One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen on Substack:
Thinking one viral note = sustainable growth.
Let’s be honest.
Most new writers treat a spike in numbers like a sign that they’ve finally “made it.”
But the truth is: a peak month means nothing if the next eleven are flat.
In this live Derek Hughes and I talked about the myth of overnight success and mapped the gritty, unsexy road of actual audience growth.
If you missed it, don’t worry. I took notes (literally).
What Actually Moves the Substack Needle
1. Viral Notes help but they’re not the goal
Derek had his best month ever, tripling his growth.
Me? I implemented a system in March that turned 300 new subs/month into 900. That was by design.
We both saw one truth: going viral only works if your backend can hold the load.
If you go viral without a content funnel, without a paywall tease, without engagement habits, you’re pouring champagne into a colander.
2. Sustainable growth is boring. Deal with it.
You don’t build a serious writing business on a spike. You build it with:
A consistent note strategy.
Repeatable frameworks.
A system that compounds, even when it’s slow.
If your growth plan doesn’t work when Substack is slow, time to build a new one.
3. Notes are the new gold mine (if you know how to use them)
Notes are not “just another feature.” They’re the #1 native growth engine on Substack right now.
I don’t use them to promote.
I use them to spark curiosity, especially about what’s behind my paywall.
No links.
No CTAs.
No sales.
Just value that teases more value.
4. My custom GPT strategy is my secret weapon
Want to grow on Notes daily without losing your mind?
I built a custom GPT - a Notes-writing assistant trained on viral Notes data.
It helped me double my growth, and that stayed.
Even in the slow months.
5. Expect Slowdowns. Plan for Stability.
If you’re only playing for high-dopamine highs, you’ll burn out or quit.
Instead, aim for:
Stability in low-growth months.
Consistency over virality.
Value over volume.
My note-to-subscriber conversion rate went up during slower periods, because I focused on what matters most to my audience: be present, addressing their pains.
TL;DR (in case you skipped up until the end)
Growth is engineered, not accidental.
Notes are powerful if you use them the right way.
Going viral is not a sustainable strategy. Consistency is.
The best growth happens after a viral spike.
Build sustainable systems that can fit your schedule.
Next week Derek is starting a cohort with a handful of people who are just starting. He has built a system that works even in an “unsexy” niche (outside of writing or making money online) and he’s sharing it here:
Stay Unplugged!
Yana
P.S. If Substack still feels overwhelming, check out this link.
👉 Start a discussion in the Unplugged community! Get help or simply introduce yourself and connect with like-minded members, and create meaningful connections.
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