“I love unsubscribes. Don’t be here if you don’t want to be here.”

It is insanely easy to subscribe to a newsletter—and even MULTIPLE newsletters all at once.

But is that a good thing? Should newsletter creators be more choosy when determining who signs up? We're diving into one of the most overlooked and under-discussed aspects of newsletter growth: friction.

Specifically, how adding friction—rather than eliminating it—can actually improve subscriber quality, open rates, and monetization.

This one’s a must-listen if you’re growing via referrals, recommendations, or paid ads—or if you’re cleaning your list and still not seeing better open rates.

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why the "low friction" mindset can lead to worse subscribers
• What happened when Chenell got aggressive about cleaning her list
• Backend vs. frontend friction: which is better and when
• Building a false double opt-in to retain more good subscribers
• Why double opt-in purgatory can kill 20–40% of your growth
• How paid ads can inflate list size but tank your quality
• Form fields, first names, and checkbox tactics that work
• The danger of creating “unsubscribe friction” (and why you shouldn’t use it)
• What Dylan includes in every single broadcast to improve list health
• Creative ideas like gated quizzes, segmenting checkboxes, and engagement-driven welcomes

LINKS MENTIONED

• Workweek
• beehiiv Creator Network
• Kit Creator Network
• Chris Hutchins → AllTheHacks.com
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out the 30 Days of Growth FREE >>
• 30 Days of Growth Course Pre-launch
• 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.