Why I Deleted My 3,000-Subscriber Substack and What’s Next

Hi Reader,

About ten days ago, I made a significant decision that I'd been contemplating for a long time. After reading an inspiring post from a creator I admire on Substack, I finally took the plunge—I deleted my first Substack publication, which had over 3,000 subscribers.

Some might think I'm crazy, but for me, it was the right choice, and it still feels that way.

As always, I believe in being transparent, so I want to share the thought process behind this decision, the reasons why I did it, and my vision for the future of my business.

In my journey of refining my business, I’ve also been reflecting on how to make starting a blog on Substack simpler and more effective.

I’ve just published a new blog post that guides you through launching a blog on Substack with ease. It's packed with practical tips and insights to help you get started successfully.

👉 Read 'Starting a Blog on Substack: Your Simple Path to Success' for a step-by-step guide and start amplifying your reach today!

How My First Substack Journey Began

In 2018, I launched my first blog in German, focusing on personal finance for women. Over the years, this blog grew into a thriving online business, earning me a five-figure income, well on its way to six figures.

In 2023, I came across Substack on Instagram, and after some research, I was impressed by its simplicity, features, and opportunities. So, I decided to start my first Substack publication in German, as an extension of my existing blog.

My goal was to grow, connect, and offer a paid newsletter. I imported my subscribers from ConvertKit and began publishing.

However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that German might not be the ideal language for Substack. It was challenging to connect with new subscribers, so I continued to regularly import leads from ConvertKit.

Despite this disadvantage, I consistently published posts and newsletters—starting with one per week, and eventually adding a second paid one. I gained paid subscribers, but another drawback became apparent: there was no option for PayPal payments, which is crucial in the German market.

To address this, I published all my paid content on a self-hosted membership platform, offering both credit card and PayPal payment options. This also allowed me to organize my content in a more user-friendly way.

Even so, I continued publishing on Substack.

This year, I decided to launch a new business in English.

Although my initial plan was to go all-in on Substack, I ended up starting a second blog and using Substack as a complement.

The experience was entirely different—it was much easier to connect, publish, and engage with readers than it had been with my German publication.

Why I Deleted My German Substack: The Decision Behind It

During my online business journey, I took several courses to learn from the best and grow.

One crucial lesson that has become a core part of my business philosophy is the importance of growing vertically, not horizontally—focusing on a few interconnected products rather than spreading thin with many small ones.

As a minimalist, even in business, this is my guiding principle.

I prefer work that drives results, not just more tasks.

This philosophy led me to the decision to delete my German Substack publication. The effort I was putting into it didn’t align with the outcomes. I was already doing the same work directly through my blog—selling memberships on my own platform, publishing content there, and sending newsletters to both free and paid subscribers via ConvertKit.

Nothing was lost in the process. All the content remained accessible on my self-hosted platforms, and my subscribers were already on ConvertKit.

So, was there any other reason to keep it? No, the decision was clear.

What’s Next for My German and New English Businesses?

Consistency and simplicity are key components of my business strategy.

When I started my German blog, I focused on just two platforms to grow my traffic: Pinterest and Google. While Google is a long-term strategy and doesn’t bring immediate results, Pinterest remains my biggest source of traffic. I also began with affiliate marketing and one digital product to start generating income.

This approach allowed me to begin earning and set the stage for adding higher-level products, which led existing buyers to purchase more.

I plan to apply this same design to my business moving forward.

My German business will be streamlined to include only three products: a workbook, a course, and a membership.

Similarly, for my new English business, I will start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test the waters and gauge what works best.

I continue to simplify and streamline my business based on my customers' needs. This strategy allows me to grow my income while doing less.

This simplicity is also reflected in the recent updates I made to my two websites, which now showcase my offers more effectively.

Just simple: WHO – WHAT – HOW.

Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Doing more doesn’t necessarily mean earning more. Focus instead on work that leads to results and revenue for your online business.

When starting an online business, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the multitude of options and the urge to try everything at once. But that’s not the effective approach.

Start by defining what you want to achieve with your business: how it should look, who you want to serve, and how (e.g., writing, newsletters, coaching, courses).

Then, move forward step by step, keeping your goals and priorities in mind.

Don’t be distracted by what others are doing around you; instead, learn from how they market themselves and their business.

xo,

Katja