One month on, here's what I've learned from launching paid subscriptions

MEMBER UPDATE: On mistakes of a career past, paywall theory and Substack's reciprocal subscription dilemma.

Feeling contemplative after just finishing The Alters; a sci-fi game that in part is about the impact of life choices. (And finding pics for these pieces is hard!)

This is my first quarterly subscriber update—a behind-the-scenes look at where I'm at, what I've learned, and where I'm heading. If you're thinking about starting your own paid Substack, this one's for you.

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Before he passed away, my dad tried to offer me some advice on journalism. His tip: message your contacts every few months and just ask if there's anything I should be aware of. Nothing formal, no pressure, just a simple ask. You'd be surprised what people will tell you if you give them the opportunity, he said.

He was in sales; high-end corporate sales, no media experience. Just giving me the same tools he used to canvas deals. I was 22 and cocky, so I ignored it. After all, I'd interned at five newsrooms across the country and been a reporter for a whole year. I knew exactly what I was doing.

Now, in my 30s and giving journalism another crack, I've realised how dumb I was to ignore his advice.

So now, for Infinite Lives, I'm correcting a mistake of my youth. Some of the stories you've read here come from me doing the legwork - asking those in the industry what matters, being inspired by others doing the same. Setting myself a bar of writing original pieces rather than following the pack is harder than you think, but I hope that's what you're here for.

I'm now doing exactly what my dad suggested: messaging contacts and asking for their input on the news. It's led to constructive discussions that have reaffirmed what's worth your time as readers.

I'd encourage everyone to do the same. Shoot those in the industry that you write about a note, and just ask: what do you think is interesting right now? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

Lessons from this quarter

A lack of friction hurts conversion. I started with this idea: Keep new articles free, monetise the archive. Good in theory, but there's no friction! If there's no reason to pay, people won't.