The hottest Monetization Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Nobody Cares About the News Anymore and the Business Is Built on That Lie

Startup Strategies • 85 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
📰 News Monetization
  1. Most people don’t actually care about the news anymore.
  2. People only glance at headlines or blurbs and don’t want to read full articles because they’re long, complex, and often boring; they compete with entertainment like Netflix.
  3. The news industry is deeply broken and is built on the false idea that people will consume traditional news the way they used to.

OpenAI's masterplan for ChatGPT, and Concierge Internet

Enterprise AI Trends • 316 implied HN points • 24 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Monetization
  1. ChatGPT is shifting from a text-only chatbot to a more visual, interactive experience with dynamic/generative UI like cards and GUI-style responses.
  2. The Apps SDK lets third-party developers inject interactive experiences and deep integrations, making ChatGPT the central context manager across multiple apps rather than just a data connector.
  3. This strategy both creates new ad and engagement surfaces and, more importantly, aims to lock users into a single pane of glass for productivity by owning cross-app context and workflows.

Inside Pickleball's Plan to Become a Billion-Dollar Platform

Huddle Up • 58 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
🎾 Sports Monetization
  1. Pickleball is rapidly growing on TV, with the Carvana PPA Masters drawing 791,000 viewers — the most-watched pickleball event ever.
  2. Pickleball broadcasts can outperform other live sports in their time slots, proving the sport can compete on mainstream networks.
  3. That strong viewership and broadcast success position pickleball to scale into a billion-dollar platform with major commercial potential.

A few themes for 2026

Tanay’s Newsletter • 220 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Monetization
  1. Big AI products will start finding ways to monetize massive free usage with ad-like or sponsored placements outside of direct answers, because subscriptions alone won’t capture everyone.
  2. AI will get more proactive and agent-like, monitoring signals, surfacing updates, and taking on multi-step tasks without waiting for prompts.
  3. Technical leaps in reliable computer use and continual learning will let agents actually operate apps, fill complex forms, and improve over time so they can complete work instead of just offering suggestions.
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When ChatGPT Started Sending Me SubStack Subscribers

Olshansky's Newsletter • 91 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🔮 Crypto Monetization
  1. Micro-tipping lets people send tiny, instant payments (even cents) to creators on platforms like Substack by adding an EVM address or domain to a profile.
  2. These tiny payments create a new economic model and incentives for original human content, enabling micro-attribution, pay-to-play features, leaderboards, agent-facing data signals, and one-off paywalled unlocks.
  3. The system is built for easy adoption with fiat onramps, email-linked embedded wallets, a browser extension, and an upcoming agent SDK so creators and tippers don’t need deep crypto know-how.

Two AI Lab IPOs: S-1 Breakdowns

Tanay’s Newsletter • 107 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Two different go-to-market strategies emerged: Zhipu is deployment-first, selling on-prem and enterprise solutions with professional services, while MiniMax is product-first, monetizing through consumer apps and an open developer platform.
  2. Both companies show rapid revenue growth but are still burning substantial cash; the enterprise-focused model yields much higher gross margins while the consumer app business runs on thin margins.
  3. Their IPOs raised large sums and jumped strongly on debut, valuing each firm at over $10B and pricing them at more than 200x 2025 annualized revenue, which signals very high investor expectations for AI labs.

On Chain Publishing

Points And Figures • 266 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🔮 Crypto Monetization
  1. Paragraph is an on-chain publishing platform, but platforms like Substack still offer better distribution and much easier commenting; Paragraph’s comment/community features require buying and using tokens.
  2. A post was published on Paragraph and readers are invited to read it, leave comments, and make predictions, with the suggestion to turn those predictions into markets on Polymarket or Kalshi.
  3. As AI improves, original human writing with real insight will become rarer, and that shift could upend many purely capitalistic industries and their current business models.

