My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Launch and scale a newsletter to 7-figure revenue
Content entrepreneurs with industry expertise and 2+ years runway
3-5 years to significant scaleWhat Success Looks Like
100K+ engaged subscribers generating $18+ annual revenue per subscriber through advertising and products
Steps to Execute
Pick a niche you understand deeply with high-value professionals
Create daily newsletter addressing real information gaps
Grow organically to 50K+ subscribers before any paid acquisition
Implement content review process - print competitors daily
Start advertising only after proving engagement metrics
Scale paid acquisition while maintaining content quality
Implement business operating system around 5M revenue
Consider industry vertical expansion or direct monetization
Checklist
Inputs Needed
- Domain expertise in target industry
- Writing ability or access to great writers
- Understanding of target audience pain points
- 18+ months financial runway
- Willingness to work 7pm-11pm initially if employed
Outputs
- Daily engaged audience in valuable niche
- Predictable advertising revenue stream
- Data-driven growth playbook
- Potential acquisition target for strategic buyers
Example
“Starting newsletter for finance professionals while working Wall Street day job, growing to 250K subscribers organically, then scaling to 2M+ through paid acquisition while maintaining content obsession”