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“You don’t need to create for everyone. You need to create for the people who value you most — and they’ll carry your newsletter further than you think."  — Matt Johansen, Vulnu.com

We sat down with Matt Johansen, creator of the Vulnerable U newsletter (nearly 30,000 subscribers), to unpack how he’s grown a must-read in the cybersecurity space. Matt has successfully transitioned from working in the cybersecurity space to running a newsletter + content agency business. So we wanted to learn exactly how he's done it. 

Matt shares how he combines industry expertise with personal storytelling, why B2B creators can command a premium, and what’s working for him across newsletters, sponsorships, and short-form video. 

If you want to learn how to grow and monetize a niche newsletter, this one’s for you.

PS - Matt is not only a brilliant video & newsletter creator, he's also a member of the GIR Pro community 🔥

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• How Matt grew to over 30,000 subscribers in under 2 years
• How he's crushing short-form video content for his newsletter
• How he monetized through sponsorships and built an agency alongside the newsletter
• The strategy behind his short-form and long-form video content
• His approach to setting boundaries with sponsors while maintaining audience trust
• How he leveraged industry presence & experience for early newsletter traction
• Why and how he’s adding a paid newsletter subscription tier 
• Tips for avoiding burnout as a solo creator juggling multiple content platforms
• Why platform-specific editing matters for short-form video success

LINKS MENTIONED

• Vulnu.com (Matt's website)
• Matt's socials: Instagram || YouTube || Twitter || LinkedIn
• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Get Chenell's brand-new course: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• Dylan: LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.