đź“Ś 3.1M followers & 10 bizzes in 4 years

Milestones, lessons and steps

Author

Anatoly Zaslaver
December 27, 2024

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Hey! đź‘‹

Merry Christmas and Happy 2025🎉🎉

This week, we’re spotlighting The Curiosity Chronicles - a no-nonsense example of how broad appeal can work every time.

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Backstory

Here’s the twist: this isn’t your typical newsletter analysis. Sahil Bloom didn’t launch his audience from a newsletter. He flipped the script entirely.

  • The start: On X (formerly Twitter), Sahil amassed 187K followers in just 12 months, experimenting and pivoting from financial-based to life-wisdom-engaging content.

  • The growth: Over four years, his X audience ballooned to 1M, while he strategically expanded his reach:

Different platforms. Different audiences. Yet, he’s managed to connect with them all. How?

By offering something universal - something that transcends demographics and interests.

What's in it for you?

1. Approaches you can replicate even if you’re starting small.

2. Diversification: Shining Longer, Growing Stronger.

3. Sahil built templates to maintain consistency and scale his reach - Use them.

Opens, Clicks & Email Delivery

A year ago Sahil mentioned that his 500K - audience (at that time) newsletter had an open rate of over 50% which is insanely high for such a huge email list.

Analysing his signup flow I came to the conclusion that what really works here is three main factors.

1. His high popularity and the fact that he has an enormous organic flow of subscribers (normally higher in engagement).

2. His authority motivates to engage, find, and open those emails.

3. Spam-free emails, especially the welcome one.

 His sign-up flow is more than basic.

And I’m sure that eliminating a thank-you page can hurt which clearly doesn’t bother Sahil and his opens.

For somebody less known it could affect the opens.

 Plug-and-play Tips

If your authority among your audience is not impressive as Sahil’s I would encourage you to follow this Sign Up Flow:

Landing Page > Thank You Page > Welcome Email

Here are examples of the best-performing Sign-Up Flows.

Content

To be honest, I sometimes find myself thinking, “Well, they’re famous - they just know what works,” when I read posts or newsletters from big names.

But it’s easy to forget that every big name started somewhere, without fame or laurels.

In May 2020, Sahil Bloom had just 500 Twitter followers. By the end of 2021, he had grown to 187K. By 2022, that number had skyrocketed to 580K.

And Sahil’s success isn’t limited to Twitter. He has replicated his growth across platforms using the same principles.

Sahil’s private equity background gave him a unique perspective on growth.

He constantly learned, applied what worked, and stayed innovative.

This curiosity drove him to experiment with Twitter threads, long before they were popular. By breaking down complex ideas into accessible, engaging stories, he made his content stand out.

One of his inspirations?

Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham, a book written using only 49 unique words went on to sell over 8 million copies.

Sahil’s takeaway: constraints fuel creativity.

Here’s what makes Sahil’s content so impactful:

  • Distillation: He simplifies complex ideas into clear, actionable threads.

  • Conversations: He learns what resonates by observing reactions.

  • Epiphany Moments: He shares those energizing “aha” moments that spark action.

Sahil credits his exponential growth to key strategies:

  • Lead Magnets: Offering valuable tools, like curated book lists, to attract subscribers.

  • Collaborations: Partnering with other creators for mutual growth.

  • Repurposing Content: Reusing successful ideas across platforms to amplify reach.

Another unique aspect of his style is his creative process. Instead of following rigid schedules, he writes on impulse - whenever inspiration strikes—ensuring his content stays authentic.

His legacy?

Listen to this conversation and you will understand everything about Sahil’s drivers.

For him, it’s all about curiosity, relationships, and the joy of learning.

How do I know it’s not just high-ranked words?

He proves this by delivering results repeatedly.

Growth

Sahil Bloom began his content journey on Twitter in May 2020 with just 500 followers. By leveraging his content principles, he achieved explosive growth:

May 2021: 187K followers

May 2022: 580K followers

May 2023: 937K followers

May 2024: 1M followers

His success wasn’t limited to Twitter.

He scaled his audience on LinkedIn to 600K followers,

Instagram to 710K followers,

 

 So, how?

Here is what led to his growth.

Understanding what the audience values the most.

His focus on personal development content that resonates deeply with readers sets him apart.

 Early Adoption of Threads

Sahil was among the first to use Twitter threads to simplify complex ideas into engaging, digestible stories.

 

Audience Growth Tactics

a. Lead Magnets: Offering valuable resources like curated book lists.

b. Collaborations: Partnering with creators like Andrew Huberman (e.g., a LinkedIn post with 4,700 engagements leveraging Huberman's 1.6M audience).

c. Repurposing Content: Sharing fundamental ideas across platforms understanding that those are common values that will be loved everywhere.

d. Paid Ads: Optimizing cost-per-acquisition to attract engaged subscribers.

e. Leveraging Platforms and Visibility

Sahil amplified his reach through interviews and podcasts.

His appearances across multiple platforms, and tours, including YouTube, where he generated over 500K views, becoming a powerful engagement driver.

Newsletter Growth

In 2021, he launched his newsletter, growing to 134K subscribers in 1.5 years.

In January 2022, he transformed it into a business by hiring a growth team.

By mid-2022, subscribers nearly doubled to 300K, driving 5x monthly growth and reaching 800K subscribers.

Click below and check out these awesome newsletters 👇

Monetization

Sahil Bloom recognized early on that relying solely on creator skills was unsustainable for long-term growth.

While his talent for engaging audiences drove his initial success, he understood that the creator economy's unpredictability demanded diversification.

This realization led him to explore alternative revenue streams and build scalable systems that leveraged his unique expertise and ecosystem.

Rather than viewing essential services like video editing, newsletter growth, or design as expenses, Sahil turned them into businesses.

He co-founded companies offering these services, effectively transforming cost centers into profit centers.

One standout example is Paperboy Studios, a collaboration with Nathan Barry, a company designed to help creators scale newsletters with strategies like audience segmentation, funnel optimization, and monetization consulting.

At the heart of Sahil’s strategy lies a robust flywheel system. His content draws in an audience, creating opportunities for collaborations, sponsorships, and business ventures. Profits are reinvested into expanding his platform and enterprises, driving a continuous cycle of growth and resilience.

Key Monetization Practices

a. Early-Stage Investments: Leveraged his platform to invest in startups with significant growth potential.

b. Building Audience-Aligned Businesses: His video editing and design service businesses achieved a $3M run rate within 45 days.

c. Content Monetization: Scaling his newsletter to 800K+ subscribers unlocked premium sponsorships, product launches, and partnerships.

d. Secured a book deal in 2023, further diversifying his monetization strategies.

By developing systems that extend beyond his personal brand, Sahil has created a diversified and sustainable income portfolio.

His flywheel model - blending content creation, audience engagement, and strategic ventures - positions him as a forward-thinking entrepreneur shaping the creator economy's future.

P.S. oh, and…

I hope you found value here.

If so, please forward this to 2 friends who might benefit as well - sign up here.

P.P.S.

Questions about newsletter growth, monetization, or other how-to topics?

Reply to this email or connect with me on ​LinkedIn.​

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