In Bed With Me

What I've Never Told You About This Newsletter.

Covid, a catalyst for initiatives? Without a doubt. In my case, it led to the launch of a newsletter focused on consumer and tech trends. A "side project" that unexpectedly grew to 10,000 subscribers in France, and over 20,000 with the international version.

They say writing is an introspective journey, somewhat selfish. In my case, I started this project to channel an ever-active mind, to deconstruct certainties, analyze them, and fuel new lines of thought. Of course, there's also a spark of passion, the kind that consumes and enlightens, a sacred fire similar to the one Jerry Seinfeld fervently describes.

"I'm completely obsessed. And the audience wants that; they pay for it. I don't want to see someone who's only half interested (...) That's all that matters to me. I don't care what you do: I just want to see people, talk to them, and be surrounded by passionate people."

— Jerry Seinfeld

As I reached this symbolic milestone of 10K subscribers on my French newsletter, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the journey that this newsletter, which holds a special place in my heart, represents.

• Writing is about carving away the superfluous—a truth that becomes fully apparent through regular practice.

• Unexplained Moments of Attention: Have you ever found yourself inexplicably captivated? Maybe by an advertisement in the subway, a snippet of conversation overheard, or a simple gesture—moments that imprint themselves without clear reason. They almost feel random. I believe our unconscious sometimes captures messages whose meaning eludes us at the moment. My advice? Note these awakening moments. The joy of connecting the dots later will be immense. This reflection echoes that of Henry Bernstein, who saw intuition as 'intelligence exceeding the speed limit.'

• Easy to read, hard to forget: Cultivate your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)! Invent concepts! Be contrarian! In short, dare to dare!

• You are the added value. A newsletter is an embodied medium. Your readers don't just want another article; they want to dive into your thoughts.

• My friend ChatGPT: Don't ask them to write for you; rather, challenge them. Encourage them to adopt a critical role, to analyze and question your article. Push them to urge you to step out of your comfort zones, to identify blind spots in your thinking. And above all, seek to understand.

• Don't underestimate the compound effect. Growth isn't always linear: It took me two and a half years to reach 5,000 subscribers, then only 14 months to double that number. Patience, more than a virtue, is a lever for long-term success.

• Writing is about building bridges: between ideas, certainly, but also with your readers and the worlds around you. It extends your "surface of luck," increasing your chances to explore new horizons and seize new opportunities.

• Cultivate inspiration: routine + deadline = creative response—the basics of cognitive psychology.

• Writing is hard... but always easier than wrestling with an unstructured idea looping in your mind.

• False consensus, true trap: A topic that feels familiar and well-trodden can be reinvigorated with a fresh perspective—yours. The challenge isn't merely to see what others haven't observed yet, but to think what no one else has thought about what everyone else sees.

• Don’t translate: In the realm of bilingual newsletters, translation is more than just transferring words from one language to another; it's about adaptation. To echo essayist Paul Vacca, it's the "art of infidelity." And perhaps it offers a second chance: to incorporate initial feedback, refining your thoughts before the second publication.

• False consensus, true trap: A topic that feels familiar and well-trodden can be reinvigorated with a fresh perspective—yours. The challenge isn't merely to see what others haven't observed yet, but to think what no one else has thought about what everyone else sees.

• The key metric? The holy grail is not in multiple opens or likes. Too easy. What matters is the number of devices opening your content from the same email, often signaling a reshare, an active engagement.

• Take your time: if the rush to publish an article arises from the fear that someone else will beat you to it, it probably means your analysis isn't solid enough. In short, "when in doubt, there is no doubt."

• Sleep on your writing: a night often transforms a period into a creative comma.

• Thoughtful distraction: Polishing an article goes beyond a simple pause to absorb information; it involves changing scenery, literally. It's widely known that a walk can unlock ideas and clear the mind. Furthermore, certain activities like dancing can simultaneously stimulate various brain functions, including musical awareness, body movement, emotional state and rapid-fire decision making. It's a genuine brain and body workout.

• What makes good content? Certainly neither the shortest nor the longest or most illustrated. It's the one capable of planting small seeds in other minds.

• Excellence: your best article is always the one to come.

As a bonus, perhaps the most important:

• Preserve your ego: Turn off the unsubscribe notifications!

The next step? In this ever-changing world, success depends more on our ability to adapt and innovate than on our existing knowledge. Our true potential lies in our agility, not just in our current skills.

This leads me to believe that the future of newsletters is on the verge of a radical transformation, evolving towards a more personalized experience, from one-to-many to one-to-one. Ideally, I would like to offer you access to what I like to call my "second brain". Not the usual weekly dispatch you're accustomed to, but rather an invitation to explore— at your own pace—everything I have to share, in real time, or almost. Imagine it as a living library of my reflections, akin to how Dexa aims to reinvent podcast access.

We're not quite there yet; the perfect tool is yet to be found... But the idea is firmly planted in my mind. In any case, a big thank you to all of you for your continuous support!

Marie