📺 [Phase 4] Developer newsletter and podcast sponsorships #330
Description
Description
Sponsor high-quality developer newsletters and podcasts to reach targeted technical audiences at scale.
Strategy
Target sponsorships with:
- Developer/engineering audience
- High engagement rates
- Affordable CPM (<$50)
- Authentic, non-spammy format
Newsletter Sponsorships
Tier 1: High-Priority (Start Here)
1. TLDR (tldr.tech)
Audience: 4M+ developers, engineers
Format: 3-line sponsor spot in daily newsletter
Cost: ~$2,500 per slot
Why: Massive reach, developer-focused, high engagement
Pitch:
"Lightfast: Memory built for teams. Search by meaning, get answers with sources.
4 API routes, 15-minute integration. Built for developers. [CTA: Start Free →]"
2. Console (console.dev)
Audience: 30K+ developers
Format: Sponsor interview + featured listing
Cost: ~$3,000
Why: Technical depth, developer tools focus, engaged audience
Approach:
- Founder interview about building Lightfast
- Technical deep-dive on retrieval architecture
- Developer tool spotlight
3. Pointer (pointer.io)
Audience: 10K+ senior developers
Format: Featured link with description
Cost: ~$1,500
Why: Senior engineers, decision-makers
Pitch:
"Building team memory with explainable AI. How we built 4 API routes that
search by meaning and always cite sources."
Tier 2: Targeted (Next Phase)
4. AI Engineer Newsletter
Audience: AI/ML engineers, researchers
Cost: ~$2,000
Why: Perfect audience for MCP tools, AI agents
5. Developer Marketing Newsletter (DMN)
Audience: Developer marketers, DevRel
Cost: ~$1,000
Why: Can lead to partnerships, integrations
6. ByteByteGo
Audience: 600K+ engineers (system design)
Cost: ~$5,000
Why: Technical audience, high credibility
Tier 3: Niche (Test Later)
- Next.js Weekly: Next.js developers
- TypeScript Weekly: TypeScript community
- Node Weekly: Backend developers
- Python Weekly: Python developers
Podcast Sponsorships
Priority Podcasts
1. Software Engineering Daily
Audience: 50K+ listens/episode
Format: Mid-roll + host read
Cost: ~$5,000 per episode
Why: Technical depth, trusted host, engaged listeners
Script (30-45 seconds):
"This episode is sponsored by Lightfast, a memory API built for teams.
If you've ever lost context switching between projects or wished you could
search your team's knowledge by meaning instead of keywords, Lightfast is
for you. It's 4 simple API routes that let you search, get related content,
and get synthesized answers - always with source citations. Built for
developers, integrates in 15 minutes. Check it out at lightfast.ai/se-daily"
2. The Changelog
Audience: 30K+ developers
Format: Sponsor segment + show notes
Cost: ~$3,000
Why: Open-source community, technical audience
3. Practical AI
Audience: AI/ML practitioners
Format: Sponsor read + interview opportunity
Cost: ~$2,000
Why: Perfect audience for AI tooling
Guest Appearance Strategy (Free)
In addition to sponsorships, pitch founder as guest:
- Software Engineering Daily
- The Changelog
- Practical AI
- Developer Tea
- Maintainable
Pitch Angles:
- "Building memory systems for AI"
- "Developer experience for API design"
- "Making AI explainable with citations"
- "Lessons from building a developer-first API"
Sponsorship Playbook
Outreach Template
Subject: Sponsorship Inquiry - Lightfast
Hi [Name],
I'm [Your Name], founder of Lightfast (lightfast.ai). We built a
memory API that helps teams search their knowledge by meaning and
get answers with sources.
We're looking to sponsor [Newsletter/Podcast] because [specific reason
related to their audience].
Our target audience is:
- Developers building with AI/APIs
- Engineering teams managing knowledge
- AI engineers building agents
Could you share:
- Sponsorship packages and pricing
- Audience demographics
- Available dates
- Past sponsor performance (if available)
Also open to discussing guest appearances or other creative collaborations.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Success Metrics
For Each Sponsorship:
- Website visits (UTM tracking)
- Signups attributed
- Cost per acquisition
- Brand lift (survey post-campaign)
Targets:
- CPA <$50 (better than Google Ads)
-
100 signups per sponsorship
-
5% conversion rate (visitors → signups)
Budget Allocation
Quarter 1 (Test Phase)
Budget: $10K
- TLDR: $2,500 (1 spot)
- Console: $3,000
- Pointer: $1,500
- Software Engineering Daily: $5,000 (1 episode)
- Total: ~$12K
Goal: Learn what works, measure ROI
Quarter 2 (Scale Phase)
Budget: $20K-$30K
- Double down on winners
- Test 3-5 new channels
- Recurring spots on best performers
Tracking & Attribution
UTM Parameters
utm_source=tldr
utm_medium=newsletter
utm_campaign=2025-q1-sponsorship
Landing Pages
- Create sponsor-specific landing pages
- Track conversion funnel per source
- A/B test messaging per audience
Reporting Dashboard
Track per sponsorship:
- Impressions (audience size)
- Clicks (UTM tracking)
- Signups (conversion tracking)
- CPA (cost / signups)
- LTV of cohort (long-term)
Creative Assets Needed
- 3-line sponsor copy (multiple versions)
- Podcast script (30-45 seconds)
- Logo (high-res, multiple formats)
- Landing page (sponsor-specific)
- Founder headshot (for interviews)
Acceptance Criteria
- ✅ Sponsor 3+ newsletters in first quarter
- ✅ Sponsor 1+ podcast episode
- ✅ CPA <$50 from sponsorships
- ✅ Attribution tracking working correctly
- ✅ ROI positive on 2+ channels