Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse

9 Things Beginners Should Ignore When Starting a Newsletter

Oct 8, 2025

Kicking off with the essentials for newsletter success, hosts Chenell and Dylan debunk common mistakes beginners make. Forget perfecting the launch—just start publishing! They argue against spending time on intricate tools and automations, highlighting the importance of engaging with initial subscribers personally. Skipping the fancy landing pages and focusing on content over analytics can accelerate growth. Plus, they discuss why chasing virality too soon could backfire, urging creators to prioritize a strong idea and unique delivery over technical setups.

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ADVICE

Skip Fancy Welcome Sequences Early

Don't build a multi-email welcome sequence before you have subscribers.
Send a single short welcome message and focus on finding readers first.

ADVICE

Validate Publicly Before Building

Validate your newsletter idea by sharing it publicly before overbuilding.
Ask friends or existing contacts to join so you get real feedback fast.

ADVICE

Pick A Tool And Ship

Pick any email tool and start; don't agonize over the perfect ESP.
Revisit tooling only after your idea is validated and your needs grow.

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The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“Stop wasting time picking the ‘perfect’ newsletter tool. Just start publishing. You can always switch later." — Dylan

We're breaking down the most common mistakes newsletter creators make in the early days — from obsessing over tools and automations to focusing on viral growth too soon.

We are challenging the conventional “how to start a newsletter” checklists floating around online (and even ChatGPT’s advice), showing how little you actually need to start. And why over-planning, over-designing, and over-automating are the real growth killers.

If you’ve been “getting ready” to launch for months, this episode will hopefully convince you to just start.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Why most creators waste weeks setting up automations they don’t even need
Why you don't need a welcome sequence at first
How Chenell recommends for getting your first 10 subscribers without a landing page
The one tool mistake that can cost you hundreds of dollars—and zero new readers
Whether or not you should invest in paid ads for early growth
Why planning your “perfect” newsletter launch might actually be procrastination in disguise
Why tracking analytics in the beginning doesn't matter (and what to track instead)
Why chasing virality before you’re ready can backfire hard
How to use early replies and feedback to shape your newsletter direction
The mindset shift that separates stuck creators from those who actually hit send

LINKS MENTIONED

Tom Alder's GIR Deep Dive
The Obvious Choice by Jonathan Goodman
Dylan's 'Resend To Unopens' Experiment & Article
Get Chenell's brand-new offering for newsletter creators: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here.
Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
Dylan: LinkedIn | Bluesky

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