For over fifteen years you’ve been getting my emails. They arrived in your inbox from someone else, though — one of the brands you subscribed to. Maybe you didn’t even subscribe. Maybe you entered a giveaway for the Ultimate Prize Package and then there I was, sending you emails asking for money.

Of course I wasn’t just asking for money. I offered something in exchange. A new “colorway” of something you already own, or the latest “drop” of the newest iteration.

I wrote them all. The campaigns. The welcome flows. The abandoned checkout flows. And I’d sit back and watch the money roll in. Write it once, collect cash ad infinitum.

I was the guy who eased the owner’s cash flow stress.

“Hey, we’re looking a little lean right now,” he’d say. “Can we send an email?”

“Yessir. On it sir,” I’d say.

And then I’d be finger-banging your inbox again.

Email marketing works.

But, but, BUT — it’s icky when brands treat you like a cash machine. Just enter the pin and extract the cash. Extract. Extract. Extract.

I don’t know man. I’m old. And as I get older I’m thinking more about what I want to give. So that’s Five Point Friday. Every Friday (well, most Fridays), five things I found interesting that week. Maybe you will too. Maybe not.

Once I spent ten weeks on William von Hippel’s ten recommendations on what makes a good life. My favorite of them? Good friends, good food, good sex. I’ve written about terminal ballistic performance, and how important impact velocity is. I’ve written about onX features most guys don’t know exist, or about books I read and recommend.

Every time I send a Five Point Friday I ask myself… is this adding or extracting value from the reader? I only hit send if it’s additive.

That’s why I get replies like this:

Nice work, Jay!

This has got to be the only email subscription I actually read. I appreciate your weekly message.

Tanner

And every once in a while, yeah, we’ll have something new to sell you, and I’ll mention that too. I’m old, but I am still hungry.