The 10 Best Startup Newsletters Every Founder Should Read in 2026

Information overload is real, but the right newsletter can cut through the noise and land in your inbox with exactly what you need. For founders, newsletters have become essential sources of insight, providing curated analysis, trend spotting, and hard-won lessons from people who've been in the trenches.

The ten newsletters below stand out not just for what they cover, but for how they think. Each one brings a distinct voice and perspective that can sharpen your instincts, challenge your assumptions, and keep you connected to what actually matters in the startup world.

1. Lenny's Newsletter

Author: Lenny Rachitsky

What's it About: Lenny's Newsletter is where product and growth come together with uncommon clarity. Lenny Rachitsky, former Airbnb product lead, writes deep dives on product strategy, user retention, growth loops, and team dynamics.

What sets this apart is the level of detail. Lenny doesn't skim the surface. He brings frameworks, case studies, and interview insights that give you a real edge when making product decisions.

This isn't motivational fluff. It's the kind of tactical intelligence that changes how you approach your roadmap.

Where to Subscribe: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/ 

What You'll Gain: Product thinking that's rigorous, research-backed, and directly applicable to your growth challenges.

2. Not Boring

Author: Packy McCormick

What's it About: Not Boring is what happens when deep business analysis meets genuine intellectual curiosity. Packy McCormick explores emerging companies, technologies, and market shifts with essays that feel more like investigative journalism than typical startup content.

His writing connects dots others miss, whether he's breaking down Web3 infrastructure, vertical SaaS plays, or the economics of moonshot ventures. Reading Not Boring expands how you see opportunity itself.

It's both entertaining and genuinely educational in ways that stick with you long after you close the tab.

Where to Subscribe: https://www.notboring.co /

What You'll Gain: A wider lens on where markets are heading and why certain bets are smarter than they appear.

3. The Hustle

Author: HubSpot (formerly Sam Parr and team)

What's it About: The Hustle delivers business news with personality and bite. It covers startups, tech, finance, and trends in a format that's quick, witty, and refreshingly unpretentious.

The daily email gives you the headlines that matter without drowning you in jargon or unnecessary detail. What makes it valuable is the curation. The Hustle team knows what founders care about and presents it in a way that respects your time.

It's become the morning read for entrepreneurs who want to stay informed without sacrificing an hour to news aggregation.

Where to Subscribe: https://thehustle.co/ 

What You'll Gain: A daily pulse check on business and startup news that actually moves the needle.

4. CB Insights Newsletter

Author: CB Insights team

What's it About: CB Insights brings data-driven intelligence to your inbox with research reports, trend analysis, and market maps that reveal where capital and innovation are flowing.

This newsletter is for founders who want substance over speculation. The insights are backed by real data on funding rounds, market movements, and emerging sectors. CB Insights doesn't guess. It shows you the numbers and patterns that help you understand competitive landscapes and spot opportunities before they're obvious.

If you're making strategic decisions about market entry or positioning, this is required reading.

Where to Subscribe: https://www.cbinsights.com/newsletter 

What You'll Gain: Hard data and trend analysis that informs smarter strategic choices and competitive awareness.

5. Axios Pro Rata

Author: Dan Primack

What's it About: Pro Rata is the gold standard for venture capital and private equity news. Dan Primack has built a reputation for breaking deals, analyzing funding trends, and providing sharp commentary on what's actually happening in the investor ecosystem.

This newsletter matters because it keeps you connected to the money side of startups. You'll understand which sectors are hot, what terms founders are accepting, and how the fundraising environment is shifting in real time.

If you're planning to raise capital or just want to understand the playing field, Pro Rata is indispensable.

Where to Subscribe: https://www.axios.com/signup/pro-rata 

What You'll Gain: Direct insight into venture deals, investor sentiment, and the capital landscape shaping your fundraising options.

6. StrictlyVC

Author: Connie Loizos

What's it About: StrictlyVC is where Silicon Valley's venture community gets its news. Connie Loizos covers funding announcements, LP dynamics, emerging managers, and the inside workings of the VC world with unmatched depth and access.

