2017 founded Standing
newsletters · substack.com
Substack
the moat is real
9 years 50 days and counting
Chris Best, Jairaj Patwardhan, Hamish McKenzie, 2017. Still the default paid email.
Why it lasted
- It made 'email plus a paywall plus a profile' a one-click job.
- The network of writers is the moat. Readers wander writer-to-writer.
Times it almost ended
- The moderation / Nazi / trust-and-safety wars. Writers threatened to leave. Some did. The big names mostly stayed.
- Beehiiv and Ghost court the ones who want out.
What would finish it
- A platform that has the audience already (YouTube, X) adding a better paid newsletter, plus a reputational spiral that makes 'Substack writer' a slur in the rooms that pay.
Questions
Is Substack still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 2017.
How long has Substack been around?
Substack has been up since 2017-07-01.
Why did Substack survive?
It made 'email plus a paywall plus a profile' a one-click job.
Could Substack still die?
A platform that has the audience already (YouTube, X) adding a better paid newsletter, plus a reputational spiral that makes 'Substack writer' a slur in the rooms that pay.