I started using it to run a conference 4 years ago with the intent that it was supposed to be a temporary solution until we built a "real" site.
The experience was so good that we haven't moved off. Even if we did build a more formal conference site, we'd still keep the substack blog. The mailing list has grown from nothing to right at 1000 subs which isn't bad for something I do in my spare time. By far the most effective communication. Social media (all channels) are a fraction of the engagement that I get compared to substack.
Cheers from Concord, NC. Nice to see a fellow techie in the South ‘round these parts.
If you want a free ticket to come down this year, shoot me a note! We typically bring a bunch of folks from Concord. I came to speak at a meetup over at Flywheel Concord a couple of years ago to promote the conference.