Product Storyteller

Posted 17 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
San Francisco, CA, USA
Hybrid
120K-165K Annually
Senior level
Digital Media
The Role
The Product Storyteller will create product launch stories, creator features, practical guides, videos, and other resources explaining Substack tools to writers and creators. They will collaborate with product, communications, editorial, and creator teams; interview creators; test new features; manage Product Lab and Bestseller communications; coordinate reviews and approvals; and shape coverage across formats. The role requires exceptional writing and editing, strong product curiosity, editorial judgment, project management, and comfort creating basic visual and video explainers.
Summary Generated by Built In

Substack is building a new economic engine for culture, giving the brightest, most interesting, and most creative people on the internet the power of their own publishing platform. Substack empowers independent writers, artists, videographers, podcasters, and creators of all types to create, share, and make a living off their work through subscriptions, while offering them creative freedom, ownership, and a direct connection to their audiences.

We’re looking for a Product Storyteller to help writers and creators understand what they can do on Substack and how to put its tools to work. Working closely with product, communications, creator partnerships, and editorial, this person will turn product developments into compelling stories and useful resources, from launch announcements and creator features to practical guides and short videos.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer with sharp editorial instincts, curiosity about how products work, and enthusiasm for creator education. They enjoy digging into a feature and making it understandable, and have the insight to uncover the human story behind it. They can explain what’s changing, why it matters, and how people might use a feature, with the judgment to choose the right story and format for each update.

This position will sit on the editorial team within Brand & Communications and will report directly to the editor of On Substack.

Core responsibilities

  • Own product storytelling. Write launch stories and creator-facing features for On Substack—our creator-focused publication with millions of subscribers—finding the reporting, examples, and framing that make a product development meaningful to publishers. Connect individual launches to Substack’s broader story of creative independence, ownership, and direct relationships with audiences.

  • Develop creator resources. Produce clear, useful guides that help creators get started, try new tools, and build their publications. Audit and update existing materials as the product changes.

  • Manage Product Lab and Bestseller communications. Own editorial production for Product Lab and the Bestseller publication, working with contributors and product experts to develop ideas, edit drafts, and maintain a useful publishing rhythm.

  • Stay close to what’s shipping. Build relationships with product teams, ask questions early, and test the tools yourself. Gather creator examples, data, screenshots, and other materials to ensure stories are accurate and ready for publication.

  • Work directly with creators. Serve as an external-facing voice for Substack, regularly collaborating with writers and creators to conduct interviews, gather testimonials, and surface the real stories behind how people use the platform.

  • Shape coverage and timing. Work with the editorial and communications teams to recommend the right treatment for product updates, from standalone stories to thematic roundups. Collaborate with social colleagues on material they can adapt for their channels, with attention to audience interest and publishing cadence.

  • Carry projects through publication. Coordinate drafts, factual reviews, assets, and approvals. Keep collaborators informed about what’s needed and when, and adapt as launch plans change.

  • Move fast with a high bar: Write copy quickly, while maintaining editorial quality and integrity. Have a fast metabolism for storytelling, and execute with urgency.

About You

  • 5+ years of relevant experience. A background in comms, journalism, or editorial, with experience in tech preferred.

  • Exceptional writer and editor. A portfolio that demonstrates clarity, voice, and strong editorial judgment. Relevant experience could come from journalism, product storytelling, service journalism, or creator education.

  • Genuine interest in product. Curious about how things work and willing to learn the details. Able to translate a complicated feature into a clear explanation without losing what matters.

  • Sharp storytelling instincts. Able to identify a compelling creator example, develop a strong angle, and explain the “why” alongside the “what.” You know what makes a story worth someone’s time and can distinguish a useful claim from hype.

  • Strong project management. Organized, proactive, and self-directed, with the ability to manage several projects and communicate clearly across teams in a fast-moving environment.

  • Comfort across formats. Able to make simple, useful video and visual explainers, including recording walkthroughs and making basic edits. Advanced production skills are welcome.

  • Creator fluency. An understanding of Substack’s voice and an interest in the needs of writers, podcasters, and other independent creators, including the practical work of helping them use the platform.

  • Engage with all voices. Willing to collaborate with any writer or creator on the platform, regardless of their views.

Substack offers a competitive compensation package that includes salary, equity, and exceptional benefits. The salary range for this role is $120k-$165k, with final offers based on experience and expertise.

Substack is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or transgender status), age, national origin, veteran or disability status. We’re seeking people passionate about enabling independent expression and building a better business model for creators. If you want to see what media, communities, and content can become when unmoored from advertising models, and you have the skills and experience to contribute, we’d love to meet you.

Please see our Privacy Notice for details regarding Substack's collection and use of personal information relating to the application and recruitment process by clicking here.

Skills Required

  • 5+ years of relevant experience in communications, journalism, editorial, product storytelling, service journalism, or creator education
  • Exceptional writing and editing skills demonstrated through a portfolio
  • Strong editorial judgment, clarity, voice, and storytelling ability
  • Ability to understand product features and explain them clearly
  • Ability to identify compelling examples, develop strong angles, and explain why a product update matters
  • Strong project management, organization, proactive communication, and self-direction
  • Ability to create simple video and visual explainers, record walkthroughs, and make basic edits
  • Understanding of the needs of writers, podcasters, and independent creators
  • Willingness to collaborate with writers and creators across differing viewpoints
  • Experience in technology
  • Advanced video and visual production skills
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The Company
HQ: San Francisco, CA
233 Employees
Year Founded: 2017

What We Do

Substack lets writers connect with their audience on their own terms and earn money doing it. We make it simple for writers to publish to an email list that they own, get discovered on the web, and charge for subscriptions. More than 500,000 people pay to subscribe to writers across the Substack network, and the top writers make millions of dollars a year. Substack’s model depends on the success of writers using Substack – we only make money when they do. “Substack makes it dead simple to start a newsletter and get paid for it.” – Judd Legum, author of Popular Information "Substack gives me a way to connect with my audience on my own terms.” – Lyz Lenz, author of God Land and Men Yell At Me Make something that matters Great writing is valuable. It respects readers' time, their intelligence, and their trust. It helps us make sense of and change the culture we live in. At Substack, we're building a business model that enables great writing to thrive. Learn more about our opportunity and mission. We are a small but growing team, and there is more to build than we could ever imagine. That’s why we need you. We aim to take pragmatic approaches to problem solving while shipping high-quality products that allow the writing on Substack to take the spotlight. Every person at the company participates in customer support. We do this to build empathy with our users and enable us to build better products. We believe that a diverse team will help us build a product that best serves the needs of a wildly diverse ecosystem of writers. So whatever your background or perspective, we’d welcome your input to help build the best possible version of Substack.

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