In the competitive world of newsletter publishing, audience growth is a constant challenge. A new initiative called Substack Growth Mastermind aims to change that by turning live events into interactive working sessions where creators actively build their subscriber lists. The program, which is not formally associated with Substack itself, is hosted by Amy Chang and John Toomey and produced by Soani Gunawan. It offers a weekly live show where participants engage in simple, repeated actions designed to increase their reach.
The core innovation is the shift from passive consumption to active creation. As Gunawan explains, most Substack Lives are a passive experience for people in the Chat. Typically they watch one or two experts talking to each other. The content might be valuable or not, but it's strictly a hands-off experience; there is no opportunity for participants to build or create during the session itself. We wanted to improve upon that by making each Live a working opportunity for attendees to gain followers, subscribers, and in some cases clients. Chang adds that 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.
The program employs several strategies to achieve this. Each week, SuperStacker Prizes are awarded to recognize platform members who contributed the best Notes, Articles, Comments, or Restacks from the previous week. This encourages superior performance of these mini-skills, which are often overlooked but are invaluable for creator growth. Audience members also submit their own Notes in the Chat and then like, comment, and restack others' Notes during the live session, leading to lively discussions.
Furthermore, at least one audience-submitted Note becomes the central topic for a group mind mapping session using Ayoa.com. Everyone in the Chat can comment on and add to the mind map, which is then posted to the program's social media and website. Submissions that can be used as a main prompt for AI tools like Claude Artifact, GPT, Gemini Gem, or Perplexity Space and that address one of the UN's 169 Sustainability Indicators can earn a Hero Award. More details about the Hero Award can be found at theheroaward.net.
The most insightful contributions from attendees are added to a draft press release before the end of the program, giving participants a chance to see their writing referenced by news publications within days. If time allows, the hosts conduct a mini-audit of an audience member's Substack publication to identify areas for future growth. Occasionally, 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 producers plan to incubate and nurture other writers who want to mount their own similar live programs. Chang says, We find that live video is the best way to get a potential audience to know, like, and trust you. 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. Future plans include a weekly challenge that offers participants ways to build significant growth before the next week's program, where their achievement will be celebrated. A SuperStacker prize will be offered to creators who help another writer reach Bestseller status.
For creators struggling to gain traction, this program offers a collaborative and action-oriented approach. By leveraging swarm intelligence and live interaction, Substack Growth Mastermind not only helps individuals grow but also fosters a community of mutual support. To join, visit https://substack.com/@growbyhelpingothers. To learn more about Substack, visit substack.com.
