Rough Draft

Hello friends,

For this episode of Rough Draft, we’re thrilled to welcome CJ Gustafson of Mostly Metrics. I’m also joined by my co-host Jaryd Hermann of How They Grow. Jaryd was my partner in crime in creating Rough Draft and hope he’ll be a frequent co-host.

CJ is a self-proclaimed micro-media mogul, running a newsletter and podcast beloved by finance professionals and operators. We dive into CJ’s journey from his early writing experiments to building a newsletter that now has over 55,000 subscribers and is a go-to resource for CFOs and operators across industries.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.reidtandy.com

Hello friends,

For our third episode of Rough Draft, we had the pleasure of speaking with Judd Legum of Popular Information, a leading political newsletter known for its focus on holding those in power accountable for their actions.

Judd has been writing on the internet for a long time and was one of the first political newsletters on Substack. We discuss how Judd built a large paid newsletter without a paywall, the importance of experimenting and constant improvement, and why the business side is essential to get right.

"The most important thing I’ve learned is that the connection you form with your readers is the key to everything."

To me, not too dissimilar from Doomberg, Judd always struck me as someone who enjoyed the business side of the newsletter. But as you’ll see, it’s more that he understands the importance of building a durable business around his research, writing, and the impact of his newsletter — the things he truly enjoys.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.reidtandy.com

Hello friends,

For our second episode of Rough Draft, we’re thrilled to welcome Packy McCormick of Not Boring.

We discuss Packy's unique writing style, his rather frenetic approach to writing 10,000+ word essays each week, the business behind Not Boring, and why Packy focuses on great writing over any intentional growth efforts.

I love talking to Packy because I always learn something, but also because of his infectious optimism and enthusiasm.

Whether you're an aspiring or experienced writer, you'll enjoy this conversation with Packy.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.reidtandy.com

Welcome to Rough Draft, where we interview leading writers and creators on the internet. Our goal is to provide listeners with a mix of inspiration, motivation, and guidance.

Our first episode is with the one and only Doomberg, the #1 Finance publication on Substack.

"You should begin with what you love to do that doesn't feel like work and then eliminate everything else from your life and wonderful things just magically happen.”

The conversation is packed with insights and hard-fought lessons from Doomberg’s journey. Listen to the full episode & let us know what you think!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.reidtandy.com

Hello friends,

Earlier this year, I interviewed some of my favorite writers as part of a new project we’re calling Rough Draft.

In each conversation, we go behind the scenes with leading writers and creators on the internet to discuss their origin story, how they do what they do, and what they’re plans are for the future.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer or experienced writer, each episode will have something for you. Our goal with each episode is for you to:

* Learn how to create a sustainable writing system.

* Get ideas for how to grow your audience and monetize your writing.

* (Most importantly) feel inspired by hearing the stories and challenges others are working through, and to feel that you’re not alone on the journey.

We hope you’ll check out these conversations and enjoy what we’ve put together.

The first episodes will be dropping next Thursday — keep an eye out for it & let us know what you think.

Talk soon,Reid

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.reidtandy.com