The Big Business of Newsletters

From the news: beehiiv raises $12.5 million

Every year, somebody publishes an article titled “Email is dead.” The prediction is understandable; we’re bombarded with hundreds of emails a day, most of which are unwanted.

Yet, creators, entrepreneurs and businesses continue to use email. Why? Because it’s still the best way to build and engage with an audience - an audience you actually own. Recent news of beehiiv raising a $12.5 million Series A, and Substack’s paid subscriptions rising year on year, has us bullish on the newsletter. So bullish, we moved over to beehiiv last month.

You should be too. If you don’t have a newsletter yet, there’s never been a better time. The best strategy is to offer something niche and high-value and deliver it consistently. With this approach, the sky is the limit - just look at the story of Milk Road, which sold for $4.5 million after only ten months. 🤑 

From the founder: Debunking the myths about MVPs

“If you aren’t embarrassed by your first product, you’ve launched it too late.”

Author and entrepreneur Jan Cavelle says success comes down to concentrating on what the customer wants that you can supply with ease and maximum profit. How do you figure that out? By developing your MVP (minimum viable product).

Unfortunately, the process is full of myths. Lucky for us, Cavelle has debunked the biggest ones:

1. Only highly-skilled people tech use them — The principle behind MVPs is sound for almost any business, not just scrappy tech startups.

2. It’s a launch strategy — MVPs can be used to test products continually with minimal investment. As Steve Jobs said, “You’ve got to start with the customer experiences and work back to the technology.”

3. It guarantees success — MVPs are not fail-safe; they are only as good as the starting point, the operators, the ability to adapt and the data being used.

4. There’s a “best” method — There is no right way; lean into your brand and your audience, and get a prototype out there to start testing.

👉️ Learn more about these myths here: 5 Myths About Developing Your Startup’s MVP

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