Two Months, Two Rising Badges, and the Panic No One Talks About

How would you handle it, really?

What’s your take on Substack’s “Rising” board?

For me, it always felt like something distant, hard to reach, maybe even a little mythical. I imagined it as a rare badge of recognition, something that would be hugely rewarding if it ever happened.

Then, just two months after opening paid subscriptions, it happened. Twice. I got that little badge: “Rising in Business.”

Both “Rising in Business” badge received before July, 2025

And both times, right after the initial thrill, I felt… nervous.

I’d always assumed that kind of recognition would make me feel proud. Validated. Like my newsletter was finally picking up momentum. And yes, in some ways, it did. But right alongside the excitement came this unexpected flutter of anxiety.

Because real paying subscribers started joining almost immediately, and suddenly, I felt the weight of their expectations.

What did they see in my work?
What exactly was I committing to by showing up on that board?

That question kept echoing.

To be honest, I wasn’t talking about dozens of paid subscribers. But even that was enough to make me pause and ask myself, Am I really ready for this?

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Checking My Offer — What Did I Actually Promise?

I started this newsletter to live the frontier of AI-augmented building journey, to share the real, sometimes messy process of creating products where AI isn't just a tool, but a collaborative partner that fundamentally changes how we approach problems, iterate on solutions, and scale our capabilities as individual builders.

When AI can help you prototype in minutes what used to take days, when it can process data patterns you'd never spot manually, when it can generate variations faster than you can evaluate them, the entire builder's journey transforms. So when I opened up paid subscriptions, it felt natural to deliver specific AI-powered tools and resources that would make the subscription worthwhile.

Here’s what I had listed back then:

• Quick Viral Notes (QVN) credits — an AI-powered system that transforms long-form content into engaging social posts. The idea was to make it a brainstorming buddy for people (and me) trying to write better Substack notes faster. (soon removed from the list, more explanation on that later)

• Full access to Substack Explorer — a tool for finding patterns and making sense of the Substack landscape. Sort of like a personal radar for newsletter growth, backed by straightforward data analysis.

• Templates and workflows — a collection of AI prompt engineering templates and automation workflows I've developed through experimentation. They're living documents that evolve as I discover new AI capabilities. No one had actually asked for them, but I figured, they’d be handy when needed.

• Personal access — I’d even mentioned offering one-on-one help, though I hadn’t really established a static form how that would take yet.

When the Rising board happened and new readers started showing up, my first instinct was to audit myself on these promises.

How was QVN holding up?
Was Substack Explorer actually helpful?
Had I kept the templates fresh and useful?

The honest answer? There was plenty of room for improvement. Some features were still beta-quality; some content ideas hadn’t fully materialized. Realizing this made my nerves spike a bit more, but it also lit a fire under me.

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Doubling Down on the Work I Believe In

When I first listed Quick Viral Notes and Substack Explorer as part of my offering, I genuinely believed they could help writers navigate the Substack space. Honestly, I’ve probably been the biggest user of both tools myself.

They’re built around two simple growth principles most of us hear all the time:

1. Write Substack Notes consistently to get exposure and new signups — QVN helps generate those notes fast, using your own content as the starting point.

2. Collaborate with people in your niche to grow together — Substack Explorer helps you find those people in seconds (not days or weeks) and surface insights worth acting on.

About QVN

Here’s a funny thing that happened when I first enabled paid subscriptions: people saw QVN listed, clicked over to try the product, and instead of paying to the newsletter… they bought a starter kit for QVN.

It made me realize, people do see the value, especially when it solves a specific pain point fast and affordably. And for folks without premium access to tools like ChatGPT or Claude, paying less than a cent for a draft note felt like a bargain.

That also taught me something else:
Tying the newsletter too closely to a product isn’t the right move.

So I took QVN out of the paid subscription bundle and kept it as a standalone product. I’m pretty sure most of my paid subscribers didn’t even notice it was ever part of the offer. But just in case they did, or were curious, I’ve been quietly working on improving it.

Here’s what I’m focusing on with QVN right now:

• Expanding note formats — Right now, I use it for maybe 25% of my notes because sometimes I need different lengths or styles. That needs to change.

• Adding a scheduler — So people (including me) don’t have to switch between QVN and Substack every time they want to post.

I’ve previously built a basic scheduler for myself, but even posting four notes a day felt like too much, especially when I want to spend more time exploring AI and working on projects, so I’d stopped for a while.

Recently, I connected the scheduler with QVN’s database for testing… and let’s just say it worked too well. It posted all 50+ unedited notes I’d queued up previously (and forgot about), at once. If you happened to see a flood of random notes from me on Substack, that was my experiment going off the rails. But it’s in progress, and I’m hoping to have a working version ready soon.

When the notes scheduling went “too well”

About Substack Explorer

At the same time, I’ve been refining Substack Explorer. This tool started as a way for me to solve a personal problem: finding relevant people to connect with. I’ve used it for three things:

• Understanding the Substack landscape in topics I care about.

• Finding my first group of newsletters for swapping recommendations.

• Connecting with people working with AI who share my wavelength and curiosity.

