Every newsletter creator has unique insights and strategies to offer. That's why we're launching a spotlight series to share their stories and lessons learned, fostering a community where we can all grow together.
What can an engineering mindset bring to building a newsletter? Sam Starkman, creator of The Metagame, joins us to give us a behind-the-scenes look at his systematic tactics to engage readers and nurture his publication over time.
Finding the Right Niche Through Iteration
“When I first started my newsletter, I knew I wanted to take an analytical approach given my engineering background. I've always loved writing too, so I saw an opportunity to blend both passions. I went through several rebrands—Mind Games, Ahead of the Curve—trying to nail down exactly what I wanted to focus on. Eventually, I landed on the name The Metagame, which felt like it encapsulated my core interests: technology, psychology, and games.
The key realization for me was homing in on my motivation to help people "level up" their lives by sharing easy hacks and short ideas at the intersection of these topics. Once I defined that purpose, the newsletter started clicking and I established strategic processes to support it.”
Enabling Creativity Through Organized Systems
“To stay organized with idea tracking as an engineering-minded creator, I rely on Jira-like systems to methodically map progress. In Notion, I created a board where every newsletter idea gets its own card. I move each card through various workflow states as ideas evolve, including "To Do," "In Progress," "Ready for Scheduling," and finally "Complete" once a piece is finished. This allows me to visualize where each newsletter concept stands, from initial nugget of wisdom to fully shaped piece.
As I always say, ‘If I don’t write my ideas down, they simply won't get done.’ By documenting each idea in this system, I unlock much more creativity and productivity. I can fluidly juggle multiple thoughts by capturing them before they slip away. And watching an idea journey step-by-step through this process satisfies my engineering brain! Maintaining this kind of systematic creative process helps me wrangle all the disparate ideas floating around my head at any given moment.”
Some of my key sources of inspiration include:
- Frontera Blog, by Ozan Irturk
- Life's a Game, by Amanda Goetz
- Lex Fridman Podcast
- Win-Win Podcast, by Liv Boeree
Focusing on Audience Quality Over Quantity
“When it comes to audience engagement, I care way more about forging genuine connections and conversations with my readers than chasing vanity metrics. I'm not going for reach and scale alone. That said, I do analyze performance through open rates to ensure my content resonates. As I see that percentage tick upward from issue to issue, it's a signal that I am doing something right.”
Stressing Consistency and Incremental Progress
“My advice to aspiring creators is to show up every single day, establishing a habit of writing even when motivation wanes. I tell people: "Fake it til you make it." I also suggest focusing on 1% daily progress as a philosophy rather than giant leaps. As an engineer, I know you make big goals tractable by building systems. You nurture a newsletter by watering it steadily versus sporadic downpours.”
If Starkman's analytical approach to newsletter building intrigues you, dive deeper into his work and subscribe to The Metagame to keep up with his latest issues exploring the intersections of technology, and psychology.
Check Out Our Favorite Reads from his Newsletter:
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You Might Be More Average Than You Think: Explore why performance tends to even out over time, gravitating back to one's average. And learn psychological concepts, including luck vs. talent, through an engineering lens.
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Champion-Challenger Mindset: Learn the systematic approach to self-improvement - continuously test changes against your past self to drive growth, akin to champion vs. challenger comparisons in machine learning.
