How This Sneaker Newsletter Found Rapid Success Before Being Acquired

Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?

In an incredibly short timeframe, Leqwane Lynch achieved remarkable success with his sneaker and streetwear newsletter Alerts Daily. Through strategic partnerships, content creation, and community building, he grew the publication to over 35,000 highly engaged subscribers and sold it just 11 months after launch.

This in-depth case study will explore Leqwane's journey, tactics, mindsets, tools, and advice that enabled him to scale a profitable newsletter faster than almost any other solo founder in the crowded newsletter space.

What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?

In August 2022, Leqwane Lynch recognized a gap in coverage of the latest news and releases in the sneaker/streetwear world. Existing blogs were slow, disorganized, and inconsistent. Readers craved a reliable source.

To fill this need, Leqwane launched Alerts Daily - a newsletter covering the most important news, drops, trends, and updates on brands like Yeezy and Adidas that sneakerheads care about. His goal was to become the go-to publication for the underserved niche.

Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.

After identifying the opportunity, Leqwane developed a process for rapidly gaining subscribers interested in sneaker-related newsletters.

His first move was choosing the right newsletter platform. Through research, he discovered Beehiiv organically and realized their free plan would allow him to test and iterate before upgrading.

Next, Leqwane set tangible targets around gaining subscribers and engagement. This focus allowed him to measure progress. His key growth tactic was creating short-form videos for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This organic, viral approach expanded his reach dramatically without paid ads. He also leveraged Beehiiv's built-in referral program by limiting some content for referrers only. This incentive helped boost signups.

How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

In July 2023, Leqwane sold Alerts Daily to sponsor Overtime in a lucrative and speedy exit. He continues to consult sneaker brands on digital strategy.

His next goal is to launch another publication related to lifestyle and culture. The success of Alerts Daily gave him a proven blueprint for rapid scale when creating his next newsletter.

What platform/tools do you use for your business?

Here are the key platforms and tools Leqwane leveraged:

  • Beehiiv - His newsletter platform. Provided analytics and monetization tools.
  • Instagram - Posted short videos to gain followers.
  • TikTok - Published engaging short-form video content.
  • YouTube - Hosted his expanding library of video clips.
  • Google Sheets - Tracked his goals and progress.

By combining established platforms with simple organization tools, he scaled efficiently as a solo founder.

What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?

Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?

For creators looking to emulate his success, Leqwane highlights these key pieces of advice:

  • Set measurable goals - Define targets for growth, revenue, engagement to maintain focus.
  • Leverage video content - Short videos are key to cheaply gaining subscribers at scale.
  • Prioritize audience - Build your list first, then determine optimal monetization timing.
  • Monitor data - Analytics provide insights to improve your strategy.

By avoiding common pitfalls, being patient, and coordinating proven growth tactics, other publishers can unlock similar rapid success.

Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?

Where can we go to learn more?

View all