In a recent LinkedIn post, Laurie Ruettimann shares her decision to retire her Substack newsletter and return to her personal blog for content creation. Ruettimann explains her inspiration stemmed from observing other business leaders who are actively and passionately producing content on the platform, reminiscent of earlier blogging eras.
“The one cool thing about Substack is that my favorite authors are writing again. People like Lance Haun, Robin Schooling, and JESS VON BANK are not just creating content. They are blogging like it’s 2011, with gusto and urgency, and it’s so good.”
While appreciating the revitalized writing energy on Substack, Ruettimann found the platform itself to be a source of overwhelm. She describes the user experience as feeling like a combination of Blogspot.com and Twitter, which proved to be a significant mental load for her.
The Overwhelm of Social Platform Management
Ruettimann elaborates on the pressure she felt managing her Substack presence. The constant awareness of needing to “re-stack, share, or leave a comment” led to feelings of inadequacy and even guilt.
Anxiety Over Supporting Peers
This pressure manifested in personal anxieties, as Ruettimann humorously recounts questioning her own behavior.
“Just yesterday, I literally asked myself if I was a bad friend for not liking Lance’s posts fast enough. Am I doing my part and helping him to become Substack famous?”
She reflects on this internal questioning, acknowledging the absurdity and personal nature of these feelings, which highlight the psychological impact of platform engagement expectations.
Seeking Control and Simplicity in Content Ownership
Ultimately, Ruettimann’s decision to move back to her own blog is rooted in a desire for greater control and a simpler content environment. She is working with Andrew Norcross to reconfigure her website with a design inspired by the early 2000s WordPress era.
“Hopefully, the WYSIWYG framework of WordPress circa 2010 will calm my central nervous system and remind me that good ideas can thrive anywhere.”
Ruettimann emphasizes the importance of owning and controlling her digital real estate, stating, “They might as well thrive on a website I own and control.” This move signifies a preference for a platform that offers more autonomy and potentially less distraction than the current iteration of Substack, allowing her to focus on the core act of writing and sharing ideas.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Laurie Ruettimann on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on September 10, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →