Is it better to sell tools to local media operators than run local media yourself?
Short answer
It can be. Picks and shovels means the people who make the most money in a hot space often supply the tools. Local content is getting bigger, so I build software (lightbreak, greetform), consult, and sell packages of software plus coaching plus Meta ads support. The best buyers are companies with budgets, not solo operators.
When there's a hot idea in business, most people go hard on the thing itself. The people who make the most money are often the ones supplying the tools to everyone doing the hot thing. That's picks and shovels.
The question I keep asking: how do we build a better business around supporting the people who want to do local?
Why does this work in local media now?
Local content is getting bigger. Real estate agents are figuring it out first. More people want to do local, and most of them don't understand newsletters or the technical side. That's the opening.
What does my picks-and-shovels stack look like?
- Software, because it scales best: lightbreak runs a local newsletter, and greetform handles post-subscribe surveys and offers.
- Consulting for larger media companies: I run their Meta ads, they use my form software, and they write their own newsletters.
- A combined package of software, coaching and Meta ads support.
A digital marketer I talked with told me not to sell the software alone. His advice was to put it inside a $300 to $500 package with a course or community.
Who should I sell to?
Companies with money and ongoing needs. Solo newsletter entrepreneurs, like me or the people talking about this on Twitter, mostly won't pay. They'll do it themselves or use AI. They also lack budget and tend to be very opinionated about design.
Legacy local publishers are different. When I show them they can send six newsletters a week, fill them with ads from advertisers they already have, and make thousands in about ten minutes a day, they react immediately. Get in with one person at a media group and they might have 36 properties.
Is the market crowded?
No, it's fragmented. At a local media conference, the vendors had legacy products and old WordPress builds, yet claimed hundreds of clients at $200 to $1,000 a month. That's good news for anyone building something better.
Is fixing an existing business easier than starting one?
Usually. Getting a new newsletter from zero to $10,000 a month is hard. Helping a company already making $100,000 a month fix its newsletter and marketing for about 10% of revenue is probably a lot easier.
Answered by TJ Larkin. From strategy calls, partner calls and conference debriefs in 2025 and 2026. Last updated .