Why I Built a Newsletter + Podcast Platform That Doesn't Lock You In
Published: (February 14, 2026 at 01:40 PM EST)
2 min read
Source: Dev.to
Source: Dev.to
The Problem: Locked‑In Platforms
Every newsletter platform wants to own your audience. Every podcast host wants you locked into their ecosystem. I got tired of it.
The Solution: giv1.com
I built giv1.com – a combined newsletter and podcast platform where you own your content and your subscriber list.
Who It’s For
- Indie creators
- Solo developers with side projects
- Small communities
If you’ve ever wanted to send updates to your users and record occasional audio deep‑dives without duct‑taping three services together, this is the use case.
What It Replaces
| Current workflow | Issues |
|---|---|
| Substack or Mailchimp for emails | Multiple dashboards, separate billing cycles |
| Anchor or Buzzsprout for audio | Separate dashboard, separate billing |
| Custom glue for cross‑promotion | No portability, “hostage” situation if you leave |
Key Features
- One dashboard for both newsletters and podcasts
- Export everything – subscriber lists, content, audio files – with no hostage situations
- RSS‑first – your podcast feed is yours; point it wherever you want
- Simple pricing – no per‑subscriber gotchas that punish growth
Technical Highlights
- Built with Node.js using a pretty standard stack
- Audio processing pipeline: server‑side transcoding lets you upload virtually any audio format, which is then output as a properly formatted podcast episode
Current Status
- Still early days, but the platform is live
- I’m using it for my own projects
Get Involved
Check it out: giv1.com
I’m building in public – one SaaS at a time. Feel free to ask questions about the architecture or the business side.