The hottest Venture Capital Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

How AI Disrupts Tech Investing🤖, Five Steps to Nail Your Pitch Deck🎯, SaaS Retention📊

The VC Corner • 199 implied HN points • 08 Sep 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. AI is changing how investors look at tech. It creates new chances for startups and shifts investment strategies.
  2. For a successful pitch deck, focus on grabbing attention with key elements like your mission and unique value.
  3. SaaS companies are finding new ways to keep customers from leaving, as retention strategies are becoming more important in 2024.

GTM Benchmarks📊, Age of Unicorn Founders💰, Future of Sales with AI🤖

The VC Corner • 359 implied HN points • 25 Aug 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. GTM benchmarks are important for understanding how companies perform in the market. They help businesses know where they stand in comparison to others.
  2. The age of unicorn founders can influence the startup world. Younger founders might bring fresh ideas but can also face unique challenges.
  3. AI is shaping the future of sales. Businesses need to adapt and leverage AI tools to stay competitive and improve their sales strategies.

What Makes a Good Product-Market Fit?🎯, Global Markets Snapshot📊, GDP Growth Projections📈

The VC Corner • 419 implied HN points • 18 Aug 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. A good product-market fit means the product meets the needs of its target audience. This ensures customers find value and want to buy it.
  2. Global market snapshots help investors understand economic trends and make informed decisions. Keeping an eye on these trends can lead to better investment choices.
  3. GDP growth projections are important indicators of a country's economic health. They can show how well an economy is doing and influence business strategies.

five links for February 2026

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman • 348 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. High taxes on unrealized gains can push top taxpayers and huge sums of wealth out of a country. Tax policy can therefore quickly change where money and people choose to locate.
  2. In AI, giving systems more compute and letting them learn often beats trying to program human-like intelligence. Scale and general methods have repeatedly outperformed hand-designed, specialized tricks.
  3. Living closer to friends and practicing better conversation habits massively improves happiness and relationships. Don't hijack topics; keep turns short and ask follow-ups to build rapport.

How much software budget do you need for an early stage fund?

The VC Corner • 459 implied HN points • 14 Aug 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. You need a solid tech stack to improve efficiency in early-stage funds. This helps you manage tasks better and focus on high-impact work.
  2. A basic software budget for productivity can be around $1.2K per year per person, with additional costs for add-ons and data sources.
  3. Understanding your goals and resource needs is essential when choosing tools. Investing in the right data sources and proper tech can really boost your fund's performance.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Bubble Memory: A CEO’s Reflections on the Dotcom Boom and Bust

The Generalist • 1340 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. The current AI wave mirrors past internet gold rushes: it brings massive opportunity and investment but will produce a mix of big winners and many failures, so smart policy and open access are needed to keep competition healthy.
  2. Leaders should act as emotional stabilizers for fast-growing companies, balancing optimism with healthy paranoia, leaning on advisors, and keeping sight of the long-term story rather than daily noise.
  3. Talent is the most important lever when scaling quickly, so recruiting must become a top, structured priority and CEOs need to delegate operational control to focus on attracting and empowering great people.

Networked Conviction 004

Investing 101 • 83 implied HN points • 21 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Venture Capital
  1. Structure investing work around three buckets — portfolio updates, Requests For Startups, and general investing ideas — to keep thinking practical and repeatable.
  2. There’s a real opportunity to build AI rollups that actually work, but most pitches fail because they misunderstand how rollups or AI function, so a clear, correct formula is needed.
  3. The best AI rollup ideas come from real-world experience and untapped market gaps, and someone with passion plus a concrete plan can make a meaningful product out of that greenfield.

Do Founders Ever Take a Vacation?🌴,AI and Longevity🤖, Venture Trends Q2 2024📊

The VC Corner • 579 implied HN points • 04 Aug 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Many founders struggle to take vacations due to their busy schedules. Taking time off is often seen as a luxury rather than a necessity.
  2. Artificial Intelligence is playing a big role in improving health and longevity. People are excited about how AI can help us live longer and healthier lives.
  3. Venture capital trends are shifting, and investors are looking for new opportunities. It's important for startups to stay aware of these changes to attract funding.

