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It was pretty incredible! I didn't realize how because it was the first discovery-call based business I'd ever started. But once I moved into other spaces, I realized how rare that is.
I like your suggestion of thinking of every interaction as a mini Discovery call. I will work on implementing that. My biggest question would be "why did you subscribe to my Substack?" I mostly write for my own healing, so it's not clear that I have a niche or a problem. I'm really solving. I think part of me is still a little mystified about why people want to hear my work.
That’s such an honest and powerful reflection, thank you for sharing it. When it comes to Substack, I love your idea of asking “Why did you subscribe?” It’s simple, direct, and turns every reader into a source of insight. What I’d add is a second layer: not just why they subscribed, but what they hope reading your work will change for them. Sometimes readers can’t articulate this fully, but their words (even raw ones) reveal patterns you can’t see from the inside.
One thing I’ve noticed with founders and writers is that we’re often too close to our own work to see the niche clearly and it only clicks after a bit of structured reflection and conversation. The answers are already there, hidden in what you’ve been writing and how people are responding. The following couple of exercise may help to turn “mystified” into clarity pretty quickly.
1. Subscriber Voice Mapping: collect 5–10 replies, comments, or casual messages from subscribers. Highlight exact words they use when describing why they read. Group them into themes (e.g., “I feel less alone,” “I get clarity,” “I learn practical steps”).
👉 Outcome: You start to see what problem you’re solving through their language, not yours.
2. Content Mirror Exercise; Take your last 10 posts. For each, write in one sentence: “What was I really trying to give the reader?” (inspiration, clarity, healing, practical system, etc.). Then ask: “Which of these gifts do I want to be known for?”
👉 Outcome: Shows you which parts of your writing are both consistent and aligned with your identity.
3. Mini Discovery Call with Subscribers: Reach out to 2–3 readers and ask:
1. Why did you subscribe?
2. What part of my writing has helped you most?
3. If I stopped writing tomorrow, what would you miss?
👉 Outcome: Patterns emerge that reveal your “hidden niche.”
Many interesting and helpful tips here. Back when I had a business with discovery calls, my close rate was like 95% because everybody wanted the product I was selling: higher SAT scores for their college-bound teenagers. I have a much more difficult time applying the sort of framework to sub stack audiences, since it's not really clear what people are looking for or why they are subscribing to my newsletter. To be honest.
Thank you for sharing this. A 95% close rate is incredible, and it really shows the power of having a clear, urgent value proposition (higher SAT scores is a very tangible “must-have”).
I agree, applying a discovery call framework to something like Substack feels trickier, because subscribers don’t always articulate what they’re truly seeking. But in a way, the same principle applies: it’s about uncovering the “hidden job to be done.” Why did they hit subscribe? Relief from overwhelm? Inspiration? A system to act on?
For me, I’ve started to think of engagement tools (surveys, replies, even short check-ins, DMs) as mini discovery calls with my audience and the community on substack.
They help me learn not just what content people read, but why it matters to them.
Curious if you could run one “discovery call question” with your subscribers, what would you ask them?
It was pretty incredible! I didn't realize how because it was the first discovery-call based business I'd ever started. But once I moved into other spaces, I realized how rare that is.
I like your suggestion of thinking of every interaction as a mini Discovery call. I will work on implementing that. My biggest question would be "why did you subscribe to my Substack?" I mostly write for my own healing, so it's not clear that I have a niche or a problem. I'm really solving. I think part of me is still a little mystified about why people want to hear my work.
That’s such an honest and powerful reflection, thank you for sharing it. When it comes to Substack, I love your idea of asking “Why did you subscribe?” It’s simple, direct, and turns every reader into a source of insight. What I’d add is a second layer: not just why they subscribed, but what they hope reading your work will change for them. Sometimes readers can’t articulate this fully, but their words (even raw ones) reveal patterns you can’t see from the inside.
One thing I’ve noticed with founders and writers is that we’re often too close to our own work to see the niche clearly and it only clicks after a bit of structured reflection and conversation. The answers are already there, hidden in what you’ve been writing and how people are responding. The following couple of exercise may help to turn “mystified” into clarity pretty quickly.
1. Subscriber Voice Mapping: collect 5–10 replies, comments, or casual messages from subscribers. Highlight exact words they use when describing why they read. Group them into themes (e.g., “I feel less alone,” “I get clarity,” “I learn practical steps”).
👉 Outcome: You start to see what problem you’re solving through their language, not yours.
2. Content Mirror Exercise; Take your last 10 posts. For each, write in one sentence: “What was I really trying to give the reader?” (inspiration, clarity, healing, practical system, etc.). Then ask: “Which of these gifts do I want to be known for?”
👉 Outcome: Shows you which parts of your writing are both consistent and aligned with your identity.
3. Mini Discovery Call with Subscribers: Reach out to 2–3 readers and ask:
1. Why did you subscribe?
2. What part of my writing has helped you most?
3. If I stopped writing tomorrow, what would you miss?
👉 Outcome: Patterns emerge that reveal your “hidden niche.”
This is brilliant! Thank you for suggesting this process. I will give it a try!
Many interesting and helpful tips here. Back when I had a business with discovery calls, my close rate was like 95% because everybody wanted the product I was selling: higher SAT scores for their college-bound teenagers. I have a much more difficult time applying the sort of framework to sub stack audiences, since it's not really clear what people are looking for or why they are subscribing to my newsletter. To be honest.
Thank you for sharing this. A 95% close rate is incredible, and it really shows the power of having a clear, urgent value proposition (higher SAT scores is a very tangible “must-have”).
I agree, applying a discovery call framework to something like Substack feels trickier, because subscribers don’t always articulate what they’re truly seeking. But in a way, the same principle applies: it’s about uncovering the “hidden job to be done.” Why did they hit subscribe? Relief from overwhelm? Inspiration? A system to act on?
For me, I’ve started to think of engagement tools (surveys, replies, even short check-ins, DMs) as mini discovery calls with my audience and the community on substack.
They help me learn not just what content people read, but why it matters to them.
Curious if you could run one “discovery call question” with your subscribers, what would you ask them?