How Gabe Fleisher built Wake Up To Politics, a daily newsletter with over 50,000 subscribers
Jan 17, 2024
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Gabe Fleisher, started Wake Up To Politics when he was only 9 years old and now a senior at Georgetown. He talks about his motivation, monetization strategies, and future plans for the newsletter. Also discusses the appeal of a daily email newsletter, incorporating original reporting, interactions with media executives, driving donations, and continuing the publication full-time.
Gabe Fleisher started the Wake Up to Politics newsletter at age 9 and now has nearly 50,000 subscribers.
Gabe monetizes the newsletter through reader donations to keep it independent of advertising.
Gabe envisions a potential partnership with traditional news outlets while maintaining the independence of his newsletter.
Deep dives
The Origins of Wake Up to Politics
The podcast episode explores the unique origin story of Wake Up to Politics, a popular politics newsletter started by Gabe Fleischer at the age of nine. The early editions were sent out by a Gmail account and read only by his mom, but Gabe's dedication and passion led him to write the newsletter every day before school. Now a college senior with close to 50,000 subscribers, Gabe discusses what kept him motivated, how he monetizes the newsletter, and his plans for the future.
Gabe's Interest in Politics
Gabe's interest in politics began during the 2008 elections, when he was around six or seven years old. The election cycle sparked his fascination, and he started asking his parents numerous questions. He delved into reading books about politics and consumed political news from websites like The New York Times and newsletters like Mike Allen's Playbook. Gabe's curiosity and passion laid the foundation for his deep interest in the political sphere.
The Growing Reach of Wake Up to Politics
Initially, Wake Up to Politics had one subscriber, Gabe's mom, but it gradually grew through word-of-mouth recommendations and some media attention. Gabe's dedication and coverage of national politicians in St. Louis caught the interest of local readers, which eventually expanded beyond his immediate network. The newsletter's growth accelerated after gaining media coverage, including features in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other influential outlets. Gabe's engaging and informative content appealed to a wide range of readers, from students and teachers to congressional staffers and media executives.
Donations and Independence
To support the newsletter's operations and cover expenses, Gabe introduced a donation feature that allowed readers to contribute. These donations, along with recurring contributions, played a crucial role in keeping the newsletter free and independent of advertising. Gabe's focus on maintaining the newsletter's authenticity and trustworthiness drove his decision to avoid advertising and prioritize supporting the newsletter through reader donations.
Future Plans and Career Considerations
As Gabe approaches graduation, he contemplates various paths for the future. While he appreciates the freedom and independence of running his newsletter, Gabe also sees value in mentorship and collaboration with traditional news outlets. He envisions a potential partnership where he can continue the newsletter while working alongside established media organizations. The combination of independence and the opportunity to contribute to a larger news outlet is his ideal scenario. Gabe remains open to various possibilities and is determined to find a balance between his passion for the newsletter and potential career opportunities.
There are plenty of popular politics newsletters out there, but none with the kind of unique origin story of Wake Up to Politics. It was started by Gabe Fleisher when he was only 9 years old. While the early editions were sent out by a Gmail account and only read by his mom, Gabe kept at it, waking up early every day before school to write the newsletter. Flash forward about a decade, and he’s now a senior at Georgetown and Wake Up to Politics has close to 50,000 subscribers.
In my interview with Gabe, we talked about what kept him motivated all these years, how he monetizes the newsletter, and what he plans to do with it once he graduates.
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