This is one of the most grounded takes I’ve seen on Substack growth. There’s so much noise right now around “hacks” and virality, but your reminder to prioritize meaningful connection over metrics really resonates.
“It’s better to have 100 active readers than 1,000 silent subscribers.”
Exactly this. I’m building a daily-publishing blog and can already feel the temptation to chase numbers. But when one person reaches out to say a post helped them feel less alone? That’s worth more than a viral bump.
Also appreciate your honesty about monetization. Substack can be powerful—but only when the writing actually matters to someone. Your piece is a great recalibration for creators like me who are in it for the long game.
Thanks Anton. It’s always great to hear from fellow sub-stackers about what their perceptions and views are. Let’s grow together and build the community with strong practices for future.
Great breakdown of the challenges involved in growing a Substack. IMO, people shouldn’t start a Substack with the primary goal of making money. The real value comes from sharing meaningful insights, experiences, and knowledge. If anyone focuses on creating content that genuinely helps or resonates with others, the audience and any monetization will follow naturally :)
I was directed to Substack, as I love to write, I love to share, I want to be heard and I want to finish the story I began telling without interruption, but now I am here, I am finding beautiful, deep, philosophical, entertaining, funny, in-depth really knowledgeable writers who genuinly care about what they are offering me to read.... and I wonder how I missed this for so long. Thanks for this post, I was looking to find what to expect and how to share my work. This is very helpful.
I completely agree that “Sub for Sub” isn’t a sustainable long-term strategy, especially if the goal is genuine connection and engagement. But I’ve been wondering, don’t you think it might still have some early-stage value?
At the beginning, when you’re trying to build momentum and signal activity to the algorithm (and to potential readers), even a few early subs can help create that initial visibility. Curious to hear your take, especially since you’ve clearly thought a lot about the balance between growth and depth.
Thanks for taking time and putting your valuable thoughts. This is the traction and action we are looking for building a wonderful community here. Kudos to all your great points. Your bar analogy keeps me thinking to have a different perspective.
@Daria Cupareanu You're spot on and I appreciate the nuance you're bringing here. “Sub for Sub” definitely isn’t sustainable long-term, especially if we're aiming for a community that engages with and finds value in our content. But I agree: in the early stages, a bit of momentum can make a difference.
It’s a bit like clapping for a street performer; people are more likely to stop and listen when they see others already paying attention.
That said, I think the key is intent. If early subs come with mutual curiosity and at least some level of content alignment, it can still feel authentic. But if it turns into a numbers-only game, we risk inflating metrics without building a real foundation.
So yes, early visibility matters, but I try to keep asking: Will this person actually read, engage, or grow with what I’m building? That helps me strike the right balance between early traction and meaningful growth. Curious how you've approached this trade-off in your own journey!
But I also think the real magic happens when those early subs evolve beyond just numbers.
So yes, I believe this “distraction” can become “traction” and eventually lead to meaningful “action.” The key is making sure we shift from vanity to value intentionally. Thanks for raising this! It’s a conversation more creators need to have out in the open.
I agree 100%! It’s not about chasing numbers, but about creating the kind of momentum that can turn into something meaningful.
Your “street performer” analogy reminded me of something similar: years ago, a friend of mine ran a bar in Bucharest’s old town. It was surrounded by tons of other venues, and no matter how great the music was, if there weren’t already people inside, no one would go in. So we’d go as a group just to start the vibe, not necessarily to stay, but to help create that initial energy and attract others in.
I know it’s a bit of a random example, but I think the dynamic applies here too! Early traction, when done with intention, not only signals value, it also helps you find the people who actually care about what you’re building. And over time, you naturally get closer to your niche. Thanks again for this thoughtful exchange, loving this conversation!
this is a fantastic article. I agree, too much focus on building an audience rather that the quality of that audience. I'm guilty as charged. I see another angle in this though. I really want to get my message through and I think that growing a number, will help me achieve that. The more people restack and share, the more I get my message out there in the world. I honestly don't care if people don't become paid subs, it's a nice feature and I obviously activated it but not my main focus.
Definitely agree with you. Especially the whole “sub for sub” thing always feels a bit awkward for me. I’d much rather connect over shared ideas or resonant writing.
This is one of the most grounded takes I’ve seen on Substack growth. There’s so much noise right now around “hacks” and virality, but your reminder to prioritize meaningful connection over metrics really resonates.
