The Smartest Founders Build Email First | Ep - 67

Newsletters are not dead, Dylan from Growth in Reverse breaks down how indie founders and B2B operators are building 5-figure audiences and monetizing with just email.

He shares the underrated metric every newsletter creator should track, how to launch a newsletter from scratch, and why owning your distribution is your biggest unfair advantage.

We also go deep on

- Sponsorships

- Paid ads

- Personal vs Company branding

- How to stay consistent even when life gets in the way.

Whether you're just starting or scaling, this episode is a must-listen.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Quick intro & Dylan plugs

01:30 - The most overlooked truth about newsletters

02:55 - One North Star metric every founder should track

05:00 - Why owning your distribution is non-negotiable

06:45 - How to start a newsletter from zero

08:30 - Educate, Inform, Entertain: The content trifecta

09:40 - How to *sell* through newsletters without annoying your readers

11:55 - When to start thinking about sponsorships

13:45 - Monetizing early: ads, partnerships & paid growth

17:00 - Newsletter commitment: Why 10+ editions matter

20:05 - Favorite growth channels: Paid, organic, lead magnets

24:00 - Facebook ad hack that landed 20+ subscribers before launch

27:10 - Building your system: SOPs, templates & content blocks

30:00 - Should you steal playbooks? How to filter growth tactics

33:00 - Writing vs Talking: Choosing the right medium

36:00 - Guest posts, collaborations & ownership issues

38:05 - Smart ways to collect feedback from your audience

42:10 - Building brand: Personal vs Company vs Thematic

45:30 - When personal branding blocks startup acquisitions

47:00 - Behind the scenes at Growth in Reverse

50:00 - Final tips for founders building in public