How to cover China in a sustainable way as an independent business

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Creating content about China on a regular basis can be challenging, but it's important to find a format that adds value. Instead of trying to write think pieces three times a week, focusing on a different format that provides valuable insights about China is more effective. Understanding the addressable market is crucial for a sustainable business. While specialized research firms can charge high prices, a broader-based market like English language information about China requires a more affordable price point. Therefore, it's necessary to carefully manage the cost structure to ensure the business remains viable.

Bill Bishop likes to make clear he’s not a journalist. Instead, he’s a China analyst who brings his deep understanding of the country to an English-speaking language through his newsletter, Sinocism. In 2017, Bill became the “original Substacker” after teaming up with Substack’s co-founders to be the first newsletter on the platform.

On this week’s episode of The Rebooting Show, Bill and I discuss his independent path, and how a subscription model has created different dynamics as opposed to his experiences in the dot-com era as a co-founder of Marketwatch. What’s telling to me is that Bill is also now considering advertising. The Substack model of “only ads” doesn’t make much sense long term for most writers. Even if they convert 10% of their audience, they’re making no money from 90%. Most businesses don’t operate that way.