What I Meant When I Said Substack Isn’t Cool

Substack, the newsletter platform that allows everyone (everyone!) to deploy their innermost thoughts and ramblings to a list of theoretically-paying subscribers, has really been in the news more than usual lately. The word “Substack” has for all intents and purposes, replaced “newsletter” in certain circles, an impressive feat for a relatively new brand. A while back on Semafor’s Mixed Signals podcast, I said Substack “wasn’t cool,” and people had feelings about that. A lot of feelings. They also missed the point. Substack is a tool, like Google or ChatGPT; it’s infrastructure, not culture, no matter how badly it wants to cosplay as something more. And to be clear, I’m not anti-newsletter; you are reading mine right now, and I read plenty of them. The ones that actually stick with me, like Feed Me, Magasin, A Small and Simple Thing, have a real point of view and, more importantly, a reason to exist. They’re smart, practical, and don’t waste your time.