Today's read: 3 minutes.

If you're receiving this, you're a free member of my newsletter Tangle (meaning you get Monday through Thursday editions).

I'm writing very quickly today to ask you to become a Tangle member.

In most Tangle newsletters, I include a brief, 2-3 sentence pitch on becoming a paid subscriber. But just a few times a year (so as not to be spammy) I send a dedicated email asking people to subscribe.

This is one of those emails.

Why you should subscribe.

There are a ton of great reasons to subscribe.

Let's start with what you get: Tangle subscribers get one additional newsletter a week, our Friday editions. These editions are often reader-requested content, original reporting, deep-dives, or interviews. They are usually our most popular newsletter of the week. In the last few weeks, we've published a piece on which party is more extreme, an exploration of which side has more power, an insider update on our business, and a fascinating interview with cancel culture critic (and progressive) Clementine Morrigan.

On top of Friday editions, subscribers get access to the comments section, special updates on the business, offers from our partners and first look at new products. You also get to take surveys where we ask readers to help us make big decisions about changes to Tangle.

What we get: Because our newsletter has no investors and no advertisers, subscribers make up 95% of our revenue (the rest comes from reader donations and merchandise sales). When you become a subscriber, I'm able to pay our editors, social media manager and podcast editor. We're able to use money to buy ad space in other newsletters, which helps us get more readers. All of this motivates us to stay 100% independent, since you — the subscriber — are the folks we have to keep happy. It's a sustainable, transparent and honest business model.

How much does it cost?

The subscriptions for Tangle come in three tiers. Since I am ignoring all the people who told me to squeeze every dime out of you, there won’t be a huge difference in offerings for each tier. Instead, I’m really, really trusting my readers to pay what they can.

  • Tier 1: $5/month. In most cities, this is about the cost of a beer at your local pub. With this subscription, you get all the subscriber-only Friday editions, plus the comments section. Become a monthly subscriber.
  • Tier 2: $50/year. This is the best deal for you and me. It comes out to $4.13/month, about the price of a stick of deodorant. It’s a better deal for me because you are a member for the year, and I only have to pay one transaction fee. Become a yearly subscriber.
  • Thank you tier: $199/year. This tier is for people who have the means and simply want to say "thank you" for Tangle. We currently have 200 people on our "Thank you" tier, and they receive every Tangle newsletter, all of our updates, and get to help shape our decisions going forward. Become a "Thank you" subscriber.

What if I can't afford it?

When I started Tangle, I made a pledge to readers: I'd gift anyone a subscription who wrote in and said they wanted access to Friday content but couldn't afford it. That pledge is still live. I know some people can't afford these prices, so I still gift a subscription to anyone who asks — we operate entirely on the honor system. A few dozen folks are on gifted subscriptions, and everyone else who subscribes helps keep those gift subscriptions going.

Thank you.

I know a lot of organizations are constantly in your inbox asking for money. We try to send these kinds of emails only 3-4 times a year, so it doesn't become annoying. But since it is the primary way we make money, it is important for us to ask. Lots of business marketing research has shown that the average person only pays for stuff like this after being asked seven times — something called "The rule of seven."

So, this is just us asking. Whether you decide to make the jump yet or not is entirely up to you — you can keep reading Tangle for free as long as you want (but please subscribe!)

Either way, we'll be back in your inbox on Monday.

Thank you for making this all possible.

Best,
Isaac Saul and the Tangle team