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- Sep 4, 2018
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It's the year 2022. Suddenly, without warning, we all seem to have gotten caught up in a recent gold rush of "newsletters." How did this happen? No one knows. Even @MJ DeMarco experienced this, as he described here. Usually, I'm pretty good at not getting sucked into trends, but around 8-9 months ago, I got inspired by this thread by @MTF (and then later @Andy Black ) and started writing a (freemium) subscription "newsletter." What the hell was I thinking?
It was supposed to be just a simple newsletter about entrepreneurship, creativity, and building a winning mindset (with a touch of mindfulness). It's turned into something completely different now. Read on to find out more.
I wanted to learn writing (this was my first foray into it), see what the "newsletter" landscape was like, keep my mindset elevated, and share my findings.
I'd say this started as a creative side project. My primary fastlane is a mobile app that I've been building for a couple of years now and has a much, much, much higher potential of scale. I'll create an INSIDERS thread about that at some point.
Firstly, starting a "newsletter" today is essentially the same as starting a blog 5-10 years ago. Entry is basically non-existent. Anyone can start a "newsletter" in less than 5 minutes with a $0 investment. That, of course, means the market is flooded with low-quality junk, and standing out requires you to be EXCEPTIONAL and also persevere for a long time (years) to get somewhere (unless you already have an audience lying around).
For the first few months, I only published free content. I started with writing short-form, to-the-point posts about entrepreneurship, 200-300 words each. This is the type of stuff I would want to read. One post per week, no excuses.
I started with Revue as I thought it would be easy to grow on Twitter, and Revue has direct integration. I had never really used Twitter before. After a month of using it, Twitter turned out to be a massive time and energy sink and full of noise (and news). Gave me a headache. As mentioned above, my main business is an app, so I'm treating this newsletter as a way to learn how to write and improve my craft, not build a social media personality/following.
Twitter turned out to require as much effort as writing the newsletter in the first place. It also took too much headspace and influenced my thoughts way more than comfortable. Some of my posts ended up being about stuff I was reading on Twitter rather than what I wanted to write about. As they say, you become what you consume.
So, I abandoned it and decided not to use social media to grow (for now).
I did pick up a few dozen subscribers, though, and the Revue interface/design was quite slick. Seems like Elon is shutting it down now, though. Oh well.
Three months in, I migrated the newsletter to Substack, which has better subscription options, internal leaderboards to feature publications, recommendations, and more of an investment in maintaining the platform. They also tend to focus more on quality writing. So, in theory, you can just write away, and eventually, over time, they'll start featuring you, and you'll grow.
That was just a theory.
The first couple of months, I basically got nothing.
Zero.
Every post was like a black hole but with 1-2 occasional likes coming from *somewhere*.
I didn't really care much and just wanted to improve my writing, so I kept going.
After a few months, though, it started picking up, and I started getting 2-3 subscribers per week just from the Substack network without me having to do anything. So it seems like my "newsletter" might have begun appearing in their discovery. I suspect this will improve with time. I would estimate it would take 6-12 months to a year of consistent, high-quality posting for a new publication without a prior audience to get picked up by their algorithm. But algorithms are constantly changing, so who knows?
As for most of the growth, I found the most reliable (and passive) way was to advertise in other newsletters and directories. Around this time, I had spent about $200 and acquired about 100 (free) subscribers. I didn't want to spend too much before receiving market validation and ensuring the quality was high enough. My goal is to create good enough content to have more of a network effect (i.e., productocracy) going on. If the content is inspiring, people will share it themselves and do the marketing for you, like MJ's stuff. That's what I'm aiming for.
After a few months of posting a short-form article every week, I realized I was getting too comfortable and not growing as much as a writer. I decided to turn on the subscription and start writing subscriber-only premium posts in addition to the free content.
Initially, I struggled a lot with what to offer.
I decided I would write long-form posts. For some reason, I felt I needed to add more words to generate value. Now I've realized this assumption isn't really true. Just as having more money doesn't make it easier to start a great business, adding more words doesn't necessarily mean better content. There's elegance in simplicity and resourcefulness. This is a skill on its own. Chop chop!
