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How Substack uses deceptive design to boost sign-ups
How they exploit uncertainty to drive upgrades
The risks of careless A/B testing
If you look at Substack's marketing, you'll clearly see their hook: we will grow your newsletter.
Their showcase testimonial claims that 78% of their new subscribers come from other Substack recommendations.
How are they getting this kind of meteoric growth? Is it solely network effects?
Partly it's because their reader experience is packed with deceptive design and exploits.
It might be intentional, or it may be the outcome of relentless A/B testing.
I've seen first-hand that these techniques work—I would just never recommend that you use them.
Let me show you.
Case study
Written by Peter Ramsey
Published
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