Not long ago, I came across Substack — and yes, I might have been a bit late to the game but I am glad I finally did.
At a time when keeping up with Martech, AI, and leadership often feels overwhelming (and, if I’m honest, quite noisy), I found something different: thoughtful, in-depth content from people who are actually doing the work.
Not summaries. Not headlines. Real perspectives.
So I started exploring it more intentionally and I thought this might be useful for anyone else who is either new to Substack or simply curious about how to get value from it.
One question that might be popping into your mind - what is Substack?
The simplest way I’ve come to understand it is this:
It’s a mix between a blog, an email newsletter, and a subscription platform, all in one.
You follow writers, and instead of having to search for content, their articles come directly to your inbox. You can read them via email, on the platform itself, or in the app.
To be honest, for me newsletters have been overwhelming, they rapidly fill the inboxes but they can be useful to alert you when the content of someone you follow is out, I still prefer in this case go to the platform and explore the content there.
What I found most useful is how the content is structured.
There is still noise — but much less than on traditional social platforms like LinkedIn. You feel like you have more control over what you see, rather than leaving it entirely in the hands of an algorithm.
And because writers can monetise premium content, there’s a clear incentive to go deeper.
Not just telling you the before and after but actually explaining how to get from one to the other.
That, for me, is where the real value is.
How to get started (what worked for me)
If you’re new to Substack, this is how I approached it:
- Start by searching topics you care about (Martech, AI, Leadership)
- Follow a few writers, not too many to begin with (I would say start with up to 5)
- Let the emails come in and skim what resonates
- Use it more as a learning space than a social feed
It doesn’t take long before the experience becomes much more tailored and relevant.
Here are 10 substacks I’ve been enjoying and learning from:
- Pipeline & Perspective — Nicole Gates - https://substack.com/@ngates24
Nicole has a great way of explaining everyday marketing challenges in simple terms — from innovation and leadership to how AI can support both.
- The Customer Continuum — Kevin Lau - https://substack.com/@kevinkennethlau
Kevin brings a very real perspective on what customer marketing actually feels like in practice. I particularly enjoy his take on balancing internal and external expectations.
- Leadership in Change — Joel Salinas - https://substack.com/@leadershipinchange10
A coaching-led perspective on human-centred AI strategy, adoption, and practical frameworks that can actually be applied.
- The Marketing Operations Leader — Darrell Alfonso - https://substack.com/@themarketingoperationsleader
Darrell approaches marketing operations through a problem–solution lens, which makes his content very relatable for anyone working close to execution.
- Martech for Humans — Ward Rushton - https://substack.com/@martechforhumans
A seasoned Martech expert who explores complex but essential topics — from starting projects from scratch to the ever-relevant topic of measurement.
- AI Marketing — Jonathan Martinez - https://substack.com/@jon4growth
From marketer to founder, Jonathan shares practical ways to use AI to improve efficiency and performance.
- Martech AI — Charlie Hills - https://substack.com/@charliehills
Focused on practical, everyday applications of AI in branding, content, and marketing operations.
- AI Marketing — Lorena Bordonaba - https://substack.com/@lorenabordonaba
Spanish-language content, but incredibly rich for marketers looking to scale content and assets using AI, grounded in real use cases.
- Growth Unhinged — Kyle Poyar - https://substack.com/@kylepoyar
Although no longer active on Substack, his past content is still a valuable resource on go-to-market strategy — and a good example of how to continue following writers beyond the platform.
- CMO Mandate Curators - https://substack.com/@cmomandata
One special mention here – while I was learning about substack some of my SAS CI Experts colleagues were busy writing and launching a Substack channel too! CMO Mandate Curators is all about telling you all the true facts about how the marketing is shifting, what we can expect and what we should do about it.
I’m still exploring Substack, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. But what stands out to me so far is once again what I mentioned at the beginning of my text - in a world where content is getting faster, shorter, and often louder, Substack seems to reward depth, clarity, and real thinking.
And specially in Martech, technology and leadership, that feels more important than ever.
If you haven’t explored it yet, it might be worth a look and if you already have, I’d love to hear which writers you’re learning from. 😊
