Dear reader,

Most news outlets try to conceal what these emails are really about with clickbait or misleading subject lines. But I'm going to get straight to the point: I'm going to ask you to become a paying subscriber to Tangle.

We send these emails to readers on our free mailing list a few times a year. The last time we sent one was in November of 2023, and we won't send another one for a few months.

Why should you?

I think you should become a paying subscriber because we're doing something unique, valuable, and important. But I also think it's worth the subscription because of what you get in return. You get a lot of bang for your buck.

Tangle subscriptions are just $5/month or $59/year, which is cheaper than basically every other news outlet these days.

When you subscribe:

  • You get our special Friday editions (including this week's)
  • You get original transcribed interviews, deep dives, reader requested content, personal essays, and inside information about our business
  • You get our Sunday editions (comics, fun stories, word puzzles, and shortened summaries of all our newsletters)
  • You get ad-free newsletters Monday through Thursday
  • You get access to the comments section
  • You get baked into any additional offerings in the future
  • You get offers from some of our partners

How do you know it's worth it?

We have over to 15,000 paying subscribers. Every month, less than 1% of them cancel. That's how much they like it. Put differently: 99% of all subscribers stay subscribers every month. Some subscribers who really want to support our work sign up for our "Thank you" tier, which is $199/year. You can do that here.

Why do we need it?

Most news outlets will give you some high-minded stuff about how they are changing the world, holding the powerful to account, or remaking media. But the truth is we are still a small fish in a big ocean. For context: NBC's Chuck Todd earns $10 million per year. Fox News's Sean Hannity makes $40 million per year. That's about 65 times what the revenue we have for our entire operation.

To be frank, we are a little behind our growth goals this month. I'm just trying to do things like cover my team's payroll, the production of our YouTube channel, run another event, improve our content, and invest in some growth by advertising Tangle elsewhere.

Think about it this way: About 85,000 people are receiving this email. If 1,000 of them (just 1 in 85!) jumped to a paying subscription, we could hire another full-time team member.

We're trying to change the news, but it's an uphill battle. Every subscriber counts.

Ok, I'm in!

Anything else?

Yeah, thank you! Even if you aren't ready to become a subscriber, if you're reading this, you are supporting an independent news organization trying to build something fresh. I know these emails can be annoying, but I hope you understand why we are asking.

Remember: If you can't afford a subscription, just write in and let me know. I'll gift you one on the house. And if you want to be generous and help fund those gift subscriptions, please consider our "thank you" tier.

Thank you!

Best,

Isaac, Magdalena, Ari, Jon, Will, and the Tangle team