How to Build a Newsletter Business as a Solo Developer

What You're Building

A newsletter business is exactly what it sounds like. You build an email list, send valuable content regularly, and monetize through subscriptions, sponsorships, or affiliate links. As a solo developer, this is one of the most accessible projects you can start because the technical barrier is almost nonexistent.

But don't let the simplicity fool you. Some of the most profitable solo businesses online are newsletters. The Hustle sold for $27 million. Morning Brew sold for $75 million. Smaller newsletters run by one person routinely make $5,000-50,000/month. The economics are straightforward. Build an audience, deliver consistent value, and money follows.

Difficulty & Timeline

Recommended Tech Stack

For the newsletter platform, use Beehiiv or ConvertKit. Both handle email delivery, subscriber management, landing pages, and analytics. Beehiiv is my recommendation because it's free up to 2,500 subscribers and has built-in monetization features (paid subscriptions, sponsorship marketplace, referral program).

For a companion website or archive, use Astro deployed on Cloudflare Pages. Free hosting, fast pages, great SEO for your newsletter archives.

You don't need to build anything custom. Seriously. Using a newsletter platform lets you focus on what actually matters: the content.

Step-by-Step Plan

Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1)

Pick your niche and name. The best developer newsletters focus on something specific. "Weekly Python tips" is better than "tech news." "AI tools for marketers" is better than "AI stuff." Your niche determines your audience, and your audience determines your monetization options.

Set up Beehiiv or ConvertKit. Create a landing page that explains what subscribers get, how often, and why they should care. Write your first issue and have it ready to go. The landing page doesn't need to be fancy. A headline, 2-3 bullet points of what you'll cover, and a signup form. That's it.

Phase 2: Core Features (Week 2-4)

Send your first 4 issues. Weekly is the sweet spot for most newsletters. It's frequent enough to stay top of mind but not so frequent that it becomes a burden to produce. Each issue should take 2-4 hours to write.

Develop a consistent format. The best newsletters have a predictable structure that readers can skim. Maybe it's "3 tools, 2 articles, 1 tip" or "deep dive on one topic with practical takeaways." Find a format that works and stick with it.

Start growing your list. Share every issue on social media. Cross-promote with other newsletter writers. Write Twitter/X threads summarizing your key points and link to the full newsletter. The first 500 subscribers are the hardest. After that, word of mouth kicks in.

Phase 3: Polish & Launch (Month 2-3)

Set up a referral program. Beehiiv has this built in. Subscribers who refer friends unlock rewards (bonus content, shoutouts, physical goods). This is how newsletters like Morning Brew grew exponentially.

Build your newsletter archive as a website. Each issue becomes a blog post, which means each issue can rank on Google and bring in new subscribers organically. Astro makes this trivially easy. Export your issues as markdown, build the archive site, and deploy to Cloudflare Pages.

Start reaching out to potential sponsors once you hit 1,000+ subscribers. Sponsors in the developer space typically pay $50-200 per 1,000 subscribers per issue.

Monetization Strategy

Newsletters have three main revenue streams, and the best newsletters use all three.

Sponsorships. Once you hit 1,000+ subscribers, companies will pay to be featured. Developer-focused newsletters can charge $50-200 per thousand subscribers per placement. At 10,000 subscribers, that's $500-2,000 per sponsor per issue. Two issues per month with one sponsor each is $1,000-4,000/month.

Paid subscriptions. Offer a premium tier at $8-15/month with extra content, deeper analysis, or exclusive tools. Even a 5% conversion rate at 5,000 subscribers means 250 paying subscribers at $10/month, which is $2,500/month.

Affiliate links. Recommend tools you actually use and earn commissions. SaaS affiliate programs typically pay 20-30% recurring. If you recommend a $50/month tool and 20 subscribers sign up, that's $200-300/month recurring from one mention.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Being inconsistent. The fastest way to kill a newsletter is to skip weeks. I've seen promising newsletters die because the creator "didn't feel like writing." Set a schedule and stick to it. Batch-write issues when you're motivated to cover the weeks when you're not.

Writing for everyone. A newsletter that tries to appeal to all developers will appeal to none. Pick your niche and go deep. 5,000 engaged subscribers in a specific niche are worth more than 50,000 disengaged subscribers who don't open your emails.

Obsessing over subscriber count. Open rate and click rate matter more than total subscribers. 2,000 subscribers with a 50% open rate is better than 20,000 subscribers with a 10% open rate. Focus on engagement, not vanity metrics.

Overcomplicating the tech. You do not need a custom email platform. You do not need to build your own subscriber management system. Use Beehiiv or ConvertKit and spend your time writing great content instead of building infrastructure.

Is This Worth Building?

Absolutely. A newsletter is one of the lowest-risk, highest-upside projects a solo developer can start. The technical barrier is near zero. The main investment is your time and consistency. And unlike most products, a newsletter gets more valuable over time as your audience grows.

The compounding effect is real. Each issue brings new subscribers through shares and search. Each subscriber increases your sponsorship rates. Each month of consistency builds trust that converts to paid subscriptions. A newsletter that makes $200/month after 6 months can easily make $2,000/month after 18 months if you keep at it.

Start this week. You can have your first issue out by Friday.