Last time I interviewed you, Chris, I asked you about the rumors that Twitter was trying to buy sub stack. It's kind of funny looking back. But are you talking to anyone these days? We're totally focused on building a successful independent sub stack. Nothing is more interesting to me than sub stack staying independent and building independent.
Last week, Elon kicked off a feud with both Substack and his very own former Twitter Files ingénue (and Substack star), Matt Taibbi. Kara and Nayeema break down the battle of the bros before turning to an interview with those at the center of the storm: Substack co-founders Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie.
The two address questions about Substack Notes (which Elon dubbed, and they deny, is a “Twitter clone”), the challenging business model of newsletters and their stance on free expression. Somehow, they manage to avoid uttering the name “Elon.” Kara doesn’t shy away though.
Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices