Chris Best, co-founder and CEO of Substack, shares insights on redefining media through email, a tech from 1971. He discusses Substack's remarkable rise to over 3 million paid subscribers and the shift creators are making from traditional platforms to direct audience connections. The conversation touches on navigating the impact of AI in media, emphasizing the importance of human authenticity. Best reflects on lessons from his previous venture, Kik, and highlights how Substack empowers creators to achieve financial independence and thrive in a changing landscape.

It is fair to say that Substack has had a dramatic week and a half or so, and I talked to their CEO Chris Best about it. The company announced a new feature called Substack Notes, which looks quite a bit like Twitter — Substack authors can post short bits of text to share links and kick off discussions, and people can reply to them, like the posts, the whole thing. Like I said, Twitter.Twitter, under the direction of Elon Musk, did not like the prospect of this competition, and for several days last week, Twitter was taking aggressive actions against Substack. At one point you couldn’t even like tweets with Substack links in them. At another point, clicking on a Substack link resulted in a warning message about the platform being unsafe. And finally, Twitter redirected all searches for the word Substack to “newsletter.” Musk claimed Substack was somehow downloading the Twitter database to bootstrap Substack Notes, which, well, I’m still not sure what that means, but I at least asked Chris what he thought that meant and whether he was doing it. It’s tempting to think of Substack like a rival platform to Twitter, but until the arrival of Substack Notes, it was much more like enterprise software. With Substack Notes, the company is in direct competition with social networks like Twitter. It’s shipping a consumer product that’s designed to be used by Substack readers. It is no longer just a software vendor; it’s a consumer product company. And that carries with it another set of content moderation concerns, that, after talking to Chris, I’m just not sure Substack is ready for. Like, I really don’t know. You’ll just have to listen to his answers — or really, non-answers — for yourself.This is a wild one. I’m still processing it. Let me know what you think. Okay, Chris Best, CEO of Substack. Here we go.Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23445916Links:Can Substack CEO Chris Best build a new model for journalism? - The VergeNow live for all: Substack NotesSubstack Content GuidelinesWelcome to the new Verge (re Quick Posts)Can Mastodon seize the moment from Twitter? - The VergeTwitter’s newsletter tool is shutting down in less than a month - The Verge Elon Musk on Twitter: "@BretWeinstein 1. Substack links were never blocked..."Casey Newton - Substack NotesPlatformer on Substack   Can we regulate social media without breaking the First Amendment? - The VergeHow to buy a social network, with Tumblr CEO Matt Mullenweg - The VergeNewsletter platform Substack raises $65 mln in Andreessen Horowitz-led funding round | ReutersSubstack Drops Fund-Raising Efforts as Market Sours - The New York TimesSubstack WefunderSubstack Notes, Twitter Blocks Substack, Substack Versus WritersHow much money do we think Substack lost last year? - The Verge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tech entrepreneur and Substack CEO, Chris Best, discusses Substack's evolution, fostering diverse voices, historical figures' complexities, battling ideas, social media pitfalls, health crises, content moderation challenges, ethical success, currency future, diverse ideologies, communication privacy, AI risks, and freedom of expression.

Nilay Patel talks to Chris Best, cofounder and CEO of Substack, the subscription newsletter startup that’s taken the media industry by storm over the past few months.The conversation explores how Substack's business model could potentially impact the media industry, but also dives into the basic questions about running a media company -- how Substack makes money, how it’s going to scale while offering additional services to writers, like legal protection, and, of course, content moderation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Chris Best, CEO and co-founder of Substack, is at the forefront of the free speech movement in online media. He discusses the necessity of alternative platforms like Substack amid rising censorship. The conversation delves into the unique challenges creators face and the role of community-driven moderation. Best reflects on the decline of Clubhouse, the influence of AI on content, and the dynamics of status within creative communities. He also envisions Substack’s potential impact on journalism and the importance of nurturing independent voices.

Chris Best, Co-founder and CEO of Substack, discusses attention, quality, and gatekeepers in media, building an audience, using AI as a creative tool, and the state of freedom of speech. The podcast explores Substack's challenges, niche content, cultural attitudes towards paying for content, network structures, and the impact of AI tools on content creation.

Jen Gerson, a prominent Canadian journalist at The Line, and Chris Best, co-founder and CEO of Substack, dive into the evolving world of journalism. They explore how Substack is reshaping media dynamics, emphasizing the struggles and successes of independent writers. The conversation touches on the platform's confrontation with Twitter and Elon Musk's unexpected role in boosting its visibility. They also provide practical advice for aspiring journalists, stressing the importance of foundational skills over platform-centric focus, and discuss the essential nature of free speech in today’s landscape.

Chris Best, Co-founder and CEO of Substack, and Jen Gerson, a prominent Canadian journalist, delve into the transformative impact of Substack on the media landscape. They discuss the freedom it offers journalists, allowing for profitable self-publishing. The duo also tackles hot-button issues like Substack's controversial content moderation and the platform's rivalry with Twitter. Personal stories highlight the shift from traditional media roles, emphasizing the need for audience connection and preserving journalistic values in this evolving environment.

Three interviews! One pod: First entrepreneur and investor Zach Weinberg tells Recode’s Peter Kafka why he’s accidentally become Twitter Famous as a crypto skeptic — and explains how you can do it, too. Then two talks from the recent Collision Conference: Substack CEO Chris Best on the growth of his company, and about an unsuccessful attempt to raise a funding round (this was recorded before Substack laid off 14% of its workforce); and ABC News boss Kim Godwin on the challenges of reaching audiences that may no longer want fact-based news — or, at a minimum, aren’t watching traditional TV anymore.Featuring: Zach Weinberg (@zachweinberg) Founder of Flatiron and Invite Media, Investor at Operator PartnersChris Best (@cjgbest), Co-Founder and CEO of SubstackKim Godwin (@KimGodwinTV), President of ABC NewsHost: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at RecodeMore to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices