Substack · Strategy · Mid · 45 to 60 minutes

How should Substack drive writer growth?

Substack is a platform where writers publish email newsletters and can charge readers for subscriptions. Answer this product management case and get it graded line by line against a weighted rubric.

Product strategy
Network effects
Prioritization
Metrics
Written communication

The situation

You are a PM at Substack, and the Head of Product asks you for a strategy recommendation before planning the next half year. Substack can help writers publish easily, but many writers still struggle to grow an audience and convert free readers into paid subscribers. This is becoming a bigger issue as more newsletters compete for attention, and leadership believes growth support could become a major reason writers choose or stay on the platform. The hard part is deciding where to place a limited product investment. Some people want better self-serve tools that help writers promote themselves. Others think Substack should do more to connect readers and writers across the platform so growth comes from the product itself. A few argue that Substack should look outside the company to speed up its capabilities. Each path has trade-offs in speed, complexity, writer experience, reader trust, and how much it depends on writers having marketing skill. Leadership wants a clear point of view on the best strategic direction, what success would look like, and what risks could make the bet fail.

What to produce

Write a 1 page strategy memo, 700 to 900 words.

Your answer must

Define the core growth problem in product terms, including which users are most affected and why this matters to Substack now.
Evaluate at least 3 strategic options for improving writer growth, including one product-led network or discovery option and one build versus buy consideration.
Recommend 1 strategy and explain the main trade-offs, including how much it relies on writers doing their own marketing.
Propose 3 to 5 success metrics, with at least 1 leading indicator, 1 business outcome metric, and 1 guardrail for reader or writer experience.
Outline an execution approach for the next 2 quarters, including key assumptions, major risks, and the first experiments or decisions you would make.

Constraints

Work only from the summary provided, do not assume detailed internal funnel data, market share data, or specific partnerships.
Your recommendation should not depend primarily on writers becoming skilled marketers.
Assume Substack can fund only one major growth bet in the next 2 quarters.
If you propose an acquisition or external capability, explain why it is better than building internally without naming a real target.

Format

Use short section headers such as problem, options, recommendation, metrics, and risks.

How Substack actually played it

Substack argues that the network itself is its strongest feature, saying it drives over 40 percent of all subscriptions and 12 percent of paid ones. It lists efforts such as acquiring a growth startup and new network features that do not require writers to be marketers. Useful for understanding network effects as a deliberate product strategy.

Name network effects as a product feature and report their size.
Invest in features that need no marketing skill from the customer.
Use acquisitions to speed up growth tooling.
Share outside testimonials only alongside real numbers.

Built from Substack's most powerful feature is growth by Substack Team.