Product Storyteller

Substack; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Substack is seeking a Product Storyteller to translate product updates into compelling narratives for writers and creators. You will craft launch stories, creator features, and practical guides, collaborating with product, editorial, and partnerships teams to educate and engage a broad audience.

The role sits on the editorial team within Brand & Communications and reports to the On Substack editor. Strong writing, editorial judgment, and curiosity about how products work are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in comms, journalism, or editorial, preferably in tech.
• Exceptional writing and editing with clear voice and judgment.
• Genuine interest in how products work and ability to explain features clearly.
• Sharp storytelling instincts to identify compelling creator examples and angles.
• Strong project management to juggle multiple stories and deadlines.
• Comfort across formats, including simple video and visual explainers.
• Creator fluency with Substack's voice and needs of writers and creators.
• Willing to collaborate with diverse voices on the platform.

Responsibilities

• Own product storytelling: write launch stories and creator features for On Substack focusing on creators and publishers.
• Develop creator resources: produce clear guides and update materials as product evolves.
• Manage Product Lab and Bestseller communications: edit drafts and maintain publishing rhythm.
• Stay close to what’s shipping: gather examples, data, and assets to ensure accuracy.
• Work directly with creators: conduct interviews and surface real stories of platform use.
• Shape coverage and timing: coordinate with editorial and social teams for appropriate treatments.
• Carry projects through publication: coordinate drafts, reviews, assets, and approvals.
• Move fast with a high bar: write quickly while maintaining editorial quality.

Skills

5+ years exp

Exceptional writing

Product curiosity

Storytelling instincts

Project management

Video explainers

Creator fluency

Collaborative

Job description

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-crator-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.

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