I’m starting to get unsolicited and un-signed-up-for emails from politicians using Substack. This is brutal and marks Substack’s move (or experience of being dragged) into the world of marketing emails and spam.

That’s bad for readers.

But it’s ever worse for senders.

Platforms like MailChimp and ConstantContact were rendered almost unusuable by legitimate senders because the spam sent by illegitimate ones soiled IP addresses by the dozens and sent a ton of emails into spam folders. Take it from a guy who’s been sending internet missives as long as anyone:

In the end, nothing matters to a newsletter writer more than deliverability.

Substack dominates in this area. That, more than community features or marketing tools, is Substack’s super power. But the spammers have arrived. And that could change everything.