One Useful Thing
Investor Due Diligence Report
by Ethan Mollick
substackAI
Trying to understand the implications of AI for work, education, and life. By Prof. Ethan Mollick.
Investor Due Diligence Report
by Ethan Mollick
Trying to understand the implications of AI for work, education, and life. By Prof. Ethan Mollick.
420K
25K paid
+0.4%
+2.8%
net growth
Pricing
$10/mo
$100/yr annual option
$199K
25K paid subs
$139K/mo – $258K/mo(±30%)
Bi-weekly
0.4 posts/week
83/100
Very Consistent (~17.9d avg)
| Newsletter | Subscribers | Weekly Growth | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almost Timely Newsletter | 298K | +1.0% | Free | substack |
| AI Supremacy | 208K | +0.2% | $10/mo | substack |
| The AI Corner | 139K | +11.0% | $89/mo | substack |
| LP Club | 102K | -0.5% | $15/mo | substack |
| AI as Normal Technology |
| Month | Subscribers | Est. Revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 397.3K | $187,906.2 | — |
| Feb 2026 | 401K | $189,687 | ~0% |
| Mar 2026 | 418K | $197,724.45 | +4.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 420K | $198,670.5 | ~0% |
Platform Dependency
Operates on custom domain (www.oneusefulthing.org)
Publishing Consistency
Regular publishing schedule
Key Person
Single-author publication — key-person dependency
Revenue Model
Active paid subscription tier
Subscriber threshold
420K subscribers — above the 3K category median for first paid tier
Has paid tier
Active paid subscription offering
Peer monetization
100% of 5 similar-size peers in AI have paid tiers
Pricing position
$10/mo vs $29.76/mo category average (612 newsletters)
| Date | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 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 | 100/100 | 30% |
| Paid Subscriber Ratio | 100/100 | 25% |
| 73K |
| +0.7% |
| Free |
| substack |