Mike Searles sat down with श्रीraj to strip away the "guru" talk and get real about what it actually takes to build a thriving publication.
The Full Breakdown
0:00 – The “Off the Record” Intent Moving past polished tutorials to discuss the raw, often messy reality of the creator economy.
05:15 – The Leap from Corporate Mike discusses the transition from a traditional career to writing full-time and why he views Substack as a relationship tool rather than just a blog.
15:30 – Identifying the “Puddles” The core philosophy of the session: avoiding “puddles” like over-editing, obsessing over unsubscribes, and getting distracted by technical “feature creep.”
28:45 – The Minimum Viable Post (MVP) How to kill perfectionism. Mike explains his workflow for testing ideas in Substack Notes before committing them to a full-length article.
42:10 – Growth via the “Internal Engine” Why external SEO matters less than the Substack network. Insight into leveraging Recommendations and cross-stack collaborations to find your “True Fans.”
1:05:20 – The Monetization Strategy Mike explains his “Soft Paywall” approach: keeping high-value information free to grow the list, while charging for access, intimacy, and community.
1:20:00 – Q&A: Finding Your Niche The golden rule for creators: “Write for the person you were two years ago.”
3 Key Lessons to Take Away
Don’t Fear the Unsubscribe: Think of it as natural pruning. You want a list of engaged readers, not a graveyard of ghosts.
Notes are your Lab: Use Substack Notes to see what resonates. If a short thought gets engagement, it deserves a long-form post.
Recommendations are Currency: The fastest way to grow is to be a good neighbor. Engage with other writers, and the algorithm will reward you.
Find more content on my YouTube channel @rajofftherecord, for more conversations with writers about their craft, and why any of it matters.
