Most Writers Come to Substack to Write. The Ones Who Grow Know That’s Not the Point.
I know that sounds strange coming from someone who writes on Substack every day. But understanding this one thing changed everything about how I approach growth.
Most writers come to Substack the same way: They want to write.
They want to build an audience over time and eventually get paid for their work.
So they focus on the writing. Obsess over their posts. Spend hours crafting something they’re genuinely proud of, hit publish, and wait for the subscribers to arrive.
Then they wonder why nothing is happening.
I was exactly the same way when I started. And it wasn’t until I understood what the point of Substack actually is (not what I assumed it was) that things started moving.
Substack’s co-founder said something that completely reframed how I think about this platform.
Substack is a community and discovery engine. The writing is just the vehicle. The community is the destination.
Hamish McKenzie, Substack’s co-founder, has talked openly about how most social platforms are designed to keep you trapped scrolling forever because that’s what their business model requires.
Substack deliberately built something different. They only make money when you make money — so the algorithm is designed to help you grow rather than fight you at every turn.
Mike Cohen, their head of machine learning, has said directly that the goal of the Notes feed is to get people to discover, subscribe, and ideally pay. Not time spent on the platform or ad clicks. Actual subscriptions between real readers and real writers.
Most writers never fully absorb what that means for how they should be showing up here. And it costs them months of slow frustrated growth while they keep trying to fix the wrong thing.
I didn’t out-write anyone on Substack. Here’s what I actually did.
I came to Substack eighteen months ago as a burnt out career coach. Mediocre writer at best. No real plan and no particular reason to think this would work.
I wasn’t the most polished writer in my niche.
There were writers showing up around the same time with genuinely better writing skill than mine who are still stuck at the same subscriber count they had when they started.
What separated me from them wasn’t writing quality. It was understanding what the platform actually rewards.
I started writing Notes every single day. I engaged authentically with other writers in my niche.
And, I showed up consistently in a way that slowly taught the algorithm who I am and who my readers are. Not because I had some sophisticated growth strategy. Because I understood that this platform is built around community and discovery, not publishing.
Eighteen months later I have nearly 18,000 subscribers, $100K+ in revenue, and Notes brings me 500-700 new subscribers every single month.
Not because I out-wrote everyone else. Because I understood what the point actually is and showed up accordingly.
The writers growing fastest here aren’t the best writers. They just figured out something different.
Your posts matter. I’m not saying stop writing them.
But if you’re treating Substack like a publishing platform and expecting posts alone to drive your growth, you’re going to be frustrated for a long time. Most writers are.
Notes is the growth engine. Community is the growth engine.
Showing up consistently in a way the algorithm can learn from is what separates the writers who compound from the ones who plateau.
The writers growing the fastest right now aren’t necessarily the best writers on the platform.
They’re the ones who understand they’re playing a community-building game not a publishing game.
They write Notes daily, engage genuinely with other writers, and give the algorithm a clear consistent signal about who they are and who their readers are.
You don’t have to become a better writer overnight to grow faster here. You just have to understand what the point actually is and start showing up accordingly.
That shift is available to you right now regardless of how long you’ve been at it.
Let me show you how to grow your Substack in a simple sustainable way.
If you want the complete system for building on Substack the right way — this is your moment. Here they are:
The Notes Growth Workshop is for the writer who wants to grow right now.
This Workshop will teach you the specific Note types that consistently bring subscribers, the daily routine that takes 20 minutes, and the strategy that teaches the algorithm exactly who you are.
If Notes hasn’t been working for you this is what fixes that:
The Six-Figure Substack Growth Masterclass is the complete foundation.
Your story, your positioning, your voice, the Notes system, and how to monetize once the audience is building. It’s the strategy behind 18,000 subscribers and $100K+ in revenue — laid out simply so you can build it too.
Here’s what’s inside:
Your origin story and positioning — the specific angle that makes your newsletter impossible to ignore and immediately worth following. Most writers skip this and then wonder why nothing gains traction
Your voice — how to write in a way that feels completely authentic and builds the kind of trust that turns casual readers into loyal subscribers who actually open every email
How to monetize your audience — the exact digital product strategy behind $100K+ in revenue, built around simple products that sell consistently
What actually grows versus what just gets likes — so you stop wasting time on vanity metrics and start building real momentum every single day
A sustainable system you’ll actually stick to — because showing up consistently only works if it doesn’t burn you out in three weeks
Here’s what writers are saying after going through it:
“I absolutely love the honesty. I like how he doesn’t pressure you to be on every platform and just chose a few to start with. This is why it’s important to invest in learning from people who have done the work before.” — Sumu Sathi
“This was the best most concise explanation of how to scale and monetize a newsletter I’ve ever come across.” — Jake Griggs
Over 500 writers have gone through the Masterclass and built this foundation. Writers who showed up scattered and unsure of what they were building — and left with a clear direction, a growing audience, and a Substack that finally felt like theirs.
)Note: Most writers end up grabbing all three of my products and treat them like a system. Each one compliments each other, and you’ll cover your bases on building a foundation, growth, and monetization. )
Question: Did you come to Substack thinking the writing alone would be enough to grow? Drop it in the comments — I think most writers will admit they did.
No. I came to SUBSTACK to understand social media through engagement & learning from others. Never been on a platform before.
But I’m a Social Butterfly 🦋
No, I came to substack to promote my middle grade novel, but am finding so much more here then i thought I'd find. Just bought your masterclass. Can we access this anytime? and we don't need to renew do we? how does this work once we've purchased the masterclass?