Spot on! I’m not sure if you’ve discussed this elsewhere, but do you think that the “community” that is Substack can avoid also becoming a “mall”? I have moments when I think it can and I try to comport myself on Substack as a person and not a consumer, but some of the new feature introductions speak to the same quest for user growth and engagement that the malls seek out.
I think about this a lot. Substack provides a service, and the relationship is clear. Their revenue doesn't come from selling ads, it comes from matching people with writing they care about. Substack makes money when writers make money, writers make money when readers are happy. As long as that remains the business model I think the incentives are aligned. If there is a heavy-handed algorithm at play, I haven't noticed it. I frequently am suggested big and new newsletters alike, and my subscriber growth here has been mostly linear since day one.
"Notes" in my experience is mostly other Substack writers. I don't know if that means it's a failure from a business perspective, but it's smallness makes the experience pretty wholesome. More like a club than a mall. I remain skeptical, but also enjoy it.
None of this is to say that Substack can't get "enshittified" one day, only that it's not now. They could inject ads into posts, or do other things that prioritize shallow engagement over substance. I think the canary in the coal mine is the followers list. If writers lose the ability to bring their followers elsewhere, it's over.
"Don’t sign up for platforms that won’t let you leave, kids." Exactly why I'm not signing up.
Spot on! I’m not sure if you’ve discussed this elsewhere, but do you think that the “community” that is Substack can avoid also becoming a “mall”? I have moments when I think it can and I try to comport myself on Substack as a person and not a consumer, but some of the new feature introductions speak to the same quest for user growth and engagement that the malls seek out.
I think about this a lot. Substack provides a service, and the relationship is clear. Their revenue doesn't come from selling ads, it comes from matching people with writing they care about. Substack makes money when writers make money, writers make money when readers are happy. As long as that remains the business model I think the incentives are aligned. If there is a heavy-handed algorithm at play, I haven't noticed it. I frequently am suggested big and new newsletters alike, and my subscriber growth here has been mostly linear since day one.
"Notes" in my experience is mostly other Substack writers. I don't know if that means it's a failure from a business perspective, but it's smallness makes the experience pretty wholesome. More like a club than a mall. I remain skeptical, but also enjoy it.
None of this is to say that Substack can't get "enshittified" one day, only that it's not now. They could inject ads into posts, or do other things that prioritize shallow engagement over substance. I think the canary in the coal mine is the followers list. If writers lose the ability to bring their followers elsewhere, it's over.
Yeah, I agree ... and yet I remain on high alert.