Anyway, at that time, I assumed writing longer content would also be more of a challenge and probably convert better.
So, what happened?
Well, grab a coffee or a hot chocolate. What do you prefer?
Because here lies a story.
After the nervousness and shivers of what to post wore off, I started anxiously working on the first premium post.
It was an essay comparing the entrepreneurship journey to that of an athlete. Something I had observed after learning to play tennis at an advanced level. It took me ages to write. Much longer than I was planning to spend on this. I was happy with the results, but not quite sure if it was any good.
The self-doubt was through the roof (yup), and my inner critic was having a field day. (Hello, indeed I was.)
The first time is always the hardest, it seems.
Anyway, I edited and finessed the crap out of it and hit publish after a week, hoping to get at least a few sales.
Well?
Nothing.
Zero conversions after 48 hours.
I started wondering if I should just go back to working on my app instead. (probably should have, yes)
I lost confidence for a bit and continued posting the shorter weekly posts.
Then I wrote a premium post about books for entrepreneurs, which had the most impact on me (I'm sure you can guess what's #1 on the list). Surely this would sell. It's based on years of research, after all.
Nope.
Market didn't care.
You can find book lists for free anywhere, so why would anyone pay for one? Also, who is this guy again?
"Maybe I jumped into this writing thing a bit too soon," I thought. (yes, most definitely did. I mean, are you even really a writer?)
I went back to focusing on the app and continued writing weekly short-form posts. My confidence was shaken now, so the quality decreased here as well. (Ooof)
Something mysterious was happening, though. My neurons were firing. My mind was now starting to connect pieces from both projects together. But, my attention in both was getting fragmented. "This is surely not good," I thought. It's a bit like when you want both a coffee AND hot chocolate, but you can't decide, so you get a Mocha instead, which ends up tasting like, well, neither.
I returned to working on my app with half my attention now on writing.
This got me thinking ...
I spent a week writing a high-level guide on how to build a one-person high-growth tech startup from scratch with no external funding. This is basically what I've been doing on my main project. I was actually quite proud of this post. I even got excited. "Wow, this could be the starting point for a bestselling book one day," I exclaimed!
"Time to sit back and watch the $$$ role in," I grin victoriously.
Let's see what the market says.
Nope.
*crickets*
Nobody seemed to care.
The premium posts so far didn't convert at all.
I start to wonder... Why am I writing an essay about building a software startup and not focusing on actually building my own? And why am I giving away my secrets again? The potential there is probably in the millions, and I've spent years building it. A frikkin "newsletter" will just net you a few thousand, at best.
Alas, building a software company that solves a hard problem can take years, and the desert of desertion can be a lonely place.
Isn't this where all the real value lies, though?
Yes, but everyone loves a bit of good market feedback every now and then, don't they?
But why do we care so much about feedback? Seems like short-term thinking if you ask me.
Good point. I'm not sure. Perhaps it's just about giving back.
Regardless, writing this guide did help me flesh out some pain points about my app's vision and process. It doesn't really matter if no one else reads it. It added value for me, so that's still a win. "Maybe writing these premium posts isn't so bad after all," I convince myself. Very interesting.
Anyway, I kept posting the shorter weekly posts and went back to working on my app full-time. I was a bit sick of this clown show by now.
The next few days were a fiery expedition in the software world. I was back in the game and focused purely on my app. So peaceful. My brain could now use ALL its resources fine-tuning the details of a REAL product and not mess about with this mickey-mouse "newsletter."
I just couldn't help but wonder, though ...
When entry is so easy, you have to really step up your game and deliver ridiculous value. If everyone is doing something, it's likely not going to work.
Surely I can't just give up? I had to evolve once more and try something new. (sorry, what now?)
Guess I'm back at it again. (facepalm!)
I thought about writing fiction.
Humans have a long history of learning through stories, all the way back to the era of cave paintings. Stories help us make sense of the world and apply the learnings to our experiences more naturally.
I always wanted to do this and thought it would be a fun challenge.
