Ben Settle - Email Players 1 - 15 [ 2025 ]

Settle addresses the elephant in the room: Do you talk about politics in business email?

The Lesson: Hell yes, if you want to. He argues that neutrality is a lie. By trying not to offend anyone, you excite no one. He details how to use controversial topics (pro-gun, pro-choice, left, right—doesn't matter) as a "filter" to find your tribe. He warns: Do not do this unless you have thick skin.

You cannot just read these issues. You must become the email player. Here is a 3-step action plan based on the first 15 issues: Ben Settle - Email Players 1 - 15

Step 1: The "Purge" (Issue #2 & #5) Go to your email list. Write an email titled: "You probably want to unsubscribe." In the email, insult a common belief your competitors hold. Be specific. Watch your unsubscribes spike. Watch your sales follow.

Step 2: Kill the Autoresponder (Issue #1 & #10) Stop relying on automated "Welcome sequences." Turn them off. Instead, commit to 30 days of daily manual emails. Use current events, grudges, and customer wins as your content. Settle addresses the elephant in the room: Do

Step 3: The "No" List (Issue #5) Write down 10 things you will no longer do for clients/customers. Post it publicly. Then, double your prices.

A recurring theme in issues 6 through 10 is the concept of Polarization. A recurring theme in issues 6 through 10

Settle posits that the death of a business lies in the "bland middle." He attacks the corporate obsession with "brand safety" and being liked by everyone. In these pages, he introduces the idea that if you are not offending someone, you are not interesting to anyone.

This is where the "Settle style" crystallizes. He advocates for:

The lesson here is psychological: People do not buy from faceless corporations; they buy from people they feel they know intimately. By risking alienation, the Email Player creates a cult-like following. Issues 1–15 teach that a small, rabid list is infinitely more valuable than a massive, apathetic one.