 339 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Funding Tech Economy Unemployment
  1. Success should be highlighted, embraced, understood, and replicated, especially in a society that tends to focus more on negative news.
  2. Greece is seeing achievements across various sectors, from biotech companies and architectural studios to AI innovation and modern office buildings.
  3. There is a growing trend in Greek startups raising significant funding rounds, indicating a positive trajectory in the tech and business ecosystem.

Introducing our newest writer

The Generalist • 1421 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
💼 Business Tech Startups Writing Operations Media
  1. The Generalist has welcomed a new writer, Ben Butler, who brings startup experience and a strong sense of taste to the publication.
  2. Ben Butler is a creative individual with a background in writing, stand-up comedy, and screenwriting, adding a fresh perspective to The Generalist.
  3. Ben Butler's addition to The Generalist is seen as a valuable enhancement that will push their thinking forward and improve the quality of written analysis.

Never Obsolete

HIDDEN.RSRCH • 668 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Tech
  1. Apple's collectible gear remains update-free.
  2. Apple designers created over 4,000 designs for exclusive T-shirts in the 1980s.
  3. Access to this post requires subscription.

❄️ 🍅 Une Française va diriger une boîte du Nasdaq

Snowball • 668 implied HN points • 10 Sep 23
💼 Business Startups Stock Market Economy Tech Retail
  1. A French woman will lead a company on the Nasdaq, reflecting increasing diversity in leadership roles.
  2. The potential impacts of a $100 per barrel oil price include considerations on the US strategic oil reserve.
  3. The microlearning market aims to revamp traditional education models, offering opportunities for individuals to benefit and innovate.
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CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm Resigns

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 752 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
💼 Business Tech Surveillance Leadership Finance Legal
  1. CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm, Maury Blackman, resigned after years of court battles and exposure of clandestine surveillance.
  2. Premise Data, an analogue of Uber for data-gathering, faced revenue stagnation despite investments and high-profile board members.
  3. Blackman's resignation led to Matt McNabb taking over as CEO, revealing a history of controversial events and legal issues within Premise.

Anxieties about kids and screen time, train vs. submarine movies, crime-novel recommendations, and other questions

Read Max • 1080 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Literature Film Tech Parenting
  1. The writer discusses concerns about raising kids with technology, highlighting the importance of setting boundaries and modeling healthy behaviors.
  2. Submarine movies and train movies are compared, with a humorous take on cinematic transportation in films.
  3. The intersection of AI, writing, and labor is explored, emphasizing the social aspect of writing and the potential impacts of AI on the craft.

Why Applovin is the best-performing tech stock of the year

Alex's Personal Blog • 65 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
💰 Finance Investing Earnings Stocks Tech Market Trends
  1. Applovin's stock has skyrocketed this year, with more than a 500% increase thanks to strong earnings and revenue growth.
  2. The company's transition to a focus on advertising is paying off, driven by a machine-learning model called AXON that improves ad targeting.
  3. Applovin has made significant investments in technology and infrastructure, which is helping them stay ahead in the competitive market.

Notorious: Common Mistakes Founders Make

Notorious PLG • 235 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Investing Finance Tech
  1. Valuable lessons for early-stage founders include focusing on customer needs, finding product-market fit, and maintaining rapid adaptation.
  2. Operating benchmarks for PLG startups include metrics on organic traffic, conversion rates, activation rates, and user retention.
  3. Financial benchmarks from PLG public companies cover EV/NTM revenue multiples, stock gainers, and recent PLG + AI financings.

Entrepreneurial Grift

Points And Figures • 506 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Government Startup Ecosystem Tech
  1. Entrepreneurial grift involves people leveraging connections to obtain government funding through questionable means.
  2. Successful tech ecosystems like Silicon Valley thrive due to early risk-loving capital and mentorship, not government intervention.
  3. Building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem requires genuine risk-taking, execution, and tangible results, not just social connections and titles.