This turned out to be an understatement.
I was hooked. Instantly.
I wrote my first fiction story after a few days of non-stop writing and editing.
Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a side project?
Yup, well, if it's not clear by now, this is why you should focus on ONE damn thing at a time!
I wrote an inspiring story called "Year of the Tiger" about a determined young dude trying to follow his dreams and earn financial freedom. He starts off by building a Udemy course but runs into some unexpected turbulence along the way (loosely based on my own experience).
I also added some links to my weekly posts from within the story. So a fictional story linking to non-fiction concepts, kind of like what MJ invented in TGRRE , but in a web format. This worked quite well. It seems like writing all those short-form posts came in handy after all.
I hit publish. I was at 150 free subscribers now. They all get a preview containing the buildup and the hook but not the meat and climax.
Those are behind a paywall. (Nice)
I was quite pleased with the final content (as usual). I started getting excited again. "Wow, this is great. Maybe I could turn this into a book someday!" I wondered as I patted myself on the back sheepishly. "Perhaps even a movie." Easy turbo, let's not get ahead of ourselves again.
I head to bed, trying not to get my hopes up again.
If this flops, I'd seriously have to consider putting this project on hold and heading back into the desert again.
"Ah yes, the desert," I remember fondly ... The stillness of the endless golden sands. The fiery winds blowing softly enough for me to hear my thoughts. Nothing but silence. No pressure, deadlines, judgment, feedback, paperwork, taxes, fortune, fame, success. So easy to just be in a state of forever flow. So comfortable. Yet, just like quicksand, the deeper you go ... The scorching wind intensifies as I hear the echoes reminding me - The treasure you are seeking to find is already present along each step of the way. "But then where is there left to go if you are already there?" The silence says it all. Just listen.
Next morning,
I wake up with TWO paying subscribers at $5 per month each.
What!? It worked!
I hit refresh 50 times just to confirm. Yup, it's legit!
Soon after-- ONE more paying subscriber, annual this time.
Woof! Big money.
The feedback loop is real. There was no going back now.
Time to fly.
I wasn't able to contain myself anymore. The game was on, and I went all in. The following months, I start to take the newsletter more seriously now the market had been validated. I create a google ads account with the hopes of scaling FAST. It immediately got suspended the next day for no apparent reason. Looks like we have another PayPal in the making (iykyk). No sweat, I flip them the bird and move on. I read some books on copywriting, created a bunch of text and video (gif) ads, and started launching them on similar newsletters, big and small, but always negotiating. I soon reached 500 free subscribers and counting (ask me how to navigate this space properly if you are interested, it's a minefield).
I took a bunch of fiction writing courses on masterclass and really started getting into it. I wrote a bunch more stories (including an alternate universe version of this one) and even published another called Deja-Vu. I thought the first one was good. Well, this one just took things to a whole other level. My writing quality was improving all around, and I started getting more paid subscribers trickling in every now and then. I enabled free trials, created special offers, improved the branding, asked for feedback, and started going all in on adding value. Each small step leading itself toward a productocracy in the making. Not yet, but soon, soon.
This project just went from a creative side hobby to a potential full-scale business overnight with the clink of a single sale, ringing melodic to my ears like the bells of sweet, sweet market validation. After the rush faded, I took the foot off the pedal a bit, but I'll never stop improving. This is only the beginning. This path has now solidified itself into my long game, and I'm excited to see where it goes next.
Like I said at the start- When entry is so low, you really have to step it up and deliver ridiculous value.
Right, low entry. Step it up. Got it. What about the app, you FOOL!?
Don't worry. It's almost there. This "newsletter" is keeping me accountable and these two projects feed into each other now. I just need to sort out some paperwork and then hit launch. How hard could that be, lol? The first time is always the hardest, it seems. You can read about it in the INSIDERS section soon (2023, I promise!). I'll probably get hooked and leak some more secrets in the "newsletter" as well. Who Knows. (ugh)
I really only deal with long-term endeavors now. Both of these projects will be in flight for years to come and are headed to the moon. Timing doesn't quite matter if you focus on quality and keep going. As MJ keeps saying, there's always room for EXCEPTIONAL stuff.
