Substack looks like blogging/newsletter plus Patreon (and probably some ancillary services - I read once that they would offer some kind of legal representation). I think this post errs in not bringing up the Patreon comparison. I'm unaware of any major media empires funded via Patreon, but it seems to provide enough of an income to support many YouTubers, podcasters, etc. I think only extreme news junkies would subscribe to more than one newspaper and maybe a few magazines, just as the post argues. But I think Patreon proves that there is a larger market for people directly subscribing to people's writing to support an individual creator's distinctive voice.