Scale Ruins Everything

Cold Water • 19 implied HN points • 30 Sep 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Venture capital funding has led to many startups chasing rapid growth, even if their ideas could harm society. This can create big problems as companies scale up without considering the impact.
  2. Most startups fail, but VCs invest in many hoping to find a few successful ones. This pressure for growth can push companies to make decisions that negatively affect their communities.
  3. Founders should think about how their ideas might lead to negative outcomes at scale. It's important to consider whether every idea needs to become a billion-dollar business and what that means for society.

a16z: The Power Brokers

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 562 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. a16z is built as a firm, not a traditional VC fund — it scales a huge platform of people and services (hiring, sales, marketing, policy and deep networks) to give startups power they couldn’t buy on their own.
  2. Their investment playbook is to find technical founders and category winners early, then double down — paying up and holding positions longer — to capture outsized outcomes.
  3. They’ve moved into a leadership role: shaping policy and building late-stage, public-company-like capabilities so companies can grow bigger in private, which can expand returns but also raises new risks as the firm scales.

U.S. venture capital has a globalism problem

Jeff Giesea • 279 implied HN points • 16 Sep 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Venture Capital
  1. A lot of U.S. venture capital comes from foreign investors, which can present risks to national security. It's important to know where the money is coming from to protect innovation.
  2. Stricter rules and more transparency are needed in venture capital to prevent foreign influence and risks, especially in critical tech sectors.
  3. We should encourage the creation of venture funds that support U.S. interests and work with government agencies to secure technological advancements.

Wealth Taxes and Activist Judges

Points And Figures • 826 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Wealth taxes and financial-transaction taxes are resurfacing at the state level and could push founders, executives, and companies to move or recharter to avoid large tax hits, with some arguing fiduciary duties may require such moves to protect shareholders.
  2. Nevada is being promoted as a business-friendly alternative because of low taxes, favorable quality-of-life and infrastructure, and strong legal protections like a statutory business-judgment rule, limited inspection rights, and specialized business courts.
  3. Recent court decisions and activist judges in traditional corporate havens have raised legal risk for companies, prompting a broader, nationwide shift as firms and investors consider relocating to states with friendlier tax and corporate-law environments.

Term Sheets Demystified 📄🤝

The VC Corner • 659 implied HN points • 25 Jul 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. A term sheet is a non-binding agreement that lays out the basic terms of an investment. It's like a guide for both investors and founders to understand what's being offered.
  2. Key parts of a term sheet include the investment amount, valuation, and liquidation preferences. These details help both sides know what to expect if the company is sold or liquidated.
  3. Dividends can be part of a term sheet too, specifying how much investors might earn annually. It helps clarify when and how investors would get paid.

Multi-Product In Pictures

The VC Corner • 159 implied HN points • 05 Sep 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Going multi-product is important for companies that want to grow and succeed. It can help them stand out in the market and attract more customers.
  2. Successful companies often have a clear plan for when and what new products to introduce. Timing and strategy matter a lot in this process.
  3. Many large public companies today started with one product and expanded later. Learning from their journeys can guide new founders as they build their businesses.

Reading List 01/04/2025

Construction Physics • 11065 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. There are maps showing natural amenities across the US, ranking places based on factors like temperature and sunshine. The West Coast and Florida score well, while the Midwest does not.
  2. Venture capital funding is shifting, with larger firms getting most of the money while smaller ones are struggling. There's a big drop in initial public offerings, making it tougher for investors.
  3. Boeing's recent struggles can be linked to its past merger with McDonnell Douglas, which seems to have affected its product development negatively.

2026 Scheming

Erik Torenberg's Thoughts • 442 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Working inside a large venture firm to productize venture work, hire broadly, and launch ambitious projects like a new fellowship, a rolling dinner series, and a podcast used to explore ideas.
  2. Committed to building and funding community programs — reviving Turpentine, supporting the Art of Accomplishment retreat, backing matchmaking as a business, and bringing back relationship-focused podcasts and group chats.
  3. Prioritizing personal health and life: getting more serious about sleep and wellness, playing in a recreational basketball league and planning events, and sharing favorite books, movies, and TV while asking for more recommendations.

