​[Read the browser version right here]​

Here's what's percolating in this edition:

→ The Problem With Newsletter Roasts
→ Building a $100M Newsletter Empire
→ A can't-miss newsletter event in 2026
→ The perfect welcome sequence for 'recommended' subscribers

...now LFG (as the kids say)

Hello newsletter friend.

I did a Newsletter Roast for a community a few weeks ago.

Roasts are fun. People love them. And more often than not, everyone involved (including me) learns something.

But there's a glaring issue with newsletter roasts—especially when roasting a particular issue of a newsletter.

→ They're too subjective.

What "works" for one newsletter—to engage readers, drive clicks, keep people opening—might not work for another newsletter.

Tons of links? Some audiences love clicking. Some do not.
​Lots of imagery? Works for some. Not for others.
​Long form vs. short form? No and yep. Yep and nope.

My point is...

Other than a few best practices (like Gmail clipping, NOT sending PDF files, and hiding your 'unsubscribe' link), the actual "edition" of a newsletter is hard to roast.

"So what's the advice then?"

1. Publish Insanely Valuable Content™ — content that people can't wait to open, read, and share. (Not sure how? Hit reply with the words IV CONTENT and I'll send you a free resource with some ideas!)
2. Note down key performance benchmarks — open rate, click rate, reply rate, etc.
3. Experiment to see what works FOR YOU and what doesn't. Compare against your benchmarks and make decisions based on the results.

The bottom line?

As long as you're delivering Insanely Valuable Content™️-- your newsletter should be a playground for experimentation.

A FREE Resource From The Ashes Of A Newsletter Roast

And as part of that roast, I'm also putting together an in-depth article on some of the more... let's call them "Objective Truths" (ie. Do's & Don'ts) of newsletters.

​Click here if you want it when it's ready >>​

Here's what's percolating in this edition:

→ Building a $100M Newsletter Empire
→ A can't-miss newsletter event in 2026
→ The perfect welcome sequence for 'recommended' subscribers

FREE Resources (created & curated by GC⚡)

→ Increase opt-ins like a best-selling author (FREE templates)

→ 30 Days of Growth (via Chenell @ Growth In Reverse)

He built a $100M newsletter biz.
​Here's how.

Sean Griffey cofounded Industry Dive in 2012 with 2 colleagues.

But instead of launching one newsletter, they launched five.
And they were daily newsletters—each covering niche news & content from specific industries.

Thanks to their targeted focus of specific sectors, Sean and his team grew Industry Dive into a suite of over 30 different industry newsletters.

In less than 10 years, they reached $100M in revenue and sold their media business to Informa for $500M.

Sean breaks it all down in our chat on a very special edition of the Growth In Reverse podcast.

​WATCH >>​
​LISTEN >>​

Sean also reveals...​
​
→ How they managed 30+ daily newsletters and what their teams looked like
→ How they leveraged organic audiences to jumpstart their early audience growth
→ How they drove revenue
→ If he's still bullish on newsletters (and why/why not)
→ The ultimate value of first-party data (and why they obsessed over it)

Can I ask a small favor?

These episodes are free for you, but they cost time & money to create.

It would go a LONG way if you could like or comment on the LinkedIn post so we can get them in front of more people! (It's the post below 😁��)

Newsletter Hits
Of The Week

⚡ Block off your calendars—this newsletter event is a can't-miss.

​

⚡ The Ultimate Guide to Growing a Newsletter From 0 to 10,000 Readers.

​

⚡ Tired: just 'sharing' your lead magnet. Wired: launching it. Like this.​

​

⚡ The perfect welcome email sequence for the "casual" subscriber (aka "Recommendations" subscribers)

​

Growing your newsletter feel like this?

Stop beating your head against a wall.

Book a 1:1 Newsletter Strategy Sesh

​30-minute Strategy Sesh →​

Includes:
​→ Live 1:1 call with me
→ Recording of the call + transcript
​

​60-minute Strategy Sesh →

Includes:
​→ Live 1:1 call with me
→ Recording of the call + transcript
→ 1-month async support (via email)

Got more questions about these sessions? Just hit reply!

Improve your newsletter with these:

→ The 1KS Roadmap: A Free Course To Your First 1,000 Subscribers​
→ Increase opt-ins like a best-selling author (FREE templates)​​
​→ Start a newsletter for FREE with Kit (free up to 10k subscribers)​*
→ Book a 1:1 newsletter strategy sesh w/me: 30 mins || 60 mins

Peace and platonic love,

Dylan

​LinkedIn | Twitter | Substack | IG

* indicates affiliate links. I get paid a small commission if you use these links to purchase a product or service.

​.​