I feel like AI is an illness that crept into my life.

I don't want it. I didn't ask for its faux inevitability. It makes me feel overstimulated. It zaps my creativity. It makes me question myself. Yet it just won't seem to leave me alone.

The other day, I saw someone on a podcast saying, "newsletters are dead in the water" because no one is going to read or open their email anymore.

Between email services summarizing your emails or Claude scanning your inbox to tell you what's "worth" your attention, the argument goes that people won't read emails anymore.

Sure, some people use these tools. But many don't.

So what does that mean for your emails? The ones you send for your business. Should you stop writing a newsletter? Should you write yours any differently to combat it?! Can you rely on your newsletter reaching your audience? Email's supposed to be ol' reliable!

Well for one: you should sign up for my free workshop I'm hosting with the Kit team next Tuesday, November 10 at 3pm ET where I'll show you behind the scenes of my account, how I've grown my list to 72K subs, and how I run my funnels and sequences. Replay provided. Sign up here→ ($0)

But for now, here's my take:

I wouldn't do anything any differently.

I don't have my head in the clouds. I know this could "hurt" my business and that people use AI tools.

Not everyone wants a bot reading their emails. Some people still enjoy human interaction.

But I'm not just betting on hope and good humans.

I think there's a real "strategy" we can take:

Writing good emails.

Every week, I hit "send" on this newsletter to over 72K people and within minutes, replies come rushing in. I get the most thoughtful, in-depth replies. Personal reflections. Grief stories. "You're in my head" and "your newsletter is the only one I read" comments.

If the content is good, people will remember it. Especially if they value and benefit from it.

Reading it becomes part of their routine.

Like how I waited by the mailbox as a kid for a fresh issue of Highlights magazine. I didn't ask my friends to summarize it for me. I wouldn't let my dad read it to me. I loved it so much I couldn't wait to devour it myself.

It's on us to create something so good that readers wait by their digital mailboxes saying, "I wonder if Reader's newsletter has hit my inbox yet!"

So call me naive. Maybe I'm wrong.

But I'm not afraid of AI.

Just like Erewhon isn't afraid when a McDonald's opens across the street.

They're not competing for the same customer.

My people want human connection. They want to read silly stories about trips to the farmers market and my take on Cakes' founders. And I want to read their silly, deep, vulnerable, thoughtful replies, too.

That's what makes the world go 'round, right?

Well, at least mine.

Scroll to read the rest of Sam's Sidebar👇. In case you missed it last week, I gave the newsletter a lil' bangs job.

Hit "reply" before you go and let me know what you think about this email. I read and reply to everything you write with my own human hands, including my Harry Potter-scarred thumb that barely bends. I even use my hazel/brown eyes to read the words you wrote with yours.

xo,

Sam

💼 EXHIBIT A: Ever wish you could log in to my Kit account and see behind-the-scenes of my 72k sub email list, funnels, and freebie sequences? I'm hosting a (free!) live walkthrough with the Kit team next Tuesday, November 10 at 12pm PT // 3 pm ET to show you 'What's In Sam Vander Wielen's Kit'. Replay provided. Sign up here→​

📣 HEARSAY: "Love the re-do. I never say no to an email from you.“ - Sue, Sidebar reader.

👩‍⚖️ THE VERDICT: Instagram just announced it’s entering the long-form content game with a new long-form video posting option called “Features”. It feels sort of like when they tried rolling out IGTV. I’m not sure people who use IG want to sit on IG and watch 1-hour videos… but we’ll see! Also, isn't this just IG trying to be YouTube but without compensating creators or being as good at discoverability? What do you think?

🗳️ RECESS: Don't forget to vote today! I love voting the day of, so I was up bright and early at the polls 😊