For creators & solo media

Audience is the product. Distribution is the asset you build for two years and own forever.

Built for newsletter, podcast, YouTube, and personal-media businesses — solo or 2–3 people, monetizing via subs, sponsors, or a one-off course.

What we grade you on

New subscribers per week from non-paid sources, with a 30-day open/listen retention floor.

What this fixes

Three problems you actually have — not three a generic playbook assumes.

Growth flatlined at 5k–10k subs

The early audience came from one big break. Repeatable growth doesn't, until you build a cross-promo + referral surface inside your free thing.

Monetization is one sponsor + a vague 'maybe paid tier'

The plan sequences the free→paid funnel, the sponsor pipeline, and the lifecycle email behind it. Pick one to lead; don't do all three in parallel.

You're posting on 5 platforms and compounding on none

Pick one channel + format and ship a non-negotiable weekly cadence. Cross-post is secondary. Repurpose is the lever, not the strategy.

Your 90 days

Three phases. Each one assumes the previous one worked. No "test five channels in week two" generic scaffolding.

Format & cadence

Weeks 1–4

Pick one channel/format and ship a non-negotiable weekly cadence.

Cross-promo & growth loops

Weeks 5–8

Guest essays, podcast circuit, referral program, cross-promo network.

Monetize the warm audience

Weeks 9–12

Free→paid funnel, sponsor pipeline, lifecycle email.

Channels we lean on

One primary format — non-negotiable weekly cadence
Newsletter, podcast episode, or YouTube long-form. Pick one.
Substack Notes / Twitter replies / Threads
30 min/day of replies on 5 big accounts in your niche.
Creator cross-promo swaps
Trade recs with 3 adjacent creators per quarter. Same week, no money.
Podcast guest circuit
12 pitches over 6 weeks, one specific angle each.
Referral surface in your free thing
Every send / episode includes a 'forward to a friend' or 'share' moment with a real reason.

We won't do

Week 1, sample

This is the actual shape of your first week — not a feature tour.

1
Lock the weekly cadence — same day, same format, for 12 weeks
Audience compounding is a function of reliability. Variance kills trust.
2
DM 5 adjacent creators with a direct swap proposal
Cheapest, fastest growth lever for a 5k–25k creator. No money, no contracts.
3
Pitch 4 podcasts in your niche this week
Half of the podcast tour pays back. The pitch reps are the work.
4
Add a 'forward to a friend' moment with a real reason in this week's send
Referral surface inside the free thing is the only loop that compounds for free.

Be honest with yourself

Instead of: B2B SaaS pipeline plans, DTC ad funnels, or PLG activation playbooks.

If that's actually your motion — pick the right vertical below. Generic plans cost more than wrong ones.

Eight questions. Branched for Creator / personal media. No credit card.