Substack Grow and The Iterate Journey
What I'm doing over the next few months to make this publication better
Earlier this month, I was selected to be a part of Substack Grow. It’s a program that helps writers on Substack better define, serve, and grow their audience.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, there was an application process and there were some requirements in terms of how long you’ve been writing on the platform and how many readers you have. I wouldn’t say it’s a super prestigious thing to be chosen, but not everyone has the opportunity.
Over the course of the next six weeks, I’ll be connecting with other writers on Substack to learn how I can better serve this community. Because after all, this journey is all about iterating right?
I don’t have visions of Iterate becoming my “full-time job” (whatever that phrase even means in the modern world of work). I still have a main gig that takes up a bulk of my working hours, and Iterate serves as my creative outlet and a fun chance to build a community of like-minded folks.
I think it’s important to pull back the curtain sometimes and share the thought process of what goes into this writing. It’s something that I enjoy doing each week, but I also want to make sure that people are gaining value from what I’m sharing.
What are some things I can do to make this a more valuable space for people?
The goal here isn’t to just be another email that you receive each week. I want to really learn more about the audience who has been reading this content over the past year and a half. That will likely involve more polls, surveys, discussion posts, and other ways to get some feedback from you all on how I can make this something that you look forward to not just reading, but also commenting, connecting with me, and connecting with other like-minded individuals who read this.
One of the core promises of Iterate (you have memorized the “about” section haven’t you?) is “treat lifelong education as the rewarding job it is.” And with Substack Grow, I’m continuing my education as a writer, content creator, and community builder. All three of those things are equally important as I build on this publication within Substack and possibly through some other channels as well.
So what will be changing as I go through this process?
It’s hard to say for sure. I’ll be iterating more... You’ll likely see some more variety in the types of content I post here. I think the weekly Tuesday digest is here to stay, but the long form weekend posts may change a bit. I already have something up my sleeve for next week as a means to get to know readers better.
But these are the kinds of posts that I think will become more frequent. Opportunities to be more honest and open about what I’m doing here and what you should expect.
You may see more invitations to share your opinion in the coming weeks, and I really appreciate any feedback that I receive. I do get a nice amount of emails each week from readers, and I make sure to reply to each one. I’ll be posing more questions and looking for more comments and natural engagement where it makes sense.
I’ll also likely be featuring some guest writers and collaborating with other creators. This gives you a chance to discover some new content and have a break from just listening to me each week.
So again, thank you so much for reading and being a part of the Iterate community. I’m excited to improve the work I do here, and hopefully the knowledge gained from Substack Grow will make your experience much more fulfilling.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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