How to Break the Substack Algorithm
Algorithms shape us only if we let them. Break free, write true.
What does it mean to “break” an algorithm? For most, it means hacking the code, finding the flaw, or forcing the system to collapse. But in a platform like Substack, breaking the algorithm is less about sabotage and more about seeing through the illusions it casts. The machine whispers: write this way, post at this time, use these tricks to grow. Yet behind the whisper is a truth we rarely confront: the ecosystem is built to both serve and shape us.
The Substack model is seductive. It rewards consistency, clarity, and community. Publish regularly, engage your readers, and the platform amplifies your voice. But it also enforces hidden hierarchies. Certain topics trend, certain tones perform better, and certain formats are elevated while others sink quietly. The danger is in mistaking the machine’s patterns for genuine connection. To obey blindly is to become a servant of visibility rather than a writer of substance.
DISCIPLINE AND DEFIANCE
There are two errors here. One is to treat Substack’s rules as gospel, contorting your voice to fit the mold. The other is to ignore them entirely, writing in isolation and wondering why no one reads. To walk between these poles requires both discipline and defiance. You must learn the rules well enough to use them, but not so well that you are imprisoned by them.
The key is to understand that Substack is both a platform and a performance. Algorithms amplify momentum. They reward the posts that spark engagement early, and they spread the voices that keep readers returning. This means rhythm matters: post when your audience is listening, phrase your titles like open doors, and keep your writing tight enough to carry readers forward. These are not betrayals of art but the tools of recognition.
PARADOX
And yet, breaking the algorithm means refusing to let it dictate your substance. Write against the grain. Tackle the themes that matter even when they are not trending. Use the platform’s design to smuggle in seriousness where readers expect only light distraction. The paradox is that the most enduring growth comes not from chasing the machine’s appetite but from creating work that forces the machine to chase you.
CONCLUSION
To break Substack’s ecosystem is to use its energy without becoming its echo. Learn the patterns, ride the currents, then bend them to your own ends. Obey the form, resist the content. Substack will tell you what works. The question is whether you have the courage to make it work for you without surrendering your voice.
In the end, the algorithm is not the master. You are. But only if you remember that visibility is not the same as value, and that breaking the system is less about tearing it down than about refusing to be shaped by it.
PS: Kindly continue reading below for a book suggestion as well as my social links. Have a brilliant journey.
Be blessed - Willem Tait (Author, Thinker)
A Book That Extends the Conversation
I often write about philosophy and psychology in my self-help and motivational works, as well as history texts like Sun Tzu and the Art of War and Benjamin Franklin’s The Way to Wealth. But there is another lens through which we all live every day: real estate. We stay in properties and houses, we work in or on real estate, we are shaped by it whether we notice or not.
That is why I wrote Psychology of Residential and Commercial Real Estate, a book about how human behavior drives the real estate world. It is not only about markets, but about the psychology behind decisions made by buyers, sellers, and investors. Consider it a mirror of the spaces you inhabit: where you live, where you work, where you play. Believe me, it will be an eye opener on all levels.
👉 You can find it here: Psychology of Residential and Commercial Real Estate
Where to Connect With Me
Here is where you can find my writing, reflections, and work across different platforms:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/willemtait – one place with all my links
Calendly: https://calendly.com/willemtait – book a call or session with me
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willemtait – professional essays and conversations
X (Twitter): https://x.com/willemtait – short reflections and provocations
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/WillemTait/ – community discussion and open Q&A
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/willemtait – all my published books
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/willemtait – connect with my reading lists and reviews
Blogger: https://willemtaitauthor.blogspot.com – longer reflections and archives
Medium: https://willemtaitblog.medium.com – parallel essays for a broader readership
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/willemtait/ – visual inspirations and idea boards
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/lifecoachconsulting – my consulting and coaching hub
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachconsultingpublicspeak/ – snapshots, quotes, and visuals