The Weekly Startup #18

A.K.A. The AInformer

Keeping you informed, engaged, and open to new ideas.

Welcome to The Weekly Startup: Igniting your inner fire in an AI-driven world. Our mission is to empower you with hands-on strategies for thriving and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of technology and life.

In today's email:

• The power of a simple newsletter format

• Milk Road's successful acquisition story

• Addressing potential job losses due to AI

• Tips to optimize newsletter design

• Leveraging free tools and resources

• Your weekly AI news recapped to read in 1 min

My sincere apologies for the absence over the past few weeks, but we're back with some exciting news and updates! We're introducing a new concept called "The AInformer," which will focus on AI and how you can leverage it in various aspects of your life. As the future is changing rapidly, it's essential not to take AI for granted and be well-prepared for the upcoming shifts.

In this edition of our newsletter, we'll explore the power of a simple newsletter format, the inspiring acquisition story of Milk Road, and addressing potential job losses due to AI advancements. With the ever-evolving digital landscape, staying informed and adapting to changes around us is crucial. We'll dive into valuable insights, tips, and real-life examples to help you create an impactful newsletter, navigate the challenges of the modern workplace, and leverage AI for personal and professional growth.

As a bonus, next week's issue will feature an unconventional approach to real estate that I recently employed, resulting in the purchase of two houses (this is why it took so long for me to reach your inbox again). You won't want to miss this opportunity to learn about different strategies for acquiring property. So, without further ado, let's get started with this week's edition!

Embrace the AI Revolution: 300 Million Jobs at Risk

Goldman Sachs economists predict that the latest wave of artificial intelligence (AI), including platforms like ChatGPT, could automate up to 300 million full-time jobs worldwide. They estimate that 18% of global work could be computerized, with white-collar workers, particularly administrative staff and lawyers, being more at risk than manual laborers. The impact is expected to be more significant in advanced economies.

Approximately two-thirds of jobs in the US and Europe are exposed to AI automation, with up to a quarter of all work potentially done by AI. Generative AI, like ChatGPT, could cause significant disruption in the labor market. Despite potential job losses, technological innovation has historically led to employment growth in the long term. AI adoption may increase labor productivity, potentially boosting global GDP by 7% annually over a 10-year period.

As we stand at the precipice of the AI revolution, it's crucial to approach this transformative era with optimism and proactivity. The rapid advancements in AI might seem intimidating, but by embracing the change and preparing for the uncertain times ahead, you can turn challenges into opportunities.

To thrive in the AI-driven world, focus on lifelong learning, adaptability, and leveraging your unique human qualities. Enhance your skills in critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence - strengths that set us apart from machines. Embrace AI as a valuable tool to complement and augment your abilities, and seek out ways to collaborate with it to achieve greater success.

I am currently working on a book designed to help you navigate this new landscape. It covers the basics of AI, ways to approach it, and strategies to harness its power to your advantage. The good news is, this book will be available for free to all subscribers, providing you with the guidance and insights you need to thrive in the AI revolution. Stay tuned, and together, let's embrace the future with confidence and determination!

After the commercial I'll dive into a quick way to test and start your business leveraging newsletters.

Your Newsletter Could be Growing Faster.

Why are all your favorite newsletters switching to beehiiv?

It’s because the founding beehiiv team were all early Morning Brew employees who helped scale that newsletter to over 4 million daily subscribers.

Years of experience went into building the precise tools and surfacing the optimal data needed to successfully scale a newsletter…and now, every newsletter on beehiiv has access to this type of ecosystem.

So, what exactly does beehiiv offer?

• World-class growth tools like the referral program and recommendation network

• Monetization via premium subscriptions and their ad network

• Seamless and flexible content creation with a sleek collaborative editor

• Best-in-class inbox deliverability of 99.9%

Not to mention, it’s the most affordable email platform on the market.

Get started for free.

From Zero to Crypto Giant: How Milk Road Skyrocketed to 250,000 Subscribers and Acquisition in Just 10 Months

In under a year, Milk Road went from zero to acquisition, scaling to over 250,000 subscribers. Co-founded by Ben Levy, the newsletter began with a cold DM on Twitter and a simple idea to capitalize on the growing interest in the crypto space.

Using beehiiv for their hosted web solution, newsletter design, referral program, audience polls, and analytics tools, Milk Road quickly gained traction. They focused on a recognizable newsletter brand, optimized website features, and an effective referral program.

By leveraging both organic traffic and paid acquisition on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, Milk Road successfully grew their subscriber base. Additionally, they utilized analytics to allocate marketing spend wisely and employed audience polls to gather feedback and continuously improve.

Ignite Your Own Business Leveraging A Newsletter:

A Simple Newsletter Strategy for Targeting Your Audience on a Budget

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, it's essential to engage with your target audience in a meaningful and cost-effective manner. One powerful way to achieve this is through a simple newsletter format. This low-budget strategy can help you grab your audience's attention and kickstart your business idea. Here are some nuggets of advice and actionable tips to help you create an impactful newsletter that resonates with your audience.

1. Define Your Niche:

Before you start drafting your newsletter, it's crucial to identify your target audience and tailor your content to their interests and needs. By focusing on a specific niche, you'll be able to create content that is both relevant and valuable to your readers.

