Finally, set up everything and the first issue is ready
Today, I'm going to send the first issue my 15K 2 (yes, two) subscribers first digest.
It took 2 days to set up everything and it's not 100% done yet.
A lot of technical issues like
setting up and launching the website (I host on Hetzner, design was created with Claude, then finished manually)
website slowness (it turned out that some fonts were not loaded properly and made the whole website slow)
setting up subscription (I use MailBluster for now)
writing the content of the issue (preparedness took about 10 minutes, and editing - about 3 hours!)
testing the sending issue (ok)
fixing bugs related with API keys
being banned on Reddit (I tried to post the content of the first issue and it was a BIIIIIG mistake because it has a lot of links and Reddit filter just removed the post immediately and eventually banned me), so I create another one which I'm going to keep more wisely...
Ok, almost ready to push the button.
In the today's issue:
an idea how to to find a good idea
how to launch a waitlist
social media API product gained 80K in 8 months
a guy who is 63 is building projects
unusual portfolio builder
VC is looking for projects
great free icon set
get $1K from AWS
how to pitch your startup.
Wish me luck and subscribe, it will be fun! (here: https://rawcrow.co)
This is a great “real” breakdown — especially the Reddit part 😅
I hit something similar recently. It’s kind of brutal how sensitive Reddit is to links early on.
The part that stood out to me most:
“10 minutes to write, 3 hours to edit”
I’ve been noticing the same — the distribution or content itself is often faster than making it actually good enough to publish.
Also interesting that you’re sending to 15K subscribers on day one — that’s a huge starting point.
Curious — how did you build that list initially? Was it from previous projects or something you grew specifically for this?
You didn't not read my post carefully, it's just 2, not 15K subscribers! Ok, you are AI slop, get it.
Wow, congrats on getting the first issue out! 🎉 Setting up a newsletter from scratch, website, hosting, subscription, content while debugging all the tech issues is no small feat.
Love the mix in today’s issue: actionable tips, cool projects, funding opportunities sounds like something I’d actually read and share.
Quick question: how are you thinking about growth beyond the initial 15K? And how are
Just 2 (two), not 15K, why didn't you read? I believe you are a bot :(((
Wow, that’s a lot to set up in just 2 days! I’ve helped founders streamline newsletter and website launches, like automating subscriber flows or testing sends, so the process is less overwhelming. Happy to share a workflow if you want