The Margin
A weekly newsletter on the business of software

Your inbox has 200 unread. This is the one you'll open.

Every Thursday: one sharp essay on how software companies really get built — strategy, pricing, and the messy middle. No hot takes, no link dumps, no five follow-up 'just checking in' emails.

Free weekly. One click to unsubscribe. We never sell your email.

28,000 readersEvery Thursday5-min read
28kSubscribers
61%Median open rate
142Issues, no misses
1Essay, zero link dumps

Read by operators and founders at

WavemarkDriftwood LabsCopperlineBasecoatPineboughLedgerwing
Latest issues

Recent reading.

A taste of what lands in your inbox.

Pricing·Jun 20

Why your pricing page is the product

Most teams treat pricing as a setting. The best treat it as the strategy.

Strategy·Jun 13

The quiet power of a boring roadmap

Shiny roadmaps lose. Predictable ones compound.

Growth·Jun 6

What 'product-led' actually costs

PLG isn't free. Here's the bill nobody mentions up front.

What it covers

The things that actually move a software business.

  • Pricing & packaging

    The lever most teams under-use.

  • Strategy & positioning

    Choosing what not to do.

  • Go-to-market

    Sales, PLG, and everything between.

  • Founder essays

    Honest write-ups, not press releases.

Readers
The only newsletter I read top to bottom — then forward to half my team before I've finished my coffee. It's like a smart friend who's seen behind the curtain and won't waste your Thursday.
OPOdalys PrietoHead of Product, Copperline
FAQ

The questions every reader (and writer) asks.

How often will you email me, really?

Once a week, Thursday morning. No 'welcome sequence' of five emails, no re-sends to non-openers, no 'we noticed you didn't click.' One essay, then we leave you alone until next Thursday.

Will it actually land in my inbox, or the promotions tab?

We send from an authenticated domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), keep the list clean, and never buy addresses — which is why the median open rate is 61%. The kit ships the deliverability checklist so your version does the same from day one.

Do I own my subscriber list?

You do. This is your site posting to your email tool — Substack, Beehiiv, Kit, or your own API. Export the full list as CSV whenever you want; nothing here holds your audience hostage.

What does Pro cost, and does it paywall the free essay?

$80/year, and no — the Thursday essay stays free forever. Pro adds subscriber-only deep dives, the full searchable archive, and the private reader thread. If it's not worth it, cancel in one click and keep the free essay.

Join 28,000 readers.

One good essay, every Thursday. Free.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click. We never sell your email.