The Paid Newsletter Barbell
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- —
The Paid Newsletter Barbell is a positioning rule for subscription writing. Cole argues that successful paid newsletters usually occupy one of two ends: timely curation that saves readers research time, or timeless, expert-level analysis that shortens their learning curve. The middle—charging for a general collection of whatever the writer wants to discuss—lacks a clear reason to pay. The newsletter itself is only the delivery mechanism. The business must be defined by the benefit: compressed information or access to deep expertise. Beginners without domain authority can start on the timely side by researching and curating, effectively being paid to learn before potentially moving toward expert analysis.
Origin
Extracted from Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal
How to run it
- 1
Choose one end of the barbell
Decide whether the newsletter will save readers time through curation or provide deep expertise and insider-level analysis.
Pro tip Use a single sentence to state which benefit subscribers are buying.
Watch out Do not position the offer merely as access to your newsletter.
- 2
Define the paying reader
Identify who values the saved time or expertise enough to pay for recurring delivery.
Pro tip Connect the benefit to a costly decision, professional interest, or meaningful growth goal.
Watch out A broad audience with weak urgency is difficult to convert into subscribers.
- 3
Build the input system
For curation, establish a repeatable research process; for expertise, establish a process for producing original frameworks and analysis.
Pro tip Consistency of the underlying process matters more than decorative formatting.
Watch out A subscription creates an ongoing delivery obligation.
- 4
Compress or deepen
Turn the raw inputs into either concise, timely synthesis or unusually deep and durable insight.
Pro tip Make the benefit visible in every edition rather than relying on the creator’s reputation.
Watch out Shallow but slow content occupies the weak middle of the barbell.
- 5
Validate recurring value
Observe whether readers continue paying because the newsletter reliably saves time or accelerates their understanding.
Pro tip Subscriber retention is stronger evidence than initial curiosity.
Watch out Do not confuse a large free audience with proven subscription demand.
In the wild
Ali offered Trends as an example of a newsletter supported by a research team that identifies market trends for investors and businesspeople.
→ It illustrates the time-saving side of the barbell by compressing research for readers.
Ali cited Ben Thompson’s Stratechery as an example of in-depth analysis from someone with extensive experience in the subject.
→ It illustrates the expertise side of the barbell, where readers pay for depth and informed interpretation.
Common mistakes
Selling the existence of a newsletter
Readers pay for a benefit, not because the creator has placed writing in a subscription format.
Using paid access as a tip jar
General personal updates provide a weaker commercial proposition than saved time or specialized expertise.
Occupying the undifferentiated middle
Content that is neither timely and compressed nor deep and expert lacks a strong subscription reason.
From the transcript
“there's really only two types of paid newsletters that work”
“you're either in super timely or super Timeless and shallow or deep”
“what am I in the business of doing saving people time or giving people expertise”
From the episode
5 Ways To Make $1 Million As A Writer - Nicolas Cole
Nicolas Cole