The 8 Best Startup Newsletters Investors Actually Read (2025)
The newsletters VCs and top founders subscribe to—from YC to a16z, First Round to Not Boring.
Stop missing critical startup advice. Get insights from top VCs, founders, and operators consolidated into one founder-friendly digest.
Top newsletters
Essential reading for startup founders and operators
Time saved weekly
Vs. reading each startup newsletter separately
Early trend detection
Spot market shifts before they're obvious
Why Readers Need a Better System
Scattered Founder Advice
YC, a16z, First Round, Lenny, Packy—everyone has insights. Reading them all means less time building.
Fear of Missing The Signal
Skip one newsletter and you might miss the fundraising advice, hiring tactic, or market shift that changes your trajectory.
Information vs. Execution Balance
You need to stay informed but can't spend 10 hours/week on newsletters when you should be talking to customers.
What You Can Consolidate
VC Insights & Deal Flow
- Y Combinator - Startup advice from the source
- a16z - Andreessen Horowitz insights
- First Round Review - Tactical founder playbook
- Strictly VC - Daily venture capital news
- Fortune Term Sheet - Who's raising what
Product & Growth
- Lenny's Newsletter - Product management gold
- Reforge - Product-led growth insights
- Product Hunt Daily - What's launching
- GrowthHackers - Growth tactics that work
Strategy & Market Analysis
- Not Boring - Packy's business strategy deep dives
- Stratechery - Ben Thompson's tech analysis
- CB Insights - Tech market intelligence
- The Diff - Finance meets technology
- TechCrunch - Breaking startup news
Featured Newsletters
Y Combinator
Weekly
Weekly startup advice from the world's top accelerator. Essential reading for any founder.
First Round Review
Weekly
Tactical advice from successful founders. Each article is a mini masterclass.
Not Boring
2x/week
Packy McCormick's deep dives on business strategy, web3, and emerging tech. Required reading.
Lenny's Newsletter
2x/week
Product management and growth insights from Lenny Rachitsky (ex-Airbnb). Loved by PMs and founders.
a16z
Weekly
Insights from Andreessen Horowitz partners on tech trends, markets, and startup strategy.
Strictly VC
Daily
Daily venture capital news. Know who's raising, who's hiring, who's getting acquired.
Stratechery
Daily
Ben Thompson's essential tech strategy analysis. Premium tier for serious founders.
CB Insights
Weekly
Data-driven tech market intelligence. Spot trends early with comprehensive research.
The Diff
5x/week
Byrne Hobart's analysis at the intersection of finance and technology. Unique perspectives.
Reforge
Weekly
Product-led growth insights from top operators at Stripe, Airbnb, Netflix, and more.
Manually Reading Startup Newsletters
- •Monday: YC, First Round Review (45 min)
- •Tuesday: Not Boring deep dive (40 min)
- •Wednesday: Lenny's Newsletter (25 min)
- •Thursday: Stratechery, The Diff (30 min)
- •Friday: Strictly VC, TechCrunch (20 min)
- •Weekend: CB Insights, Reforge (60 min)
Total: 3-4 hours weekly
One Readless Founder Digest
- Daily digest: Breaking news, quick tactical wins
- Weekly digest: Deep dives from Not Boring, Stratechery
- Organized: Fundraising, Product, Growth, Market Analysis
- Trend detection: When 3+ newsletters mention the same thing
Total: 30 minutes daily
How It Works
1. Subscribe to top startup newsletters
Use your @mail.readless.app address when subscribing to YC, a16z, First Round, and 15+ others.
2. AI organizes by stage & need
Fundraising advice, hiring tactics, product strategy—organized so you find what matters for your current stage.
3. Read your founder briefing daily
Get your digest at 6 AM before standup or 8 PM after customer calls. Stay informed without sacrificing execution.
Popular Configurations
Pre-Seed Founder
- Daily: YC advice, First Round tactics
- Weekly: Not Boring for market context
- Include fundraising newsletters (Strictly VC, Term Sheet)
Series A+ Operator
- Daily: Stratechery, The Diff for market intelligence
- 2x/week: Lenny's, Reforge for product/growth
- Weekly: CB Insights for competitive analysis
Technical Founder
- Focus on product newsletters: Lenny's, Reforge
- Weekly strategy: Not Boring, Stratechery
- Include TechCrunch for engineering hiring trends
“I subscribe to 22 startup newsletters. Before Readless, I'd read 3-4 and feel guilty about the rest. Now I get insights from all of them every morning in 25 minutes.”
David R. · CEO, Series B SaaS startup
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