Six Substacks That Are Essential For Founders Right Now
Four Insights #8: Unveiling Essential Reads for Founders: Top 6 Tech Substacks
Welcome to the Four Insights Newsletter! This edition aims to ignite your entrepreneurial spirit by offering four key insights on performance, strategy, sales, and fundraising tactics. Our discussions will center around the thought leadership from some of the top Substackers I am reading right now. We intend to go beyond traditional venture capital discourse and provide practical advice and inspiration from a diverse range of fields.
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This week I am taking a crack at something new. I am spending more and more time on Substack these days than Twitter or Linkedin. I think the information quality is growing and with new products like Notes, I feel you get more bang for your buck. This week I wanted to briefly highlight ten substackers that are in my feed that I am enjoying.
Kyle Poyar (Growth Unhinged)
Kyle Poyar delivers invaluable what I would define as "trenches content" for founders. He provides in-depth breakdowns of early-stage SaaS growth tactics and sheds light on why you need to be heavily focused on engineering for early growth tracking. His content is a must-read for those actively building or planning to build a venture-backable startup, particularly a SaaS offering or now an AI offering at the application layer. From designing your website to acquiring early customers and building your team, Kyle's Substack offers some of the top content for founders.
My favorite piece: Inside Folk’s journey to 5x year-on-year growth
Most popular piece: The definitive SaaS homepage framework
Guillermo Flor (Product Market Fit)
Recognized for his focus on early-stage fundraising access, Guillermo Flor's Substack is a significant resource for aspiring founders and current founders. His content illuminates the process of achieving product-market fit and provides in-depth analyses of venture funds, their investment strategies, and theses. This Substack is an essential read for understanding the venture capital landscape and shaping your startup for success.
My favorite: How to raise capital when your startup is dying
Most popular: How to get your startup invested by Index Ventures (premium)
Contrary Research
This newsletter provides comprehensive breakdowns and deep dives on specific companies. It's an industry-focused resource powered by meticulous research, making it an essential read for founders. It offers a unique perspective on business strategy and provides practical advice based on real-world case studies. It's an excellent tool for anyone looking to understand the intricacies of running a successful company.
My favorite: Contrary Research Rundown #81
Most popular: Contrary Research Rundown #53
Gregor Ojstersek (Engineering Leadership)
Gregor Ojstersek's newsletter is a valuable resource, especially for non-technical entrepreneurs. His focus is on providing insights from a CTO's perspective, helping you understand the thought process and priorities of a technical leader. Whether you're building a company or honing your skills to lead a technical team at a startup or growth-stage company, Gregor’s newsletter offers an insider's view that is crucial for your journey.
My favorite: How to recognize the potential in engineers
Most popular: Context-switching - one of the worst productivity killers in the engineering industry
Lenny Rachitsky (Lenny’s Newsletter)
Lenny's newsletter stands out as the biggest tech-specific offering on Substack. With experience that spans the crucible of startup life, including selling his company to Airbnb and leading Airbnb’s product growth team for seven years, Lenny has a wealth of experience that he shares through his newsletter. Another advantage of Lenny’s newsletter is his ability to attract guest writers. My favorite piece and his most popular piece are both guest posts.
My favorite: How to activate your investor network
Most popular: How Duolingo reignited user growth
Eric Newcomer (Newcomer)
Eric Newcomer stands out for his exceptional writing on Silicon Valley's business landscape. His premium VC directories are some of the best content available on Silicon Valley. Although his newsletter comes at a cost, it's a worthwhile investment for founders actively seeking funds.
My favorite: Newcomer's VC Directory: The Key Details on Sequoia, a16z, YC, BCV & Other Top VC Firms
Most popular: 'The Dictator': Chamath Palihapitiya's Broken Professional Relationships
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Love this kind of thing!