To be clear, even with Substack Explorer, I still have to do the real work: reaching out, building relationships, respecting when people say no. The Explorer works more like a compass, it shows you where to look, but you’ve still got to take the steps yourself.

No matter what means we use, growth on Substack isn't just about having the right tools, it's about consistently showing up and connecting authentically. What I'm happy about is that these tools help me focus my limited time more effectively, especially since I'm naturally not very social and need to balance newsletter work with product development.

So far, I’ve improved Substack Explorer in three ways:

• A simpler, more straightforward dashboard.

• Clearer newsletter positioning and niche data.

• Interactive charts that help visualize connections and trends.

If you’re a paid subscriber and care for testing this product, keep an eye out for the one-year invite email to access it, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you want tips on using it or thoughts on growth. I’m building and iterating it for the long game.

Lastly, I’m gradually moving all my AI templates and workflows into one spot, so feel free to check in when you need something or just want a peek at what I use.

Somewhere along the way, the nervousness I’d felt earlier started to fade. Taking action helped more than overthinking. But right as I was settling in, a different kind of challenge started creeping in: Am I still being me, doing what I enjoy doing?

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When Growth Sparks Self-Doubt

Funny enough, the more this newsletter grew, the more I caught myself second-guessing. Hitting the Rising board didn’t just bring new subscribers, it brought new questions I hadn’t prepared for. People started asking things like: “Have you thought about getting sponsors?” or hinting I could grow faster if I tweaked my content.

That’s when I had to stop and ask: Will chasing growth or monetization pull me away from why I started?

I want this community to thrive. And yes, seeing income come in feels validating. But I’m also wary of losing my direction. I started this newsletter to explore the cutting edge of what's possible when AI becomes your building partner — sharing discoveries, failures, and breakthroughs as they happen. That's still what drives me.

Of course, the bigger you get, the easier it is to drift. Growth and money can pull you off course, or they can amplify who you already are. It’s on me to choose.

And I realized I couldn’t answer this just by looking inward. I needed to understand the readers and subscribers. Why did they sign up? What are they here for? That’s when things started to click.

Who Are My Subscribers, Really?

When I took a closer look at who’ve supported this newsletter, I saw real people, each with their own reasons for being here.

Some joined because they wanted the tools, insights, and reports; looking for practical ways to leverage AI for newsletter growth or content creation. They’ve tested Quick Viral Notes, explored Substack Explorer, asked thoughtful questions, and pushed me to deliver better solutions. I see that, and it keeps me motivated to push my boundaries of what individual creators can achieve with AI as a collaborator.

Some came along to support the AI experimentation journey itself. Maybe they’re quietly learning about AI possibilities alongside me, or maybe they just believe in this approach to AI-augmented building and want to see where it leads. They might never use the tools or ask for anything, and that kind of quiet support becomes a powerful motivator for deeper AI exploration. It reminds me that trust isn’t always about transactions; sometimes it’s about shared belief in the work.

So here’s my note:

• If you’re paying for the tools and insights — watch for the next Substack Explorer report in your email (in addition to the 1-year invite). I’m putting together AI-driven data analysis with actionable steps dedicated for you.

• If you’re here for the AI building journey — my DMs are always open. I know your time is precious, and I respect that. Whether we talk or not, I’m grateful for your support and your trust.

It’s easy to get caught up in growth goals or content plans. But looking at this community reminded me why I started, and who I want to build this with.

This insight has clarified my path forward. Rather than feeling torn or unsure about what direction to grow in, I now have a simple guiding star: serve the mission of exploring AI’s potential for myself as an individual builder, and that is the way to serve the readers too. Once I understood this, my worries about growth changing me started to ease. Growth isn’t about chasing an imaginary ideal audience; it’s about staying true to self.

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Here’s What I’m Planning Next

Writing this newsletter has pushed me way past my comfort zone, and in the best ways. It’s made me braver about trying things I used to overthink or put off. Now, I’m leaning into ideas I’ve wanted to explore for a while but never quite dared to start.

One of those is hosting something new: an AI-focused Sprint or Workshop in mid-October.

It’ll have a free component open to everyone, and full access will be available to paid subscribers.

I’m still figuring out the topics and the best way to make it valuable, but here are a few ideas I’m considering, ranging from light and practical to a bit more hands-on:

• AI use cases that actually make life easier

• How to use AI tools without overthinking it

• A conversation about AI prompt engineering — what works, what doesn’t, what’s changed

• Growth on Substack, with or without the tools mentioned above

• Getting started with no-code tools

• Exploring AI tools like NotebookLM, n8n, Cursor — and how they fit into real workflows

• Hands-on sessions for automation or project-building with Cursor

If any of these spark your interest, or if you’ve got something specific in mind, I’d love to hear from you.

This is my way of giving back to the community, and staying true to why I started. I want this space to be somewhere we can all grow, with curiosity and experimentation at the center.

Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just signed up today. Whether you’re here for the tools, the insights, or simply walking alongside me for a while. Thank you for being part of this.

I’m excited for what’s next in this AI-powered journey.

If there’s something you hope to see, or if you just want to say hi, my inbox is always open.