THE PAID SUBSTACK SYSTEM
Why This Exists
This publication exists because building on Substack has become confusing, time-consuming, and unnecessarily expensive in lost effort.
Most newsletter operators aren’t failing because they can’t write.
They’re failing because the environment changed and the advice didn’t.
Over the past year, I documented how Substack actually behaves in practice:
what drives discovery, where time is wasted, what compounds, and what quietly stopped working.
That work became The Complete Substack Operations Manual.
This Substack exists to support that work, extend it, and keep it current as the platform changes through 2026.
What You’ll Find Here
You’ll find clear, evidence-based writing about how Substack works beneath the surface.
That includes:
how Notes and Recommendations actually behave
why external platforms now deliver diminishing returns
where operators consistently lose hundreds of hours
how AI tools affect writing, reach, and value
what decisions matter early, and which ones don’t
Some posts are public.
Some are paid.
All of them are written to reduce guesswork and wasted time.
About the Course
The Complete Substack Operations Manual is a separate, one-time course.
It brings together everything learned from 12 months of testing, building, breaking, and documenting real Substack publications.
It’s practical.
It’s opinionated.
It’s designed for people who want a full system, not fragments.
This publication does not replace the course.
It supports it.
Subscription Options
Free subscribers
Read public posts and see how the platform behaves in real conditions.
Paid subscribers
Get ongoing analysis, deeper operational posts, and updates as Substack and AI tools change.
Founding members
Receive everything above, plus custom research and a tailored operational plan for your niche.
Details and pricing are listed on the Subscribe page.
Final Note
I built this because I got tired of guessing.
Tired of advice that no longer matched reality.
Tired of spending time on things that quietly stopped working.
Tired of learning the same lessons the hard way.
If you’re here, you probably feel some version of that too.
This work exists to shorten that gap.
To give you a clearer view of what actually matters, and what doesn’t.
That’s it.
