How One Creator Grew His Substack from Zero to 91,000+ (And how you can too using his method)

The realistic math, proven strategies, and ready-to-use scripts to grow your Substack from inside the Substack ecosystem—one day at a time.

Jul 21, 2025

Today I want to share a case study with you. A story. One that inspired me deeply when I first heard it two years ago.

When Ali Abouelatta created his Substack account, he didn’t publish a single post for an entire year. So if you’ve already started writing on Substack, congratulations, you’re ahead of the curve.

Then one day, he decided to grow his newsletter First 1000. He set a goal: 1,000 subscribers in six months.

He did the math. To reach 1,000 subscribers in six months, he’d need about 170 per month. That still felt overwhelming. So he broke it down further—170 divided by 30 days was roughly six subscribers a day.

Six felt doable.

He told himself, “If I spend one focused hour each day, even if it means standing at a subway station asking people one by one, I can get six subscribers a day.”

And that’s what he did. That became his core strategy.

As he progressed, he discovered something interesting. When it comes to growing a newsletter, there are two types of efforts: routine tasks (steady but slow), and growth experiments (bold and unpredictable).

He made a rule: Sundays and Mondays were for growth experiments. If those didn’t deliver the numbers he needed, he’d fall back on tried-and-tested tactics to hit his weekly goal of 40 subscribers.

Here’s what happened. Between October 2021 and October 2024, Ali published fewer than 30 posts. That’s less than one post a month.

And yet, his newsletter has grown to over 92,000 subscribers.

That’s the power of having a strategy, and experimenting relentlessly.

This article breaks down exactly how he did it. What worked, what didn’t, and what you can steal to grow your own Substack organically.

Let’s get into it.

Ready to get serious about Substack growth?

Here are the key points:

1. Growth takes time, but it compounds like magic.

That’s the first key takeaway. Your growth compounds. So does your content. But only if you stick around long enough to see the effects.

In his words:

“Had I quit in the first year, when I hadn't published a single post, it would've been the worst decision of my life.”

Most people quit just before things start working. For First 1000, that inflection point came when he hit 5,000 subscribers. After that, the momentum took over.

But before that? It was a slog. He was pushing content out with no feedback, no traction, and no clue if it was working.

So if you’re feeling invisible right now, welcome to the club. Keep showing up.

2. Set a clear goal and break it down (brutally)

When he got serious, Ali gave himself a simple target: 1,000 subscribers in 6 months.

Then he reverse-engineered the numbers.

That’s 170/month
40/week
6/day

Six subscribers a day suddenly felt doable.

“If I just spend one hour a day trying to grow, surely I can get 6 people.”

This wasn't wishful thinking. It was math. And math works.

That has been my goal too. I have been using Notes to grow my newsletter. And between January 2025 till July 2025 I have been able to add 983 subscribers to my newsletter.

I have yet to introduce the other strategies Ali talks about in this video. I am so excited by the prospect.

3. Use a two-part growth strategy: routine + experiments

The magic in Ali’s growth wasn’t in viral hacks. It was in combining two levers:

Routine efforts (boring but consistent)
Growth experiments (exciting but hit-or-miss)

Here’s how he structured his week:

Sunday & Monday: Creative growth experiments (test new ideas)
Tuesday–Saturday: Routine manual work (stick to the plan)

This meant even if an experiment flopped, he still had steady growth from reliable actions.

Smart.

Here is how I am going to include routine + growth strategies into mine.

Saturday & Sunday: Creative growth experiments (test new ideas)
Monday–Friday: Routine manual work - Notes + Manual Asking

4. The routine things that move the needle

Here’s a short list of the “boring” things that worked surprisingly well for Ali:

Add a newsletter pitch to your email signature
Post in founder or writer communities, especially when you’re celebrating a win
List your newsletter in 40+ directories
Start a content series on LinkedIn (and batch/schedule it to avoid burnout)
Cross-promote with other newsletters, even those bigger than you (he started with one 3x his size!)
Answer questions on Quora/Reddit related to your niche, with links to relevant issues

5. Ali’s experiments that worked (and the ones that flopped)

Some of his biggest growth spikes came from:

A post going viral on Hacker News, landing him a shoutout from Guy Kawasaki
Launching on Product Hunt—which netted 5,000+ subscribers in one day
Offering bonus resources (like rare pitch decks) in exchange for shares
Giving gift cards to readers who posted about his newsletter
Setting up a gamified referral program (referrals reset monthly, with rotating rewards)

But many ideas bombed.

51 Hacker News posts that got ignored
A merch experiment that made one $9 sale
Paid ads that lost to big-budget brands
A failed first Product Hunt launch (just 6 subscribers!)

