Notes on Illustration
Investor Due Diligence Report
substackDesign
Thoughts, Insights, and Lessons on the Art, History, and Practice of Illustration | Written by Giuseppe Castellano.
8K
800 paid
N/A
Pricing
$5/mo
$50/yr annual option
$3K
800 paid subs
$3K/mo – $3K/mo(±0%)
Previously Weekly
1.0 posts/week
59/100
Variable (~8.4d avg)
| Newsletter | Subscribers | Weekly Growth | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design Better | 243K | +0.7% | $7/mo | substack |
| Design Your Wild | 26K | N/A | $7/mo | substack |
| My Studio - behind the scenes... | 17K | N/A | $10/mo | substack |
| A Sunday Journal | 14K | N/A | $8/mo | substack |
| Month | Subscribers | Est. Revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 8K | $3,180 | — |
| Apr 2026 | 8K | $3,180 | ~0% |
Platform Dependency
Hosted on substack subdomain
Publishing Consistency
Variable publishing frequency
Key Person
Single-author publication — key-person dependency
Revenue Model
Active paid subscription tier
Subscriber threshold
8K subscribers — above the 1K category median for first paid tier
Has paid tier
Active paid subscription offering
Peer monetization
100% of 62 similar-size peers in Design have paid tiers
Pricing position
$5/mo vs $5/mo category median (572 newsletters)
| Date | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | $5 | $50 |
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.
Score based on available components only.
| Component | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Paid Subscriber Ratio | 90/100 | 25% |
| mustbemargiela’s mind |
| 10K |
| N/A |
| $9/mo |
| substack |