Newsletter

The Why of Substack 

Not for the first time, the newsletter platform Substack is coming under criticism for hosting and now (accidentally) promoting Nazi content. Today, John Gruber of Daring Fireball is leading this crusade. This seems to be a recurring occurrence. They have controversies. Many express outrage. Some leave the platform. And Substack keeps growing. Why? 

I took a step back and asked some basic questions. The answers should help you understand the “why” of Substack.

  • What is Substack really selling?
  • Why do they have 5 million people paying for subscriptions on their platform?
  • Why are they growing?
  • What have they built?
  • Why did they receive $100 million in new funding at a valuation of $1 billion?

Back in 2011, in an interview with McKinsey & Co, Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, pointed out that, “Over 5 or ten years, fiber optics and the wireless explosion will completely crush the business models of old media companies and industries. For companies focused on content and distribution, distribution just goes away.” 

Around that same

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Technology
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A letter from Om. Issue #13/2023 

Hi! I am Om & this is my letter where I share what’s on my mind, my latest writings, articles worth reading from around the web, my recommendations & some of my photography. 

In this issue, I address: 

What I am up to? 

It has been awfully silent around here for a simple reason: I was away for almost three weeks on a photography trip and was mostly offline. I first traveled by boat in Greenland and later ventured into the highlands of Iceland. Then I went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to see the glory of Autumn. And when I got back, well, the virus got me.

While these trips were educational and interesting, they didn’t yield any remarkable photos. However, they clarified something essential for

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A Letter From Om
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Some Changes

A few weeks ago, I wandered and wondered among the redwoods, hoping that their magnificence and their silence would allow me space to think about some things that have been on my mind. One of these has been my newsletter — specifically, its ambiguous nature and what I should do about it. 

I have struggled with completing my writing on a preset schedule, shoehorning it into a preset format, and delivering it via email at a regular time. I have never been very good at thinking and writing with too many guardrails. Sometimes, words happen. Ideas form. And dots connect. And I start writing. But sometimes they don’t, and I don’t care to force it. 

I have often lamented that the “why” of blogging got overtaken by the “what” and the “how,” with the tools and format becoming the primary focus. Ironically I made the same mistake with my newsletter. I don’t

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Technology
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Photos By Om Newsletter

Photo by Chris Michel

Every photo tells a story. And there is a story behind every image. As a writer, I found myself restricted by the social platforms when it came to telling that story.

I believe we all deserve more than a blink of an eye for our work. The web allows me to share higher quality images and gives you a chance to view them on a screen bigger than our phones.

I wanted to unshackle from the silver cage of social media, and that is why I started a small newsletter — to share my creative work.

I also sometimes share links to the work of other photographers, articles worth reading, and soon short chats with fellow photographers whose work I admire.

I hope you can join me on my journey and sign-up for this occasional newsletter.

On Photography
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Write like a human

black and silver fountain pen
Photo by Álvaro Serrano on Unsplash

Given that I have been writing three decades, including eighteen-plus years a blogger, I am hardly surprised that I am repeatedly asked: how should I write? And my answer is always the same — write like a human. 

We are getting buried under freeze-dried news reports and hot takes that make supermarket baloney feel like a prime cut. Everything feels like a faded facsimile of everything else. It is the internet equivalent of the same strip mall mediocrity. 

So that is why I say. Be real. Write like a person. That is how your words will be unique because only you can be you. 

Your writing should reflect your thinking. You don’t need to become someone else. You have to look no further than inwards to find your words and your writing style. 

Your writing should have the same compassion you have when you speak

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Musings
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What to read this weekend 

The not-so chill history of the Hawaiian shirt. As someone who has been known to wear these shirts, I say with confidence that this is an excellent read.

The amazing hunt for a multi-million-dollar stolen car is a perfect end-of-summer whodunit. 

The Californication of America’s restaurants is not a good thing. It is just too much sameness if you ask me. 

The collapse of a hospital empire shows the downside of the rampant privatization of our healthcare system. 

Louisiana’s disappearing coast. I don’t think we need to look beyond America’s borders to see that climate change is here, it is real, and it is causing havoc in many communities. 

 

Musings
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Some Good Reads

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Musings
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Some Good Reads

  1. Summer is almost here. And soon, we will be wearing the Polo Shirt. Maybe it is time you learn about the history of the Polo Shirt. Right?
  2. Did IBM Watson overpromise and underdeliver on AI healthcare? IEEE Spectrum digs into what some of us always thought was really just one big marketing push — or as they say, all sizzle and no steak.
  3. 66 minutes to save Notre Dame. It is a news report, but it is a damn good one.
  4. The End of Empathy. NPR sometimes outdoes itself. Empathy, like civility and considered thinking, has become a victim of how networks have metastasized and accelerated our lives beyond belief.
  5. Dice Roll: The Phantom Gambler. Okay, this is just good writing.
  6. Why does Popovich — the NBA’s all-time winningest coach and the architect of a two-decades-long basketball dynasty — care so damn much about dinner? The answer may surprise you.

This

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Musings
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