2 ms·

As Substack pivots from VC driven growth at all costs to needing to actually be profitable, they will slowly chip away at every one of those facets: domain will

As Substack pivots from VC driven growth at all costs to needing to actually be profitable, they will slowly chip away at every one of those facets: domain will get more expensive (likely monthly), email list will be locked down or paid, content export, and even payment portal likely changes to be through them. They have to justify a valuation at some point and it will happen. This happens with every VC company, they grow because they do unsustainable things, then pivot to ruining the platform.

gregdoesit 4y ago
Sure, but as a newsletter author, portability means that if this happens, I'll just move to e.g. Ghost or Beehiiv, or another platform. The portability is the reason I am on the platform, and not on another platform. Take away this portability and I am gone. The big difference with every other platform like Spotify, Medium, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc etc is how those platforms do not allow for this kind of portability by design. They never have done so, and never will. And their take rate is also much higher than Substack's 10%. Given full portability exists today, why are we speculating about things that are not happening, and what would likely undermine Substack's business model of both attracting and retaining newsletter authors? And yes: Substack will need to make more money to justify their valuation. Taking away portability to do so would backfire: at least from my view.
- ukuina 4y ago
  How would you move if they take away portability? Are you assuming sufficient warning before such a change?
soco 4y ago
Your argument is addressed to another (future) article, probably called "Substack WILL be the biggest threat..." because as of today nothing of what you are hinting at has happened, or is happening. Maybe we shouldn't take decisions based on fortune telling.

2 ms·

As Substack pivots from VC driven growth at all costs to needing to actually be profitable, they will slowly chip away at every one of those facets: domain will

by nwienert 4y ago

gregdoesit 4y ago
Sure, but as a newsletter author, portability means that if this happens, I'll just move to e.g. Ghost or Beehiiv, or another platform. The portability is the reason I am on the platform, and not on another platform. Take away this portability and I am gone. The big difference with every other platform like Spotify, Medium, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc etc is how those platforms do not allow for this kind of portability by design. They never have done so, and never will. And their take rate is also much higher than Substack's 10%. Given full portability exists today, why are we speculating about things that are not happening, and what would likely undermine Substack's business model of both attracting and retaining newsletter authors? And yes: Substack will need to make more money to justify their valuation. Taking away portability to do so would backfire: at least from my view.
- ukuina 4y ago
  How would you move if they take away portability? Are you assuming sufficient warning before such a change?
soco 4y ago
Your argument is addressed to another (future) article, probably called "Substack WILL be the biggest threat..." because as of today nothing of what you are hinting at has happened, or is happening. Maybe we shouldn't take decisions based on fortune telling.