
Golden State
Investor Due Diligence Report
Fearless, informed, independent opinion journalism from California.
1K
~0%
Subscriber count is a platform estimate
Pricing
$10/mo
$120/yr annual option
$700
~70 est. paid subs
$350/mo – $1K/mo(±50%)
0.2
0.02%
(comments + likes) / subscribers
~3x per week
3.0 posts/week
76/100
Consistent (~2.8d avg)
| Newsletter | Subscribers | Weekly Growth | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popular Information | 541K | -0.1% | $6/mo | substack |
| Under the Desk News | 184K | -0.3% | $7/mo | substack |
| The official Ryan McBeth Substack | 132K | -0.4% | $5/mo | substack |
| Died Suddenly's Substack | 109K | N/A | $5/mo | substack |
| Month | Subscribers | Est. Revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | 7.5K | $5,250 | — |
| Mar 2026 | 3.5K | $2,450 | -53.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 3K | $2,100 | -14.3% |
| May 2026 | 1K | $700 | -66.7% |
Platform Dependency
Uses ghost platform
Publishing Consistency
Regular publishing schedule
Key Person
Single-author publication — key-person dependency
Audience Concentration
Hit-driven — top post engagement 3x+ above average
Subscriber threshold
1K subscribers — below the 3K category median (based on 565 newsletters)
Has paid tier
Active paid subscription offering
Peer monetization
100% of 290 similar-size peers in Media have paid tiers
Pricing position
$10/mo vs $6/mo category median (863 newsletters)
| Date | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | $10 | $120 |
Disclaimer: This report is generated automatically based on publicly available data and proprietary estimation models. Estimated subscriber counts are derived from engagement patterns and should be verified through direct disclosure. Revenue estimates are based on known pricing and estimated paid subscriber counts. This report is for informational purposes only and should not be the sole basis for investment decisions.
| Component | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Rate | 32/100 | 30% |
| Publishing Consistency | 54/100 | 10% |
| The Schiff Notes |
| 101K |
| +0.6% |
| Free |
| substack |
Revenue Model
Active paid subscription tier