My Brutal Thoughts On Substack After 7 Months (And Growing to 1,700+ Subs)

The future of online writing will be decided in 2025.

I joined Substack in 2023.

But I did nothing with it. At the time, the platform was still new. Many of the best features, such as Notes, were still a year or so away. I posted a few times but decided to double down on M3dium.

But then, in July 2024, I decided to come back.

I’d hear of rumbles of a change. A lot of writers were switching over to Substack from M3dium. Algorithm and distribution changes altered writer payouts and views. Even with 84,000 Medium followers, it was time to diversify.

Here’s my brutal thoughts on Substack after 7 months…

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Substack solved a real business problem for me.

I had a functioning sales funnel.

But one thing was missing: short-form writing.

For the last 5-6 years, I focused only on long-form writing. I am good at writing 600-800 word articles. But now, I wanted to add short-form fuel to my top of funnel.

I had a couple of options:

• Threads.

• Twitter (or X).

• Substack Notes.

I had a few writers tell me about the Notes feature on Substack. It was the platform’s version of Twitter.

But I still did my research.

After experimenting:

• I found Twitter confusing and hard to grow on.

• I found Threads UI/UX difficult.

I opted for Substack Notes.

When a platform creates a new feature, they will prioritize the feature. I could get incredible reach and engagement on Substack Notes by repurposing long-form content.

This led to more sales, customers, and clients.

I also had a platform where I could test short-form ideas. I’d post a seed of an idea on Substack. See what traction it generated.

Sometimes, they stayed as seeds.

Other times, I grew them into full-blown articles.

Occasionally, even digital products.

Substack worked for me because it solved a problem in my business.

Most people join platforms without a clear intention. That’s why they get demotivated with a lack of results. Before you get into any new platform make sure you know what problem it solves.

Start with a business problem. And then pick a platform.

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The community is like no other.

I love the people I’ve met on Substack.

Unlike other writing platforms, Substack allows you to DM people. This one feature is worth its weight in gold. You do get the occasional spam. But relationships are built in the DMs.

In 7 months on Substack, I’ve:

• Found my book coach.

• Joined a Mastermind of writers.

• Built relationships with writers I’ve looked up to like Jari Roomer and Sinem Gunel.

Alongside DMs, Substack gives you the feature to broadcast to your subscribers.

I don’t use this feature well. But I’ve seen others cultivate their community effectively. I’m slowly getting better at this in 2025.

In the world of AI, connected online communities will become more valuable.

People don’t need more information. We are drowning in data. If information was the problem, everyone would be a millionaire with a six-pack and a loving relationship. But clearly, this isn’t true.

What do we need?

Accountability, trust, and connection.

We need to feel part of a tribe. We want to be part of a group of people working towards the same goals. Humans crave connection. We need to feel part of something.

Substack is a community platform. And then a writing platform.

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A complete creator funnel

If I were starting as a writer in 2025, I’d just use Substack.

It’s got all the components of a funnel.

• Top of funnel traffic.

• Middle of funnel nurture.

• Bottom of funnel conversion.

When I started, I had to cobble together different software and subscriptions. It got overwhelming. I’d feel like I was making progress but then hit a roadblock. But with Substack, you’ve got an all-in-one platform.

The best part? You OWN your audience from Day 1.

You could build a massive audience. And then leave Substack with them all. Some people have done that. Substack doesn’t keep your audience hostage. There are no threats. No random banning. No woke agendas.

Substack is the gold standard of social media platforms.

But as Substack becomes more mainstream in 2025, the challenge will be preserving the culture whilst being able to scale. I’m excited and scared.

Every social media platform struggles with moderating at scale.

It’ll be interesting to see how Substack balances its writer-first approach with the demands of advertisers, larger corporations, and newer users.

Will Substack stay a creator haven? Or will it go the way of other platforms, chasing engagement at the cost of authenticity? Time will tell.

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Early adopters will be rewarded.

Every platform goes through an adoption curve.

Right now, Substack is still in the early adopters phase.

This is the time when the risk of joining feels higher because it’s still relatively new and untested. But with risk comes with reward. Early adopters get the attention, engagement, and opportunities that others won’t see once the platform becomes saturated.

For writers, this means building an audience before the competition gets fierce.

For creators, this means establishing authority while the landscape is still fresh.

You might feel like Substack is established and already saturated.

But most creators I speak to have no idea what Substack is. This is an opportunity. Every platform goes through a golden period of growth.

Substack is in the golden period right now.

Exploit it. Leverage the crap out of it.

This is the time for you to build an audience you own.

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2025 will be the year Substack hits the mainstream.

Substack is moving beyond being just a platform for writers.

It’s already attracting:

• Podcasters.

• Video creators.

• Online educators.

The ecosystem is evolving. Rapidly.

I expect more features, integrations, and possibly partnerships that make it the go-to platform for independent creators.

Substack’s biggest test will be maintaining its creator-first ethos while scaling. Platforms often lose their unique charm when they go mainstream.

More users = more problems.

And what serves a small community can’t also serve a big community. Evolution creates new rules and guidelines.

But can Substack be the exception?

I don’t know.

There is one thing for sure…

If you’re not regularly publishing on Substack yet, 2025 is the year to give it a shot.

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