✍️ Startup CEO: Writing a Weekly Internal Newsletter
Every week, I publish a weekly post in a team Notion database we created called Internal Blog. Typically shared on Fridays, the Weekly functions like an internal newsletter and provides a fun avenue to engage with the team while also getting a chance to write/learn more.
The format is flexible and pretty simple:
Usually, I start with a few paragraphs on whatever is top of mind for -- could be something I learned this week, a theme that's developing with team, a subject I'm excited about, or even something I'm experiencing personally in life. I try to keep it wide-open cuz that way it feels less like a report and more like a journal I'm sharing.
After the intro, I normally break out a few sections that include:
major company updates (product releases, milestones, etc)
community wall of love (reviews, quotes from real users showing love for the company)
reads, listens, news - any good blog posts, books, podcast interviews, newsworthy bits that are collected from the team in our slack #good-reads channel
Here's an example one I did last week in case you're curious:
I'm still tweaking the format and working on the right timing for it (Fri vs Mon for ex) but curious if anyone has a similar exercise they do with their team?
So far, it's be very beneficial and in some ways therapeutic. I block out a chunk of time on my cal on Fridays and it gives me some room to think and review the week at a high level. Plus, with us being fully remote - I feel like it helps provide an avenue for me to share with everyone some of the things I experience and learn.
That's all. Figured I'd share.
Much love,
Seth
PS - I took a bunch of inspiration from Mathilde Colin, the CEO @ Front as she does a weekly email that's a bit more intense but also super dope [https://review.firstround.com/the-founders-guide-to-discipline-lessons-from-fronts-mathilde-collin]. Mathilde is one of my favorite CEOs to follow.