Leave the "Casino": You don't need to play silly games as an indie entrepreneur | Q&A with Jessica Lackey | #320

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 98 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Don’t gamble on quick fixes, viral hacks, or pricey masterminds — those are the “casino” tactics where the house usually wins. Focus on real business models and the trade-offs that make them sustainable.
  2. Building a profitable solo business takes time and clear choices, often years of work; prioritize frameworks, consistent long-form content, and relationship-driven sales instead of chasing follower counts.
  3. Operational thinking and repeatable rhythms matter: use frameworks and processes to run your business, and treat products (like books) as leverage that still require years of work and ongoing maintenance alongside active client work.

Is Solopreneurship Right For You?

Elena's Growth Scoop • 2063 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Starting as a solopreneur is like starting any other business, using skills from your job to help grow yourself.
  2. For solopreneurs, differentiation comes from specificity in knowledge, focusing on specific industries or business models.
  3. As a solopreneur, build a portfolio of monetizable services and explore advising opportunities for a flexible and potentially more rewarding path.

Suspended from X

The Other Side of Fear • 8 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Monetization
  1. A suspension from X can happen if a post is flagged under paid-partnership rules even for a coupon link, and appeals may be slow or unreliable.
  2. The creator revenue system is dominated by low-cost content farms and paid influencer campaigns, so independent or original thinkers often earn very little.
  3. Some creators respond by moving to independent platforms like Substack and focusing on publishing as a public service rather than chasing creator-revenue schemes.

How To Build And Profit From A Community

Day One • 559 implied HN points • 06 Apr 24
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Attract customers/clients before creating a product/service - build an audience first based on what interests them
  2. Community-driven model involves letting the community guide content creation and product development
  3. Engage with others in your niche, teach as you learn, and listen to community problems to build a successful community

Reflecting on 2025 + Reader Survey | #318

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 115 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Prioritized family and creative projects over chasing business growth; spending lots of time with a young child was the year's highlight and brought real joy.
  2. Betting on a premium hardcover and direct-to-reader sales paid off—about 325 copies sold and the launch covered much of the upfront cost, making future sales mostly cash flow positive; expanding store bundles and collectibles looks promising.
  3. The business kept operating but felt like treading water with lower income year-over-year, so the plan is to simplify, experiment with formats and the community, and take a mini-sabbatical to regain focus and momentum in 2026.

The Renaissance of Media

Growth Croissant • 963 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Building a media business as an individual is challenging and requires hard work and consistency.
  2. As a media business grows, managing growth, monetization, and tech can become distracting from the core creative efforts.
  3. To bridge the resource gap between large media companies and individual creators, providing hands-on support for tech and growth can be beneficial.

Agentic e-commerce is a HUGE deal

Enterprise AI Trends • 189 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
💼 Business Monetization
  1. AI shopping agents are driving a major shift in how people discover products and could become the dominant top-of-funnel for research-heavy purchases, with models like OpenAI’s positioned to aggregate many retailers’ catalogs.
  2. Agentic shopping will help most with high-price, research-intensive categories (electronics, furniture, hardlines) but won’t replace softlines or consumables, and it faces real conversion hurdles because users still compare prices, resist new merchant accounts, or prefer faster fulfillment.
  3. The market is splitting into an Amazon-controlled, closed experience and a Chatbot-led discovery layer, which benefits big platforms and OpenAI while threatening affiliate publishers and many startups, and forces retailers to partner or risk losing visibility.

Substackers Against Nazis

Wars Of Future Past • 1139 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Monetization
  1. A group of Substack publishers is raising concerns about the platform's allowance of Nazis and white supremacists.
  2. Substack has been criticized for hosting and profiting from newsletters that promote hateful content.
  3. Prominent Substack writers have left the platform due to concerns about its handling of white nationalism.

Announcing GreatGamesNetwork

Let's talk games & AI. • 6 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
💼 Business Monetization
  1. A new games company is focusing on evergreen casual puzzle games aimed at older women, betting these titles drive long-term engagement without a constant content treadmill.
  2. The business uses a syndication model: build one game library and publish the same games across many destinations (daily challenges, SEO-optimized sites, saga-style apps), so small revenue streams aggregate at low marginal cost.
  3. The flagship product is an ad-free daily puzzle subscription with a few games live now, and growth will rely on paid user acquisition, iterative product improvement, repeatable tooling, and public metrics to guide progress.

