Instapaper is much bigger today than I could have predicted in 2008, and it has simply grown far beyond what one person can do. To really shine, it needs a full-time staff of at least a few people.

People want to download publications quickly and read them without cruft. Publications that started in print carry too much baggage and usually have awful apps. 'The Magazine' was designed from the start to be streamlined, natively digital, and respectful of readers' time and attention.

Microsoft loves losing money with online services, so this should stay free forever... unless they get a new CEO who isn't crazy about pouring billions into a hole.

With a Web and iPhone app, I try to find new and tiny ways to delight my customers. They may not notice, but it helps drive goodwill and makes your product remarkable.

Emphasizing and rewarding length over quality results in worse writing and more reader abandonment.

People will pay for something they like because they want to ensure its future.

With Instapaper, I can take a few months off. I can't stop publishing 'The Magazine' for two months and work on something else.