Why Everyone Should Start a Substack
How Substack saves creators thousands and builds recurring revenue on autopilot.
Why Everyone Should Start a Substack
One of my good friends, Alin Dragu, went on a rant to his email list about Substack.
I think Alin’s been watching what’s happening.
He’s seen our community grow. He’s seen other creators become successful with their Substacks. And now that the hype is real because, let’s be honest, we helped make it real… and now he’s trying to justify why he shouldn’t be starting a Substack while watching every copywriter, coach, and creator move over at the same time.
There’s a real sense of FOMO in the air.
But here’s the thing: It’s not FOMO if the opportunity really is that big.
So today, I want to break down why not just Alin, but YOU, should start a Substack.
The opportunity is right here, right now (and it’s early).
And as someone who’s made millions of dollars in the community space, I’m going to explain why. All of this comes from a place of profitable experience.
But before we get into it…
Gift for Paid Subscribers - Tomorrow
Part Two of this email drops tomorrow (exclusive to paid subscribers).
If you’re reading this right now, consider becoming a paid member.
Here’s what you get when you join:
Access to the Profit and Purpose group chat (launches Monday)
Part 2 Video Lesson on today’s email (tomorrow)
Full access to our growing vault of Substack Social Media case studies
It’s $8/month or $80/year (that’s about 22 cents a day).
Click below and join us:
1. Substack Is a Culture Builder
This is what the Tech Nerds don’t understand.
Most people look at Substack and see a bunch of features.
“Oh, it’s like Kit.”
“Oh, it’s like Beehiiv.”
“Oh, it’s like ConvertKit with a checkout cart.”
But that completely misses the point.
Substack isn’t a piece of software. It’s a creator-first ecosystem.
It’s designed from the ground up to do one thing: build human connection at scale.
Let’s talk about how the algorithm works here…
On most social platforms, algorithms reward rage bait, engagement farming, and dopamine hits. That’s how they keep you scrolling. Trillions of dollars have been spent by these companies to employ psychological tactics with algos similar to those used in slot machines in casinos… that’s how they sell ads.
But what if I told you (Morpheus voice) Substack has NO ADS.
Substack’s algorithm is built from the ground up as a writer-first platform…
One of the biggest drivers of the algorithm is how much money the post or note generates. The posts that get promoted are the ones that create real value. Substack's algo is revenue-driven, and that puts the content creator and the platform in a win-win situation.
So instead of fighting for attention, you’re rewarded for authenticity.
And this is where everyone misses the mark.
The tech nerds keep saying they don’t need Substack because they already have Kit or Beehiiv or ConvertKit. But that’s like saying you don’t need Instagram because you already have Photoshop.
They’re confusing features with network effects.
Substack is a destination. It’s an actual social media site built for writers, thinkers, and entrepreneurs who want to create connections.
And because the algorithm is done right… because there are no ads, no engagement traps, no manipulative loops… it rewards creators who build trust over time.
That’s the big takeaway.
Substack isn’t competing with email tools…
IT’S COMPETING WITH THE INTERNET ITSELF
2. It Grows Your Audience While You Sleep
So if I haven’t caught your attention already, this one definitely will, because there’s no downside to building here.
On Substack I collect 30–40 new subscribers every single day
If I wanted to do that on another platform, I’d have to run DM campaigns, build funnels, or pay for ads.
Substack promotes your work organically inside its network. When we hit #2 on the “Rising” chart, we started getting a flood of free subscribers.
It’s also like the internet remembered how word of mouth used to work.
There are at least two dozen other newsletters recommending Profit and Purpose, and that’s what really builds connections. Writers recommending writers and readers discovering you through people they already trust.
That’s what real community design looks like.
3. It Saves You a Ton of Money
Now, let’s talk about cost.
Here’s what Alin bragged about in his email:
“I own my list (with Kit).
I have ThriveCart for checkouts.
I host products there.
I’ve got a community.
People reply to my emails.
I post to WordPress.
I can recommend people.
I don’t use the paid newsletter feature.”
Cool setup… but let’s do something called MATH.
Right now I’ve got 16,000 subscribers on Substack.
If I wanted to run the SAME list on ConvertKit, it would cost me around $2,000 a year.
Substack gives me all of that for free!
It’s my blog, my checkout, my newsletter, my store, my referral system and it pays me.
No zaps. No Frankenstein setups. No juggling half a dozen tools.
And if I were to implement the cost of all of your system: ConvertKit, Zapier, WordPress, ThriveCart, it would probably cost me around $3,000 a year
All on one clean, frictionless system…
Amazon figured out long ago that the fewer clicks between the customer and checkout, the more money is made. Substack applied that same logic to creators.
Writing, design, checkout, discovery, and community all live in the same place.
It’s everything the internet was supposed to be before it got bloated with SaaS logins and “growth tools.”
It’s simple. It’s elegant. It works.
And it saves you both time and money.
4. The Game-Breaking Feature Nobody Talks About
This one blew my mind when I first discovered it.
You can start a group chat with your entire email list.
Right now, on Profit & Purpose, we have over 17,000 subscribers in an open group chat sharing ideas, supporting each other, and building a real community.
No other platform allows this.
Sure, people can reply to your emails. But that’s one-on-one. Nobody else sees the conversation, and no one else can take part in it live.
Substack Chat changes that. It lets your entire audience connect, in real time, around your work.
If you’re building an audience online, this is game-breaking.
So yeah, Substack is basically a kill shot to the rest of the internet.
It’s built from the ground up to help you grow, earn, and connect as a creator.
It saves you money.
It saves you time.
It helps you build relationships that matter.
Your content stays evergreen. Your audience keeps growing.
And your readers become part of something real.
(If I’m missing something, reply back in the comment section and tell me why)
So yeah, Alin… I love your jokes. But the truth is, Substack isn’t majoring in the minors. It’s the main move.
And it’s the one every serious creator needs to make.
Important Gift for All Paid Subscribers (Tomorrow)
Part Two of this email drops tomorrow and it’s exclusive to paid subscribers.
It’s a deep-dive video session with me and the Masterclass community where we’ll go even further into why every creator should build on Substack.
And since we’re about to cross 100 paid members, I’ll also be launching our private Profit & Purpose group chat on Monday, November 11th.
Here’s what you get when you join:
Access to the Profit and Purpose group chat (launches Monday)
Part 2 Video Lesson on today’s email (tomorrow)
Full access to our growing vault of Substack Social Media case studies
It’s $8/month or $80/year (that’s about 22 cents a day).
Click below and join us:
Let’s build something special together.
- Dino
I am super interested in how you set it up as your store. Do you just link to something like Gumroad, or is there a Gumroad like feature in Substack?
Hey Dino. Are you teaching how to set up, and start running your own substack and how can you monetize it?