The 'Build With' Pilot Framework
by Sachin Monga • Head of Product at Substack
Sachin is the Head of Product at Substack, having joined through the acquisition of his startup, Cocoon. Previously, he spent seven years at Facebook working on video, camera products, developer platforms, and leading the ads growth team.
🎙️ Episode Context
Sachin Monga discusses Substack's evolution from a simple tool for writers into a powerful subscription network, highlighting the legendary 'Recommendations' feature that drives 70% of growth. He contrasts product management at hyper-growth startups versus established giants like Facebook, emphasizing the importance of user agency over algorithmic feeds. The conversation covers how to build trust with founders, the 'Build with Writers' product philosophy, and the future of the creator economy.
Problem It Solves
Rolling out complex, community-impacting features without alienating the core user base or breaking established norms.
Framework Overview
Before a general rollout, Substack engages a 'Product Lab'—a curated group of roughly 100 engaged writers. They involve these users at the mockup stage, not just the beta stage, to shape the feature's direction and ensure it aligns with user needs before engineering resources are fully committed.
🧠 Framework Structure
Early Inclusion: Involve power users ...
Representative Cohort: Create a forma...
Qualitative over Quantitative: Focus ...
Iterate before Code: Change the produ...
When to Use
When introducing features that change the fundamental economics or interaction models of your platform (e.g., adding a social network to a newsletter tool).
Common Mistakes
Building the full feature first and treating the pilot only as a bug-bash; ignoring negative sentiment because metrics look okay.
Real World Example
Substack used this process for Recommendations. Initially, the CEO was skeptical, but by mocking it up and testing with writers first, they validated the concept and refined the incentives before global launch.
It's almost like a sub principle of the put readers in charge, put writers in charge. How do you build product responsibly if you care deeply about that?
— Sachin Monga