Memo
Either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.
—Benjamin Franklin
Why not both?
Every was founded by Dan Shipper and Nathan Baschez back in 2020.
It started as The Everything Bundle, a collection of newsletters on Substack.
Key milestones over the past five years:
Published 1,500 essays
Reached nearly 4,000 paid subscribers.
Hit $60,000 in MRR and over $3 million in total revenue.
Incubated three software products.
Launched courses on writing, programming, and psychology.
Built a full-time team of seven.
Every raised a pre-seed round from Eric Stromberg but they’re primarily self-funded. Well, until last week when they announced at $2M round led by Reid Hoffman.
In 2023, Nathan spun out Lex (Cursor for Writing) as a separate company, which has experienced significant growth recently.
Last year, Every ventured into consulting, which has been so successful they’re overwhelmed with requests and asking for help.
One key thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is their taste.
It’s a clear strength.
Their design aesthetic and UX sensibilities are impressive.
How should we define Every?
Media Company?
Bootstrapped Startup?
Writer Collective?
Dan Shipper recently spoke with venture capitalist Nabeel Hyatt about the challenge of explaining what the company is.
I feel like I've been grasping for words for how to describe what Every is for a while. I think that's a really interesting place to be because we're doing something that's working and there isn't yet a word for it. The closest thing I've come up with is multi-modal media company. — Dan Shipper
The absence of a clear definition for Every suggests they’re probably predicting the future by inventing it. When organizations operate at the frontier of innovation, they often defy easy categorization. This ambiguity can actually be a sign of genuine novelty rather than confusion or lack of focus.
Think, Build, Ship
Every Studio, their in-house incubator, is fueled by generative AI. The Studio supports a group of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) to think, build, and ship products that solve problems close to home. For each idea, they’ll do an Alpha release internally and if it passes the sniff test, its released to the public.
Some thoughts from Dan:
Our EIRs are building products that they want to use themselves. They’re solving problems that they’ve encountered living in the future.
We’re entering an era of gritty startups where rapid experimentation and distribution to a dedicated audience is the most exciting way to build new businesses.
Can they scale?
In a world where you can build and launch a prototype in an afternoon, scale can be an afterthought. We’ve created a model with optionality at its core—letting an idea become its best expression, whether as an experiment, a cash-flow business, or the next Apple.
How much do all of their products cost?
Every-thing is included in a $20 monthly subscription.
I’m bullish on this model. My investment thesis is predicated on a future powered by creators, collectives, and guilds.
A virtuous cycle
Every operates on a self-sustaining loop.
Podcast interviews support their newsletter.
The newsletter is an owned distribution channel for launching products.
Products drive more newsletter subscribers, who then subscribe to their podcast and share their essays.
Many startups struggle with customer acquisition, but Every leverages its existing audience like kindling for a fire.
That’s how you get 10,000 signups in a month for an email app.
And 25,000 signups for writing app.
They’ve earned a ton of trust from years of publishing thought provoking essays.
That trust is paying handsome dividends now.
Building products inside of a beloved media company is an unfair advantage.
How Every could fail
I see three structural challenges that could derail Every's model:
1. The Talent Paradox
Every's model creates a unique talent retention problem. By design, they attract entrepreneurial stars and help them build valuable products. But this success creates natural exit pressure:
EIRs who build successful products have strong incentives to spin them out completely or leverage their success to raise money for a new venture
The more valuable the product becomes, the stronger these incentives grow
Unlike traditional companies where success aligns everyone's interests, Every's success can actually accelerate team departures
This isn't just about compensation, it's about ownership and control. Even generous profit-sharing may not compete with the pull of full autonomy.
2. Shiny Objects
Every's reputation rests on maintaining high editorial standards while they fall down software rabbit holes. This creates competing pressures:
Editorial excellence requires deep focus and careful curation
Software development with AI feels like a slot machine that’s hard to step away from without discipline
Chasing too many shiny objects could be a distraction
3. Consumer Fatigue
While Every's media platform provides powerful distribution for new products, this advantage has hidden costs:
Each new product launch taxes their audience's attention
Failed products risk damaging the invaluable trust they've built
Users might grow weary of more micro-apps that solve only one problem
These fundamental tensions in their business model will require careful navigation. The real test isn't whether they can launch products quickly, it's whether they can preserve what makes Every special.
Fin
As AI tools continue to evolve, we'll likely see more companies following Every's hybrid model. Leveraging content creation, community building, and product development in symbiotic ways.
The future of startups might not belong to unicorns chasing hyper-growth, but to companies building delightful tools while maintaining independence and creative control. A collective of writers, engineers, and designers that can manage a portfolio of software companies under one roof.
Every kind of reminds me of an indie rock band. Their success isn't built on mass-market appeal or huge marketing budgets, but on authenticity and a distinctive voice that resonates with an audience they understand intimately.
Indie bands succeed by ignoring conventional wisdom. Every has certainly sidestepped traditional startup playbooks. They've built their following through consistent creative output rather than growth hacks or viral marketing.
Every's success isn't threatened by others copying them. Their competitive advantage lies in their distinctive voice and sensibility. This can't be replicated with capital or technology alone.
Indie artists can thrive by cultivating a dedicated fanbase who'll buy each album, attend every show, and support their artistic evolution. Every has over 10,000 true fans who will back them not just because of their ideas, but because of their taste.
Writing is the most important skill in the agentic age. A collective of writers, paired with engineers and a brilliant designer, is a scary good group to build with.
— Daniel
I appreciate your feedback. If you enjoyed this piece, drop a like or comment below. You can also send a note to daniel@indiethinkers.com, would love to hear from you.
I really love the comparison to Indie bands — great write up!