Oh, did I mention the "list" for the app has over 10,000 people in it? Now that's a story for another time.
I see. Carry on, then.
To infinity and beyond!
Wow, cool story bro. What's next?
I'm planning to hit a few thousand per year in revenue and then maybe switch to Ghost. Around this point, it would be a good time to expand. Ghost has a more professional-looking interface, better analytics, and I can customize the site to my brand better and update the design to be more user-friendly and sleek. It's also easier to keep the website and newsletter separate, whereas they are very intertwined on Substack.
I also looked into Beehiv, which recently popped up. This has a built-in referral program you can use to grow and an ad network to find sponsors and monetize the newsletter directly (kind of like sparkloop). I didn't know about Beehiv when I started. Otherwise, I would have definitely started over there with a free newsletter with sponsors. The platform is more modern, with better analytics, and free newsletters seem easier to grow and monetize. I would probably have gained more subscribers had I gone with them. But, I would also probably have ended up writing only short-form content and not grown so much as a writer or even dared to write fiction.
Well, here we are. No point arguing with the flow of life.
The universe always wins.
Currently, I'm curious to see how this grows on Substack with the freemium model and if it gets picked up by their algorithm and gets featured. Substack also seems to be stepping it up and adding features at a breakneck speed. It seems like every time I go to the settings, I find something new. Guess they are sick of losing publications to competitors. Kudos. Might just stay. Let's see.
Overall, I've found the subscription newsletter model to be a very, very slow grind. It can easily take 6-12 months (maybe more) to generate very little income if you start with a small budget, no prior audience, and are not that into social media. Newsletters don't really go viral (I think), and not many people like to pay for content, so you have to keep going and build loyal fans ( but I would argue you should do this with any business ). This model only makes sense if you really enjoy writing and will be excited about the subject you are writing about in the long term (think YEARS).
Woh.. Suddenly, out of nowhere, my laptop decides to restart, and I might just have lost this entire post! My heart pounds as I wait for the screen to boot up again. My legs are shaking as I login in fear. I bang my desk in fury as I glimpse the last thing I could possibly want to see right now ... updating windows 37% ... should have known. I'm pulling my hair out now as I open up chrome anxiously, hit restore, and well.. it's all still here. Phew! Thanks, MJ, or chrome, whoever made this happen. Excuse me while I back this up, wipe the sweat off my face and take a few deep breaths to calm down. What the absolute ...
Now, where were we?
Right, lets wrap this up before it tanks again.
Would I do it all over again? Hell yeah -
1) As you can see, I've fallen in love with the art of writing and storytelling. I haven't had this much fun learning a new skill in a while (first was coding, then entrepreneurship, and now this). I find both writing and editing to be very meditative, and I've totally embraced the process. I am excited to grow as a writer and continue writing stories and, eventually, entire books and movies. Writing the premium content also challenges me to up my game and add more value, so it's a win-win.
2) Writing these posts has supercharged my mindset and thought process and is helping me on my own entrepreneurial journey (i.e., the software business) while sharing my learnings. Another win-win. The weekly deadline also keeps the pressure up but isn't too much of a distraction (except when I get hooked on writing fiction, of course). It's also long enough for me to really fine-tune the content and not just blast something daily like you could be tempted to do with a blog.
So, this is more of a long-term play about creating the best content possible while growing as a writer and entrepreneur. That is, it's 100% about the process and adding value. The feedback loop is definitely a great motivator, though, so I am excited to see how this scales, but not really obsessed with the numbers anymore.
I'll keep this thread updated and let you know how things evolve. If you have any questions, please drop them below. Until then, if you didn't already come here from there, then feel free to join in at Startup Flyby. A high-octane entrepreneurship newsletter that will inspire you to think big, follow your dreams, and move the world forward (at scale). Oh, and did I mention it has inspiring fiction stories? I think I did, yes. And the best ones are yet to come, obv.
