Every morning, tens of thousands of people who live in cities like Miami, Portland, and Pittsburg receive a conversational email that updates them on the latest news within their city. These newsletters don’t often contain any original reporting, but they’ve been embraced by their local communities because they’re so effective at distilling dozens of newspaper articles, social media posts, and government announcements into an easy-to-read digest.

These newsletters are owned and operated by a company WhereBy.US. Launched in 2014, the company built out a scalable model that includes newsletters, self-service ads, and paid memberships. I recently interviewed its founder Christopher Sopher about how he built the company, its role within local journalism, and why he decided to spin off a SaaS publishing product that he sells to other media entrepreneurs.