Private Message from Bill Bishop: “Things go better when you get out of your own way”

The kinda true story of the origins of Substack

If you want an official history of how Substack came to be, I recommend you read Hamish McKenzie’s excellent chronicle of its origin. What I will offer here is a fabricated account, based on a couple of facts, some familiarity with the characters involved, and the schemes of my own imagination. 

About five years ago, a frustrated reader, Chris, walked into a bar. He ordered a beer, and, as he scrolled through various feeds on his phone, he mumbled to himself, “Goddammit, I’m so tired of clickbait. What you read matters.” This caught the attention of the man sitting next to him, a frustrated writer, Hamish, who had just sold his latest piece to a news website for the equivalent of a can of cat food. After a few rounds of beers and many rounds of “yeah”s, “damn right”s, and “same here”s, Hamish said, “If only there were an easy way for writers to write what they want, for those who want to read it.” And Chris added, “Yeah, and get paid for it directly.” They looked at each other. “Louie, Louie” was playing. There was a moment of recognition. So the next day, hungover but determined, they put on their cleanest T-shirts and caught a flight to Washington, D.C., to meet the only person who could help them put this crazy idea to the test.

His name was

Bill Bishop

. Bill was an accomplished entrepreneur and a former media executive who wrote free of charge what was widely praised as “the single best newsletter about China.” Chris and Hamish met him at a Starbucks. “Look,” Chris said, taking out his laptop, “we promise you this one thing. We will take care of absolutely everything for you, except the hardest part: the writing. That, only you can do, and you shouldn’t have to worry about anything else.” Bill considered this for a moment. He saw it had potential. He had been contemplating paid subscriptions, but implementing them was just too complicated. “So what are you going to call this thing?” he asked.

Substack exists largely thanks to Bill Bishop. This part of the story is entirely true. Not only did he take a chance on Chris and Hamish and entrust them with his business, he helped them design its original version. He was also the one who suggested that Substack be in charge of his customer support, which has defined the character of this company. Everyone who works at Substack is essentially there to provide support to writers: our savvy Support team that responds swiftly to queries, but our engineers, designers, and writer relationship managers as well. We are as much human as we are code. The tradition that was set by Bill has carried on. Substack continues to take shape through writer feedback. We are still building this thing, together, with them. 

Last November, we went to D.C. to celebrate the five-year anniversary of Bill’s

Sinocism

, which also marked Substack’s fifth birthday. Bill and his wife, Carol Chow, generously hosted a small group of writers at their home. At the end of the night, a few of us overstayed our welcome and grabbed a nightcap with Bill in his emerald-green parlor. 

“I have this silly idea, and I want to get your take,” I said. “I am thinking of putting together a brief questionnaire for Substack writers. I would like to encourage them to talk about Substack to the world the way they do to me in private conversations.”

By this point, Bill had heard plenty of silly new ideas from our lot. 

“Yes, you should do it,” he told me. He would take part. 

May all ideas meet at their inception someone like Bill, who will see the potential in them and spur them on. 

Here is that private message from Bill Bishop.

Dorothy Parker wanted this on her tombstone: Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgment. What would yours say? 

So, I don’t really like to think about my tombstone, but if I have to, perhaps it would say, Things go better when you get out of your own way.

Best advice you’ve ever received?

I have to say that it didn’t really come to me directly, but now that I live in D.C., it’s still, I think, very valid, which is that if you want a friend in D.C., get a dog.

A mistake worth repeating: 

One of the biggest professional mistakes I made, which turned out to be wonderful, was I moved to China in 2005 for a startup that failed. So that’s definitely a mistake I would make all over again.

What I’ve learned (in one sentence): 

In terms of things I’ve learned, probably the most important is that you usually understand less than you think you do.

What is a Substack in 7 words? 

For me, Substack is a platform for a community around your interests.

Most delicious thing about it:

One of my favorite things about Substack is finding new friends and harnessing the collective knowledge and wisdom of those folks.

What has Substack brought to your life? 

Substack has brought me new friends and acquaintances, made me smarter, and given me some financial success.

What have your subscribers taught you? 

My subscribers have taught me that there really is a deep desire for better-differentiated sources of information.

Fill in the blank: Don’t start a ________, start a Substack.

Don’t start a newsletter, start a Substack.

What is freedom for a writer? 

I’m not sure that writers are ever truly free until they get out of their own way.

What is Substack to you in one word?

Potential.

Private message is a new mini-series asking writers to send a voice mail to Substack’s

Sophia Efthimiatou

, head of writer relations, with reflections on what Substack brought to their lives.

If you’re inspired by Bill and want to start your own Substack, you can get started here: