This is an interview with Gertjan of Macro Investing
Why I Wanted to Share Gertjan’s Story (intro by Lidiya)
Welcome to the 2nd ever interview I’m posting on The 2-Hour Blogger.
Today I introduce to you Gertjan. And here’s why his story is so interesting, and why the timing for this feature was just perfect.
He started writing on Substack 5 months ago, and didn’t see any crazy growth in the first months. That’s the reality, and I hope more new writers here can understand it.
It’s easy to focus on the big accounts, the ones who see explosive growth, or even those who bring their already existing audiences to Substack and make it to a Bestseller status in just a few days.
But that’s not the story of the average Substack creator.
Gertjan is the perfect example of why hard work, dedication and knowing your stuff pays off, as long as you stick to it.
As you’ll see below, he almost gave up. But just recently, he had his biggest week on Substack ever. In fact, right after this interview (5-6 days ago), he’s already gained nearly 300 more subscribers, got cited by a bigger publication, and ended up #49 in rising Finance worldwide, which is a big deal!
He is growing rapidly now, and making the most of it, so it’s worth giving him a follow or subscribing.
He’s also doing this on the side of his day job, and that’s true dedication and discipline.
Now, let’s dive into the interview.
At a glance:
Current subscriber count: 613
Most successful post: The Gold Story Nobody Is Connecting - But Should
Most underrated growth tactic: Posting daily notes
Favorite Substack feature: Substack notes and scheduling them
One creator everyone should follow: MarketFighter A really nice guy who shows value and is living his own created life.
Key metric to track: Subscriber growth
Main revenue source: Substack paid subscribers
One sentence describing your newsletter: This is the place to be for everyone who wants to learn more about macro and investing.
One piece of advice for new writers: Just do it. Stay consistent in your content creation, build connections and learning each day a little bit to improve.
The Beginning
Tell us a bit about yourself and your publication. What do you write about, and who is it for?
Hi! I am Gertjan de Jong, 32 years old and living in the Netherlands with my wife Ilona.
I write about macro economics and investing, especially for beginning investors, so they can learn more about investing and create a better financial future for themselves.
I got a fascination for numbers at a young age, so a logical step was to choose a study focused on mathematics, economics and related subjects.
I studied Finance & Control and after that I started my first real job as a junior controller. I learned a lot on the job and grew to Financial Controller and now Business Controller in the healthcare space. I worked for two years at a corporate listed company. I was fascinated by their business model and during that time I spent more hours learning how financial markets and economics work.
What was your writing or investing journey before Substack?
I have been investing for six years now and have put in a lot of hours over the years — on average more than two hours a day, besides my full-time job.
I have made some great returns with investing, but have also learned some expensive lessons. Those lessons are very important to grow as an investor and as a person.
What made you start a Substack instead of publishing elsewhere?
I started writing on Substack in late February this year, five months ago.
I saw different talented writers on Substack and thought to myself: why can’t I do this with my own views on the markets? In my opinion it is better to create than to consume.
What did your first few months look like? Were you expecting anyone to read your work?
The first two months went very slowly on Substack.
I gained some subscribers, but the growth felt slow. I put in some time but didn’t actually see the results yet.
I started connecting with different creators and saw some slow but steady progress in my statistics.
When did you start feeling like this could become something bigger than a hobby?
During the last two weeks, while I was on holiday, I decided to put in some real work.
Besides our busy period of moving into our new home, I was busier than ever before. During that holiday week I put in an average of three hours per day on my laptop — studying the markets and writing strong articles about them. I decided I could do this because I am a highly motivated person when it comes to reaching my goals.
Growing to 500 Subscribers
Which growth strategies made the biggest difference?
My best growth strategy is not magical. The most important elements in my opinion are: staying consistent, posting on a daily basis, connecting with others and offering real value to your readers.
Has there been one post, Note, or recommendation that changed the trajectory of your publication?
My recent article about gold got a lot of attention and has been viewed almost 10,000 times already. You can read it here.
You recently climbed to #5 on the Netherlands Leaderboard. What do you think contributed to that momentum?
My #5 spot on the rising list in the Netherlands was mainly created by the gold article, combined with my personal posts and the connections I made during that holiday week when I put in more effort than ever before.