How to Package Agents

Good Better Best • 2 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
💼 Business Monetization
  1. SaaS companies are mainly packaging AI agents two ways: as paid add-ons with clear per-unit (credit) pricing, or bundled into higher-tier plans to drive upgrades.
  2. Credits and usage-based models are becoming the standard metric, often paired with gated business access and generous trial windows to prove value.
  3. The right packaging depends on fit: flexible, multi-agent needs favor add-ons, while purpose-built solutions like support automation are better bundled into core plans, and the market playbook is still forming.

Why Micro-Tipping Is the Fuel for Original Content on the Open Web

Olshansky's Newsletter • 68 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🔮 Crypto Monetization
  1. Micro-tipping creates lightweight, optional payments that align incentives to fund original human-created content and help prevent AI agents from cannibalizing creators' revenue.
  2. For humans, tiny tips feel low-stakes and expressive and can act as lottery-like incentives or access mechanisms; for AI agents, programmatic micro-payments let models buy fresh, diverse ground-truth data without complex contracts.
  3. Micro-tipping is an interoperable, platform-agnostic middle ground between free content and paywalls, using stablecoin rails so creators can be supported across the open web without platform lock-in.

How I Made My First Million Online

Day One • 479 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Choose a platform that fits your content format and engage with your community to build a loyal following.
  2. Creating products/services should revolve around solving your community's problems, listen to their struggles and offer solutions.
  3. Consistently create quality content, engage with others, and focus on helping people to build a successful online brand.

Thursday State of the SubStacks: Walking the Tightrope Over the Attention-Economy Abyss

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 138 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25
💼 Business Monetization
  1. The platform is walking a tightrope: it needs discoverability to help writers grow paying audiences without turning into an ad-driven attention machine that just maximizes time on the app.
  2. The new Notes/social feed creates real risks — its algorithmic tuning can push short-form engagement at the expense of longform newsletters and amplify extreme or divisive voices, making moderation and content choices thorny.
  3. Substack (and rivals) need transparent, data-driven experiments with adjustable dials like teaser samples, patronage/tips, and premium perks so writers can sustainably earn while protecting an open public-good core.

I’m Pausing for January, Help Keep Going Alive

Startup Strategies • 57 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
🎙 Podcasts Monetization
  1. The Keep Going podcast and The Innovators will pause for the rest of January so other work can be finished.
  2. The break isn’t permanent but will help decide how much of the show can continue and how often it will appear.
  3. Readers are being asked to become paid subscribers to help keep the show alive, with a 20% discount on the annual plan.

It’s all about trials

Elena's Growth Scoop • 904 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Trials help showcase a product's value and can increase pricing power.
  2. Trials should be tailored to specific segments for the best results.
  3. Different trial configurations exist, including when to start, what is offered, entry requirements, duration, and type of offer.

Inside the Dahlia Wars

Culture Study • 3103 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Monetization
  1. Dahlias have a rich history and diverse range of varieties, making them popular among collectors for their beauty and unique characteristics.
  2. The dahlia community faces challenges like disease control, competition for rare varieties, and shifting norms around pricing and ownership.
  3. There is a growing trend among millennials to turn hobbies, like dahlia growing, into side hustles, reflecting a desire for productive and monetized leisure activities.

Do/Don't Give Me Money

Yassine Meskhout • 393 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
💼 Business Monetization
  1. The writer turned on paid subscriptions, but values being read over being paid and doesn't plan to put writing behind a paywall.
  2. The writer mentions not needing money due to getting paid well in their job, expressing gratitude for readers' interests and potential financial support for more writing time.
  3. The writer's writing schedule is irregular due to their job, but hopes it can become financially sustainable in the future to write full-time.

Bye Bye Blue Check

Drezner’s World • 786 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Monetization
  1. Twitter is changing their verification program and making it tied to subscribing to Twitter Blue for $8 a month.
  2. There is controversy and dissatisfaction among users about having to pay to keep their blue checkmark.
  3. Elon Musk's decisions regarding Twitter's verification system and revenue generation strategies have faced criticism and led to speculation about his ability to run the company.

