Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I'm Igor Ranc, founder of Handpicked Berlin, a weekly briefing newsletter for Berlin's tech community.

After losing my corporate job in late 2024 and giving up on searching for a new one after a few months, I turned my side project into a business. It’s now the largest English-language tech newsletter in Berlin. I’ve had previous experience with writing and newsletters, but, to be honest, I never imagined I would end up running a publishing/creator business.

What do you write about in your newsletter?

I curate a weekly briefing for expats in Berlin. This includes the most important business news, vetted job opportunities, startup funding rounds, local events, salary insights, and other professional resources. The newsletter is the core of my business, but I also run a website where I publish longer articles, as well as publish content on my social media channels–Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

My open rate has actually increased.

Where did you first learn of Buttondown, and what made you decide to give it a try?

I realized that Substack wouldn’t enable me to grow the newsletter into a serious business because their focus is more social media, and the backend wasn’t really meeting my needs. I spent a few weeks studying the alternatives and then, by coincidence, found Buttondown in one of the articles, and I checked it out. I exchanged several emails with the team and even had a call with Justin, so I finally decided to migrate in early 2025.

I am now sending emails from my own domain, and I can generate better reports for advertisers and analyze my own content in a much more effective way than before.

What are some ways Buttondown has helped you run your email?

My open rate has actually increased. I am now sending emails from my own domain, and I can generate better reports for advertisers and analyze my own content in a much more effective way than before. I can also run proper performance marketing campaigns. The email itself is also leaner, allowing me to fit in more content than before.