My newsletter production cycle

Issue $P1: How I ideate and ship this newsletter

This past January, I announced a paid offering of Proof of Concept. This includes full access to the archives and quarterly paid subscribers’ posts. This is the first paid post that’ll drop quarterly. I’m not motivated by revenue to do paid. Instead, I am offering it because incentives motivate people, to push for better results. My hope is people find the newsletter valuable that they’re willing to pay, and if I monetize as a part of that, then it’s great. Your readership is what motivates me to keep writing, and I think you for it.

The top question I get from readers is, "How do you run this newsletter?" In this issue, I’ll share the details of my production cycle. First off, it’s a one-person show. I do everything on my own and don't crowdsource everything. I come up with ideas, write every word, and make every drawing. I don’t run paid advertisements. Organic growth is important to me. Without further ado, let’s dive into how I ship this newsletter.

The production cycle

I practice agile methodologies in every aspect of my life. I believe in constant iteration, improvement, and moving fast. Proof of Concept is one of many focuses in my life. I’m also an operator and investor. Protecting those spaces is vital. The newsletter’s iteration cycle is one-week sprints and I'll break down how the week looks for writing.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: 30-45 minute writing sessions

Since time is limited, I time-box writing sessions to 30-45 minutes. Depending on the day and what I have to do in the course of the week, I might do multiple sessions a day or only one. My writing sessions are often early in the morning before I start the work day. It's a great complement to morning coffee and warming up for the day.

Regardless, the goal is simple: focus on writing as much as possible in that block with zero distraction or editing. I usually have 5-7 issues I'm writing at once, with a few of them not very great topics, and that's okay. Unless I hit a great flow state, I usually don't try to write an entire newsletter topic from the intro to the conclusion. I keep a portfolio of ideas to curate.

I write in fragments, construct, and edit. This results in me often re-writing entire paragraphs when it's time to publish, but that's okay. Since I don't have much time, I want to capture as much as possible to spend the end of the week editing.