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We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#181

Post by paxys »

sshine wrote: post #101
cjbest wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks! Our goal with the app is to give a seamless upgrade to the email experience -- which is why the home page works just like an inbox -- while having writers retain ownership of their list (which therefore gives them exit rights.) We don't want to be a walled garden. We want to make a great reading experience, with porous boundaries. If you publish on Substack, it goes everywhere - email, the web, other networks…

> “We make it simple to start a paid newsletter.” > We don't want to be a walled garden. Is it just me, or do those not align completely? A paid newsletter, as in you get access if you pay, is by definition a walled garden. I understand that because Substack and its writers both benefit from publicly available material, since it draws organic traffic. But it seems that that's not at odds with also wanting a walled ga…

> A paid newsletter, as in you get access if you pay, is by definition a walled garden.

The content is paywalled, but the medium of exchange is open. That's the big distinction here.

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#182

Post by syshum »

stereoradonc wrote: post #176

Substack is a pyramid scheme in terms of "payments" - I am sure they will start up a "search" for the newsletters and then paid advertisements. To all the HN regulars here - own your medium instead. Own your content. There's no need to stick to yet another VC funded "writing experience". Many potential readers will eventually hit a subscription fatigue. There are several proven strategies to monetise your content (an…

I do not know enough about substack to comment here but to claim medium is some vestige of virtue in the space is laughable

if you want to "own your content" self host, do not use any of these platforms.

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#183

Post by [deleted] »

syshum wrote: post #182
stereoradonc wrote: post #176

Substack is a pyramid scheme in terms of "payments" - I am sure they will start up a "search" for the newsletters and then paid advertisements. To all the HN regulars here - own your medium instead. Own your content. There's no need to stick to yet another VC funded "writing experience". Many potential readers will eventually hit a subscription fatigue. There are several proven strategies to monetise your content (an…

I do not know enough about substack to comment here but to claim medium is some vestige of virtue in the space is laughable if you want to "own your content" self host, do not use any of these platforms.

[deleted]

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#184

Post by cheeze »

stereoradonc wrote: post #176

Substack is a pyramid scheme in terms of "payments" - I am sure they will start up a "search" for the newsletters and then paid advertisements. To all the HN regulars here - own your medium instead. Own your content. There's no need to stick to yet another VC funded "writing experience". Many potential readers will eventually hit a subscription fatigue. There are several proven strategies to monetise your content (an…

So uhh... Care to elaborate rather than just flaming in the founders thread?

What is the question you're asking here?

I downvoted you for being rude.

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#185

Post by toiletfuneral »

miiiiiike wrote: post #179
ubac wrote: post #108

Hi Hamish -- how much of your success do you attribute to the secret benefits you offer certain writers to prevent them from leaving? And is it sustainable in the long run (or does that not really matter to you?)

Is this a guess? Do you have any evidence of “secret offers”?

No post body was provided.

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#186

Post by hamiltonians »

stereoradonc wrote: post #176

Substack is a pyramid scheme in terms of "payments" - I am sure they will start up a "search" for the newsletters and then paid advertisements. To all the HN regulars here - own your medium instead. Own your content. There's no need to stick to yet another VC funded "writing experience". Many potential readers will eventually hit a subscription fatigue. There are several proven strategies to monetise your content (an…

this makes no sense, ppl are paying to suport creators, like patreon

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#187

Post by gnicholas »

cjbest wrote: post #29
gnicholas wrote: post #21

To what extent did you expect to see the magnitude of recent defections from major media outlets, which have proven to be a boon for your business? If substack hadn’t existed, do you think people would have defected in similar numbers, but just gone elsewhere? Congratulations on all of your successes!

We were not totally surprised. One of the good things Substack can do is put competitive pressure on traditional outlets. If people want to go independent, having a good way to do so helps them. But also that possibility creates pressure on existing institutions to give writers more freedom, pay them better, etc. etc. I don't think it's a coincidence that you see more legacy publishers starting "newsletter" divisions…

If you had launched as a mobile app/website with written content, you would not have been as differentiated as you were as a newsletter-focused organization. You've always had a website, and now you're building mobile apps.

Do you think that in a few years, people will look at the the early days, in which you were thought of as a newsletter-based company, as analogous to Netflix's early days, where they were thought of as a DVD-by-mail company? I notice that like Netflix, you didn't pick a name that is tied to your first incarnation.

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#188

Post by throwaway158497 »

When are you implementing a login wall like medium.com? I believe any user generated content must not be hidden behind a login wall, unless (of course) the user wants. Unfortunately, I believe that is what you will be doing soon, just because all other companies have done the same.

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#189

Post by refulgentis »

stereoradonc wrote: post #176

Substack is a pyramid scheme in terms of "payments" - I am sure they will start up a "search" for the newsletters and then paid advertisements. To all the HN regulars here - own your medium instead. Own your content. There's no need to stick to yet another VC funded "writing experience". Many potential readers will eventually hit a subscription fatigue. There are several proven strategies to monetise your content (an…

This is a good post and its hilarious to watch people explain to you that they downvoted you because you're rude. I've been here over 13 years and can confirm this is most definitely in the spirit of Hacker News.

Re: We’re the founders of Substack, we just launched an iOS app. AUA

#190

Post by mrfusion »

criddell wrote: post #177
mrfusion wrote: post #166

Have you considered selling an $80/year membership where users could subscribe to up to say 20 blogs and the fee gets distributed to those creators? Or even have an unlimited package.

I would guess the writers would have to opt-in to that. Some newsletters charge $80 each month.

I think you’re right. That’s the tricky part but they might actually make more money on higher volume.
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