The MCP Freemium Strategy

Good Better Best • 3 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
💼 Business Monetization
  1. MCPs let LLMs discover and call your product, making them a powerful new distribution channel that’s different from traditional APIs.
  2. Making MCP access free is often the right play because it boosts discoverability and user value, while usage limits or guardrails can nudge heavy users to upgrade.
  3. MCPs show up three ways — as a feature, a usage accelerant, or to power agentic workflows — and each style can be monetized with smart quotas or plan design.

This company is building the world's biggest streaming network for baking creators

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 449 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
💼 Business Monetization
  1. A company is creating a big streaming network just for baking creators. This could help bakers reach a wider audience and share their skills.
  2. The Washington Post might be trying a new model for publishing more opinion pieces, even from non-professionals. This could attract more readers but might also hurt the paper's reputation if quality drops.
  3. Hollywood should stop viewing YouTube as a competitor and start using it as a way to share content. By partnering with YouTube, traditional media can reach more viewers and monetize better.

DuoLingo's monetization machine and Google banishes blue links

Department of Product • 648 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology Monetization
  1. Google is changing its search results page to prioritize AI-generated information over blue links, presenting a strategic dilemma for tech companies.
  2. DuoLingo saw impressive revenue growth thanks to their new monetization machine, DuoLingo Max, leveraging proprietary machine learning models and GPT-4.
  3. A new startup, Async, aims to streamline asynchronous voice communication for corporate environments, offering a potential solution for message management overload.

Why podcast ads demand higher prices than YouTube ads

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 349 implied HN points • 26 Jun 25
🎙 Podcasts Monetization
  1. Podcast ads cost more than YouTube ads because people often focus more while listening to podcasts. Many watch videos passively, so advertisers get less value from those ads.
  2. YouTube is turning into a big platform for subscriptions, and it makes a lot of money from them. This shows that users are willing to pay to avoid ads.
  3. Most people in the U.S. do not pay for news when they hit a paywall, which highlights how difficult it can be for news publishers to get subscribers.

Some thoughts on the Substack controversy

The Watch • 2631 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
💼 Business Monetization
  1. Substack has faced controversy over hosting white supremacists and other objectionable content
  2. Switching platforms can be risky for content creators like the author due to potential loss of subscribers and audience
  3. The author suggests direct support via other payment methods for those who want to support writers on Substack without contributing to the company

OpenAI is aligned (for now) but do ChatGPT ads threaten that?

Market Curve • 28 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Monetization
  1. Putting ads inside a conversational AI creates a conflict between being genuinely helpful and making money, and that pressure can push the assistant to favor sponsored recommendations over unbiased guidance, which erodes trust and undermines alignment goals.
  2. Huge economic pressures — big operating losses, the need to monetize free users, and IPO/shareholder incentives — make ads and in-chat commerce a likely path, so the service will optimize for growth and revenue rather than purely for user well‑being.
  3. Ads in chat are especially risky because people ask sensitive, personal questions there, and ad-driven recommendations plus agentic commerce can harm vulnerable users and amplify broader economic harms like job displacement and increased consumerism.

OpenAI's moat

TechTalks • 334 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Monetization
  1. OpenAI is building new protections to safeguard its generative AI business from open-source models
  2. OpenAI is reinforcing network effects around ChatGPT with features like GPT Store and user engagement strategies
  3. Reducing costs and preparing for future innovations like creating their own device are part of OpenAI's strategy to maintain competitiveness

My 1500th Published Story - 10 Kickass Medium Writing and Monetization Tips

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 859 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
📚 Literature Monetization
  1. Online writing requires mastering the craft to improve your skills. Practice makes perfect, so writing regularly is important.
  2. Monetizing your writing can be achieved through different strategies. Finding the right approach will help turn your passion into income.
  3. Engagement with your audience is key to success. Building a strong connection can lead to more readers and better reach.