How to Become an Addiction

Think about the last time you watched a show on Netflix.

You promised yourself you would only watch one episode. You checked the time. You had work to do in the morning. But then the episode ended on a cliffhanger. A secret was revealed. A character was in danger.

Before you could even think about it, the next episode started playing. And you stayed up for three more hours.

Netflix is not just selling entertainment. They are selling addiction. They are masters of a psychological concept called the Open Loop.

Most newsletters make a huge mistake. They try to be helpful by solving a problem completely in one email. They open the loop, and then they close it immediately.

The reader feels satisfied. But they also feel finished. They have no burning reason to open the next one.

If you want to build a massive, loyal audience, you need to stop being a teacher and start being a showrunner. You need to leave them wanting more.

Here are the three ways to do it.

1. The Open Loop

This is the Netflix strategy.

Never solve the whole problem in one sitting. Treat your content like a serialized story.

If you write a case study about fixing a broken marketing funnel, do not wrap it up with a neat bow. Explain how you fixed the ads. Show the data. Show the success.

But then, right at the end, drop the hook.

"We fixed the marketing funnel and revenue went up. But next week, I will show you why that success actually broke our sales team and almost caused a mutiny."

Now the reader has a question in their brain that needs an answer. The brain hates unfinished tasks. They will wait for your next email just to close that loop.

2. The Velvet Rope

People want what they cannot have. We are obsessed with exclusivity.

This is why gossip is so popular. It feels like forbidden knowledge. You can recreate this feeling in business by sharing things that feel illicit or private.

Most writers share generic advice. "Pay your team well."

A writer using the Velvet Rope strategy does something different. They say:

"I asked 50 CEOs what they really pay their VPs when no one is looking. Here is the anonymous spreadsheet."

That does not feel like a blog post. That feels like a leak. It feels like you are letting them into a private room where the real conversations happen.

When you offer insider access, people do not just read. They obsess.

3. The Playbook

There is a big difference between theory and utility.

Theory is reading about how to build a house. Utility is being handed the blueprints.

People like to read theory, but they hoard utility.

If you explain a negotiation strategy, that is good. But if you give them the literal Google Doc script you use to negotiate a contract, that is gold.

They will save that email. They will star it. They will forward it to their team.

They might not even use it right away. But they will keep it because it feels valuable. It feels like an asset.

So, Did You Get It?

You do not want your reader to simply enjoy your email. You want them to need it.

Give them the raw data that others hide. Give them the actual tools to get the result. And never, ever tell them the whole story at once.

Always leave a loop open.