Will there ever be a worse time to start a startup?

benn.substack • 741 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Starting a startup today is exciting because technology is advancing quickly, and tools are becoming easier to use for everyone. This means you can create amazing projects even with minimal experience.
  2. Deflation might seem good because prices drop, but it actually encourages people to save money instead of spending it. This cycle can hurt the economy and make it hard for businesses to grow.
  3. If you're starting a business, remember that technology is always improving. Today’s tools could let you do things much faster and cheaper than before, making now a great time to jump in.

Are VCs investing in media companies again?

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 349 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. VCs are still funding media startups, but high valuations for ad‑dependent outlets are hard to justify because ad models rarely scale the way investors expect.
  2. Google stumbled early in chatbots but leveraged its massive reach and deep pockets to catch up and regain an edge over OpenAI.
  3. Spotify is paying creators more than YouTube for video podcasts in some markets and is aggressively competing on video, though CPM claims can be misleading about total revenue.

€1 Billion VC Fund in Spain💸, 10 Books for Founders, by Founders📚, The Power of Niche🎯

The VC Corner • 579 implied HN points • 14 Jul 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. A new €1 billion venture capital fund has been launched in Spain to support startups. This fund aims to boost innovation and growth in the entrepreneurial landscape.
  2. There is a list of 10 books specifically for founders, written by those who have experience in building companies. These books can provide valuable insights and guidance for anyone looking to start their own business.
  3. Focusing on a niche market can be very powerful for businesses. It allows companies to stand out and cater specifically to the needs of a certain group of customers.

“Build What’s Fundable”

Investing 101 • 950 implied HN points • 16 Nov 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Y Combinator has shifted from focusing on meaningful problems to following what many investors think is trendy. This change can lead to less original thinking and more pressure to fit in.
  2. Startups are becoming more uniform and normal, as many founders come from similar backgrounds and experiences. This can limit creativity and make it harder to think independently.
  3. To change this trend, people need to chase their beliefs and find projects that truly matter, rather than just following what is popular or easy. This will encourage more unique ideas in tech.

AI Bubble📉, Canva acquires Leonardo AI🎨, How to Write Cold Emails✉️

The VC Corner • 279 implied HN points • 11 Aug 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. There seems to be an AI bubble, which means the excitement and investment in AI may be too high right now. It's important to be cautious and not assume growth will continue at the same rate.
  2. Canva has bought Leonardo AI, showing how big companies are integrating AI tools into their platforms to enhance creativity and productivity. This could lead to more user-friendly design solutions.
  3. Writing effective cold emails is crucial for reaching out to new contacts and building relationships. It’s all about being clear, concise, and personal in your approach.

Data-Driven Equity Splitting📊, The Path to PMF, Figma's $12.5 Bn Valuation🎨

The VC Corner • 379 implied HN points • 28 Jul 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Fundraising activity peaks between Labor Day and Christmas, so startups should prepare now to attract investors.
  2. Data-driven approaches can help startups split equity more fairly, making it easier to attract and keep talent.
  3. Figma's impressive $12.5 billion valuation shows the potential for growth in the tech industry, which should inspire other startups.

⚔️☠️ The billionaire war against death

Faster, Please! • 731 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Rich people have always tried to cheat death, but now they’re putting real money into technologies that could actually extend life.
  2. Huge private investments are funding longevity work like cellular reprogramming and age‑reversal drugs, making radical life extension a plausible goal.
  3. That shift raises big social and economic questions about who gets access, how societies change if only the wealthy can postpone death, and what it means for the rest of us.

OpenAI Clocks $3.4B in Revenue 🤖, NATO Innovation Fund💸, Future of Work🌐

The VC Corner • 419 implied HN points • 21 Jul 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. OpenAI has generated a revenue of $3.4 billion, showing significant growth and impact in the tech industry.
  2. B2B influence marketing is becoming popular and is reported to give a high return on investment, with some companies seeing an average ROI of 6.5 times.
  3. The NATO Innovation Fund is a key player in supporting advancements and innovations in various sectors, emphasizing the importance of technology in global strategy.

