What I Learned From a Failed Experiment
(And What’s Changing)
Dear Subscribers,
Last year I tried something different.
I moved this newsletter to a one-time payment model.
The reasoning was simple: remove friction. Pay once. Get access without ongoing renewal decisions. In theory, it honored long-term readers and lowered barriers for new ones.
The idea was sound.
The execution didn’t work.
When a Pilot Doesn’t Scale
If you lead long enough, you learn something important:
Good intentions are not the metric.
Sustainability is.
The one-time model did not generate enough new subscribers to support the level of writing, research, and resources I want this newsletter to sustain.
That’s not emotional.
It’s data.
And when the data is clear, leaders adjust.
Nonprofit leaders do this every day. We pilot programs. We test initiatives. Some work. Some don’t scale.
This one didn’t scale.
So we pivot.
First — A Commitment to Those Who Bet on It
If you paid during the experiment, you now have access under that model going forward.
No downgrade.
No reversal.
No loss of what you stepped into.
You trusted the experiment. I’m honoring that.
Leadership means protecting the people who moved early.
What’s Changing
Beginning March 1, this newsletter will return to a traditional subscription structure.
Paid subscribers will receive:
Full access to all essays
Bonus PDFs and leadership tools
Early access to selected pieces
The ability to directly support this work
Free subscribers will continue receiving selected content, but full essays and certain resources will sit behind the paywall.
The annual subscription is $40/year (or $5/month).
Simple. Sustainable. Clear.
The Window
You have until February 28 to subscribe at $40/year and lock in the current rate.
On March 1, the paywall goes into effect and new subscriptions will follow the standard structure.
This isn’t pressure. It’s a decision point.
If this writing has sharpened your thinking…
If it has helped you lead more steadily…
If it has clarified how to navigate AI disruption, organizational growth, staffing, compensation, and the interior pressures of nonprofit leadership…
Then this is how you sustain it.
Subscribe by February 28 to secure the current rate.
The Mission Isn’t Changing
We are leading through disruption.
We are navigating a world where information is commodified but wisdom is not.
We are building durable organizations in volatile environments.
We are learning how to sustain ourselves while sustaining mission.
The model is adjusting so the mission can endure.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for experimenting with me.
Thank you for building something steady in a world that isn’t.
We move forward.