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- Laying The Newsletter Groundwork
Hey,
I’ve got a little secret for you: every big newsletter you admire started out awkward, clunky, and probably a little ugly.
It’s like watching a toddler try to walk — lots of faceplants before finally wobbling like a penguin. So if you’re thinking about launching your own newsletter (or maybe you already did and you’re staring at that “0 subscribers” screen), don’t panic. You’re just at the foundation phase, and that’s exactly where you should be.
Here’s how I’d approach building a newsletter from scratch.
1. Pick Your Corner of the World
You know how when you go to a party and the guy who “knows a little bit about everything” won’t stop talking? Don’t be that guy. Be the person people seek out because they know you’re the go-to for something specific.
Find a niche. Get oddly specific. Like “personal finance tips for new parents” not just “finance.” Or “nutrition for busy dads who also run a business and haven’t meal-prepped since 2022” (guilty).
The newsletter Better Brain Update nailed this: they zoned in on making neuroscience approachable. Not just “health.” Not just “brain stuff.” They’re now the nerdy brain friend everyone wants.
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2. Define Your People
Imagine your ideal reader. Like, actually picture them.
What’s keeping them up at night?
What’s making them scroll LinkedIn at 2 am. looking for answers?
Write your newsletter for them. Write like you’re talking to one person, not 1,000. If you write like you’re talking to someone 1:1, your voice will scale as you do.
3. Be Honest About Your Goals
You don’t need 10,000 readers tomorrow. Maybe you want 100 super fans in 3 months. Maybe you just want to build writing discipline. Or maybe (no shame here) you’re eyeing this as a future paid product.
Set your goal and let it guide what you say yes/no to.
4. Lurk, Learn, and Steal (Respectfully)
Subscribe to a few newsletters in your space.
Notice what hooks you.
Notice what makes you hit “unsubscribe.”
Borrow the good stuff, ditch the fluff.
That’s called research. Or as I like to call it, “legal spying.”
You don’t have to be everything to everybody.
That’s a fast track to burnout and bland content. I’d take 500 subscribers who obsessively forward my emails to friends over 5,000 who forget I exist in their inbox.
Set your niche. Define your people. Get clear on why you’re doing this. That’s the concrete slab your newsletter mansion will sit on.
And if you’re overthinking it, try clicking “publish” on whatever you have so far, then iterate. Analysis paralysis stops great people from ever achieving their full potential.
My new course, Newsletter Founder, is officially LIVE.
This course and community is created for people who know they want to start a newsletter and just need that extra nudge of support and accountability.
We want to help take you from 0 to 1 and beyond with a newsletter.
Not only are we sharing our insights from operating newsletters with tens of thousands of subscribers...
We're building a community to actually make sure you get help building yours.
This course & community is for creators, founders, and marketers who want to build, grow, and monetize a newsletter.
Whether you're just starting or already have traction, the course gives you a clear roadmap.
Super excited to see where this goes!
Let me know if you have any questions 😊
Our first cohort has already launched and we’re building something beautiful. Come join us inside!
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