Why HubSpot Acquired This AI Newsletter After Just 17 Months

Newsletter brands often struggle to stand out in a crowded market, particularly in the fast-evolving field of content creation, where over 376 billion emails are sent and received daily worldwide in 2025.

The global digital content creation market is projected to grow at a compound annual grow rate (CAGR) of 12.8% from 2024 to 2033, reaching a value of USD 90.4 billion by 2033.

Identifying a specific niche and effectively engaging an audience can make all the difference between obscurity and success.

The Mindstream newsletter addresses this challenge head-on, emerging as a vital resource in the artificial intelligence (AI) space.

Founded by childhood friends Matt Village and Adam Biddlecombe, Mindstream started with just 5 subscribers but quickly grew into a key player, ultimately joining the HubSpot Media Network with over 210,000 readers.

Inspired by the success of The Hustle newsletter, Village and Biddlecombe demonstrated how vision, combined with the right tools, can lead to remarkable achievement.

In this case study, we will explore how Mindstream's journey with beehiiv transformed it from a modest newsletter to a significant industry player, culminating in its acquisition by HubSpot.

From Concept to Reality

Village and Biddlecombe's entrepreneurial journey began with a fervent brainstorming session in May 2023, where they locked themselves in Adam's office, determined to create a solid business plan.

Their aspiration was clear: they aimed to replicate the success of The Hustle newsletter, which they regarded as the "gold standard of newsletters," in the rapidly evolving AI niche.

Reflecting on their long-held dream to start a business together, Village stated, "Adam and I had always wanted to start a business together since we were kids. We had tried a number of ventures, but none had succeeded."

Their breakthrough came when they discovered the newsletter business model, inspired by The Hustle's journey discussed in the popular My First Million podcast.

With a commitment to consistency, they vowed to send out a newsletter everyday starting June 1. Village reminisced, "We committed that from June 1 we would have a newsletter go out every single day."

Their dedication proved fruitful; the first edition reached only five subscribers, but fast forward to today, and after 650 editions—never missing a day—Mindstream has grown significantly.

Finding the Right Platform: Enter beehiiv

Mindstream initially launched on ConvertKit; but after just two weeks, Village and Biddlecombe decided to switch to beehiiv.

Village explains, "We actually started on ConvertKit, but ditched it after two weeks because it wasn't good enough."

The appeal of beehiiv was significant; it was seen as "the hot name in the industry" and provided a platform specifically designed for their needs.

For Village and Biddlecombe, selecting a newsletter platform hinged on purpose-built functionality.

They recognized the importance of a service where "the newsletter is the product and not a side thought." 

beehiiv allowed them to create content that truly shone, delivering what they needed without unnecessary complexity.

Both emphasized, "We needed an email service provider (ESP) that would let our content shine, without having to jump through any hoops to get it to function as we needed."

This focus on their content was crucial for Mindstream's vision.

Why Trust Me

Linda Hwang has extensive experience in B2B marketing and previously worked at a renowned international facilities management company. There, she played a crucial role in creating effective content and social media marketing plans. Now, Hwang is a marketing consultant who helps small businesses create compelling brand stories.

Quantifying Success With beehiiv

The return on investment (ROI) from using beehiiv for Mindstream has been substantial.

While Village and Biddlecombe acknowledge that quantifying this impact precisely is challenging, they agree that beehiiv has been essential to their business's profitability and rapid growth.

Village emphasizes, "We built a profitable business and went from startup to acquisition in just 17 months. beehiiv was critical to this; our business couldn't exist without it."

Their financial success is evident, particularly when considering that revenue from just 10 days of ad sales surpassed beehiiv's enterprise costs for an entire year. 

"We would make more in 10 days of ad sales than beehiiv's enterprise cost for an entire year," Village shares, highlighting the remarkable efficiency of their strategy.

A key element of this success was their decision to publish a daily newsletter, creating seven placement opportunities for ads each week. 

"Being a daily newsletter was also an intentional choice to give us the maximum ad inventory space," Village notes.

He points out that "beehiiv makes it easy to produce a high volume of newsletters," which has enabled them to capitalize on their ad inventory and drive revenue growth.

Today, their content reaches an impressive 210,000 readers daily.

Favorite Buzzing Features

Village and Biddlecombe praise beehiiv's editor as "truly incredible," emphasizing that it has allowed them to craft a distinctive style for Mindstream that simply wouldn't have been possible elsewhere.

The beehiiv platform enables their team to write and build newsletters simultaneously, streamlining their workflow and fostering collaboration.

"The marriage of the writing platform and smart email technology creates a unique advantage for us," Village explains. "It lets us operate with a small team and deliver killer content seven days a week. Without beehiiv, we wouldn't have reached the heights we are at today."

Mindstream also capitalizes on beehiiv's interactive features to enhance community engagement. 

"We also love the polls and use them in all of our newsletters. It's a great way to get audience engagement and feedback!" Biddlecombe adds.

The HubSpot Acquisition

Mindstream’s growth strategy combined both paid and organic channels, with Village noting, "We tried every trick in the book. A mixture of paid and organic growth is key."

In their early days, LinkedIn emerged as a valuable channel for acquiring high-quality subscribers. However, as they progressed, they realized that "Meta subscribers are some of the most engaged out of the paid channels. Not all subs are equal!"

The acquisition story of Mindstream highlights its ability to engage AI-focused audiences effectively.

"It was an easy decision for me and Adam," Village explains, reflecting on the moment HubSpot reached out after witnessing the positive response to their ad placements. "It felt like a dream to follow in the footsteps of The Hustle and work with some of the greatest minds in the industry."

This partnership has opened new doors for Mindstream's evolution.

Being part of HubSpot has provided them with "more resources, knowledge, and the rocket fuel needed to grow Mindstream to new heights."

Advice for Aspiring Newsletter Creators

For those considering starting a newsletter, Village and Biddlecombe stress the importance of growth alongside quality content.

As Village puts it, “Growth is as important as content. ‘Build it, and they will come’ doesn’t work in this industry; you have to hustle your way to the top!” Their journey serves as a testament to the power of dedication and utilizing the right tools.

When asked why others should choose beehiiv for their newsletter ventures, Village's endorsement is clear: “If you want to build a newsletter business, simply nothing else compares. We owe our success to beehiiv.”

Conclusion

Mindstream’s evolution from a humble 5-subscriber passion project to a HubSpot-acquired media powerhouse with 210,000 daily readers demonstrates that creating a successful newsletter business is entirely possible with the right platform and strategy.

Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to scale your existing newsletter, beehiiv provides the essential tools and flexibility you need to thrive. It’s designed specifically for creators who view newsletters as their main event rather than just a side project.

Ready to follow in Mindstream's footsteps?

Sign up for beehiiv today and embark on your own success story!

Your audience is waiting, and the possibilities are endless.