3 Simple Lessons from beehiiv's CEO

Tyler Denk was the second employee at Morning Brew, helping grow it into a $75M acquisition by Business Insider. 

After thousands of emails during his early days from people asking him what tool he was using to grow Morning Brew, he spotted a gap: no single tool or platform could help replicate the success of Morning Brew.

So in 2021, he built beehiiv, which is now worth over $250M.

As if that wasn’t enough, he launched his own newsletter, Big Desk Energy, in January 2024. By sharing both the wins AND the struggles of building beehiiv, he’s grown it to a 6-figure media behemoth and IRL founder’s mastermind.

How does he do it?

Not by following the typical startup playbook. 

He ignored conventional wisdom and bet big on authenticity, audience, and doing things differently.

Here are 3 simple lessons Tyler shared that you can apply to your career, business and life.

By the way, you can listen to the podcast here! It just dropped this morning!

Lesson 1: Ignore Conventional Wisdom

Startups typically follow the same path — get scrappy, get funding, get acquired. 

This process, when done right, can be lucrative. But the founder often loses focus on what gives them energy. 

They go from building products to mandatory 1-on-1s. 

They go from closing deals to rigid playbooks and SOPs. 

It drains the life out of an entrepreneur. A builder.

By focusing on what he loves (Product), Tyler has kept his passion for beehiiv’s mission that has permeated its way through the rest of the business. 

His team’s passion for the business and their mission has become their secret weapon.

The ability to keep focus on what gives

Lesson 2: Build in Public

If you’ve spent any time online, you’ve heard this advice before: “Build in Public.” 

The problem is people on social media only show the highlights. 

Instagram shows someone’s vacation, LinkedIn shows how someone closed a 7-figure deal by sending a paper airplane or something, and entrepreneurs only share growing revenue. 

Entrepreneurs are worried that showing any chink in the armor prevents them from receiving funding or reaching a successful acquisition. 

But showing the highs without the lows is disingenuous. No one’s life is perfect. And no business is perfect. 

People want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

Tyler’s newsletter, Big Desk Energy is a perfect example. Scaling to 90,000+ subscribers and 6-figures in only 1 year by building beehiiv in public. 

By the way, you can subscribe to Big Desk Energy right now to start getting Tyler’s weekly newsletter. It’s truly one of the best newsletters out there for entrepreneurs and builders in tech, and it’s completely free.

Lesson 3: Saying Yes… Only When It’s Right

When in a season of growth (business or personal), don’t take the fast answer over the right answer. 

It’s easy to accept good enough. A solution to a problem that’s “good enough.” A new hire that’s “good enough.” A way to spend a Friday night that’s “good enough.”

You might think you don’t have a second to wait for “perfect.”

You might be right. 

But if you follow the two lessons above, you earn the luxury of waiting.

Tyler has shown that by not settling on talent, product, and opportunity, he’s been able to build a powerhouse of a team and business. 

If it’s not a “100% Yes, absolutely” it should be a “No.”

Wrap Up

beehiiv didn't become one of the fastest growing tech companies by following the crowd and VC trends. Tyler built it by being authentic, challenging norms, and sticking to what made him unique.

We suggest you follow that advice in your own business, job, and life.