“It’s better to have 100 active readers than 1,000 silent subscribers.”
Exactly this. I’m building a daily-publishing blog and can already feel the temptation to chase numbers. But when one person reaches out to say a post helped them feel less alone? That’s worth more than a viral bump.
Also appreciate your honesty about monetization. Substack can be powerful—but only when the writing actually matters to someone. Your piece is a great recalibration for creators like me who are in it for the long game.
Thanks for writing this
Thanks Anton. It’s always great to hear from fellow sub-stackers about what their perceptions and views are. Let’s grow together and build the community with strong practices for future.
Great breakdown of the challenges involved in growing a Substack. IMO, people shouldn’t start a Substack with the primary goal of making money. The real value comes from sharing meaningful insights, experiences, and knowledge. If anyone focuses on creating content that genuinely helps or resonates with others, the audience and any monetization will follow naturally :)
Thank you
Great post, Tharashasank.
I couldn’t agree more, the real value lies in genuine connections.
That’s exactly why I always choose Substack over LinkedIn or other platforms. It feels cozy here, and the quality of content is just on another level.
Great advice!! :)
I was directed to Substack, as I love to write, I love to share, I want to be heard and I want to finish the story I began telling without interruption, but now I am here, I am finding beautiful, deep, philosophical, entertaining, funny, in-depth really knowledgeable writers who genuinly care about what they are offering me to read.... and I wonder how I missed this for so long. Thanks for this post, I was looking to find what to expect and how to share my work. This is very helpful.
Wow!!!. It means a lot.
Really valuable post!
I completely agree that “Sub for Sub” isn’t a sustainable long-term strategy, especially if the goal is genuine connection and engagement. But I’ve been wondering, don’t you think it might still have some early-stage value?
At the beginning, when you’re trying to build momentum and signal activity to the algorithm (and to potential readers), even a few early subs can help create that initial visibility. Curious to hear your take, especially since you’ve clearly thought a lot about the balance between growth and depth.
Thanks for taking time and putting your valuable thoughts. This is the traction and action we are looking for building a wonderful community here. Kudos to all your great points. Your bar analogy keeps me thinking to have a different perspective.
@Daria Cupareanu You're spot on and I appreciate the nuance you're bringing here. “Sub for Sub” definitely isn’t sustainable long-term, especially if we're aiming for a community that engages with and finds value in our content. But I agree: in the early stages, a bit of momentum can make a difference.
It’s a bit like clapping for a street performer; people are more likely to stop and listen when they see others already paying attention.
That said, I think the key is intent. If early subs come with mutual curiosity and at least some level of content alignment, it can still feel authentic. But if it turns into a numbers-only game, we risk inflating metrics without building a real foundation.
So yes, early visibility matters, but I try to keep asking: Will this person actually read, engage, or grow with what I’m building? That helps me strike the right balance between early traction and meaningful growth. Curious how you've approached this trade-off in your own journey!
But I also think the real magic happens when those early subs evolve beyond just numbers.
So yes, I believe this “distraction” can become “traction” and eventually lead to meaningful “action.” The key is making sure we shift from vanity to value intentionally. Thanks for raising this! It’s a conversation more creators need to have out in the open.
I agree 100%! It’s not about chasing numbers, but about creating the kind of momentum that can turn into something meaningful.
Your “street performer” analogy reminded me of something similar: years ago, a friend of mine ran a bar in Bucharest’s old town. It was surrounded by tons of other venues, and no matter how great the music was, if there weren’t already people inside, no one would go in. So we’d go as a group just to start the vibe, not necessarily to stay, but to help create that initial energy and attract others in.
I know it’s a bit of a random example, but I think the dynamic applies here too! Early traction, when done with intention, not only signals value, it also helps you find the people who actually care about what you’re building. And over time, you naturally get closer to your niche. Thanks again for this thoughtful exchange, loving this conversation!
this is a fantastic article. I agree, too much focus on building an audience rather that the quality of that audience. I'm guilty as charged. I see another angle in this though. I really want to get my message through and I think that growing a number, will help me achieve that. The more people restack and share, the more I get my message out there in the world. I honestly don't care if people don't become paid subs, it's a nice feature and I obviously activated it but not my main focus.
Definitely agree with you. Especially the whole “sub for sub” thing always feels a bit awkward for me. I’d much rather connect over shared ideas or resonant writing.