He Built a 20K Newsletter by Hand Before Selling Anything. This Stack Does It in Half the Time.

The Old-School Approach

Simon's playbook: write consistently, post everywhere manually, build your list one subscriber at a time, and don't monetize until you hit 20K. It worked for him. It also took months of full-time effort with no revenue. For most people, that's not a viable path — you need the newsletter to generate income before you can afford to go full-time on it.

Beehiiv: The Newsletter Engine

Beehiiv handles what Simon did manually — but with built-in growth tools. Referral programs that turn subscribers into recruiters. Recommendation networks that swap audiences with complementary newsletters. Monetization through ad networks from your very first issue. The 20K threshold Simon mentions? Beehiiv newsletters start earning revenue from day one through SparkLoop and the Beehiiv Ad Network.

Taplio: The LinkedIn Growth Machine

Taplio automates the social distribution Simon did by hand. It analyzes what performs in your niche, generates LinkedIn content, schedules posts for optimal engagement, and builds your personal brand — which feeds directly into newsletter signups. Simon's advice to "post consistently" is good. Taplio makes it effortless.

Buffer: The Distribution Layer

Buffer handles cross-platform scheduling with AI-generated captions tailored to each platform. Your newsletter content becomes Twitter threads, Instagram carousels, and LinkedIn posts — all scheduled from one dashboard. The manual distribution work Simon describes disappears.

Mailchimp: The Automation Backbone

Mailchimp adds the email automation Simon skips entirely — welcome sequences, segmented campaigns, A/B testing subject lines, and behavioral triggers. When someone signs up, they don't just get your next issue. They get a curated journey that turns casual readers into loyal subscribers.

The Math That Changed

Simon's era: write, post, pray, wait for 20K. Today's stack: write, automate distribution, monetize from issue one, and let referral programs compound your growth. The content still matters — but the infrastructure handles everything else.