Why Quartz launched a newsletter that dives into obscure trivia

Would you read a 1,300-word newsletter about garden sheds? What about a 1,400-word piece on lettuce? A little over a year ago, the business-focused publication Quartz made a bet that you would, launching a daily newsletter called Quartz Obsession. The aim of the product? Take the most mundane topics imaginable and -- through narration, numbers, and quotes -- prove to the reader that these topics are not mundane at all.

Unlike many publication newsletters that simply round up links to articles on the publication’s site, Quartz Obsession is a standalone newsletter that can be completely consumed within the inbox. It’s seen open rates as high as 80 percent and thousands of readers have written in to suggest topics.

Why did Quartz launch a product that steered clear of the editorial topics it usually covers on its website? And how does it pick each day’s topics? To answer these questions, I turned to Jessanne Collins, who edits the newsletter.