What would it take for a paid Substack to support your life? In episode 4 of Sitting on a Bench, Carolina and I do the math on a $5,000 month, then get into the part the calculator can’t show: why offering something for $10 can feel easier than looking someone in the eye and naming a price that could actually sustain you. We talk about where Substack fits, how our first clients found us, and what changes when you build from conversations outward.
TL;DR — Here’s what we covered
How Many Paid Subscribers Does It Take to Earn $5,000 a Month?
What Our Bestseller Badge Does—and Doesn’t—Tell You About Our Business
Why a $10 Offer Can Feel Safer Even When the Math Doesn’t Work
How Three Clients Can Change the Income Equation
Why Your First Offer Should Be a Hypothesis You Test in Conversation
Where Your First Clients May Be Hiding in Your Existing Relationships
When a Paid Subscription Creates More Work Than Its Price Can Support
Why One Clear Invitation Can Beat a Menu of Ways to Buy
How to Tell Whether the Friction Is in Your Business Model or in Your Willingness to Be Seen
‘Thank you Dr. Tara Cousineau 💛, Inge van de Graaf, Anne Rottie, and many others for tuning into the live episode of our private podcast with Carolina Wilke!
If you’re building meaningful work on Substack, the question isn’t only whether people will pay to read it. It’s whether the business you’re building can support the life you want.
In the full conversation, Carolina and I do the subscriber math, share what our own Bestseller badge represents financially, and talk about the offer and conversations that can create income sooner.
