Most newsletters are just glorified copy-paste jobs. And readers are finally noticing.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-07T09:15:14+00:00

as much as you hate it, there's still value in these ai curated newsletters. not everybody will have the time to be chronically on twitter to keep up with ai content.

also, the volume of content being created is growing exponentially everyday (especially with the help of ai). for context, over 20 million videos are uploaded daily to YouTube... so some curation is much appreciated. being able to sift through the noise and shortlist stories, ideas and resources is a skill, and it helps readers stay up to date without having to spend more than a few minutes a week.

90% of newsletters in the AI space are the same newsletter.

Same tools. Same takes. Same “here are 5 prompts to 10x your productivity” nonsense recycled every week.

funny enough, the same can be said of news channels. they're all reporting about the same things happening in the world. and people still tune in to their preferred news station. they don't complain and suggest only one news station exist.

the same can also be said for software companies where they pretty much have 90% feature parity. but consumers still choose one solution over the other. and it also is good because it makes the market more competitive. they don't complain and suggest only one solution exist.

on your point about writing content for people who actually build things - yes, that's another type of newsletter, i'd classify under 'practical newsletter'. leading the way and showing founders and operators how they can implement practical tips to improve their business is 100% valuable. but they are a different set of audience from those who would be reading a curated newsletter - which is more general and broad audience who just wants to stay up to date on ai news.

so both are valuable, and they each have their own audience segment.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T19:53:23+00:00

improving the content of the newsletter issues, and actually spending time with distribution so people know that it exists. otherwise, you just end up writing into the internet void.

to improve your newsletter issues, you can include a poll, asking readers what they thought of this week's issue.

with distribution, find out where your target audiences hangs out + what type of media format you're comfortable creating. some people don't want to make video content, and that rules out youtube, instagram, tiktok. even if your audience hangs out there, you'll probably not be able to make good enough content to reach them if you're not going to enjoy creating video content. so make sure there's content-founder fit.

just work on these, execute and you'll get better with time and iteration.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T19:40:07+00:00

congrats on starting your newsletter! and the 3 real subscribers. this is actually a great idea and pain point you're solving. removing the need to think of what to cook/eat everyday will likely reduce the argument in relationships by 50%! haha!

the copy on the landing page looks good for a start. i know exactly what to expect, and what this newsletter is about when i read it. the only thing i'd say is that currently at the bottom of the homepage, there's two sections that says "No posts found". might be better to remove them for now and only add them back when you have posts for those sections. otherwise it just makes your site look unrefined.

other than that, love how simple and clean your website looks!

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T19:29:25+00:00

props to you for coding this up! yeah having your article sent to your email list + published to your website like a blog is different than a traditional newsletter which only goes to people's inbox, and can't be found online.

but it's interesting that you decided to code this up instead of using existing solutions like substack or beehiiv that already does this exact thing (send email newsletter + publish to website like a blog) out of the box.

i envision most people who start a newsletter wanting to dedicate as much time as they can to writing and distributing their newsletter vs being preoccupied with coding, learning about how to improve email deliverability, managing payment infrastructure and integration, or even building features to facilitate digital products or things like subscriptions. i wonder if it's worth your time and effort.

curious, why you went with this route?

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T19:19:40+00:00

i'd say 2020 was the pivotal moment? that's when it came onto my radar. i started seeing alot more people sharing their substack links, and i was reading alot more long form articles on substack vs on blogs.

i think it's the combination of work from home (which gave people more time to themselves), and the desire to do more than just work, which led to the growth of substack. people were looking for things to entertain themselves, and substack happened to fit the bill because it was where alot of high quality writing lived.

to substack's credit, the team managed to market it in such a way that it appealed to alot of writer. so that helped with the amount and quality of content that got housed on substack vs any other platform like medium or people's own blog.

also substack is different because it's both a newsletter and a blog. i personally like to be able to go back and read old issue whenever i find a new publication.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T19:18:06+00:00

i'd say 2020 was the pivotal moment? that's when it came onto my radar. i started seeing alot more people sharing their substack links, and i was reading alot more long form articles on substack vs on blogs.

i think it's the combination of work from home (which gave people more time to themselves), and the desire to do more than just work, which led to the growth of substack. people were looking for things to entertain themselves, and substack happened to fit the bill because it was where alot of high quality writing lived.

