Operator · Weekly

Weekly Recap Newsletter Template

What I built, learned, or shipped this week. A personal weekly update covering what you shipped, what you learned, what's broken, and what's next. Builds an audience around your journey rather than your category.

Who this template is for

Founders, indie hackers, and operators building in public.

Issue structure

TL;DR of the week. 3 bullet points covering wins, lessons, and what's next
What I shipped. Specific features, posts, or releases with screenshots
What I learned. 1–3 lessons from the week, with the underlying mistake or surprise
Numbers. MRR, signups, churn, anything you track in public
What's next week. 1–3 specific commitments for the coming week

When to use this template

✓ You're building a product or company and want an audience that grows with you
✓ You're comfortable sharing real numbers (revenue, churn, mistakes)
✓ Your goal is hiring, fundraising, or community — not just subscribers

Examples that work

Newsletters using a version of this template successfully:

Pieter Levels' updates
Build in Public newsletters
Indie Hackers digests

Use this template in Aldus

Aldus's AI editor uses this template as a starting prompt — paste your sources and the editor produces the first draft in your voice. Suggested prompt:

Topic: Weekly build-in-public update for [product]. Voice: Honest, specific, no spin. Sources: [last week's commits, ship notes, support tickets]. Cover: what shipped, what broke, what I learned, real numbers (MRR/signups/churn), what's next. Avoid hype words.

Start with this template →

Frequently asked questions

Should I share revenue numbers publicly?

If you can stomach it, yes — transparency is the entire reason this format works. Pieter Levels and the Build-in-Public movement made it normal. If you're uncomfortable sharing real revenue, the format will feel hollow.

What if I had a quiet week with nothing to share?

Lead with the lesson from why it was quiet. A 'why I shipped nothing this week and what I'm changing' issue often outperforms the shipping-heavy ones.