In this episode, I sat down with Igor Ranc, the mastermind behind Handpicked Berlin, one of the city’s most successful newsletters for tech workers and expats. What started as a simple experiment with 20 subscribers has grown into a thriving business with over 11,300 readers and counting.
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Building a Creator Business in Germany
One of the great things about hosting a podcast is that you can pick your guests brains! I enjoyed getting Igor’s take about starting and running a creator business, AI, publishing in English vs. German and more. He really demonstrated what most of us know, but bears repeating: the power of showing up, being human, producing something valuable for the community and being consistent.
Meet Igor Ranc
Igor hails from a tiny village in Slovenia where he was actively involved in NGOs and organizing concerts. After studying political science in Ljubljana and working for student organizations, he decided to pursue an MBA in Berlin at HdT. That MBA internship at Mercedes Benz Bank in Stuttgart led to a seven-and-a-half-year corporate career at Daimler. When the company offered severance packages around Corona time, Igor took the leap. After a year-long “active sabbatical” exploring entrepreneurship and a stint at a Berlin scale-up, he launched Handpicked Berlin in 2022. Today, he’s transitioning from side hustle to full-time newsletter entrepreneur.
From 20 to 11,300 Subscribers: The Growth Story
I had to know how Igor built such an impressive subscriber base. He started with just friends from his previous newsletter, admittedly doing a lot of “spamming” in those early days. The growth was organic but steady – by issue 10, he had 205 subscribers and knew he was onto something big. What impressed me most was his commitment to showing up consistently, week after week, even when growth felt slow.
The newsletter has grown mostly through organic sharing and word-of-mouth, though Igor is now exploring paid acquisition. After leaving Substack in January this year, he was worried about losing that platform’s recommendation engine, but the growth has continued steadily on his new platform, Button Down.
Why He Left Substack for Button Down
Igor’s move away from Substack was strategic.
If I want to do newsletter as a business, it might make sense for me to move out of Substack
he realized after reading an article from Beehive’s founder. The main issues were Substack’s aggressive platform promotion and difficulty tracking subscriber sources – crucial for partnerships and paid growth. While he’s grateful for Substack’s role in his early success, including being featured twice in their Discover section, the move to Button Down has given him better business tools without hurting his growth.
The Business Model: Free Newsletter, Premium Revenue
Handpicked Berlin operates on a freemium model. The core newsletter remains free, supported primarily by advertising revenue. Igor is introducing a premium supporter tier, but it won’t gate any content – it’s purely a way for readers to support the newsletter as he transitions to full-time. He learned from his previous premium experiment that in Germany, it’s tough to get people to pay for newsletter subscriptions unless you’re providing deep, specialized research like major publications.
The Art of Curation in an AI World
One thing that really struck me about our conversation was Igor’s perspective on AI. He believes we’re in an AI bubble and is getting tired of the flood of AI-generated content, especially on LinkedIn. His strategy is deliberately human-centered – putting his personality into the writing and showing his face in video content. The role of curator, he explained, is becoming more valuable as people have less time to sift through information themselves.
Navigating German Bureaucracy as a Newsletter Publisher
As an EU citizen, Igor didn’t face visa challenges, but the German bureaucracy still presented hurdles. He registered a Gewerbe (trade business) rather than freelancer status because of his diverse revenue streams – from newsletter ads to event tickets to digital guides. The process was slow (a simple form error led to months of delays), and he’s currently waiting for approval for Gründungszuschuss, a government subsidy for new businesses.
The tax situation is complex with multiple small transactions from various sources. Igor relies on a tax advisor to handle everything from Stripe exports to VAT on digital products sold through Gumroad. His advice? Don’t try to manage German taxes yourself if you have multiple revenue streams.
Building an English Business in Germany
I was curious about the viability of building an English-language business in Berlin. Igor acknowledges there are constraints – Berlin has 3.5 million people, and maybe 25% are English-speaking immigrants. You are definitely in a disadvantage if you just do products in English for sure, he admitted. But he’s found his niche works well, especially targeting professionals who are comfortable in English. He’s considered a German version but questions whether the ROI would justify the extra work.
Essential Reading for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Igor credits two books with helping him avoid common startup mistakes. “The Mom’s Test” taught him proper customer development – how to validate ideas without getting polite but meaningless feedback from friends and family. “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel highlighted the distribution problem that kills many startups. Even if you build something great, how do you get it to customers? This insight was crucial in Igor’s decision to build a newsletter as his distribution channel for future projects.
Advice for Aspiring Creators in Germany
Igor’s advice is refreshingly simple: just start. But with one crucial caveat – you need to find something that you like and not look for, oh, I should be creator in this because somebody else made it happen. He emphasizes authenticity over copying others’ formulas. The newsletter requires significant weekly effort, and if you don’t genuinely enjoy the work, both you and your audience will suffer.
Key Takeaways
🎯 Start small, stay consistent – Igor went from 20 to 11,300+ subscribers by showing up every week
📧 Platform choice matters – Moving from Substack to Button Down improved his business tracking capabilities
🤖 Human touch wins – In an AI-saturated world, personal curation and authenticity are more valuable than ever
💰 Freemium works in Germany – Free content with premium support model suits the German market better than paywalls
📋 Bureaucracy is manageable – EU citizens can navigate German business registration, though patience is required
🌍 English niches can work – Berlin’s international community supports English-language businesses, despite size constraints
📚 Distribution trumps product – Focus on how you’ll reach customers, not just what you’re building
🎨 Find your authentic voice – Don’t copy others’ formulas; do what you genuinely enjoy
💡 Books matter – “The Mom’s Test” and “Zero to One” proved helpful for avoiding common business mistakes
🔄 Pivot when needed – From corporate to newsletter entrepreneur shows the value of strategic career changes
Connect with Igor
💼 LinkedIn: Igor Ranc
🌐 Website: handpickedberlin
📷 Instagram: @handpickedberlin