Substack Was Built to Be Shared. So Why Are You Gatekeeping It?

You Can’t Complain About Growth and Fear It at the Same Time

I am fairly new to Substack. But since I joined, I’ve been seeing a lot of “gatekeep Substack” posts.

“Guys! Our space is getting invaded.”

“Celebrities are coming. It’s over.”

And I just find it interesting.

Not annoying. Not offensive. Just interesting.

Because why are you trying to gatekeep something that was built to be shared?

I’m new here. I don’t feel like an insider. And maybe that’s why I find the gatekeeping interesting. Because if someone told me not to join when I did, I wouldn’t be writing this right now.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand where these feelings stem from.

Substack feels different.

It’s slower.

It’s more thoughtful.

It feels less performative than X and we experience little to no chaos on the platform. At least from what I’ve experienced so far.

People actually finish their sentences here.

People explain themselves in the most kind way possible.

People think.

It feels intimate.

And when something feels intimate, you don’t want it to be diluted.

I get that.

But I think we’re asking the wrong question.

Instead of asking, “How do we keep people out?” maybe we should be asking, “How do we protect the culture?”

Because culture is what makes a space special. Not exclusivity.

And here’s the interesting thing I’ve noticed:

When people come from other apps to Substack, they adjust to the Substack culture. It’s almost like there’s an unspoken etiquette here. You don’t just drop hot takes and run. You don’t insult strangers for sport. You don’t rage bait people for engagement.

You write.

You think.

You explain.

It’s like the environment demands a different version of you.

That’s culture.

And culture scales when it’s strong.

Gatekeeping doesn’t protect culture. It protects comfort.

It’s ironic to fear new arrivals while also craving new readers.

How exactly do you want to grow if you don’t want new people in the building?

There are billions of people on earth. Even if 0.1% of them joined Substack, that’s still more potential readers, more potential connections, more potential opportunities.

Growth doesn’t automatically equal destruction.

Weak culture equals destruction.

If the culture is strong enough, anyone who joins will adapt to it.

And maybe this is bigger than Substack.

I’ve always found gatekeeping strange in general.

Buying a T-shirt and hoping no one else wears it.

Loving a song and hoping it doesn’t get too popular.

Discovering a restaurant and hoping it stays hidden.

Why?

If something is good, why wouldn’t you want more people to experience it?

The way you wear something is still yours.

The way you interpret music is still yours.

The way you write is still yours.

More people enjoying something doesn’t erase your relationship with it.

So maybe the real question isn’t about Substack at all.

Maybe the real question is:

What exactly are we afraid will happen if more people join?

Are we protecting culture?

Or are we protecting exclusivity?

And those two things are not the same.

One builds community.

The other builds walls.