I Don’t Want to Be Just Another Substack You Ignore

And You Can Help Me Build Something Valuable

Hey, Cristina here! 👋

Welcome back to my corner of the internet, where I try to make venture capital feel less intimidating and a lot more interesting!

This week’s post is about something I’ve been thinking a lot because it’s the foundation of the way I want to show up here: consistently adding real value to you.
It all starts with Kevin Kelly’s idea of “1,000 True Fans.”

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You know the feeling.

You sign up for a newsletter. It sounds smart or interesting or witty. Then after two or three emails, you stop opening them. It fades into the pile, right next to that unread productivity hack email and the newsletter you swore you’d get to after lunch… three weeks ago.

I don’t want that.

When I started this newsletter, the mission was simple: share what I'd learned about venture capital. Make it accessible. Cut through the jargon. Help people understand this world like how I’d explain it to a friend over tea or a long voice note.

Noble goal, right? Except I realized I've been having a one-way conversation this entire time.

Ouch.

So… Is Anyone Out There?

I currently have 24 subscribers, all 24 of you beautiful humans but in reality this is what my current reader feedback looks like:

• Radio silence (which is feedback in itself)

• The Substack share (thank you to Malvika and her

  The CPG Lab
  . Make sure to subscribe to it)

• One person who asked a really thoughtful question about my Spirit-tech piece

• Complete uncertainty about whether I'm actually helping anyone

This isn’t exactly momentum. This is me talking to myself in public while 24 very awesome and patient people listen.

Which brings me to Kevin Kelly.

The 1,000 True Fans Idea

In 2008, Kevin Kelly wrote an essay that’s now a classic in the creator world: 1,000 True Fans.

His point was simple,

You don’t need millions of fans to succeed. You just need 1,000 people who truly care about what you do. Who will read, buy, share, show up because they believe in you.

His main insight was this: it’s all about the connection.

True fans don't just consume your content. They help shape it. They tell you what's missing, what works, what doesn't.

Reading this, I have realized I’ve been focusing too much on one side, my side.

I’ve been trying to write about venture capital when what I actually want is to be useful in venture capital. I do not want this to feel like you are reading another polished piece from someone trying to sound impressive.

I want this newsletter to be something you look forward to. Something you open while waiting for your coffee or hiding from another Slack notification. Something useful, interesting, a little weird sometimes, but always worth your time.

Here's Where You Come In

I’m approaching this a little differently now. Instead of broadcasting into the void, I want to have a conversation. Instead of guessing what you want to know about venture capital, I want you to tell me, yes you, my 24 subscribers .

So here's my ask and I promise this isn't just engagement bait. I genuinely want to know:

1. What's your relationship with venture capital? Are you:

• A founder trying to decode investor-speak?

• Just curious about how this whole ecosystem actually works?

• An investor yourself, looking for a fresh perspective (or just tired of LinkedIn thought pieces)?

• Here because you’re part of my IncludedVC fam?

• Or maybe… you’re just here for the artsy/weird analogies? (Respect.)

2. What questions keep you up at night? What about VC or startups or tech makes you scratch your head? What would you want to understand better?

3. What format actually works for you? Do you want:

• Deep dives on specific topics?

• Quick weekly roundups?

• Case studies of deals gone right (or spectacularly wrong)?

• More behind-the-scenes, personal stories?

• Or maybe something totally different?

4. What's missing from your current information diet? What do other VC newsletters/podcasts/whatever get wrong or skip entirely?

The Experiment Starts Now

Here's what I'm committing to:

1. I will read and respond to every comment to this post. Yes, every one. Even the mean ones. (Especially the mean ones because they're often the most useful.)

2. I will share the results. In two weeks, I'll break down what I learned and how it's going to change what we do here.

3. I will create content based on your actual needs, and sometimes I will create content on what I think you should care about.

4. I will be helpful. If something I write doesn't make you more curious or your understanding clearer, I've failed.

This might sound soft for a newsletter about VC, an industry obsessed with 10x returns and unicorns, but here's the thing: the best investors I know are obsessed with understanding their market. They listen, they learn, they adapt.

I'm treating this newsletter like an investment thesis. You are my market. And I want to understand you better than any other VC writer out there.

The Parallel with VC (Because I Can't Help Myself)

There's actually a beautiful parallel here to venture capital itself. The best VCs aren't the ones who write the biggest checks or have the flashiest portfolios. They're the ones who truly understand their portfolio companies, the ones who know their challenges, their goals, their fears.

They're the investors who founders actually want to work with, not just take money from.

That's what I want to be for you. Not just another newsletter cluttering your inbox, but genuinely useful. Someone you'd recommend to a friend. Someone who earns your attention instead of just demanding it.

So, what do you say? Ready to help me build something worth your time?

Post a comment on this post (because I honestly do not know if I can receive emails) and tell me what you actually want from this thing. I promise to make it worth your while.

See you next week, Cristina

P.S. If you're wondering why I'm sharing all this strategy stuff instead of just quietly changing direction, it's because transparency builds trust. And trust, is the only currency that actually matters in venture capital. Or newsletters. Or pretty much anything else worth doing. Also, let me finish with a confession: I don’t want to go viral. I don’t want to chase trending topics. And I definitely don’t want to become just another Substack you forget to unsubscribe from.