This was a good read, I started on substack two weeks ago and have 70 subscribers and there is certainly a burden to the onboarding process for a reader as you describe.
When reading your comments here, I was thinking how many writers would need to write a post like this to get attention and be heard. And then I was thinking how much effort one or more people on substack would need to invest to understand you and other writers posting such useful and candid feedback.
I've been chief product officer and a COO and a CMO all in tech over last 27 years for fintech platforms. ecommerce platforms, proptech platforms and the recurring theme is that internally there is a roadmap based on something they think is valuable to the business, the customer, and the growth engine.
They also most likely have the same product management view as everyone else, that customer feedback is good until its not, and they need to have a plan and work the plan and eventually they can get to lower priority items.
So blindspots for us is that we dont know whats valuable and high priority to them. We can assume the obvious priority because its permeated everywhere - the platform wants writers to monetize. So I'd imagine a large chunk of the product roadmap is to that end.
Finding a way for the writer community to solidify down to a few high value (to writers and to substack platform) that can be seen through a lens substack has, would be the ideal way to go from an open letter to a suggested valuable opportunity and solution fit.
With tools like google docs and miro, if this was a big enough concern for writers, a few product type writers who care about the same problems you address could help facilitate some ideation and suggestions around value creation. That might also be seen as intersting, not just opinions one at a time, and could bring more eyeballs to the issue. And if its core hypothesis is anchored in a way that writers at all levels are winning, not just the biggest subscribers, then there is exponential impacts that clearly hit the "scaling" button substack cares about as a platform.
Just my two cents as an addendum to your open letter.
I spent most of my working life in IT managed services and support. I lost my last job when I tried to make suggestions on how to improve the appalling services we were providing to our clients. Your comments gave me a few ideas that require more space and focus....
They concern my discomfort with the linear nature of blogging and chatting.
I do not want to 'just' converse, but to address specific problems with well formulated and vetted solutions.
Yes, the well formulated and vetted part is spot on. Sorry to here you’re last job failed you for doing the right thing. Sadly it happens a lot, and it’s happened to me too.
I generally agree with you. Well put! I have a couple related thoughts.
I've been a reader on the platform for quite a while. From that perspective Substack is expensive. In theory, it should have pretty low overhead, meaning that an author should be able to keep a big chunk of the money, and they do. Good. However, on a per word basis, the platform can be pretty expensive. Having a way to bill per unique visit, not per visit would be interesting. In other words, if I go to a page and decide to go past a pay-bar, I can re-access the page repeatedly for a single entry fee. Visits could be aggregated until it made sense to charge a card on file. This could also be implemented at a general subscription level, without a specific subscription, but authors should be able to choose if they would want to be in the, hey I paid Substack a flat fee reading, "pool". The risk of any aggregate subscription/per view model is possible loss of community. Still, needing to pay money to comment or read does help reduce the BS. For things I like the read. Even the comments are usually worth the time. I'd like that to persist.
I have my concerns about search. Search can be used for abuse. Yet, search is also helpful for building an audience, I mean how else do people find you, in Notes, in the recommendations, in the comments or in the -also reads?
The idea for self promotion in Notes is interesting but it's not the same as the once sort of useful twitter, where people would drive audiences to a piece published through the more traditional editorial process. That is sort of the problem for unknowns trying to publish here. Recommendations are definitely helpful, sure but that also has reputational implications. And when it comes to it, why the hell would I pay so much to read stuff like my own stuff, i.e.? So, yeah, unknowns need a way to ramp their price. Mixing free and full price seems less effective, but maybe I'm dead wrong.
This was a good read, I started on substack two weeks ago and have 70 subscribers and there is certainly a burden to the onboarding process for a reader as you describe.
When reading your comments here, I was thinking how many writers would need to write a post like this to get attention and be heard. And then I was thinking how much effort one or more people on substack would need to invest to understand you and other writers posting such useful and candid feedback.
I've been chief product officer and a COO and a CMO all in tech over last 27 years for fintech platforms. ecommerce platforms, proptech platforms and the recurring theme is that internally there is a roadmap based on something they think is valuable to the business, the customer, and the growth engine.
They also most likely have the same product management view as everyone else, that customer feedback is good until its not, and they need to have a plan and work the plan and eventually they can get to lower priority items.
So blindspots for us is that we dont know whats valuable and high priority to them. We can assume the obvious priority because its permeated everywhere - the platform wants writers to monetize. So I'd imagine a large chunk of the product roadmap is to that end.
Finding a way for the writer community to solidify down to a few high value (to writers and to substack platform) that can be seen through a lens substack has, would be the ideal way to go from an open letter to a suggested valuable opportunity and solution fit.
With tools like google docs and miro, if this was a big enough concern for writers, a few product type writers who care about the same problems you address could help facilitate some ideation and suggestions around value creation. That might also be seen as intersting, not just opinions one at a time, and could bring more eyeballs to the issue. And if its core hypothesis is anchored in a way that writers at all levels are winning, not just the biggest subscribers, then there is exponential impacts that clearly hit the "scaling" button substack cares about as a platform.
Just my two cents as an addendum to your open letter.
#GSD
I spent most of my working life in IT managed services and support. I lost my last job when I tried to make suggestions on how to improve the appalling services we were providing to our clients. Your comments gave me a few ideas that require more space and focus....
They concern my discomfort with the linear nature of blogging and chatting.
I do not want to 'just' converse, but to address specific problems with well formulated and vetted solutions.
Yes, the well formulated and vetted part is spot on. Sorry to here you’re last job failed you for doing the right thing. Sadly it happens a lot, and it’s happened to me too.
I generally agree with you. Well put! I have a couple related thoughts.
I've been a reader on the platform for quite a while. From that perspective Substack is expensive. In theory, it should have pretty low overhead, meaning that an author should be able to keep a big chunk of the money, and they do. Good. However, on a per word basis, the platform can be pretty expensive. Having a way to bill per unique visit, not per visit would be interesting. In other words, if I go to a page and decide to go past a pay-bar, I can re-access the page repeatedly for a single entry fee. Visits could be aggregated until it made sense to charge a card on file. This could also be implemented at a general subscription level, without a specific subscription, but authors should be able to choose if they would want to be in the, hey I paid Substack a flat fee reading, "pool". The risk of any aggregate subscription/per view model is possible loss of community. Still, needing to pay money to comment or read does help reduce the BS. For things I like the read. Even the comments are usually worth the time. I'd like that to persist.
I have my concerns about search. Search can be used for abuse. Yet, search is also helpful for building an audience, I mean how else do people find you, in Notes, in the recommendations, in the comments or in the -also reads?
The idea for self promotion in Notes is interesting but it's not the same as the once sort of useful twitter, where people would drive audiences to a piece published through the more traditional editorial process. That is sort of the problem for unknowns trying to publish here. Recommendations are definitely helpful, sure but that also has reputational implications. And when it comes to it, why the hell would I pay so much to read stuff like my own stuff, i.e.? So, yeah, unknowns need a way to ramp their price. Mixing free and full price seems less effective, but maybe I'm dead wrong.
Maybe nothing should be free.
I completely agree with the microfinance idea.
You just made me drop the post I was planning to work on today in favour of this subject "paying my dues"- to be posted tomorrow :)