Lesson?

Don’t just count your wins. Expect 80% of your experiments to flop.

“What kept me going was the routine. Without that, I wouldn’t have lasted long enough to see what worked.” - Ali Abouelatta

Grow like you mean it.

Ali ended his video with this truth bomb:

“You need to be serious about your growth. You need to invest the time.”

If you're only writing, you’re only doing half the work. Growth needs its own plan, its own time block, its own weekly goal.

Start with 6 subscribers a day.
Build your muscle.
Run small tests.
Log your learnings.
Keep your routines.
And don’t wait for permission or magic.

Because growth isn’t luck. It’s strategy, stamina, and showing up when most people quit.

I hope this video inspired you as much as it inspired me.

How to get 6 new subscribers every day?

You don’t need a massive audience or a viral post to grow your Substack.

You just need 6 people a day to say “yes.”

It’s not magic. It’s math.

And no, you don’t have to spend your life on Substack, run paid ads, or do backflips on LinkedIn.

The good news? Substack gives you everything you need—right inside its own ecosystem. You just need a strategy and a system.

Let’s break it down.

Step 1: The math of getting 6 subscribers

Let’s assume a conversion rate of 5%–10%, which is realistic for warm audiences.

At 10%, you need to reach 60 people/day
At 5%, you need to reach 120 people/day

That might sound like a lot, but with the tools inside Substack, it's completely doable in less than an hour a day.

Step 2: Where to find potential subscribers (inside substack)

These are your best hunting grounds:

1. Notes

Engage with Notes from other writers in your niche
Leave thoughtful comments
Post your own Notes regularly (share tips, ask questions, give value)
Your replies show up in their audience’s feed, this is algorithmic magic

10–15 thoughtful interactions/day can put you in front of 100–300+ readers

2. Recommendations

Ask mutuals or small writers to recommend you
Reciprocate or offer them a shout-out in Notes or your newsletter
Prioritize writers with a highly engaged, aligned audience, even if their list is small

Land one new recommendation per week and ride the algorithmic wave.

3. Chat Threads

Start or participate in Chat threads inside Substack (especially if you’re on a paid plan)
Treat it like a niche community forum, bring warmth, not promotion

2–3 valuable Chat posts or replies daily = new visibility.

4. Comment on Other Publications

Comment on newsletters within your niche
Don’t sell, just be insightful, curious, helpful
Substack notifies readers when someone replies to their comment = more discovery

3–5 meaningful comments/day.

5. Write Open Letters in Your Newsletter

Invite readers to forward your issue to 1–2 people who would benefit
Offer a personal behind-the-scenes note as a thank-you for referrals

Plant the seed. Even 2–3 shares/day adds up fast.

Step 3: What to say (Scripts + Starters)

If you’re DMing or replying to someone who might love your work, use this gentle, human approach.

Message Script (for 1:1 reach-outs)

Hey [Name], I saw your Note about [X] and loved your take. I write a newsletter for [audience] about [theme in your words].
Here’s a piece I think you’d enjoy: [link]
No pressure at all, but if it resonates, I’d love to have you as a reader: [Substack link]

Commenting Prompt (on Substack posts)

This resonated so much—especially what you said about [X].
I wrote something similar from a different angle in my newsletter [link]. Would love your take on it if you ever have a minute.

Referral Ask (in your newsletter)

If today’s issue made you think of someone who’d benefit—forward it along or share this link: [referral link]
Your word means the world to me. Plus, I’ll send a thank-you gift to anyone who brings in 3 new readers 💛

Step 4: Make it a daily routine.

Here’s a 30–45 minute plan to reach 60–120 people a day:

Comment on 3 Notes (10m) 60–100 readers via feed algo
Post 1 helpful Note (5m) 50–200 readers
Reply to 3 Substack posts (10m) 30–60 readers
DM or email 5 warm leads (10m) 5–10 new connections
Share a Chat or poll (5m) 30–50 readers

Done consistently, this system can bring in 6 new subscribers/day without burnout or spammy tactics.

Don’t Just Write. Invite.

You’re already doing the hard part—writing.

Now do the smart part—inviting.

Substack’s ecosystem is alive with curious readers and writers. They’re hanging out in Notes, reading newsletters, commenting on each other’s work, showing up in Chat threads.

You don’t need to chase strangers.
You just need to show up where your future readers already are.

Reach 60–120 people daily.
Be real. Be generous. Be consistent.

And 6 subscribers a day? That’ll feel like just the beginning.

That’s all from me today.

As always, thanks for reading.