For anyone thinking about launching a newsletter, some early learnings in the thread below 👇
1/ Do something UNIQUE. You want to be the only person who does what you do. Build a personal monopoly.
No one wants more email, so you need something unique and differentiated to make it work.
2/ Internet niches are bigger than you think, even when your account for the fact they are bigger than you think.
Passionate about agricultural tech? European bonds? Distressed debt in India? Busted tech IPOs?
Each of these would work if you're passionate and dominate it.
3/ Keep it simple and short.
Keep the max length below 1,500 words. If you are even thinking about cutting something, then cut it. Brevity is the soul of wit.
4/ Use Twitter.
Almost all successful newsletter authors use Twitter to promote their newsletter. It is a great way to get momentum and build true fans. Twitter, word of mouth, and earned media are best growth strategies IMO.
5/ Fewer emails.
I send six emails every month (4 free and 2 paid). Daily emails are not required, especially in professional services. People would much rather read something great once a week, than something mediocre every day.
6/ Respond to email quickly.
Responding to email quickly (especially from reporters) has led to a ton of new opportunities. It is flattering for the other person and doesn’t require more time from you.
7/ Clearly define what paid subscribers get.
Have a very clear policy on what free subscribers get and what paid subscribers get. People want to know what they are paying for. Having it wishy-washy is a big turn off and will generate complaints.
8/ Occasionally target free subscribers with promo emails.
A truthful and intriguing promo email can work wonders. The email below generated $10K+ of revenue in one day.
9/ Good promo email + good content is the source of 80% of paid growth.
BUT you are paid a lot up front with annual subscriptions. Low churn in the professional services sector. If people can expense it, they are much less price-sensitive.
12/ If you're not a subscriber to my newsletter yet, consider joining up👇
For anyone thinking about launching a newsletter, here’s everything I’ve learned
1/ Do something UNIQUE. You want to be the only person who does what you do. Build a personal monopoly. No one wants more email, so you need something unique and differentiated to make it work
2/ Internet niches are bigger than you think, even when your account for the fact they are bigger than you think. Passionate about agricultural tech? European bonds? Fine wines? Women’s Soccer? Each of these would work if you're passionate and dominate it
There’s been a lot of noise about the banking sector in the last few days. Here are five insightful and qualified bank experts worth your time and attention
A thread
1/@MaxfieldOnBanks, John Maxfield is the former Editor-in-Chief of Bank Director magazine and has spent the last two decades obsessing over the banking industry. No one knows more about banking than John, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him
2/@Seawolfcap, Porter Collins is a professional money manager and was previously an analyst at FrontPoint Partners, one of the hedge funds that predicted the 2008-2009 housing crisis. Porter was profiled in The Big Short and his fund was reportedly up 169% last year
Here are 12 free resources that will help you be a better investor
A thread:
1/ SEC Full-Text Search — Search through 20 years of SEC filings for specific terms, people, or entities. I use this tool to see every instance where a person’s name was mentioned in an SEC filing
2/ PCAOB Auditor Search — Find the auditor and specific audit partner for any company, as well as their track record. Use the search bar in the top right and click auditor search
People are frustrated at Wall Street for “making rich people richer”
I’m fine with that, especially if it is being taxed… but that’s not what really is happening
A lot of finance about is extracting fees from money that should belong to everyday people
Most of the money at large investment funds is from endowments, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and foundations — often tax advantaged and for the benefit of average working citizens.
But the money is almost never invested in index funds, instead it is generally given
to extremely high fee vehicles that in aggregate underperform.
So these funds aren’t about making “rich people richer” it’s about making fund managers and the entire Wall Street ecosystem richer at the expense of everyday workers