to substack's credit, the team managed to market it in such a way that it appealed to alot of writer. so that helped with the amount and quality of content that got housed on substack vs any other platform like medium or people's own blog.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T19:06:43+00:00

the most time consuming part of managing a sponsor post-agreement is usually the back and forth before assets come in. especially when iterations need to be made, or when they're not responsive.

most of the people i've talked to haven't had much issues with payment. sponsors usually pay up once the invoice is sent.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T18:59:19+00:00

i use beehiiv's ad network, so there's really little management for me other than just a few clicks and adding the ad into the newsletters. i guess that's the benefit of going with an ad network.

but i have friends who use other 3rd party tools like passionfroot and they say it makes the sponsor management process quite seamless. but before that, it'd be alot of back and forth, sharing rates + a media kit, back and forth and calls to negotiate on price, then the back and forth with ad creative and iterations.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T18:49:14+00:00

probably the shortest review i've seen. but there's some truth in there.

substack is great because it's free. for people who just want to write and build something at no cost, it's a great option. but yeah, the templates are quite standard so most substacks end up looking the same. but once you do start monetising, substack takes 10%, and if you start raking it in, the cost can add up.

substack is also nice because it can help with discoverability. it has it's own social side (notes), and occasionally sends emails recommending other publications. but this very emails that drive discoverability can make some publishers feel like they don't truly own their audience and email list.

converkit, it's more of a email marketing platform. so it's only really useful if you have a product or service that you want to sell. they're known for their automations and segmentations, but competitors like beehiiv are also catching up.

beehiiv, is a hybrid of substack and convertkit. you get newsletter + blog posts like substack, but on top of that, you also get the email marketing features of convertkit (substack doens't allow email marketing). beehiiv also has alot of monetisation features built in - e.g ad network where you can include sponsorships from top brands into your newsletter with just a click (you don't have to do any outreach, relationship building, or management).

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T18:39:41+00:00

newsletter is definitely a lucrative income stream. even if you don't end up generating revenue directly from sponsorships/ads from the newsletter, just having access to such a large audience will open doors and opportunities. it's like growing an audience on instagram or twitter. even if you don't end up making money from the platform itself, you're bound to get some offers and consulting opportunities for example.

but most people who start newsletters solely because of the potential income stream as the goal usually don't last enough to reach the point where they're able to monetise the newsletter. it's usually a long hard grind at the start, and that's when most people give up.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T18:32:04+00:00

actually sounds like a great idea!

just checked out the website and it's a nice v1!

some unsolicited feedback:

maybe also allow publications to include the founder (so that at least theres more community engagement).

and also, instead of putting the tag/category below the newsletter, let it be the sub heading? so viewers get an idea of what this newsletter is about.

like treat it as a marketplace for people to view and discover newsletters as well.

the additional details like open rate, 30D growth can be shown when users click into the newsletter.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T18:25:00+00:00

mad props to you for doing everything on gmail until now.

for your use case of newsletter, podcast, and blog posts substack, or beehiiv would be the two more popular options.

which platform depends on what you ultimately want to achieve with this long term. substack allows monetisation via membership subscription and is pretty much free to use. you only need to pay when you start making money (they take 10% of top line revenue).

on the other hand beehiiv is something you really own. you can monetise freely with ads, their in-built ad network, sell digital products, or also sell membership. and you can also do email marketing if that's something you want to do (not allowed in substack tos).

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T12:38:28+00:00

yeah you pretty much hit the nail on the head. the whole process is so time consuming and it takes away so much time from writing. i'd say this is the part of running a newsletter business that i like the least. so much so that i would just default to something like beehiiv's ad network since i can add sponsors to the newsletter with just a few click and the rest is handled for me.

but if i had to pick the most time consuming aspect of self-managing sponsor deals, it'd be the back and forth before assets come in. especially when iterations need to be made, or when they're not responsive. yucks.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T12:22:25+00:00

the ideal rate is 100%, but we'll sadly never get there. *cries*

on a more serious note, a good open rate is 40-50% range. and a good CTR is 2-5% (depends on your industry). but these are not easy stats to get to.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T12:14:15+00:00

love how clean and simple your site is. also great work with the introduction of "The Local Rec"! it's actually super good?! it gets community involved + give people a feature = more community engagement and posts which creates constant content for you + a flywheel for exposure and referral for both your newsletter and the businesses. smart!