As mentioned, the publication is continuously evolving and getting better. Combine that with a bit of perseverance and long-term thinking, and you can easily succeed in this (or any) business.
P.S. - I keep saying this, but nobody (including me) seems to listen. Stick to ONE thing, and go for it! You never know where your project(s) might end up
It was supposed to be just a simple newsletter about entrepreneurship, creativity, and building a winning mindset (with a touch of mindfulness). It's turned into something completely different now. Read on to find out more.
I wanted to learn writing (this was my first foray into it), see what the "newsletter" landscape was like, keep my mindset elevated, and share my findings.
I'd say this started as a creative side project. My primary fastlane is a mobile app that I've been building for a couple of years now and has a much, much, much higher potential of scale. I'll create an INSIDERS thread about that at some point.
Firstly, starting a "newsletter" today is essentially the same as starting a blog 5-10 years ago. Entry is basically non-existent. Anyone can start a "newsletter" in less than 5 minutes with a $0 investment. That, of course, means the market is flooded with low-quality junk, and standing out requires you to be EXCEPTIONAL and also persevere for a long time (years) to get somewhere (unless you already have an audience lying around).
For the first few months, I only published free content. I started with writing short-form, to-the-point posts about entrepreneurship, 200-300 words each. This is the type of stuff I would want to read. One post per week, no excuses.
I started with Revue as I thought it would be easy to grow on Twitter, and Revue has direct integration. I had never really used Twitter before. After a month of using it, Twitter turned out to be a massive time and energy sink and full of noise (and news). Gave me a headache. As mentioned above, my main business is an app, so I'm treating this newsletter as a way to learn how to write and improve my craft, not build a social media personality/following.
Twitter turned out to require as much effort as writing the newsletter in the first place. It also took too much headspace and influenced my thoughts way more than comfortable. Some of my posts ended up being about stuff I was reading on Twitter rather than what I wanted to write about. As they say, you become what you consume.
So, I abandoned it and decided not to use social media to grow (for now).
I did pick up a few dozen subscribers, though, and the Revue interface/design was quite slick. Seems like Elon is shutting it down now, though. Oh well.
Three months in, I migrated the newsletter to Substack, which has better subscription options, internal leaderboards to feature publications, recommendations, and more of an investment in maintaining the platform. They also tend to focus more on quality writing. So, in theory, you can just write away, and eventually, over time, they'll start featuring you, and you'll grow.
That was just a theory.
The first couple of months, I basically got nothing.
Zero.
Every post was like a black hole but with 1-2 occasional likes coming from *somewhere*.
I didn't really care much and just wanted to improve my writing, so I kept going.
After a few months, though, it started picking up, and I started getting 2-3 subscribers per week just from the Substack network without me having to do anything. So it seems like my "newsletter" might have begun appearing in their discovery. I suspect this will improve with time. I would estimate it would take 6-12 months to a year of consistent, high-quality posting for a new publication without a prior audience to get picked up by their algorithm. But algorithms are constantly changing, so who knows?
As for most of the growth, I found the most reliable (and passive) way was to advertise in other newsletters and directories. Around this time, I had spent about $200 and acquired about 100 (free) subscribers. I didn't want to spend too much before receiving market validation and ensuring the quality was high enough. My goal is to create good enough content to have more of a network effect (i.e., productocracy) going on. If the content is inspiring, people will share it themselves and do the marketing for you, like MJ's stuff. That's what I'm aiming for.
After a few months of posting a short-form article every week, I realized I was getting too comfortable and not growing as much as a writer. I decided to turn on the subscription and start writing subscriber-only premium posts in addition to the free content.
Initially, I struggled a lot with what to offer.
I decided I would write long-form posts. For some reason, I felt I needed to add more words to generate value. Now I've realized this assumption isn't really true. Just as having more money doesn't make it easier to start a great business, adding more words doesn't necessarily mean better content. There's elegance in simplicity and resourcefulness. This is a skill on its own. Chop chop!
Anyway, at that time, I assumed writing longer content would also be more of a challenge and probably convert better.
So, what happened?
Well, grab a coffee or a hot chocolate. What do you prefer?
