What's in this Stack?

Not just a newsletter platform - A sanctuary for my true voice

May 03, 2025

Substack, right? So, I got put on. First by fellow Stacker,

- a writing app? Okay kool.

Then, things got hectic, life be lifin’ and... well, I never did get to it.

Then Tlae74 (on IG) said it was, "where writers need to be." A dear, long time friend, I've respected her opinion for years.

Okay, so boom... suggested by a no-nonsense entrepreneur and writer (publisher of Axelworks), then further confirmed by a close advisor.

Aight, bet. I'll check it out.

For real, tho - I had no idea what was available to me. Many things, I found (find) myself continuously realizing anew. Just to point out a single aspect (in itself myriad), is that I can (easily) keep whatever original formatting I desire.

I write as I speak (emphasis-wise); I want my intent and tone preserved.

Unfortunately, on many platforms, I'm used to not being able to do something as simple as italicize; or bold; or even ~~strikethrough~~, (scratch that last one). No big deal, write?

Maybe not. I just feel very strongly about the clarity and integrity of text. So many messages end up read out of context, or taken as a statement instead of a question - which is mostly just people being too lazy to punctuate - but you catch my draft, write?

I want what I express to be heard in your mind precisely as it sounds in my own thoughts.

My journey began – truncated version – with an amazing Inside writing program called Exchange for Change, and a book which was, what Moses was to the Promised Land - it didn't make it. It was more the birth of my official journey.

Fast forward to the upcoming book that shall be called savior-of-sorts. In the process of researching for the same I found myself with a wide range of stand alone articles, fitting to enliven the forthcoming newsletter.

That spawned the podcast concept, which springboards the video series, into a pool of communal conversation; a fountain of brilliant Boom building!

All of which can be hosted right here on Substack!

That being said, I'm still above sea level on this glacier. The water appears so invitingly clear. Shall we dip in a toe, or just dive right in with a frigid splash?

I leave it to you (just give me a heads up before you shoulder me in).

What Substack features did you find unexpected? Feel free to share any tweaks!

#okaysoboom #BoomNews

So, Wha'cha doin' fi de good ah you'self?

John David Ricker

May 3

May 3 2025

To Billy:

Re: https://open.substack.com/pub/billydecastrospeaks/p/whats-in-this-stack?r=5bd8i&utm_medium=ios

Your writings’ publishing is a welcome sight. This note helped me hone through the matrix of Substack app a bit. I might scroll on it more.

Your writing style is familiar. There’s a cool spirit in prose — and in person, I suppose — that exists. When there’s something aligned, the experience is notably different when there’s not an alignment.

I was talking on a Twitter Space not too long ago. The speakers were more colloquial than other Twitter Spaces. They were talking about insecurity speaking or something, getting over it. I mentioned that at a conference I’m usually along the outskirts in the back, and meet maybe 1-4 people rather than a larger volume. But those people, I’d contest, were better quality.

Whether I’m in the business of ranking quality of people or not is neither here nor there… but I might rank interactions with people by the enjoyment of my experience.

My experience reading “What’s in this Stack?” was similar to when I’m roaming around and get on (to use some British, I think, vernacular) with someone who meshes with my style for whatever reason.

Written-as-spoken is what I liked about some of the gonzo-er books from Hunter S Thompson, a fellow Doctor of journalism. There’s some other writers, Matt Levine of Bloomberg, also pop in my mind. I really like when there’s a veil being lifted on things that might be stuffy. Like I love writing on LinkedIn as I do any other platform, for the most part… but that’s because I usually toe the line of being too boring at some places and not suited enough at other places.

I started working with some people recently and I was late to the first meeting. Caught off guard. I’d usually have a mask up, a bit, trying to fit a role/impress/act like I got my stuff together. After talking for a while I said “you’ve lulled me into being my brutally honest self.” There was a Waking Up app notification the other day that said “you have to do nothing to be who you are. Nothing at all.” Now, that app is a bit Buddhist or whatever but yes.

*********

Anyways. Watching the Berkshire meeting, and I always loved executive writings, so that probably prompted this. I did always like seeing historic letters between big names. I always like writing competitively, I did a role playing writing game back in the day. And I’ve been perusing forums online lately… they’re vicious in there and not in the competitive way.

Billy Decastro Speaks

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