FUTURE PROOF MARKETER/PLAN · Solo · <€100/mo
Start a newsletter people open
Position it, pick the platform for the growth you want, write the first four issues from material you already have, and build one growth loop.
Built for: Anyone who has been meaning to start one for a year.
The stack
3 tools
3 paid, 0 on free tiers or included
Monthly, at list price
≈ €81/mo
budget under €100 a month · dollar prices counted as euros
The metric
Subscribers and open rate
100 subscribers by week 4 with a 45%+ open rate — then growth, not design
Some links below are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It funds the testing budget and never changes a verdict — affiliate policy.
The four weeks
- Week 1Assistant & research
Position it and write the welcome
One sentence: who it's for, what they get, how often. Then the welcome sequence — the most-read emails you'll ever send. Your assistant drafts from your voice file.
You'll need: Your voice file
The toolOne €20 assistant (Claude Pro / ChatGPT Plus / Google AI Pro)
$20/mo · checked 2026-09
The one subscription every size needs. Pick by the work you do most: Claude for writing-heavy, ChatGPT for breadth, Gemini for the Workspace bundle.
Counted: ~€20/mo counted at list price · Also fits: NotebookLM · on the radar
Our review → - Week 2
Pick the platform
Newsletter-first platforms bring referral programs and a recommendations network; email tools bring automation. Pick by the growth you want, not the editor. Set up the domain and authentication before the first send.
The toolbeehiiv
$0 (Scale from ~$43/mo) · checked 2026-08
Built for newsletters that want to grow: referral program, recommendations network, and a free tier to 2,500 subscribers.
Counted: ~€43/mo counted at list price
Our review → - Week 3Assistant & research
Write four issues from what you already have
Transcripts, old posts, client questions: the first month of issues exists already. Turn each into one idea, one story, one link. Schedule all four.
The toolOne €20 assistant (Claude Pro / ChatGPT Plus / Google AI Pro)
$20/mo · checked 2026-09
The one subscription every size needs. Pick by the work you do most: Claude for writing-heavy, ChatGPT for breadth, Gemini for the Workspace bundle.
Counted: already in the stack · Also fits: NotebookLM · on the radar
Our review → - Week 4Social content
Build one growth loop
One loop only: a comment gate on your best channel, a referral reward, or a lead magnet at the end of every post. Measure subscribers per week from it before adding a second.
The toolMetricool
$0 · checked 2026-08
Our own scheduler, and the one we connected to Claude as a first MCP. The default at every size on this list.
Counted: ~€18/mo counted at list price · Also fits: Buffer · on the radar
Your stack at a glance
| Tool | Price · checked | Counted |
|---|---|---|
| One €20 assistant (Claude Pro / ChatGPT Plus / Google AI Pro) | $20/mo · 2026-09 | ≈ €20/mo · ~€20/mo counted at list price |
| beehiiv | $0 (Scale from ~$43/mo) · 2026-08 | ≈ €43/mo · ~€43/mo counted at list price |
| Metricool | $0 · 2026-08 | ≈ €18/mo · ~€18/mo counted at list price |
| Total | ≈ €81/mo |
Don't buy yet
- –A paid platform tier before 1,000 subscribers
- –A custom design — the plain template out-opens the pretty one
- –Buying a list, ever
Different size, budget or channel?
The steps stay; the tools and the total change. Or pick another outcome.
Every week
When a tool on this plan gets tested, you'll hear first
One tool tested, one workflow, one future signal, one deal — every week. The plans update when the radar does.
One email with the goods, then the weekly letter. Unsubscribe anytime.