This newsletter is particularly valuable for founders who want to understand not just who's raising money, but how the venture ecosystem actually operates. You'll learn which funds are active, what they're backing, and how relationships between founders and investors really work.

It's candid, well-sourced, and essential if you're navigating the fundraising process.

Where to Subscribe: https://www.strictlyvc.com/ 

What You'll Gain: Insider knowledge of the VC landscape and the relationships that drive startup financing.

7. First Round Review

Author: First Round Capital team

What's it About: First Round Review publishes some of the most thoughtful and practical content on building startups. Each piece is based on interviews with successful founders, operators, and investors who share specific tactics on hiring, culture, product development, and leadership.

What distinguishes this newsletter is its execution focus. These aren't abstract think pieces. They're detailed guides on how to run better one-on-ones, structure compensation, build customer feedback loops, and make better decisions under pressure.

Every issue feels like a masterclass from someone who's solved the exact problem you're facing.

Where to Subscribe: https://review.firstround.com/ 

What You'll Gain: Tactical playbooks from experienced operators on the specific challenges of scaling teams and products.

8. Indie Hackers Newsletter

Author: Indie Hackers team

What's it About: The Indie Hackers Newsletter is for founders building profitable businesses without chasing venture capital. This community-driven resource shares real stories from entrepreneurs who are bootstrapping, launching side projects, and growing sustainable companies on their own terms.

What makes it powerful is the honesty. You get unfiltered accounts of what worked, what failed, and what founders wish they'd known earlier. The newsletter covers product launches, marketing tactics, revenue milestones, and the mental game of building alone.

It's packed with actionable insights from people who are in the same position you are, solving similar problems in real time. If you're tired of unicorn narratives and want to learn from founders building real, profitable businesses, this is your community.

Where to Subscribe: https://www.indiehackers.com/newsletter 

What You'll Gain: Real stories, tactical advice, and community support from bootstrapped founders building profitable online businesses without external funding.

9. The Diff

Author: Byrne Hobart

What's it About: The Diff is for founders who think in systems. Byrne Hobart writes about markets, business models, technology, and strategy with an analytical rigor that's both rare and refreshing.

His essays connect finance, tech, and economics in ways that help you understand the structural forces shaping industries. Reading The Diff makes you a better strategic thinker. It trains you to see second-order effects, competitive dynamics, and why certain business models work while others don't.

This newsletter rewards careful reading and pushes you to think more deeply about the game you're playing.

Where to Subscribe: https://www.thediff.co/ 

What You'll Gain: Analytical frameworks that improve how you think about competition, capital allocation, and long-term strategy.

10. Houck's Newsletter

Author: Michael Houck

What's it About: Houck's Newsletter is written by a founder who's been on both sides of the table. Michael Houck raised a Series A from a16z for his last startup and has invested in over 50 companies as an early-stage VC. That dual perspective makes this newsletter uniquely valuable.

Every week, you get tactical advice on building, growing, and fundraising that comes from someone who's actually done it. The content is specific, grounded, and avoids the usual platitudes.

Houck breaks down pitch deck red flags, explains how to use fundraising tranches, and shares frameworks for hiring and product strategy. He's built this into one of the most trusted resources for startup founders, with over 160,000 subscribers who rely on it for weekly guidance.

This isn't theory. It's battle-tested advice from the trenches.

Where to Subscribe: https://houck.news/ 

What You'll Gain: Practical, founder-tested frameworks for every stage of building a startup, from someone who's raised capital, invested it, and scaled companies.

Ready to Turn Insights Into Action?

Reading the right content is just the beginning. Building a successful company requires turning ideas into execution, strategy into systems, and vision into velocity.

At Ellenox, we partner with founders who are ready to move fast and build smart. Whether you're validating your first concept, refining your go-to-market strategy, or preparing to scale with precision, our venture studio brings the expertise and resources to accelerate your journey.

If you're launching, iterating, or preparing for growth, Ellenox can help you build with focus and intention.

Partner with Ellenox Venture Studio and turn insight into impact.