The Local Newsletter Founder Who Proved Everyone Wrong About "Small Markets"

Most publishers would look at the Catskills region of New York and say "too small to build a real business." Michael Kauffman proved them wrong.

In this episode of Audience Bridge Insights, I sit down with Michael Kauffman, founder of Catskill Crew, a local newsletter that's rewriting the playbook on community publishing.

Here's what makes his approach different:

• 42,000 subscribers in a "small" market
• ~$0.30 average subscriber acquisition cost
• Sends once per week (not daily)
• Monetizes without becoming an ad billboard
• Built a real business that could be bought and sold

But the numbers aren't the story. It's HOW he thinks about newsletters that changes everything.

What we cover:

• Why local newsletters have a built-in growth advantage
• How Michael made ~$8K in one week with a simple "bulletin" section
• Why he only sends once per week (and why it works better than daily)
• Why events, products, and IRL experiences beat more email sends
• How he's using snail mail as a premium subscription (yes, actual mail)
• Why newsletters are becoming legitimate businesses you can buy and sell
• The one mindset shift that separates winning publishers from dying media

Key quote: 

"If you prioritize advertisers over subscribers, you're already losing."

Who this episode is for:

• Local newsletter operators (or anyone thinking about starting one)
• Publishers feeling pressure to send more often
• Anyone looking to monetize without wrecking engagement
• Founders building sustainable, community-driven businesses

Guest: Michael Kauffman, Founder of Catskill Crew

 🔗 Catskill Crew Newsletter

 🔗 The Newsletter Club

 🔗 Michael Kaufmann on X

Host: Chris Miquel, Founder of Audience Bridge

🔗 Learn more: AudienceBridge.io 

📧 Subscribe to Audience Bridge Insights: https://www.audiencebridge.io/subscribe

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction: The newsletter that "shouldn't work"
• 2:15 How Michael built to 42,000 subscribers in a "small" market
• 5:30 The $0.30 subscriber acquisition cost strategy
• 8:45 Why local newsletters have a built-in growth advantage
• 12:20 Community-first vs. advertiser-first publishing
• 16:40 How he made $8K in one week with a simple bulletin section
• 21:10 Why he only sends once per week (and why it works)
• 26:35 Events, products, and IRL experiences as revenue streams
• 31:50 The snail mail premium subscription experiment
• 36:25 Why newsletters are becoming legitimate tradable businesses
• 41:15 The biggest mistakes local publishers make
• 45:30 Advice for starting a local newsletter today
• 49:40 Final thoughts: Community over advertisers