2 min read

Why I'm starting a Paid Newsletter

I'm starting a paid newsletter because I'm curious if it can work, click through to read more!
Why I'm starting a Paid Newsletter

You're only in this for the money! You're money hungry! You don't want to do this for free because you don't get paid to do that!

I mean... kind of? I'm more driven by curiosity than money and this is another experiment. Will people pay for my writing? What will they pay for? How does it all work? Can it work?

So here we are, the first post. For those of you who don't know me, or are new here, I'm Matt. I spend most of my days writing software, teaching others, and doing a "show and tell." Here's a video from my 9-5 that the marketing team put together about me. You can also learn more about me on my named website, mattgardner.com.

I've always been curious. Curious to take apart radios, alarm clocks, and even batteries – luckily I stabbed myself with the "battery opener" before I was able to open that battery!

I love creating things. Software, food, blog posts, games, and fixing things around the house. I love ice hockey and old bay. I've started a number of companies, side projects, websites, and apps. I've helped teach hundreds of people software engineering.

I love trying new things whether it's food, tech, travels, etc. I plan to write about as much of this as possible.

So what should you expect here? First, this is a blog, a newsletter, and maybe also a podcast. I'll ramble on about different technologies I use in side projects, tech in the enterprise from kubernetes to micro services. I'll probably complain about "big tech" once in a while and maybe a bit here about hockey (as long as I don't really get started). There will likely be product reviews such as the M1 MacBook, the AirPods Max, running Linux as a daily driver, and everything else that I go through on a day to day basis. I'll talk about the tools I use, the tools I'm switching to, thoughts about data privacy and maybe a touch on crypto.

I spend a tiring amount of time evaluating new tech and software both before, during, and after purchasing. I plan on describing those experiences and reviews here. I do this so you don't have to.

If I'm lucky, I'll get to write about some of the questions and curiosities you have as the reader. You can ask me anything and I hope you do! Send me a message: [email protected]

If any of this sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to subscribe. I chose the $5/month or $50/year pricing model because it's like buying me a fancy coffee a month in exchange for content. You can cancel at any time, too.

Eventually some paid posts might make it out to the public for free. Subscribing guarantees you get to see the content, and get to see it first.