How Captain Yar Earned $65,000 in 7 Months With beehiiv

Situation:

Yaroslav Sobko—aka Captain Yar—launched Cyber Corsairs in September 2023 as a beehiiv newsletter focused on AI and productivity. With 20+ years in marketing and prior experience in corporate newsletters, he aimed to build a newsletter-first business model that combined rapid growth with sustainable monetization.

Challenge:

Sobko needed a platform that allowed him to experiment fast, scale subscriber growth aggressively, and monetize early. He also wanted to turn reader interest into real revenue without the complexity of managing multiple tools or a large team.

Solution:

Using beehiiv’s all-in-one suite, Sobko experimented weekly, optimized based on subscriber feedback, and grew his audience from 4,000 to 50,000+ through a mix of paid media, beehiiv Boosts, and the beehiiv Ad Network. He added premium subscriptions, private ad deals, and even launched a second newsletter (Grow Monetize) plus a beehiiv-focused newsletter agency—all built within the beehiiv ecosystem.

Results:

• Reached $16,600/month in revenue and $65,000 in 7 months
• Grew to 50,000+ subscribers, adding 12,000/month
• Monetized via beehiiv’s Ad Network, Boosts, premium subs, and direct sponsors
• Launched a second newsletter and a profitable agency helping others grow with beehiiv
  

Sobko calls beehiiv “the best platform for newsletter operators,” and adds, “With beehiiv, you can literally make your first dollar in week one.” His goal: hit $500K/year and launch a dozen newsletters by next year.