My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

Counter-Scheduling Email Newsletter

For: People who want thoughtful content going into weekends

Buildability

The Problem

Most newsletters are sent Monday-Wednesday when inboxes are cluttered. Friday emails are avoided because people 'hate getting emails on Friday,' but there's an opportunity for the right type of content.

The Solution

Send one high-quality, brain-food email every Friday that's both entertaining and insightful - something people actually want to receive going into the weekend.

Why Now?

Email fatigue is real but people still want good content. Counter-scheduling avoids competition and can create habit around weekend reading.

Build MVP in 7 Days

Day 1

Set up basic email platform (ConvertKit, Mailchimp, etc.)

Day 2

Write first 3-4 high-quality Friday emails

Day 3

Create simple landing page explaining the Friday value proposition

Day 4

Promote to existing audience across other platforms

Day 5

Send first Friday email to initial subscribers

How to Validate

Survey existing followers about Friday email interest

Send test Friday emails to small group and measure engagement vs. other days

Analyze competitor Friday email performance if any exist

Track open rates and click rates compared to industry averages

Monitor subscriber growth and retention after 4-6 weeks

Revenue Model

Premium subscriptions, sponsorships, affiliate recommendations, or lead generation for other services

Competitive Moat

First-mover advantage on Friday scheduling, unique voice and content quality, habit formation around weekend consumption

Risks to Consider

Friday timing might actually hurt engagement despite theoryDifficult to maintain high-quality weekly content consistentlyWeekend reading habits may not translate to email engagementCorporate email filters might block Friday sends more aggressively