The Woke Rails of Google Gemini are Literally Just Eric Cartman

Handwaving Freakoutery • 769 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Art Entertainment Tech TV Satire
  1. Google Gemini's AI image generation software is adding 'diversity' into images where it doesn't belong, like popes and knights.
  2. Google Gemini uses a simple hack to generate 'woke' images by altering prompts before running image generation AI.
  3. South Park predicted Google's approach by parodying inserting diversity into images through prompts, comparable to what Google is doing with its AI.

The Donkey Enterprise

The Greek Analyst • 279 implied HN points • 23 Dec 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Economy Tech Startups Investments
  1. Successful businesses can thrive by embodying the traits of a 'Donkey Enterprise' - prioritizing self-preservation, building long-term institutional memory, fostering curiosity, focusing on strong foundations, valuing hard work, and maintaining a clear focus.
  2. Greece has made significant progress in digitization, economy, investments, tech startups, education, and R&D, demonstrating growth in various sectors and receiving international recognition.
  3. Greek individuals and companies have achieved notable success in various fields, such as winning international competitions, impacting AI technology, and contributing to the economy through acquisitions and advancements.

Spotify, Revolut and the rise of the Super Sub

Department of Product • 393 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
💼 Business Tech Subscription Analytics Product Launch Market Trends
  1. Some tech companies are experimenting with higher-priced subscription tiers to offer new features to exclusive users.
  2. Revenue generation is a key focus for many product teams, leading to new pricing strategies.
  3. Pricing experiments like launching super premium subscriptions are worth monitoring for trends in the industry.

Is $7.2B a lot of money for Squarespace?

Alex's Personal Blog • 65 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
💼 Business Finance Tech Market Investing Startups
  1. Squarespace was recently sold for $7.2 billion, which some believe is a lot of money. They managed to increase their sale price by over 5% from a previous offer.
  2. The company showed strong growth, with its revenue growing by 20% year over year, and it has a solid cash position. This performance raises questions about whether they sold themselves too cheaply.
  3. Even though the sale price seems high, Squarespace might have been worth more based on its growth and financial metrics. Some think they could have waited for better market conditions before selling.

The one thing everyone on social media agrees on

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday • 570 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Media Comedy Sports Tech Fashion
  1. Many people on social media seem to share a common dislike for the New York Times, perceiving it as biased.
  2. Despite differing opinions on which political direction the NY Times leans towards, the widespread criticism suggests it may actually be achieving balance in its reporting.
  3. Critics of the Times should consider the importance of rigorous journalism and ask if there are better alternative publications out there.

Long on shovels, short on gold

benn.substack • 434 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
💼 Business Tech Investing Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Startups
  1. In the tech world, many companies are heavily investing in AI, with billions of dollars being raised for AI startups and established companies shifting focus towards AI.
  2. Liquidation preferences in startup funding can lead to conflicts of interest between investors and founders, affecting decisions around company sale and financial outcomes.
  3. Despite the hype around AI, success stories of companies profiting from AI technology are not yet as abundant, raising questions about the actual impact and returns of AI investments.

High churn, low LTV

Top of the Lyne • 275 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
💼 Business Tech Marketing AI Growth Sales
  1. Generative AI company Murf uses behavioral AI to penetrate the enterprise market and boost self-serve conversions.
  2. Murf's AI engine helped increase enterprise conversions by 10% and boosted revenue closed by 20% for their sales team.
  3. The AI engine improved conversion rates by 7x for pro self-serve conversions during a Black Friday promotion.

The Case For and Against California Forever

The New Urban Order • 139 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Urbanism Housing Tech Environment Politics
  1. California Forever aims to address California's housing crisis by offering a new city with up to 400,000 residents and 160,000 dwelling units.
  2. Critics argue that California Forever's development threatens natural resources, increases wildfire risk, and diverts attention and resources from existing infrastructure improvements.
  3. The project prompts debate on the balance between housing expansion and environmental impact, as well as the effectiveness of starting a new city versus revitalizing existing communities.

