The Roots of Progress
Investor Due Diligence Report
substackScience
The history of technology and the philosophy of progress, plus announcements from the Roots of Progress Institute.
60K
4K paid
~0%
Subscriber count is a platform estimate
+1.7%
net growth
Pricing
$10/mo
$100/yr annual option
$32K
4K paid subs
$32K/mo – $32K/mo(±0%)
2.0
58.0
0.10%
(comments + likes) / subscribers
Weekly
1.0 posts/week
60/100
Consistent (~7.8d avg)
| Newsletter | Subscribers | Weekly Growth | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aether Pirates of the Matterium! | 97K | N/A | Free | substack |
| The Science of Better | 81K | +19.1% | $5/mo | substack |
| By the Numbers | 75K | +0.8% | Free | substack |
| Humanity United Now - Ana Maria Mihalcea, MD, PhD | 72K | N/A | $5/mo | substack |
| Month | Subscribers | Est. Revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | 56K | $29,605.8 | — |
| Mar 2026 | 57K | $30,138.45 | ~0% |
| Apr 2026 | 58K | $30,663.15 | ~0% |
| May 2026 | 58K | $30,663.15 | ~0% |
| Jun 2026 | 59K | $31,195.8 | ~0% |
| Jul 2026 | 60K |
Platform Dependency
Uses substack platform
Publishing Consistency
Variable publishing frequency
Key Person
Single-author publication — key-person dependency
Audience Concentration
Consistent engagement across posts
Subscriber threshold
60K subscribers — above the 2K category median for first paid tier
Has paid tier
Active paid subscription offering
Peer monetization
100% of 18 similar-size peers in Science have paid tiers
Pricing position
$10/mo vs $5/mo category median (280 newsletters)
| Date | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | $10 | $100 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Rate | 36/100 | 30% |
| Paid Subscriber Ratio | 90/100 | 25% |
| Publishing Consistency | 46/100 | 10% |
| The Intrinsic Perspective | 71K | N/A | $7/mo | substack |
| $31,720.5 |
| ~0% |
Revenue Model
Active paid subscription tier