Daybreak On Substack, online knowledge olympics, and the fickleness of the www feat. Anurag Minus Verma
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Jul 24, 2025 Anurag Minus Verma, an interdisciplinary artist and host of The Anurag Minus Verma podcast, dives into the shifting dynamics of Substack. He discusses how the platform’s initial utopian promise is being compromised by venture capital influences and advertising. Anurag reflects on the challenges creators face in monetizing their work, particularly in India, and highlights the struggle between maintaining authenticity and the allure of virality. He calls for diversification in creative endeavors to safeguard against the uncertainties of platform changes and payment systems.
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Anurag’s Platform Shift Journey
- Anurag describes shifting from longer Instagram videos to reels due to platform changes. This shift challenged his storytelling but increased his audience dramatically.
- He joined Substack recently as a boring mainstream alternative but found an intimate, loyal community that surprised him with their engagement.
Substack Enables Nuanced Knowledge
- There is a deep hunger for knowledge amid internet information chaos, but creators struggle to curate effectively. Substack offers a space for thoughtful, longer-form writing unlike the easy virality of Instagram reels.
- Writing allows uncertainty and nuance, contrasting with the algorithm-driven, simplified content of social platforms.
Payment Barriers Hinder Indian Creators
- Substack creators in India face a payment blockade after Stripe withdrew from India, halting paid subscriptions. This policy failure severely limits monetization for Indian independent writers.
- Recurring payment drops due to RBI guidelines compound revenue challenges for Substack and other platforms in India.