How Captain Yar Generated a $40,000 Newsletter in Just 6 Months
Scaling Cyber Corsairs to 35,000 Subscribers Using the beehiiv Ad Network
Table of contents
Situation:
Yaroslav Sobko, aka Captain Yar, launched the Cyber Corsairs: AI Productivity Newsletter in September 2023 to help readers “work less and earn more” by automating tasks with AI. What began as a single newsletter has grown into three, with nearly 35,000 total subscribers and 20% monthly growth.
Challenge:
Captain Yar needed a monetization solution that would allow him to grow revenue without the overhead of managing ad sales manually or disrupting the reader experience. The goal was to sustain growth while maintaining focus on content creation.
Solution:
He integrated the beehiiv Ad Network into his business model, describing it as “like having free ad sales employees who never sleep.” The platform allowed him to passively generate revenue, match with relevant advertisers like HubSpot, and scale monetization without extra effort.
Results:
- Earned $40,000 in 6 months through newsletter ads
- Reached 35,000 subscribers, growing at 20% per month
- Formed high-quality partnerships, including with HubSpot
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