these kind of posts typically get a lot of traction....building in public is interesting and having some reference points will help readers to calibrate their expectations when you offer fact based evidence.
I'm trying to avoid comparing my results to other creators and just focus on what I have learned by doing and analyzing the data from all these different platforms, like Medium, Substack, Kit.com and Gumroad.
I publish monthly income reports for my business (I'm a blogger), and as of this month, I start doing the same about my Substack growth.
It also helps me with accountability. Plus, it's always a great way to give back to the community by showing them what's happening behind the scenes ☺️
I love a monthly update!! Thanks for this peek under the hood - the whole “building in public” thing is harder than it sounds, but I think it creates such a real connection. Especially the kayak and dog pics!
Congrats on revenue up 50%! Very cool to see the impact of partnership.
Rebecca — thank you for the kind words and for writing the update that prompted me to write mine.
Building in public is harder than it sounds, mostly because the numbers don't always cooperate with the narrative you planned. May cooperated. I'm suspicious of June already.
The partnership lesson was the loudest one. Yana brought a quarter of my sales. I'd been treating distribution like a solo sport for two years.
It's easier as a solo sport, especially when you're working in the weekends and nights in stolen hours! I'm really interested in partnership, and looking at the increase in challenges, but knowing it can change the game on distribution is a helpful datapoint.
Reflecting on my own experience... I don't have a narrative in mind until I begin to write. I gather up my progress, then reflect. I don't really have a specific map forward; I'm working to follow my momentum and trust my ideas, not hold myself to a prescribed plan. Harder than it sounds!
Five-year plans are fiction I stopped believing in.
The people who've shaped what I build aren't in any roadmap. They're in my DMs at 11 pm explaining why something broke.
Daria. Yana. Mr. Baseball installing my tool in Opera on Windows and filing bug reports with screenshots.
That's the map.
You're right that partnership is harder in stolen hours — the coordination cost is real. But so is the ceiling on solo distribution. I bumped into it hard last year.
Following momentum rather than a plan can seem chaotic from the outside.
From the inside, it just looks like paying attention.
Will check out your gumroad store as stackcontacts sounds uber useful. I became a Bestseller this month so am looking to strategise even further!
Congratulations Melanie!
What a wonderful income report/review post. Thanks for sharing. This is probably my favorite type of content (both as a reader and a writer).
Hey Lidiya,
these kind of posts typically get a lot of traction....building in public is interesting and having some reference points will help readers to calibrate their expectations when you offer fact based evidence.
I'm trying to avoid comparing my results to other creators and just focus on what I have learned by doing and analyzing the data from all these different platforms, like Medium, Substack, Kit.com and Gumroad.
That's the way to go, Finn.
Keep up the good work.
I publish monthly income reports for my business (I'm a blogger), and as of this month, I start doing the same about my Substack growth.
It also helps me with accountability. Plus, it's always a great way to give back to the community by showing them what's happening behind the scenes ☺️
Monthly reports forced me to actually look at my numbers instead of just feeling good or bad about them.
Big difference. Sounds like you already get that.
Looking forward to following along.
I am here because of Kim.
She just restacked this post.
I didn't even realize you had another pub, and I completely forgot I left those reviews, hah.
Thank you for the mention, Finn.
Congratulations on all, Finn,
SO grateful for your products and all you do!
The monthly update/recap is great. The transparency and vulnerability build such trust while also being incredibly inspiring!
Thanks for your support this month Finn! Love all the products I use of yours. Stack Contacts is my favourite by far.
I love a monthly update!! Thanks for this peek under the hood - the whole “building in public” thing is harder than it sounds, but I think it creates such a real connection. Especially the kayak and dog pics!
Congrats on revenue up 50%! Very cool to see the impact of partnership.
Rebecca — thank you for the kind words and for writing the update that prompted me to write mine.
Building in public is harder than it sounds, mostly because the numbers don't always cooperate with the narrative you planned. May cooperated. I'm suspicious of June already.
The partnership lesson was the loudest one. Yana brought a quarter of my sales. I'd been treating distribution like a solo sport for two years.
Turns out it's not.
It's easier as a solo sport, especially when you're working in the weekends and nights in stolen hours! I'm really interested in partnership, and looking at the increase in challenges, but knowing it can change the game on distribution is a helpful datapoint.
Reflecting on my own experience... I don't have a narrative in mind until I begin to write. I gather up my progress, then reflect. I don't really have a specific map forward; I'm working to follow my momentum and trust my ideas, not hold myself to a prescribed plan. Harder than it sounds!
Five-year plans are fiction I stopped believing in.
The people who've shaped what I build aren't in any roadmap. They're in my DMs at 11 pm explaining why something broke.
Daria. Yana. Mr. Baseball installing my tool in Opera on Windows and filing bug reports with screenshots.
That's the map.
You're right that partnership is harder in stolen hours — the coordination cost is real. But so is the ceiling on solo distribution. I bumped into it hard last year.
Following momentum rather than a plan can seem chaotic from the outside.
From the inside, it just looks like paying attention.