Tech's newest evil main character

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 3314 implied HN points • 07 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Venture Capital
  1. Shaun Maguire, a major figure in Silicon Valley, is promoting dangerous anti-Muslim ideas. His tweets reflect a troubling trend of hate in tech.
  2. Silicon Valley is increasingly merging its interests with defense and military technologies. This is a shift towards a new era of tech that supports ongoing conflict.
  3. Venture capitalists like Maguire are shaping a future that prioritizes profit over ethics, leading to a world defined by endless war.

How startups beat incumbents⚔️, Bootstrapped vs. VC-Backed Startup🤔, Thinking about founder dilution👨‍💼

The VC Corner • 599 implied HN points • 30 Jun 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Startups can succeed against big businesses by leveraging innovation and agility. They often adapt faster to market changes than larger companies.
  2. There are two main types of startups: bootstrapped, which rely on their own funds, and VC-backed, which get money from investors. Each has its own advantages and challenges.
  3. Founders need to think carefully about dilution, which is when they give away part of their company to investors. This can affect their control and ownership in the long run.

Revisiting Clarity of Thought

Investing 101 • 119 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Clarity of thought is the single most important trait for founders because it shows deep understanding and makes everything else—hiring, sales, and fundraising—work better.
  2. Clear thinking means starting from explicit assumptions, defining terms, and building a simple framework so ideas hang together and can be easily explained to any listener.
  3. Communicate the core idea quickly and distinctly, back it with evidence and a long-term narrative, and focus on the deliberate path you must take rather than a laundry list of possibilities.

Javier Evelyn on Building in the Midwest

Midwest Humble • 55 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Alerje started from lived experience and successfully built, patented, and sold a connected epinephrine device to a strategic partner, then shifted to software that gives real-time allergy data to doctors to improve care.
  2. Michigan’s startup scene offers lower costs and a supportive, tightly connected community where introductions and mentorship are common, and new funds plus large medtech employers are starting to unlock more local capital.
  3. Medtech hardware is tough because of regulatory and fundraising challenges, but those obstacles can build defensibility. Staying focused, leaning on mentors and faith, and lifting others while you grow are key to long-term success.

Growth Of a Startup

Points And Figures • 612 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Early-stage investing is as much about people as ideas. Backing founders early can pay off even if the initial product or market fails.
  2. The founders adapted after COVID destroyed their original ride-share insurance business, pivoted successfully, and raised follow-on VC. They also built a high-quality team and grew as leaders.
  3. Seel has scaled into major partnerships with big insurers and is hiring aggressively. They are addressing a massive market and look positioned for significant growth.

This Is Pretty Cool If You Are In A Lot of Meetings

Points And Figures • 186 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Venture Capital
  1. Failure is part of building something — smart entrepreneurs pivot, reuse what they built, and turn failed efforts into new successes.
  2. The founder of Riskalyze is launching a new company to solve problems found there, and the new tool is billed as revolutionary for people who spend a lot of time in meetings.
  3. Be skeptical about AI but don’t automatically reject it — adopting and adapting the right AI tools can make us more effective at work.

Where have the heretics gone?

The Generalist • 780 implied HN points • 20 Nov 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. To find unique ideas, it's not just about going against the crowd. You need different life experiences, a fresh perspective, and the bravery to act on those insights.
  2. Many new AI companies use the technology just for show instead of solving real problems. The most promising founders are the ones applying AI to long-standing challenges.
  3. Every new tech creates fresh opportunities. As AI changes the landscape, it's important to spot what new problems it brings and who is ready to tackle those challenges.

Everything Looks Like A Nail

Where's Your Ed At • 25075 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Marc Andreessen wants to portray himself as a victim despite his immense success and wealth.
  2. Andreessen promotes a vision of continuous technological advancement, but his actions and investments often prioritize maintaining the status quo.
  3. Andreessen's manifesto is filled with contradictions and hypocrisy, advocating libertarian economic thinking while benefiting from government intervention.

