MAINTAINING WHAT YOU HAVE

Emma Gannon, in a piece titled “My honest thoughts about Substack,” wrote about being on a panel at SXSW London last year:

“I was asked a question about ‘growth’. I said I was more interested in maintaining what I have. The audience looked disappointed. They wanted me to say something about growth. They wanted hard growth statistics, a neat formula for selling to advertisers. I had no tips or hacks, apart from: I write a lot.”

Sure, you could be all, “that’s easy for Emma Gannon to say, she already has 80,000 subscribers!”

But she got there by paying attention to those first 10, 100, 1000. You aren’t gifted 80,000 subscribers without first feeling what it’s like writing to 8,000 people. There are mistakes you make and lessons you learn on your way to 10,000. I think she’s been at this for like 15 years, too. Come on, people. This takes time.

The allure is growth, of course. The rush of 100 new subscribers is real! It’s sexy! But maybe it’s a better use of your time to maintain what you have.

I dare you to write a personal email to one of your people. Not a marketing email, or an invite to an event, but a genuine note. A follow up from a conversation you had a month ago. Or kudos for a job well done.

Maintain what you have, or you might not have it for long.