Create best-in-class newsletters that people actually want to read. Use when someone needs to write a newsletter edition, develop a newsletter format, or improve their newsletter game. Covers multiple formats - roundup, deep-dive, personal essay, curated links, news briefing. References patterns from Lenny Rachitsky, Morning Brew, Greg Isenberg, Sahil Bloom, The Hustle, and top AI newsletters. Triggers on: write newsletter, newsletter format, help with my newsletter, newsletter edition about X, weekly roundup. Outputs publication-ready newsletter content or format templates.
Most newsletters are forgettable. Subscribers open them once, skim the first paragraph, delete.
The newsletters that build loyal audiences—and businesses—do something different. They have a format readers can rely on. A voice that's recognizable. Content worth opening.
This skill helps you create newsletters people actually look forward to.
Transform your content, curation, or ideas into publication-ready newsletters that:
Different formats serve different purposes. Pick your archetype:
Best for: Expertise, thought leadership, premium positioning Frequency: Weekly Length: 1,500-3,000 words Premium subscriptions ($15-30/month)
One topic explored thoroughly. Original frameworks. Actionable templates.
Best for: Daily habit formation, broad audience, ad revenue Frequency: Daily or 3x/week Length: 500-1,000 words Revenue: Sponsorships, ads
Quick hits on what happened. Scannable. Gets you up to speed in 5 minutes.
Best for: Niche expertise, building in public, creator economy Frequency: Daily or weekly Length: 500-1,500 words Revenue: Affiliate, sponsorships, community
Hand-picked links with your take on why each matters.
Best for: Personal brand, philosophy, coaching/courses Frequency: Weekly Length: 1,000-2,000 words Revenue: Courses, coaching, premium tier
Themed reflections with frameworks for life/work improvement.
Best for: Founder audience, community building, deal flow Frequency: Weekly Length: 800-1,500 words Revenue: Community, advisory, investments
Ideas, observations, and frameworks from the building trenches.
Best for: Broad business audience, entertainment + education Frequency: Daily Length: 800-1,200 words Revenue: Sponsorships, subscriptions
News told through narrative with personality and humor.
SUBJECT LINE: [Specific question or problem] — [Hint at framework]
---
[PERSONAL OPENER - 2-3 sentences]
Brief personal context or why this topic is on your mind.
[THE QUESTION - Bold]
**[State the exact question you're answering]**
[CONTEXT - 1-2 paragraphs]
Why this matters. What's at stake. Who this is for.
---
## [FRAMEWORK NAME]
[Framework intro - 2-3 sentences explaining what it is]
### [Component 1]
[Explanation + example]
### [Component 2]
[Explanation + example]
### [Component 3]
[Explanation + example]
---
## How to Apply This
[Specific steps or implementation guidance]
1. [Step 1 with detail]
2. [Step 2 with detail]
3. [Step 3 with detail]
---
## Template / Checklist
[Downloadable or copy-paste resource]
---
## The Bottom Line
[2-3 sentence summary of key insight]
[SIGN-OFF]
[Your name]
P.S. [Personal note, question for readers, or CTA]
Example from Lenny Rachitsky:
"How do you make good decisions in situations where you lack perfect information? This question came from three different readers this month, so let me share the frameworks I actually use..."
SUBJECT LINE: [Day/Date]: [Hook about biggest story]
---
[LOGO/HEADER]
[ONE-LINE HOOK]
Today: [Teaser of what's inside]
---
## MARKETS
[Brief market data if relevant to your niche]
↑ [Metric 1] | ↓ [Metric 2] | → [Metric 3]
---
## TODAY'S TOP STORIES
### [STORY 1 HEADLINE - Intriguing, not straight news]
[2-3 sentence explanation of what happened]
**Why it matters:** [1-2 sentences on implications]
---
### [STORY 2 HEADLINE]
[2-3 sentence explanation]
**The bottom line:** [1 sentence takeaway]
---
### [STORY 3 HEADLINE]
[2-3 sentence explanation]
---
## QUICK HITS
• [One-liner news item 1]
• [One-liner news item 2]
• [One-liner news item 3]
---
## [SIGNATURE SECTION - Quiz, poll, or engagement hook]
[Question or interactive element]
---
[FOOTER with social links, referral program]
Morning Brew voice markers:
SUBJECT LINE: [Number] things worth your time: [Hook topic]
---
Hey [First Name] 👋
[1-2 sentence personal opener - what you've been thinking about]
Here's what caught my attention this week:
---
## 🔥 The Big One
**[Link Title](URL)**
[2-3 sentences on why this matters and your take]
---
## 📚 Worth Reading
**[Link 1 Title](URL)**
[1-2 sentence commentary]
**[Link 2 Title](URL)**
[1-2 sentence commentary]
**[Link 3 Title](URL)**
[1-2 sentence commentary]
---
## 🛠️ Tools & Resources
**[Tool Name](URL)** — [What it does + your opinion]
**[Tool Name](URL)** — [What it does + your opinion]
---
## 💭 One Thing I'm Thinking About
[Personal reflection or question - 2-3 sentences]
---
That's it for this week. Hit reply if anything resonated.
