The Golden Era Of Substack Will Come To An End — Here’s The Secret To Defying The Odds
It’s highly likely that as Substack grows the dynamics of the platform and the growth opportunity will shift.
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We must face reality.
I don’t want anyone to get me wrong.
While I write a lot about Substack, growth strategies, and monetization, I aim to keep the underlying message of everything I put out to be two consistent things… Consistency and patience.
Growth on Substack is great right now.
But when we get down to it?
Many of us are on Substack because our growth on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium, or Instagram was stagnant.
So then, if history tells us anything?
It’s highly likely that as Substack grows the dynamics of the platform and the growth opportunity will shift.
Maybe Substack can defy the natural fate that hit all other platforms before them as they grew to a point of saturation before slowly fading rewarding the early adopters and leaving the late majority frustrated.
I wouldn’t put it in my business plan.
Here’s the interesting part.
If you understand one simple principle — You put yourself in a position to with either way.
The future belongs to those that don’t stop.
Over the last few years, I began studying personal branding and paying close attention to the creators and brands leading the way.
It’s difficult to grow a new podcast today…
But I noticed the ones leading the way were the ones who had been doing it the longest. 800+ episodes. Publishing consistently for years.
It’s difficult to grow a new YouTube channel today…
But I noticed the ones leading the way were the ones who had been doing it the longest. 100s and 1000s of videos published.
It’s difficult to grow a new LinkedIn or Twitter/X profile today…
But I noticed the ones leading the way were the ones who had been doing it the longest. Posting consistently (often daily) for 5+ years.
The throughline I gleaned from these observations?
The ones who continue to succeed while so many struggle were the ones who started, didn’t stop, and exhibited ruthless consistency.
They were not concerned with short-term dopamine hits or hacking the algorithm. They understood that all good things take time and that effective content marketing and brand-building compounds with time.
So today they’ve built themselves a moat protecting themselves against the frustrating fate experienced by new creators trying to break in.
The hardest thing to do,
Is to be patient.
Delayed gratification is not part of our nature but it’s the secret.
So then,
If the Golden Era falls or stands strong — The strategy is the same.
Don’t stop.
Be consistent.
Trust in the process.
Results compound with time.
Understand that platforms come and go.
Deplatform your audience and build your email list.
My goal is quite simple — Outlast those around me.
Landon
I like your focus on patience, Landon. People need to understand that things take time and that results are the compound effect of years of trying.
There's no overnight success.
I once asked our neighbor in The Bahamas who was an incredibly successful retired business man what, in his opinion, was the secret of success. He said, "keep going." So many times when he felt like he didn't know what he was doing, or that he was failing, he just kept going.