What’s one growth strategy that surprised you by working really well?
Connecting with and restacking articles by some of my friends here on Substack affected my growth in a very positive way.
I am genuinely surprised by how much people support and help each other here on Substack. It is truly remarkable.
And what’s one piece of common Substack advice that didn’t work for you?
One approach that did not work for me was writing an article every single day. I chose instead to write one or two articles per week with deeper, higher-quality content. This worked quite well for me.
The First Paid Subscribers
What made you decide it was time to launch paid memberships?
One month ago I decided to launch my paid membership, because my content had reached a quality level that deserved to be paid for.
This paid off: I went from 0 to 7 paid subscribers in just two weeks.
Did you do anything specific to encourage people to upgrade?
I carefully promoted my paid membership in some articles and in my recent notes, which resulted in several new paid subscribers.
What kind of content or value do paid subscribers receive?
My paid subscribers get:
✅ Access to my personal portfolio
🛠️ Tools and guides
📝 All paywalled parts and special articles
💬 The ability to post comments and questions on premium content
What have you learned about converting free readers into paying supporters?
I have learned that the quality of your content is very important when you want to convert free subscribers to paid subscribers.
A few easy posts and market opinions are simply not enough. Besides quality, visibility is also crucial, your readers need to know what you offer before they will consider upgrading.
What advice would you give someone who’s wondering when to introduce paid subscriptions?
My advice to others: honestly ask yourself what quality you deliver and whether others would genuinely want to pay for it, and why.
Behind the Scenes
You write while working a full-time job. How do you make time for Substack?
I write on Substack alongside my full-time job.
In the evenings and on weekends I prepare different types of content and dedicate a few hours to it each time. Nothing in life comes easy, you have to put in the time.
What’s your content creation process like?
I post one or two articles per week, one deep dive on companies I follow and one focused on the macro side of investing.
I try to post daily notes, which vary in format:
investing quotes
lessons I have learned
questions for my readers
and charts of different assets I watch.
How often do you publish, and has that changed over time?
I changed it over time, I now post daily notes and sometimes some more, but everyday.
I post one or two articles, with more detailed and deep dive information about the markets.
What metrics do you pay the most attention to?
I watch my subscriber growth on a daily basis and try to analyse which content gets attention and which content does not.
What’s been your biggest mistake so far?
My biggest lesson: it does not matter if you personally believe your content delivers value.
Your views, subscriber growth and reader interaction will make it very clear which content resonates and which does not.
Was there ever a moment when growth felt too slow or you questioned whether to keep going?
After two months on Substack my growth felt slow and I doubted whether I should continue or stop altogether. Luckily I stayed disciplined and kept going.
Looking Ahead
What’s your goal for the next 12 months?
My first goal over the next 12 months is to reach 1,000 subscribers. If my current growth continues, I expect this will happen in the coming months.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone trying to reach their first 500 subscribers?
My advice to others: stay consistent and disciplined, especially on the difficult days.
Write different types of content, trial and error, and learn by doing. If you do not try it, you will never know if it works.
Beyond that, build genuine connections on Substack. I can honestly say I have already built some truly meaningful connections here in just a few months.
What’s one thing you wish you’d known before starting your Substack?
I wish I had known earlier how rewarding it is to grow on Substack and build real connections here. If I had known that sooner, I would have started this journey much earlier. 😊
Do you see yourself turning your Substack into a full-time business one day? What would need to happen before you’d feel comfortable making that leap?
I do not know yet whether I can turn my Substack into a full-time business, it still feels far away to be honest. But these last few weeks have genuinely surprised me.
I am a conservative person who does not shout out loud that he is going to make it. I am the type who puts in effort and time, quietly and consistently. And so far, it has worked out quite well.
I want to end with this: I am truly grateful for my growth and for the real connections and support I have found here on Substack. Thank you all!
Gertjan is the man! Been reading his work for a while and he is the definition of consistency! Keep it up my friend!
It all comes down to how you connect with people.
As martin Luther once said.
" No man is an island".
You can't simply be a whole person in isolation. Our success and worth rely on the efforts, love and support from the people around us, rather than individual achievement alone.
I am happy for him..
I wish myself the best too