2. Craft Compelling Content:

Content is king when it comes to creating an engaging newsletter. Offer valuable insights, tips, or news that your audience can't find elsewhere. Be authentic and let your unique voice shine through, making sure that your content is both informative and enjoyable to read.

3. Adopt a Consistent Schedule: (so not like me)

Consistency is key to building trust with your audience. Decide on a posting schedule (e.g., weekly or monthly) and stick to it, ensuring your readers know when to expect your newsletter. A consistent schedule will also help you stay disciplined in your content creation process.

4. Optimize Your Newsletter Design:

A visually appealing newsletter design can make a world of difference in engaging your readers. Use a clean and simple layout that is easy to read on both desktop and mobile devices. Experiment with different colors, fonts, and images that reflect your brand and make your content stand out.

5. Leverage Free Newsletter Tools:

There are various free newsletter tools available to help you create, send, and manage your newsletter without breaking the bank. Platforms like Beehiiv, Mailchimp, Sendinblue, or Substack offer free plans that include essential features, such as templates, analytics, and email list management.

6. Build an Email List:

An email list is the backbone of your newsletter strategy. Start by promoting your newsletter on your website, blog, and social media channels. Offer incentives, like exclusive content or discounts, to encourage sign-ups. You can also leverage your existing network by asking friends, family, and colleagues to subscribe and share your newsletter with their contacts. If you decide to start a newsletter on business, motivation, finance or anything you feel fits my Instagram audience send me a mail and I shout you out for free (but only if you already started and have some nice articles to show).

7. Engage Your Readers:

Encourage interaction by asking your readers for feedback, opinions, or questions. This will not only help you improve your content but also create a sense of community among your readers. You can incorporate polls, surveys, or comment sections in your newsletter to facilitate engagement.

8. Track and Analyze:

Monitoring your newsletter's performance is essential to understanding what resonates with your audience and what needs improvement. Analyze key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber growth to gauge the effectiveness of your content and marketing efforts. Use this data to optimize your strategy and maximize the impact of your newsletter.

Conclusion:

A simple newsletter can be a powerful tool to ignite your business idea and connect with your target audience on a budget. By following these actionable tips, you'll be well on your way to creating an impactful and engaging newsletter that propels your business forward.

The AInformer: Your weekly AI recap in 1 minute:

‘Godfather of AI’ leaves Google, warns of tech’s dangers

Geoffrey Hinton, a very important person in the world of artificial intelligence (AI), has left his job at Google. He wants to talk about the dangers of AI without any problems from his work at Google. Here are some key concerns he mentioned:

• AI chatbots might become scarier because they could become more intelligent than humans.

• Some people might use AI in bad ways, like messing with elections or causing violence.

Hinton's work helped create many AI technologies we see today. People are now debating whether the main dangers of AI are in the future or happening right now.

AI experts warn of looming catastrophes

AI experts are warning that using artificial intelligence too quickly could lead to problems. Some concerns they mention are:

• More cyberattacks: Bad people could use AI to create harmful code, leading to bigger and more diverse cyberattacks.

• Better scams: AI could help create more realistic phishing and fraud schemes, tricking people with fake messages from friends or family.

• Disinformation: AI can create fake news and propaganda that is hard to tell from real information, confusing the public.

• Increased surveillance: AI could help governments and companies track people and predict their behavior, which might control people's actions and punish those who disagree.

• Strongmen using AI: Leaders who want more power could use AI to control people and avoid democratic debates.

Experts believe that we need to act soon to create rules and oversight for AI to avoid these problems.

AI Is Tearing Wikipedia Apart

AI is affecting how Wikipedia is managed, and the volunteers who maintain it have different opinions on how to handle AI-generated content and misinformation:

• Some think using AI tools like ChatGPT could help create and summarize articles.

• Others worry that AI-generated content might be wrong or fake and could require a lot of human review, which could hurt lesser-known wikis.

There are some key concerns with AI-generated content on Wikipedia:

• AI might create made-up information or fake sources, making the content seem real but actually being false.

• Using AI could lower the quality of Wikipedia by adding unchecked information.

• AI-generated content might make the Wikimedia Foundation face legal issues, like libel suits or copyright violations.

• AI models can have biases, which could lead to content that is unfair to certain groups of people.

Wikipedia is working on a policy to set limits on how volunteers can use AI for creating content. They are also looking into building tools to help volunteers identify content made by bots. Some volunteers suggest using AI models with more responsible licenses, like BLOOM, which has restrictions that encourage responsible AI use.

As we wrap up this edition of The AInformer, I'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read and engage with our content. Your continued support means a great deal to us. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out and email me directly. I'm always eager to hear from you and address any concerns or suggestions you may have.

Also, if you found value in our newsletter and think someone in your network could benefit from it as well, we'd be deeply grateful for your referrals. Word-of-mouth recommendations are the highest form of compliment and truly help us grow our community of like-minded individuals.

Once again, thank you for being a part of our journey, and we look forward to bringing you more insightful content in the upcoming editions. Until next time, take care and keep exploring the incredible world of AI!

Stay safe.

Erwin