Arvid Kahl has:

- two books
- a podcast & Youtube channel
- 97K Twitter followers
- a newsletter with 7,600 subscribers & $3000/month

And it all started with writing online.

I interview him about how he started & grew his newsletterand here is a quick summary:

1/ START

Arvid has built software businesses for a long time. After many trials and failures, he co-founded an EdTech SaaS and sold it for a life-changing amount of money in 2019.

They bootstrapped this $55k/mo SaaS business with zero outsourced funding!

After gaining financial security, Arvid discovered that he loves writing and decided to build a business out of it.

First, he started writing a blog.

Then, he turned the blog into a newsletter to hold himself accountable.

He shaped his newsletter around his experiences with bootstrapping and building sustainable businesses in public while maintaining mental health.

He sent the first issue to only 23 people in Nov’19.

2/ GROWTH

Early strategy to grow:

Post each article on Twitter
Engage blog readers and encourage them to sign up for the newsletter
Then, he added SparkLoop features:

Referral System inside the newsletter that attracts readers to get access to unpublished materials.
Internal Partner Network
UpScribe Widget leading to a massive influx of new readers just from cross-promotional partnerships.
As a creator who is active on multiple channels, he also created a cross-funnel flywheel:

YouTube videos will link to the newsletter and the podcast.
The podcast links to the blog, YouTube, and newsletter.
All blog articles have easy signup for the newsletter.
The most impactful growth strategy for him is still building relationships with other creators for him since:

Word of mouth has the most positive results
Big reader influxes happen whenever an influential entrepreneur/creator talks about the newsletter/the whole media brand.

3/ MONETIZATION

Arvid makes $3000/month with The Bootstrapped Founder newsletter.

He has one or two main sponsors and a classified section.
He also highlights his info products from time to time.

4/ WEEKLY PROCESS

The newsletter is at the center as a source of all other media. So, he first makes it ready.

Mon: Ideation > Topic > Outline> Finish the article.
Tue & Wed: Podcast & YouTube versions, add sponsor assets.
Thu: Compile the weekly issue & schedule it for Friday.

5/ ARVID'S TOOLSTACK FOR THE NEWSLETTER CREATION

ConvertKit: ESP
Notion: Writing
Grammarly: Writing Assistance
HelloPalladio: e-mail templates
Syften: Tracking social media discussions
Smart Subscribers: Decreasing subscription

6/ THE MOST CHALLENGING AND REWARDING PARTS OF WRITING A NEWSLETTER

Arvid says:

" The challenging part is overcoming imposter syndrome. “Who am I to talk about this” is a constant companion on my journey.

But the most rewarding part is the answer to this problem: getting feedback —good or bad— from my audience. No matter if they love or hate it, at least they READ it. That’s all I need :)"

7/ HIS BIGGEST ADVICE TO ASPIRING NEWSLETTER CREATORS

"Consistency is what keeps attracting people.

I am at issue #183 of my newsletter/podcast/video content.

It’s a lot of work, and people understand that someone who does things for 200 weeks in a row is serious about stuff. Start and keep going. The number will tick up, and you will leave unmistakable traces of your ambition. People will notice eventually."