Because here lies a story.
*
After the nervousness and shivers of what to post wore off, I started anxiously working on the first premium post.
It was an essay comparing the entrepreneurship journey to that of an athlete. Something I had observed after learning to play tennis at an advanced level. It took me ages to write. Much longer than I was planning to spend on this. I was happy with the results, but not quite sure if it was any good.
The self-doubt was through the roof (yup), and my inner critic was having a field day. (Hello, indeed I was.)
The first time is always the hardest, it seems.
Anyway, I edited and finessed the crap out of it and hit publish after a week, hoping to get at least a few sales.
Well?
Nothing.
Zero conversions after 48 hours.
I started wondering if I should just go back to working on my app instead. (probably should have, yes)
I lost confidence for a bit and continued posting the shorter weekly posts.
Then I wrote a premium post about books for entrepreneurs, which had the most impact on me (I'm sure you can guess what's #1 on the list). Surely this would sell. It's based on years of research, after all.
Nope.
Market didn't care.
You can find book lists for free anywhere, so why would anyone pay for one? Also, who is this guy again?
"Maybe I jumped into this writing thing a bit too soon," I thought. (yes, most definitely did. I mean, are you even really a writer?)
I went back to focusing on the app and continued writing weekly short-form posts. My confidence was shaken now, so the quality decreased here as well. (Ooof)
Something mysterious was happening, though. My neurons were firing. My mind was now starting to connect pieces from both projects together. But, my attention in both was getting fragmented. "This is surely not good," I thought. It's a bit like when you want both a coffee AND hot chocolate, but you can't decide, so you get a Mocha instead, which ends up tasting like, well, neither.
I returned to working on my app with half my attention now on writing.
This got me thinking ...
I spent a week writing a high-level guide on how to build a one-person high-growth tech startup from scratch with no external funding. This is basically what I've been doing on my main project. I was actually quite proud of this post. I even got excited. "Wow, this could be the starting point for a bestselling book one day," I exclaimed!
"Time to sit back and watch the $$$ role in," I grin victoriously.
Let's see what the market says.
Nope.
*crickets*
Nobody seemed to care.
The premium posts so far didn't convert at all.
I start to wonder... Why am I writing an essay about building a software startup and not focusing on actually building my own? And why am I giving away my secrets again? The potential there is probably in the millions, and I've spent years building it. A frikkin "newsletter" will just net you a few thousand, at best.
Alas, building a software company that solves a hard problem can take years, and the desert of desertion can be a lonely place.
Isn't this where all the real value lies, though?
Yes, but everyone loves a bit of good market feedback every now and then, don't they?
But why do we care so much about feedback? Seems like short-term thinking if you ask me.
Good point. I'm not sure. Perhaps it's just about giving back.
Regardless, writing this guide did help me flesh out some pain points about my app's vision and process. It doesn't really matter if no one else reads it. It added value for me, so that's still a win. "Maybe writing these premium posts isn't so bad after all," I convince myself. Very interesting.
Anyway, I kept posting the shorter weekly posts and went back to working on my app full-time. I was a bit sick of this clown show by now.
The next few days were a fiery expedition in the software world. I was back in the game and focused purely on my app. So peaceful. My brain could now use ALL its resources fine-tuning the details of a REAL product and not mess about with this mickey-mouse "newsletter."
I just couldn't help but wonder, though ...
When entry is so easy, you have to really step up your game and deliver ridiculous value. If everyone is doing something, it's likely not going to work.
Surely I can't just give up? I had to evolve once more and try something new. (sorry, what now?)
Guess I'm back at it again. (facepalm!)
I thought about writing fiction.
Humans have a long history of learning through stories, all the way back to the era of cave paintings. Stories help us make sense of the world and apply the learnings to our experiences more naturally.
I always wanted to do this and thought it would be a fun challenge.
This turned out to be an understatement.
I was hooked. Instantly.
I wrote my first fiction story after a few days of non-stop writing and editing.
Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a side project?
Yup, well, if it's not clear by now, this is why you should focus on ONE damn thing at a time!
