First Time Founders: Has Substack Changed Media For Good? - The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway Recap

Podcast: The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Published: 2026-02-01

Duration: 1 hr 2 min

Guests: Chris Best

Summary

Chris Best, co-founder and CEO of Substack, discusses the platform's influence on media, focusing on its unique business model that empowers creators by allowing direct connections with their audiences. Substack's integration of video and social media features aims to enhance its reach and engagement.

What Happened

Chris Best founded Substack as a response to his frustrations with the traditional media economy and the dominance of platforms like Facebook and Twitter. He envisioned a platform where writers could connect directly with readers, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers. This model allows writers to monetize their content through subscriptions, with Substack taking a 10% cut from paywalled content. The platform gained significant traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, now boasting over five million paid subscribers.

Substack differentiates itself by offering creators the ability to export their subscriber lists, ensuring they are not locked into the platform and fostering trust with its users. Chris Best emphasizes that Substack is not attempting to replace existing social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok but instead focuses on thoughtful, long-form content. The platform aspires to be the intellectual and cultural hub of the internet, akin to a city in the 'astral plane'.

To expand its audience and increase engagement, Substack is investing in video content and live streaming. Chris Best notes that while paywalls provide revenue for creators, they can limit the reach of their content. Therefore, Substack encourages creators to place their most accessible content outside the paywall to attract a broader audience.

The episode highlights the declining trust in traditional media, with only about a third of Americans confident that major outlets report news fully and fairly. This distrust has fueled the rise of platforms like Substack, which offer a more direct and transparent relationship between creators and consumers.

Chris Best also discusses the importance of creating a respectful and civil online environment, contrasting Substack's community guidelines with those of other social media platforms. The platform's rules are designed to cultivate a space where creative freedom and cultural creation can thrive.

The conversation touches on the broader trend of young people reading less and becoming less literate, with Substack positioned as a potential solution by offering engaging and meaningful content. Chris Best believes that by integrating more social media-like tools, Substack can replicate real-life social experiences online, fostering meaningful interactions among its users.

Key Insights

• Substack allows writers to monetize their content through subscriptions, taking a 10% cut from paywalled content, and has grown to over five million paid subscribers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Substack differentiates itself by allowing creators to export their subscriber lists, ensuring they are not locked into the platform, which fosters trust and transparency with its users.
• To expand its audience and increase engagement, Substack is investing in video content and live streaming, encouraging creators to place their most accessible content outside the paywall to attract a broader audience.
• Only about a third of Americans trust major media outlets to report news fully and fairly, a decline in trust that has contributed to the rise of platforms like Substack, which offer a more direct relationship between creators and consumers.