Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business 226 - 50,000 Subscribers, $10M in Revenue, 1 Insanely Creative Business Idea with Michael Clark
Sep 3, 2025
Michael Clark, co-founder of The Flower Letters, shares his journey from fintech to a creative subscription business that mails immersive story letters. He reveals how a small idea blossomed into a venture with over 50,000 subscribers and projected multi-million dollar revenue. Michael discusses the advertising strategies that fueled their success, the challenges of managing inventory, and their vision for integrating AI while maintaining authenticity. Listen in for insights on sustainable growth and connecting communities through storytelling!
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Humble Launch With Real Demand
- Michael and his wife launched The Flower Letters in August 2020 with 33 initial signups and grew organically from there.
- They deliberately avoided a family-driven false launch to test real market demand.
Scale Fast With Focused Ads
- Invest in paid advertising early if your offering resonates and you can optimize creative and copy.
- Hire or train a strong media buyer to scale customer acquisition cost-effectively.
Customer Letters Drove The Decision To Scale
- Early customer feedback included heartfelt notes from people saying the letters gave them hope and something to look forward to.
- That emotional impact convinced Michael and Hanny to go all in and treat the business as their main focus.