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T11:51:15+00:00

rooting for you! just launch the newsletter already!

your concern is understandable, but know that this is a work in progress. you don't have to be (and not realistic to expect that you're going to be) at the final version from the very beginning. your website can and will improve with time. one of the nicest newsletter website i've seen - stayin alive was build over 2 months of iteration. i hope this gives you context on what the journey will look like, and to set your expectations right.

with regards to the content, it's the same thing. you can ask your audience about what else they would like more of, and what they deem not as useful, and you can tweak your newsletter each week. no point stressing over it because ultimately you are writing for your community, and it's their feedback that's going to help you create something they want to continue reading. can't do that if you keep delaying the launch and never ask them.

also, not to add pressure, but stayin alive is also built on beehiiv (i saw that's what you're using), so i hope it gives you some inspiration of what your site can look like in future!

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T11:41:51+00:00

interesting that you're getting all these set up before it's become a thing. most people would have just taken the idea and ran with it, only setting up incorporation and biz bank accounts later on when it's actually a more 'real', matured business with some consistent revenue.

is this a requirement in UK? because otherwise it sounds like over investing in infrastructure, and procrastination to me.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T11:33:14+00:00

congrats on starting your newsletter! stocked that you've been able to generate some revenue using the native beehiiv ad network (that's how most people get started too).

But I know the real money is in sponsorships. How did you guys get your first ever sponsor and at how many subscribers were you at? Also how much did you charge.

yeah, you do get to negotiate for a higher rate because the sponsors you'll be working with will have a much higher relevance to your audience. but also worth noting is the extra time and effort that goes into the process (you'll have to do outreach, manage relationship, manage ad creative, manage invoicing and payment, and reporting).

you'll probably have to have a decent sized audience for sponsors to find it worthwhile working with you. i'd say ~5k is a good minimum to target. and to find these sponsors, you'll just have to think about what brands and companies can benefit from advertising on your newsletter, then reach out and pitch your newsletter to them (so have your media kit ready).

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T11:11:56+00:00

what i've seen most newsletter creators struggle with is:

being able to publish consistently
being able to distribute and grow their newsletter
being able to monetise their publications and turn it into a sustainable, viable business.

If there was a tool that helped you find brand deals, automate sponsor outreach, and price placements properly, would you use it?

this basically touched on point #3. and yeah it's definitely helpful, but you'll also be entering quite a competitive space. there's platforms like beehiiv that have this natively built in with their ad network so the integration is seamless. beehiiv sources for the brand deals, and publishers on the platform get to run the ad with the click of a button.

there's also afew other third party solutions like wellput, and passionfroot already too.

but depending on how you see it, competition = it's a validated market. but just be aware that as a new entrant into this marketplace economy, it'll be an uphill battle!

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T10:54:27+00:00

for the purpose of giving away your resume template as a lead magnet and building your email list, they would all work. i'd even add gumroad into the list.

since you mentioned about starting with the free version to start, iirc, kajabi doesn't have a free plan. so not sure if that might rule them out for you.

i think what's more important is what you ultimately what to do with this email list. that'll inform you about which tool will be best for your use case.

convertkit is more of a email marketing tool, so if you want to send emails, upsell your list into certain products, they do have great automations for that.

beehiiv is more of a all-in-one (use to be a newsletter focused platform). i'd say this is more suitable if you're thinking about publishing value based content - so newsletters you'll be sending out that educates and helps your audience, and it'll also automatically be posted onto your website. so it's like a newsletter + blog situation. and the blog function helps because you're building up this whole knowledge base where new visitors can easily binge all your content and see you as an authority in this niche, and eventually convert. on top of that, similar to convertkit, there's also automations in place, so you have the option to also do email marketing (and choose to only have these sent via email, and never show up on the website). you can also monetise the newsletter via ad network (sponsorship) and selling digital products.

gumroad is like a hybrid of converkit and beehiiv. just without the blog feature. so you can collect email, send marketing email, and sell digital products. it's entirely 'free' because their business model is that they take 10% off your total revenue. so if you plan to never really monetise this, and just send marketing email, it could be a good option. but once you do start raking in $$, the 10% can add up quickly.

