Let’s be honest: you probably don’t need another newsletter in your inbox. You're already getting ten versions of “5 Things I’m Thinking About,” plus a daily AI recap, a crypto hot take, and something suspiciously Morning Brew–adjacent for your niche corner of the industry.
And yet... here we are.
I (re)launched a newsletter anyway.
How Did We Get Here?
For the past few years, newsletters have been having a moment. Social media got noisy. Search became unpredictable. Everyone suddenly realized that owning your audience — actually being able to reach them directly and reliably — was a superpower. First-party data became the holy grail, and your email list was the modern-day printing press.
Enter: the newsletter gold rush.
Morning Brew and The Hustle proved you could turn clever emails into real businesses (and big exits). Substack made it dead simple to spin one up. Growth hacks like referral engines (free stickers!) and “People Who Like This Also Like...” widgets gave off the illusion that building an audience was just a few share buttons away.
At its peak, it felt like everyone was launching “the Morning Brew of [Insert Topic Here].” Startups. Supply chain. SaaS pricing psychology. You name it.
📈 In 2023, LinkedIn reported a fivefold increase in newsletters on its platform, growing from 18,000 to 90,000 in just one year.
Source
And then… the crash.
When the Vibes Shifted
Inbox fatigue set in. The five-things-I’m-thinking-about format blurred together. Referral loops stopped working when everyone got the same newsletters. Readers got picky. Creators got busy. Some newsletters quietly pivoted; others loudly burned out.
Suddenly, your side hustle started feeling like another job — except unpaid.
The newsletter boom didn't end. It just reset.
And that's a good thing.
Newsletters Still Make Sense — If You're Playing the Right Game
The new playbook isn't "growth at any cost." It's sustainable growth with a sharp focus on:
- Targeted, high-value audiences (B2B is still fertile ground)
- Unique perspectives that actually add something new
- Content that prioritizes quality and clarity over clickbait
- Consistency over virality
From there, the path branches: maybe it's paid subscriptions. Maybe it's high-CPM advertising/sponsorships. Maybe it's the foundation for a broader community or membership offering.
Whatever the endgame, the rules have changed: Acquisition is only half the battle. Engagement and retention are where the real leverage is.
So yes — there are too many newsletters.
But if you've got something specific, useful, and honestly a little nerdy to say? There's still plenty of room.
So if you are looking for nerdy deep dives into everything. Going on in audience development, this is the place for you. I’m hope you’ll join me.