I wrote an inspiring story called "Year of the Tiger" about a determined young dude trying to follow his dreams and earn financial freedom. He starts off by building a Udemy course but runs into some unexpected turbulence along the way (loosely based on my own experience).
I also added some links to my weekly posts from within the story. So a fictional story linking to non-fiction concepts, kind of like what MJ invented in TGRRE , but in a web format. This worked quite well. It seems like writing all those short-form posts came in handy after all.
I hit publish. I was at 150 free subscribers now. They all get a preview containing the buildup and the hook but not the meat and climax.
Those are behind a paywall. (Nice)
I was quite pleased with the final content (as usual). I started getting excited again. "Wow, this is great. Maybe I could turn this into a book someday!" I wondered as I patted myself on the back sheepishly. "Perhaps even a movie." Easy turbo, let's not get ahead of ourselves again.
I head to bed, trying not to get my hopes up again.
If this flops, I'd seriously have to consider putting this project on hold and heading back into the desert again.
"Ah yes, the desert," I remember fondly ... The stillness of the endless golden sands. The fiery winds blowing softly enough for me to hear my thoughts. Nothing but silence. No pressure, deadlines, judgment, feedback, paperwork, taxes, fortune, fame, success. So easy to just be in a state of forever flow. So comfortable. Yet, just like quicksand, the deeper you go ... The scorching wind intensifies as I hear the echoes reminding me - The treasure you are seeking to find is already present along each step of the way. "But then where is there left to go if you are already there?" The silence says it all. Just listen.
*
Next morning,
I wake up with TWO paying subscribers at $5 per month each.
What!? It worked!
I hit refresh 50 times just to confirm. Yup, it's legit!
Soon after-- ONE more paying subscriber, annual this time.
Woof! Big money.
The feedback loop is real. There was no going back now.
Time to fly.
I wasn't able to contain myself anymore. The game was on, and I went all in. The following months, I start to take the newsletter more seriously now the market had been validated. I create a google ads account with the hopes of scaling FAST. It immediately got suspended the next day for no apparent reason. Looks like we have another PayPal in the making (iykyk). No sweat, I flip them the bird and move on. I read some books on copywriting, created a bunch of text and video (gif) ads, and started launching them on similar newsletters, big and small, but always negotiating. I soon reached 500 free subscribers and counting (ask me how to navigate this space properly if you are interested, it's a minefield).
I took a bunch of fiction writing courses on masterclass and really started getting into it. I wrote a bunch more stories (including an alternate universe version of this one) and even published another called Deja-Vu. I thought the first one was good. Well, this one just took things to a whole other level. My writing quality was improving all around, and I started getting more paid subscribers trickling in every now and then. I enabled free trials, created special offers, improved the branding, asked for feedback, and started going all in on adding value. Each small step leading itself toward a productocracy in the making. Not yet, but soon, soon.
This project just went from a creative side hobby to a potential full-scale business overnight with the clink of a single sale, ringing melodic to my ears like the bells of sweet, sweet market validation. After the rush faded, I took the foot off the pedal a bit, but I'll never stop improving. This is only the beginning. This path has now solidified itself into my long game, and I'm excited to see where it goes next.
Like I said at the start- When entry is so low, you really have to step it up and deliver ridiculous value.
Right, low entry. Step it up. Got it. What about the app, you FOOL!?
Don't worry. It's almost there. This "newsletter" is keeping me accountable and these two projects feed into each other now. I just need to sort out some paperwork and then hit launch. How hard could that be, lol? The first time is always the hardest, it seems. You can read about it in the INSIDERS section soon (2023, I promise!). I'll probably get hooked and leak some more secrets in the "newsletter" as well. Who Knows. (ugh)
I really only deal with long-term endeavors now. Both of these projects will be in flight for years to come and are headed to the moon. Timing doesn't quite matter if you focus on quality and keep going. As MJ keeps saying, there's always room for EXCEPTIONAL stuff.
Oh, did I mention the "list" for the app has over 10,000 people in it? Now that's a story for another time.
I see. Carry on, then.
