Case Study: Kottke.org protects creative independence and builds sustainable subscriptions with Memberful

How Kottke.org became one of the world's longest running blogs

Memberful worked with longtime blogger Jason Kottke of Kottke.org, who faced the challenge of turning a beloved creative outlet into a sustainable full‑time business without relying on ad platforms or clunky one‑off donation tools. Early on there was no roadmap for subscriptions or membership management, and Kottke needed a way to offer recurring support, reward engaged readers, and keep control of his audience and content.

By plugging Memberful into his site and modeling memberships on a pledge‑drive approach, Kottke built lightweight, owned subscription infrastructure—plus newsletters and direct incentives—that preserved creative control and genuine engagement. The result: a resilient revenue stream and audience relationship that helped Kottke sustain Kottke.org as one of the world’s longest‑running blogs for over two decades.

Kottke.org

Jason Kottke

Creator and Publisher