In the competitive world of newsletter publishing, creators are constantly seeking effective ways to grow their subscriber base. A new initiative, Substack Growth Mastermind, is taking a novel approach by transforming live events from passive viewing experiences into interactive working sessions where participants actively build their audiences. The program, which is not formally associated with Substack itself, is co-hosted by Amy Chang and John Toomey and produced by Soani Gunawan. It airs weekly and aims to help writers increase their reach through simple, repeated actions. The significance of this development lies in its potential to shift how creators approach audience engagement on the platform, emphasizing collaboration over passive consumption.
According to Gunawan, most Substack Lives are passive experiences where participants watch experts talk without any opportunity to create during the session. "We wanted to improve upon that by making each Live a working opportunity for attendees to gain followers, subscribers, and in some cases clients," he says. Chang adds, "Building in public during a Live is not only effective, but it's a fun social occasion, which allows members to see how fulfilling creating on Substack can be." This approach could signal a broader trend where live events become active co-working spaces rather than traditional broadcasts.
The program employs several methods to drive results. Each week, SuperStacker Prizes are announced to recognize members who contributed the best Notes, Articles, Comments, or Restacks. This encourages superior performance of these mini-skills, which are often overlooked but invaluable for growth. Audience members also submit their own Notes in the chat, and then like, comment, and restack others' Notes during the session, sparking lively discussions. Additionally, at least one Note from an audience member becomes the central topic for a group mind mapping session using Ayoa.com. Everyone can comment and add to the mind map, which is then posted to the program's social media and website. Submissions that can serve as prompts for AI tools like Claude Artifact, GPT, Gemini Gem, or Perplexity Space and address one of the UN's 169 Sustainability Indicators can earn a Hero Award. The most insightful contributions are added to a draft press release before the program ends, giving attendees a chance to see their writing referenced by news publications within days. If time permits, hosts conduct a mini-audit of an audience member's Substack publication to identify growth areas. Sometimes Substack Superstars are invited as guests, and evocative sentences from their Notes and Articles are used as AI prompts for the group mind maps.
The implications of this program extend beyond individual growth. The producers plan to incubate and nurture other writers who want to mount similar live programs. "We find that live video is the best way to get a potential audience to know, like, and trust you," Chang says. "And the way we do it makes it fun. So we want to support as many people as possible to conduct these types of shows for their own subscribers and clients. We want to build and promote a Substacker Live Network." This network could foster a community of creators who support each other's growth, potentially reshaping the Substack ecosystem into a more collaborative space.
Future plans include a weekly challenge that offers participants ways to build significant growth before the next program, where their achievements will be celebrated. A SuperStacker prize will be offered to creators who help another writer reach Bestseller status. For more information, visit https://substack.com/@growbyhelpingothers. To learn about the Hero Award, see https://theheroaward.net. To learn more about Substack, visit https://substack.com. Substack Growth Mastermind exists to help newsletter and blog creators build their presence through the power of swarm intelligence.