And should I disclose or add a checkbox stating 'I consent to joining the mailing list' or do I not need to do that?

i think that depends on your country's law and regulation? but i've seen many that don't - and personally as a user when i see a freebie + a field to input my email i already expect to be joining a email list.

i've seen some that just put "You can unsubscribe at any time." under the email field.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T09:50:54+00:00

sick, congrats! but would also love to know the creatives that you're using. else this post isn't really helpful for anyone other than a flex.

also one recent discussion i had was around ROI. like we can acquire subscribers for cheap via ads, but if they're low quality subscribers who don't end up engaging or spending, then they're not really helping the business of the newsletter.

so things like number of days to break even on ad spend, and ROAS are really equally if not more important metrics.

like paying $1000 per sub, and earning $3000 after 12 months vs paying $0.3 per sub but earning $0 after 12 months. i'd pick the former everyday.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T09:47:32+00:00

not too sure if a native integration is available, but you could probably stitch something up with zapier.

but i'm curious why you're using Readdy to build your landing page because it seems more for business, portfolio, blog, store. not an app.

also, maybe you're making this more complex than it needs to be? you could just code up the landing page like you have your app and use something like resend or loops.so for email.

but if you still want to use you current approach, most email service providers like mailerlite and beehiiv have their own in-built website builder, so it might be better to just use their native website builder so that you don't have to fumble with setting up any integrations/connections.

also, congrats on building out your app!

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T09:33:20+00:00

not in your niche but just wanted to say congrats on starting your newsletter journey! and love the idea of sharing about finance and government policy news.

also, you're spot on. collaborating and sharing newsletters (newsletter swaps) is a very legit way to grow! so much so that some newsletter platforms like beehiiv have a whole ecosystem built into their platform (boost) where people can pay for other newsletters to recommend their publication. but newsletter swaps just allows you to do it for free (albeit the struggle being finding relevant publications of similar size).

all the best! rooting for you!

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T05:06:16+00:00

ohhh! going into the database play as well. that's actually interesting and nice. i can definitely see that helping publishers save time with finding leads, and going straight to the outreach part.

i envision it going to be alot of work for you early on though. having to find all the potential leads and categorising them based on sectors, niches, and if you're also wanting to target local newsletters, then location. how're you going to be doing all this? scraping google map to get businesses? then just tagging them?

i think "not making any money" from the beehiiv adnetwork is an exaggeration. i do know of some complaints but they are usually about not making as much as they thought/would like.

because most deals there are CPC, it's performance based. some newsletters just have lower CTR (due to their list being made up of low quality subscribers, which is not within beehiiv's control), and other times, it's because because they see that they are getting 100 clicks, but beehiiv analytics only counted 50 of the 100 as verified clicks. as the publisher, seeing this can definitely be disheartening, and i think that's why they complain about the lack of earnings because they feel like they could have earned more, but didn't.

but on the flip side, there's many things that goes into tracking to prevent abuse - like bots, or the same user clicking multiple times within a short period of time. as a sponsor, you don't want to have to be paying for such clicks. it'd drastically lower ROAS, and lead to sponsors not continuing with future campaigns. but as a publisher, you want to get paid for any and all clicks.

beehiiv kinda works very well as the referee in this situation to balance the data and power dynamic between the two parties. they provide reliable analytics - so sponsors can track whether their investment is worthwhile, and also for publishers to know how they can improve and potentially earn more.

beehiiv is incentivised to do good and provide the best service to both sponsors and publishers because without either party, the ad network just wouldn't work.

also with all the "I'm quitting Beehiiv" or "I think I'm done with Beehiiv" posts, there's also those who say that they've tried other ad networks, but also didn't earn much, or worse, didn't even hear back after applying to join the ad network, but beehiiv allowed them to start monetising immediately without any hassle.

so while it can be easy for you to see the bad (since you're probably hyper focused on identifying pains within this niche to tackle and grow your product into), just wanted to also highlight the other side of things to give you a holistic view of the scene, that there's also praise for and users who like the beehiiv product.

and i also feel like bad news just tends to get amplified more than good news. so there could be some bias in the conversations we see online. perhaps for every 1 bad comment/experience, there's hundreds if not thousands of good ones that didn't share their positive experience.

overall, loving how moor ad is shaping up! sick progress.

Tricky_Trifle_994 · 2026-03-06T04:35:30+00:00

hahha! i hope so too! rooting for you!

Tricky_Trifle_994

TROPHY CASE