I don’t think I’ve ever outwardly articulated my goals on social media, so here goes:
I believe I have important ideas to communicate.
My priority has been, and will always be, spreading those ideas to as many people as possible, in the best ways possible.
Generally, that means communicating what I can through short-form video, then nudging my audience to my writing, where I can articulate the important ideas with greater nuance.
I’m not here to make money. Beyond the basic amount to live on, I see it as a helpful byproduct of what I’m doing. I never want to confuse my means (earning a living by going viral) with my ends (communicating important ideas).
That’s why I never run sponsored ads on my videos, even though I could easily double my social media income. I don’t really need the money and there’s an opportunity cost: I lose some authenticity, and energy that could’ve been spent communicating ideas.
That’s also why I haven’t turned on paid subscriptions to Substack, despite my sizeable following here. I care too much about my ideas to hide them behind a paywall. In fact, that’s also why I don’t use competing platforms like BeeHiiv or Ghost: even though they’d be better for revenue at my size, I greatly prefer Substack for its in-app discoverability. Analytics tell me that about 15,000 readers found me through the platform - much better than I could hope for elsewhere. (Thank you!)
However, Substack is a company, and their business model relies on creators pulling in revenue for them to take a small percentage of. The “top bestseller,” “new bestseller,” and “rising” categories—three of the main vehicles for discovery—only show paid newsletters, and I would be surprised if the Substack discoverability algorithm didn’t favor authors with more subscriptions.
In short, the best way to reach broader audiences on Substack may be to paradoxically paywall some posts from those audiences.
As mentioned, I’m not going to do that, but I am going to turn on paid subscriptions moving forward. My posts will all remain public, but I’m paywalling access to the “chat” feature, where I’ll be responsive to any questions or discussions (and take suggestions for future essays). Meanwhile, your subscription will help me reach a wider audience than if I hadn’t played by Substack’s rules.
I genuinely think Substack is a good platform, in that they provide more creator control than any alternative, while still retaining discoverability. I’m excited to continue using it to reach more people, with your help.
Of course, a paid subscription would have the happy byproduct of financially supporting me, and I would greatly appreciate any small amount. You’d literally be buying me a cup of coffee, given how often I work in cafes—and it would mean a lot. It already means the world that you’re here.
Thanks so much. Love you all :)
Adam
Hey Adam just wanted to drop in and say I love your content and writing! Discovered you on IG now following on Substack. Cheers from a writer/composer living in LA :)
I fw the substack heavy. You are a gem. I make sure I read every one eventually even if I gotta save em