To infinity and beyond!
*
Wow, cool story bro. What's next?
I'm planning to hit a few thousand per year in revenue and then maybe switch to Ghost. Around this point, it would be a good time to expand. Ghost has a more professional-looking interface, better analytics, and I can customize the site to my brand better and update the design to be more user-friendly and sleek. It's also easier to keep the website and newsletter separate, whereas they are very intertwined on Substack.
I also looked into Beehiv, which recently popped up. This has a built-in referral program you can use to grow and an ad network to find sponsors and monetize the newsletter directly (kind of like sparkloop). I didn't know about Beehiv when I started. Otherwise, I would have definitely started over there with a free newsletter with sponsors. The platform is more modern, with better analytics, and free newsletters seem easier to grow and monetize. I would probably have gained more subscribers had I gone with them. But, I would also probably have ended up writing only short-form content and not grown so much as a writer or even dared to write fiction.
Well, here we are. No point arguing with the flow of life.
The universe always wins.
Currently, I'm curious to see how this grows on Substack with the freemium model and if it gets picked up by their algorithm and gets featured. Substack also seems to be stepping it up and adding features at a breakneck speed. It seems like every time I go to the settings, I find something new. Guess they are sick of losing publications to competitors. Kudos. Might just stay. Let's see.
Overall, I've found the subscription newsletter model to be a very, very slow grind. It can easily take 6-12 months (maybe more) to generate very little income if you start with a small budget, no prior audience, and are not that into social media. Newsletters don't really go viral (I think), and not many people like to pay for content, so you have to keep going and build loyal fans ( but I would argue you should do this with any business ). This model only makes sense if you really enjoy writing and will be excited about the subject you are writing about in the long term (think YEARS).
Woh.. Suddenly, out of nowhere, my laptop decides to restart, and I might just have lost this entire post! My heart pounds as I wait for the screen to boot up again. My legs are shaking as I login in fear. I bang my desk in fury as I glimpse the last thing I could possibly want to see right now ... updating windows 37% ... should have known. I'm pulling my hair out now as I open up chrome anxiously, hit restore, and well.. it's all still here. Phew! Thanks, MJ, or chrome, whoever made this happen. Excuse me while I back this up, wipe the sweat off my face and take a few deep breaths to calm down. What the absolute ...
*
Now, where were we?
Right, lets wrap this up before it tanks again.
Would I do it all over again? Hell yeah -
1) As you can see, I've fallen in love with the art of writing and storytelling. I haven't had this much fun learning a new skill in a while (first was coding, then entrepreneurship, and now this). I find both writing and editing to be very meditative, and I've totally embraced the process. I am excited to grow as a writer and continue writing stories and, eventually, entire books and movies. Writing the premium content also challenges me to up my game and add more value, so it's a win-win.
2) Writing these posts has supercharged my mindset and thought process and is helping me on my own entrepreneurial journey (i.e., the software business) while sharing my learnings. Another win-win. The weekly deadline also keeps the pressure up but isn't too much of a distraction (except when I get hooked on writing fiction, of course). It's also long enough for me to really fine-tune the content and not just blast something daily like you could be tempted to do with a blog.
So, this is more of a long-term play about creating the best content possible while growing as a writer and entrepreneur. That is, it's 100% about the process and adding value. The feedback loop is definitely a great motivator, though, so I am excited to see how this scales, but not really obsessed with the numbers anymore.
I'll keep this thread updated and let you know how things evolve. If you have any questions, please drop them below. Until then, if you didn't already come here from there, then feel free to join in at Startup Flyby. A high-octane entrepreneurship newsletter that will inspire you to think big, follow your dreams, and move the world forward (at scale). Oh, and did I mention it has inspiring fiction stories? I think I did, yes. And the best ones are yet to come, obv.
As mentioned, the publication is continuously evolving and getting better. Combine that with a bit of perseverance and long-term thinking, and you can easily succeed in this (or any) business.
P.S. - I keep saying this, but nobody (including me) seems to listen. Stick to ONE thing, and go for it! You never know where your project(s) might end up
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