No.01
By Lenny Rachitsky
Several posts a week (newsletter and podcast)Free, paid tier availableSubstackBest for founders and product leaders at software startups
It turns interviews with experienced operators into specific, reusable advice on product, growth and careers.
Posts mix long-form guides on product and growth questions with podcast episodes featuring founders and operators. Free subscribers get part of the archive; paid subscribers get every issue and a private community.
No.02
By First Round Capital
WeeklyFreeOwn siteBest for founders building their first company and team
Its long interviews with operators go deep on one problem at a time, and the archive of past pieces is itself worth the signup.
Each week brings a new long-form article, often a first-person account from a founder or leader at a company like Netflix, Lovable or Vanta. Topics range from hiring and management to product strategy and AI adoption.
No.03
By Jason Lemkin
WeeklyFreeOwn siteBest for B2B SaaS founders focused on sales and go-to-market
Jason Lemkin writes bluntly about B2B sales, fundraising and now running SaaStr itself with AI agents, with real numbers from his own business.
The email collects SaaStr's latest posts on B2B SaaS and AI, from sales leadership and pricing to how the team runs its business with a small staff and many AI agents. Expect frequent, opinionated takes on what is working in go-to-market right now.
No.04
By Tomasz Tunguz
Several posts a weekFreeOwn siteBest for founders who want a data-driven investor view of AI and software
A venture investor writes short, data-backed posts on AI economics and software markets that are quick to read and easy to act on.
Posts are short, usually a few paragraphs with a chart, on topics like AI costs, agent design and software pricing. They are useful for understanding how investors are reading the market.
No.05
By Elena Verna
About weeklyFree, paid tier availableSubstackBest for SaaS founders working on product-led growth and pricing
Elena Verna writes practical, opinionated posts on product-led growth and pricing drawn from hands-on growth roles at software companies.
Recent posts covered writing a pricing 'constitution', common sales problems in product-led companies, and what it is like to work at an AI-native company. About half of recent posts are for paid subscribers.
No.06
By Ben Murray
MonthlyFreeOwn siteBest for SaaS founders who handle their own metrics and forecasting
Ben Murray explains SaaS metrics, forecasting and exit prep with templates you can use, which is rare in a free newsletter.
The monthly email shares tips, templates and lessons on SaaS metrics, revenue recognition and financial models, plus events and jobs. The blog behind it publishes more often, with posts like how to score your exit readiness.
No.07
By OnlyCFO
About twice a weekFree, paid tier availableSubstackBest for founders who want to understand software finance and benchmarks
It explains how the best software companies are run through finance and operations, including fresh benchmark data and post-mortems.
Free posts cover software industry finance and operations, such as new SaaS benchmark reports and what happened when a startup wound down. Paid subscribers get longer educational pieces and public company analysis.
No.08
By TLDR
Monday, Wednesday and FridayFreeOwn siteBest for busy founders who want a five-minute news scan
It condenses startup, strategy and applied AI news into a short read with one-paragraph summaries you can skim fast.
Each issue rounds up a handful of articles and ideas relevant to people building companies, each summarized in a few sentences. It is a scan, not deep analysis, so it pairs well with one of the longer reads on this list.
No.09
By Starter Story
Weekly (Sundays)FreeOwn siteBest for bootstrappers and side-project builders looking for ideas
It shows how real small businesses and SaaS products make money, with revenue figures shared by the founders themselves.
The Sunday email shares a business idea backed by a real case study, with how the founder built, launched and grew it. It draws on Starter Story's database of founder interviews and its video episodes.
No.10
By Justin Welsh
Weekly (Saturdays)FreeOwn siteBest for solo founders and one-person businesses
Justin Welsh writes one short, practical essay a week on building a business that fits your life.
Each Saturday essay takes one idea about work, money or freedom and makes it practical in a few minutes of reading. It suits solopreneurs more than founders raising venture capital.