Enough

benn.substack • 2020 implied HN points • 08 Aug 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. We often compare our wealth to others, which can make us feel unsatisfied. Even if a machine gives us everything, we'll still wonder if it's enough compared to what others have.
  2. In today's tech world, massive amounts of money are being raised and spent, and it's hard to keep track of it all. This creates a sense of normalcy around these huge financial changes.
  3. While many in tech claim to focus on building great things for humanity, money often becomes a main focus, with people quietly calculating their worth and comparing themselves to others.

Founders Fund: The Disciples

The Generalist • 3102 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Peter Thiel is great at spotting talent and built a strong team at Founders Fund, which helped them succeed in the venture capital world.
  2. Two important figures in Thiel's journey were Napoleon Ta, who made significant investments, and Lauren Gross, who helped manage the firm and scale its operations.
  3. Thiel's approach to nurturing talent is unique; he often supports and encourages people from his network to grow and succeed in their careers, sometimes launching their own ventures.

Is this the end of SaaS?🤔, Venture debt investments swell in Europe💰, Navigating Corporate Venture Capital💡

The VC Corner • 439 implied HN points • 07 Jul 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. There are concerns about the future of Software as a Service (SaaS) and whether it might be declining. It's important to think about how technology changes can impact business models.
  2. Venture debt investments are increasing in Europe, showing that companies are looking for alternative ways to raise money. This means more options are available for businesses instead of just traditional equity financing.
  3. Understanding corporate venture capital is crucial for startups. It helps to know how big companies invest in smaller businesses to drive innovation and growth.

Why I've Joined Pattern Ventures as the Firm's Newest GP!

patternventures • 119 implied HN points • 17 Sep 24
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. The venture capital world is changing, with smaller emerging managers expected to yield better returns than larger, established firms. Smaller funds need less total value to achieve strong returns, making them more appealing.
  2. Finding the right emerging managers is really tough. Not all of them will succeed, so it's important to pick those with unique skills and a track record of success.
  3. Emerging VC firms now have a lot of opportunities, especially with many new operators starting their own funds. The early-stage landscape is hot right now, and there's excitement about investing in it.

Resilient Cyber Newsletter #12

Resilient Cyber • 79 implied HN points • 03 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Venture Capital
  1. Many companies believe they are prepared for cyber threats, but actually, most lack strong leadership involvement in their cybersecurity efforts. That's making them more vulnerable.
  2. Despite spending a lot on security solutions, many enterprises still face breaches, showing that having many tools doesn't always mean better protection.
  3. There's a debate about how founders should manage their startups. Some say founding leaders need to be hands-on rather than relying on traditional management styles that don’t always work for fast-growing companies.

Flow State #4 - Mastering the Meta and Your Own Personal Tutor

Superfluid • 92 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Playing the right game matters more than playing well. Instead of just mastering the current playbook, look for ways to change the rules and zig when everyone else zags because the meta shifts fast.
  2. Massive early fundraising and soaring pay are changing incentives and making loyalty weaker. Big rounds can buy credibility and talent but also make companies fragile and leave little room for error.
  3. Turn curiosity into lasting knowledge by building a personal learning assistant tailored to your style. Tweak it over time so learning stays fun and what you read actually sticks.

You Are Not The Man In The Arena

Where's Your Ed At • 24184 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Venture Capital
  1. The man in the arena speech by Theodore Roosevelt emphasizes the importance of taking action over criticism.
  2. Chamath Palihapitiya symbolizes a detrimental mindset in Silicon Valley of valuing image over actual value creation.
  3. The tech industry's obsession with funding specific kinds of founders and companies has created a harmful monoculture that prioritizes profit over societal impact.

Americans are ten times more likely to be fired than Germans

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 61 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. Europe’s strict job protections, high severance costs, and long collective dismissal procedures make firing expensive, so companies avoid risky experiments that could require later layoffs.
  2. That incentive steers firms toward safe, incremental improvements, keeps startups small or drives them to relocate, and reduces ambitious acquisitions and radical innovation in Europe.
  3. Models like Danish flexicurity, Austria’s portable severance fund, and Switzerland’s looser rules show you can protect workers while lowering the cost of failure, meaning targeted reform could boost big, risky innovators without abandoning social safety nets.