TL:DR a.k.a Thank Goodness for E-Newsletters

As the number of content sources continues to explode, staying on top of the latest news and trends can be challenging. But remaining “in the know” is critical to helping our clients in the tech and VC world stand out in a cluttered marketplace. Luckily, there’s been a noticeable popularity bump toward newsletters, which help provide us with an informed overview of daily headlines and engaging content about emerging trends.

Since the pandemic began, the number of readers and active writers on the newsletter platform Substack have both doubled, and other providers like Mailchimp have seen similar spikes in users. Newsletter platforms are attracting big names: Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi, New York Magazine columnist Andrew Sullivan and Buzzfeed’s Anne Helen Petersen have all recently launched publications on Substack.

With this bump in available email newsletters, it can be tricky to identify the ones you want to pop up in your email queue on a regular basis. To help you narrow down the list, we put together our picks for the daily newsletters that best inform, engage and amuse us, while providing the insights we need to help our clients become part of the news cycle.

1. theSkimm
With over 7 million subscribers since its launch in 2012, theSkimm covers the headlines with an inclusive philosophy and in a way that makes no assumptions about their readers’ experience. We love the conversational tone that artfully blends human touch and humor to cover a wide range of diverse topics.

2. 1440 Daily Digest
1440 provides well-sourced, factual coverage that makes it easy to prioritize what’s important. The newsletter is divided into three sections to guide you: Need to Know, In the Know, and Etcetera. The stories are curated, providing both deep dives and casual skimming, and are great for those who are genuinely interested in learning about the world.

3. New York Times The Morning
The Morning is the largest newsletter in the world, offering an impressive mix of the most important news of the day at the top, then other articles of interest toward the bottom. In 2020, David Leonhardt became the newsletter’s “host and anchor” and makes sure that you don’t miss out on the most pertinent stories on a given day.

4. Protocol
Protocol is a must-read to stay on top of the latest tech news, with a special focus on the people, power and politics of tech. Protocol Source Code supplies us with tech news on a daily basis, but Protocol offers 9 additional weekly newsletters on a wide range of tech topics.

5. Axios
Axios provides a number of newsletters that provide a solid rundown of the biggest news stories. The AM and PM issues do an especially effective job of delivering on Axios’ mission of “getting you smarter, faster on what matters.” We also enjoy Axios Sports’ daily overview of the most pressing sports stories with a business-focused lens.

6. The Futurist
The Futurist is adept at delivering thought-provoking predictions for the future. We especially like the unique stories and captivating photos.

7. TLDR
TLDR is an easy-to-read daily newsletter on the latest and greatest in tech, which includes an incredible list of news, tools, and cutting-edge tech links. This newsletter supplies “byte size” reads when we may not have enough time for the longer ones.

8. The Daily Pitch
The Daily Pitch is effective at presenting the latest news and trends in the startup ecosystem. It covers a vast range of topics that help us keep up with the ever-evolving VC world.

What newsletters would you add to our list? Please let us know your top picks and why you like them so much.