Substack’s Ticking Time Bomb

What Happens When the VC Money Runs Dry?

Substack’s newsletter revolution isn’t all it seems. Behind the creative freedom lies a venture capital engine driven by controversy and growth-at-all-costs. Can independent journalism really thrive under VC pressure?

One by one, the journalists and writers we’ve admired for years are announcing their departure from traditional media outlets. They’re striking out on their own, armed with nothing but their laptops and a shiny new Substack account. It’s a mass exodus, a digital gold rush where everyone’s racing to stake their claim in the promised land of independent publishing.

And I get it.

I’m a huge advocate for indie journalism.

No more editorial overlords, no more corporate bureaucracy, just pure, unadulterated creative freedom. Write what you want, when you want, and get paid directly by your adoring readers.

To be honest, I’m right there with ’em. It’s what I’m trying to build myself.

But the hard truth is that the Substack revolution — such as it is — can never be sustainable.

This isn’t about the quality of the writing or the dedication of the authors. The issue lies much deeper, in the foundation of the platform itself.