BlackBerry's Ode to Corporate Competence

Rough Cuts • 157 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Film Tech Business Art Entertainment
  1. The movie delves into the rise and fall of BlackBerry as a product, focusing on the competition between different visions for its future.
  2. The film is distinct from 'The Social Network' in style and tone, offering an entertaining take on corporate stories.
  3. Contrary to common interpretation, 'BlackBerry' presents a nuanced perspective on corporate influence, success, and the impact of competition from superior products.

Democrats’ Need To Censor And Spread Disinformation Behind Media War On Elon Musk’s X

Public • 380 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Tech Advertising Business Social media
  1. Media Matters claimed X placed ads next to extreme content, leading to major companies pulling ads from X.
  2. X argued Media Matters manipulated ad placement through fake accounts to create a negative narrative.
  3. Attempts to replicate Media Matters' findings by another source did not show ads next to extremist content on X.

What happened in marketing: Reddit is profitable, Amazon edges Google and ChatGPT search launches

The Social Juice • 29 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
💼 Business Marketing Finance E-commerce Tech AI
  1. Reddit is now making money and is considered profitable. This is an important shift for the platform.
  2. Amazon is performing better than Google in some areas, showing a competitive edge in the market.
  3. ChatGPT has introduced a new search feature, which signifies the growing role of AI in online searches.

Joe's Nerdy Rants #8

Joe Reis • 196 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
💼 Business Tech AI Data Startups Journalism
  1. People skills are becoming increasingly important in the tech industry.
  2. Technical skills are essential, but communication and empathy separate individuals for career success.
  3. Businesses are shifting towards paying tech vendors based on outcomes, emphasizing accountability.

The Politics of Data

Joe Reis • 196 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Data AI Business Ethics Tech
  1. The politics of data often involves using data to push pre-determined agendas.
  2. In organizations, decisions are often driven by politics rather than technical excellence or data.
  3. Understanding the political dynamics within an organization can help navigate potential impacts on one's career.

The Gravitational Force of Tech Money

The Future, Now and Then • 167 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business Tech Wealth Economy Capital Finance
  1. Gravitational impact of money increases with scale, where extreme wealth creates societal problems beyond personal purchasing power.
  2. Tech billionaires accumulating astronomical sums of money have industry-warping and societal impacts, shaping the future and institutions.
  3. The concentration of vast capital in the hands of a few leads to comical ineptitude and problems society struggles to address, highlighting flaws in the tax system.

Dumphones & Culture in the Digital Age

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 01 May 24
🎭️ Culture Tech Social media Generations Cultural Shifts
  1. Sales of feature phones (dumphones) are increasing, driven by multigenerational interest and suggest a cultural shift in mobile device preferences.
  2. The shift towards feature phones and away from smartphones reflects changing social media use towards entertainment and private messaging apps.
  3. The emergence of midphones like Light Phone and Minimal Phone, along with AI-focused devices, indicates an ongoing evolution in handheld communication devices driven by societal considerations.

Amazon's $43B ad business, explained

SatPost by Trung Phan • 329 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
💼 Business Advertising E-commerce Digital Tech Investing
  1. Amazon's ad business has grown significantly, reaching a revenue run rate of $43 billion annually, surpassing other social media platforms.
  2. Amazon's shift towards embracing ads was influenced by the need to reduce dependence on Google search slots and utilize its valuable first-party transaction data.
  3. Amazon ads have become highly profitable and could rival its AWS business in terms of generating absolute profits, signaling a significant shift in the digital advertising landscape.

Want an unfair advantage in your tech career? Consume content meant for other roles

Matthew’s Substack • 544 HN points • 06 Mar 23
💼 Business Tech Roles Leadership Management Career development
  1. To stand out in your tech career, gain a competitive advantage by consuming content meant for roles you work with.
  2. Understanding other roles helps you avoid common pitfalls and promotes cross-functional collaboration in modern tech companies.
  3. Learning about other roles boosts empathy, clears misconceptions, and helps you be strategic in your interactions with colleagues.