[Your name]
Ben's Bites voice markers:
SUBJECT LINE: [Philosophical hook or contrarian take]
---
[OPENING HOOK - Story, observation, or provocative statement]
[2-4 sentences that create intrigue]
---
## [THE CORE IDEA]
[State your thesis clearly - 1-2 sentences]
[Expand on why you believe this - personal experience or observation]
---
## The Framework
[Present your mental model or framework]
**[Element 1]:** [Explanation]
**[Element 2]:** [Explanation]
**[Element 3]:** [Explanation]
---
## Questions to Ask Yourself
1. [Reflection question]
2. [Reflection question]
3. [Reflection question]
---
## The Takeaway
[1-2 sentence distillation of core insight]
[PERSONAL SIGN-OFF]
[Your name]
P.S. [Often includes a template download or resource]
Sahil Bloom voice markers:
SUBJECT LINE: [Contrarian observation or "here's what I'm seeing"]
---
Look...
[Personal observation or realization that hooks - 2-3 sentences]
---
## The Idea
[Present a concept, framework, or trend you're seeing]
Here's what's working:
**[Pattern 1]** — [Real example with company name]
**[Pattern 2]** — [Real example with company name]
**[Pattern 3]** — [Real example with company name]
---
## Why This Matters Now
[Context on why timing matters - market shifts, technology changes, etc.]
---
## How to Think About This
[Your framework or mental model for the opportunity]
---
## What I'm Doing About It
[Personal application - your projects, investments, experiments]
---
If you're building in this space, I want to hear about it. Reply to this email.
[Your name]
---
📍 [Event or community plug]
🎙️ [Podcast or content plug]
Greg Isenberg voice markers:
SUBJECT LINE: [Unexpected angle on news + emoji]
---
[HOOK HEADLINE - Surprising juxtaposition or question]
[Opening anecdote that humanizes the story - 3-4 sentences]
---
**What happened:** [Factual summary in 2-3 sentences]
**Why it's weird:** [The angle that makes this interesting]
**The bigger picture:** [Business implication]
---
## Also Worth Knowing
**[Story 2 Headline]**
[Brief summary with personality]
**[Story 3 Headline]**
[Brief summary with personality]
---
## The Number of the Day
**[Surprising statistic]**
[1-2 sentence context on why it matters]
---
## One More Thing
[Lighter item, meme-worthy moment, or unexpected angle]
---
See you tomorrow,
[Editor nickname] 🦊
The Hustle voice markers:
FORMAL ←————————|————————→ CASUAL
Newsletter sweet spot
↓
Professional but personable
Smart friend, not professor
Opinions with reasoning
Direct, not corporate
1. Write like you talk (but tighter) Read it out loud. If you wouldn't say it, don't write it.
2. Have opinions "I think X because Y" beats "Some experts say X while others say Y."
3. Be specific Not "recently" → "Last Tuesday" Not "a lot" → "47%" Not "a company" → "Notion"
4. Show your work Not "this is important" → "I spent 3 hours on this because..."
5. Admit uncertainty "I'm not sure but..." builds more trust than fake confidence.
Avoid:
Use instead:
1. Specific + Curiosity
"The $47K email mistake (and how to avoid it)"
2. Question they're asking themselves
"Should you raise prices in a recession?"
3. Contrarian take
"Why I stopped using [popular tool]"
4. Number + Specificity
"7 newsletter formats that actually work"
5. Direct value proposition
"The framework I use for every product decision"
Before sending, verify:
[ ] Headers break content every 200-300 words
[ ] Bold text marks key insights (not everything)
[ ] Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences max)
[ ] Bullet points for lists of 3+
[ ] White space between sections
[ ] Mobile-friendly (preview on phone)
[ ] One clear CTA (not five)
[ ] Above-fold content hooks reader
Highlighted/bold text should be <30% of total text. More than that, nothing stands out.
"How do you make decisions when you don't have enough data?"
"Most SEO advice is wrong. Here's what actually works."
"Last week I made a $40K mistake. Let me tell you about it."
"73% of newsletters get deleted unread. Here's why yours won't."
"I noticed something weird in my analytics..."
"By the end of this email, you'll know exactly how to..."
70% Original insight/commentary
30% Curated links with your take
OR
1 Deep original piece
+ 3-5 curated links with commentary
Never: Link dump without commentary. That's RSS, not a newsletter.
| Newsletter | Type | What to Learn |
|---|---|---|
| Lenny Rachitsky | Deep-Dive | Framework presentation, credibility anchoring |
| Morning Brew | News Briefing | Voice, scannability, referral program |
| Ben's Bites | Curated + Commentary | Curation that adds value |
| Sahil Bloom | Personal Essay | Reflection frameworks, templates |
| Greg Isenberg | Builder Updates | Peer energy, real examples |
| The Hustle | Irreverent News | Personality, unexpected angles |
| Finimize | Financial Briefing | "Key takeaways" format |
| The Rundown AI | AI News | Business implications framing |
| boringmarketer | Marketing | Contrarian takes, systems thinking |
Input from:
Uses:
The flow:
Before hitting send, ask:
If any answer is no, revise before sending.