👋🏻 Welcome to Newsletter Examples, where I highlight cool sh*t I’m seeing in newsletters that you can steal for your newsletter.

This week, I’m showing how Napkin Notes helps startups get noticed by facilitating pitch sessions with venture capitalists. Reading time: 2 minutes.

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Today’s Tip: Discover your superpower

Napkin Notes—a newsletter produced by Kernal, a platform started in 2021 to connect entrepreneurs and investors—used to write lengthy emails sharing startup ideas and research on emerging business opportunities.

Their subject lines were catchy👇️…

…but they were trying to be too many things, and weren’t best-in-class at anything (i.e., they didn’t have the startup insights of Starter Story or the research depth of Trends).

Like any good startup, they kept experimenting, and eventually found their niche.

Their new approach: They started using the newsletter to publicize the great things happening on their networking platform, Kernal Dealroom.

Many recent editions of the newsletter have shared highlights from Kernal’s “demo days” (AKA “The Best Freaking Pitch Event On The Internet”) where founders show off their businesses a la Shark Tank, and VCs give feedback and (sometimes) invest.

Here’s what the top of last week’s newsletter looked like👇️…

And here’s the other main section👇️…

Hope you enjoyed this week’s examples. I’ll be back next week with a new set.

☮️ -Brad

P.S. Want to work with me? I just started a newsletter consulting business—hit me up if you’re interested in learning more.

ICYMI: Links to recent issues

💰️ The path to making money with your newsletter
📧 Why less is more in newsletters
📈 How Grow My Newsletter attracted 13k subscribers in 3 months
📬️ What’s the best way to start your email? Copy these 5 awesome intros
🔚What’s the best way to end your email? Copy these 5 killer closers