On getting to 100 subscribers, 3 paid

Ten things

I write in my head all day long, because that’s what I do. Either I’m with people, talking, or I’m alone, having conversations in my head, or I’m reading, listening, and taking notes. This is how I am.

Right now I’m eating lunch and writing in my head as I chew my eggs. Writing while eating is awesome. I was born to write.

This is the story of how I grew this blog in 2023. These ten things were essential for my first hundred subscribers and three paid. 

1. Having an interesting life and writing it down. My e-bike was stolen. I baited the thief and took it back. The police were useless. This was my first post on this blog. Substack promoted it and it got me 8 subscribers.

2. I got better at writing by writing most days, reading, editing/re-writing my work, reading it out loud, editing other people’s writing, and working with a paid editor who I found on Upwork. People have a mental block for working with editors, especially paid ones, but this is probably the best hack for getting better at writing. I see people paying thousands for a writing course, in college or online, but they don’t think to pay $20/hr for a pro editor.

3. I did a 10-day challenge, held accountable by my friend/coach, to post on Substack ten days in a row. This eviscerated any last resistance to sharing on Substack. 

4. I read Harassment Architecture by Mike Ma and realized that people, including me, enjoy stream-of-consciousness writing. That was liberating. I basically just do that. 

5. I joined Justin Murphy’s Indie Thinkers writing course, which gets a cohort of intelligent adults to write and publish every week. I found my rhythm as well as like-minded collaborators. 

6. Every week, I join Zoom calls from Circle groups, specifically Justin Murphy’s and Paul Millerd’s

   Paul Millerd
   . They are usually co-writing or hangouts. I talk to people on there and often they subscribe.

7. I bought duck eggs from a farmer in New Hampshire. When the farmer asked what I do for work, I told her I’m a writer. I texted her a link to my blog. Soon after, I re-wrote a sci-fi story and shared it. She loved it, in part because it takes place in New Hampshire. She became my first paid sub which made me feel like I’m actually a writer. Thanks Leanne. 

8. I drove to Pennsylvania and lived for three days with an old-order Amish family. I wrote about the experience. This exceptional story won me a second paid sub, a $150 annual subscription. That felt good because I put a lot into that. 

9. I shared “The time I invested all my money in one stock,” which Substack promoted in their algorithm. In all my substack posts, I include a Calendly to schedule a curiosity conversation with me. Hani, from Lebanon, but lives in Holland, booked a call with me. We chatted and I shared writing tips. He joined as my third paid subscriber. 

10. A few other ways that I gained subscribers: people re-stacking my posts, especially Paul Millerd. Posting, commenting, and restacking on Substack Notes. Posting my work on other social media sites like Facebook, X, and YouTube, and sharing my blog link with people I meet IRL. 

The way to get the first subscribers and paid subscribers is by talking to a lot of people, on Zoom and in-person, and sharing exceptional content. Share content that people can’t get anywhere else.

In 2024, I’m going to cross-promote more on other social media platforms, as well as sweeten the deal for paid subscribers. I’m going to write about my adventures in Peru. I’m going to write about my AGI robot investment thesis. I may or may not go live with Native Americans, homeless tribes, join a cult, and/or visit prisons and hospitals. I’m going to do a bunch of podcasts (available on YouTube) that will inspire my writing. Great conversations draw out ideas. 

The most important thing is to create amazing content. The three posts that won me paid subscribers were the ones where I went all out for multiple weeks, with multiple people editing. 

This is the way.

Links

I write stories for insight through entertainment. Every dollar from paid subscribers is invested in creating amazing content. With your support, I will become one of the greatest writers in the world. $6/month or $50/year. It includes a copy of my book, All Outcomes Are Acceptable.

I’ve chatted with people from all around the world via curiosity calls on Zoom. Schedule one here.

I post videos and podcasts on YouTube.

People discover my stories through word of mouth and people sharing them online.

One of my favorite songs of all time.