Pre-Revenue Email Strategy

When you have no revenue, every dollar matters. But the wrong response is to skip email entirely. The email list you build before revenue is the audience that will generate your first revenue. Every waitlist subscriber, beta user, and early follower is a potential first customer.

Your pre-revenue email strategy should be simple: capture emails wherever you can, send valuable content that builds trust, and maintain a personal connection with everyone on your list. At this stage, you should be replying to every email response personally. These relationships are the foundation of your business.

Free Tiers Are Your Best Friend

At the pre-revenue stage, free tiers are not a compromise. They are the right choice. ConvertKit offers 10,000 subscribers free. Loops offers 1,000 with automation. Brevo offers unlimited contacts with 300 emails per day. Resend offers 3,000 emails per month.

Pick the free tier that matches your primary need. If you need a large waitlist: ConvertKit. If you need SaaS-specific automation: Loops. If you need maximum features: Brevo. If you need code-first control: Resend. Graduate to paid when your growth demands it, not before.

Build in Public Through Email

The most effective pre-revenue email strategy is building in public. Share your development progress, decisions, and challenges with your waitlist. This does three things: it keeps subscribers engaged, it creates emotional investment in your success, and it provides valuable feedback before you launch.

Founders who build in public through email consistently report higher launch day conversion rates. Subscribers who have been following your journey for months feel like insiders. When launch day arrives, they do not need convincing. They have been watching you build the thing they need.