In a recent LinkedIn post, Justin Oberman discusses the rapid growth of his new newsletter, “The Anti-Guru,” which garnered over 3,000 subscribers within two days of its launch. Oberman explains that his motivation stemmed from frustration with what he perceives as a rise in unqualified individuals promoting “fame systems” and “lead gen prompts” on the platform.
Oberman, who has over 15 years of experience as a copywriter and ghostwriter for executives, expressed his dismay at seeing inexperienced individuals selling dubious marketing strategies. He highlights a specific instance that triggered his decision to create the newsletter:
“I watched Louis Butterfield, a LinkedIn creator with a big following, who started off clean and innocent, producing original LinkedIn videos, turn into an AI guru, and get publicly exposed for plagiarizing another creator’s work.”
This incident, coupled with another post promising a “complete fame system” with a few AI prompts, fueled Oberman’s decision to act. He felt compelled to offer a counter-narrative to what he sees as inflated or misleading advice circulating online.
The Genesis of “The Anti-Guru” Newsletter
Oberman details the immediate steps he took, screenshotting a viral post and launching his newsletter on a Monday night. The premise, as he outlines it, is to analyze and debunk questionable marketing and branding advice found on LinkedIn.
“The premise is simple: I screenshot viral LinkedIn posts about branding, AI, and marketing. Then I tell you what’s actually going on. What’s real, what’s inflated, what’s a funnel dressed up as thought leadership,” Oberman writes.
The initial issue of his newsletter focused on a post by Seth Godin. Oberman published it and went to sleep, only to be surprised by the immediate traction it gained.
Unexpected Reach and the Power of LinkedIn Newsletters
The swift success of “The Anti-Guru” provided Oberman with a significant lesson about audience reach on LinkedIn. He contrasts the rapid growth of his newsletter with the slower, more deliberate audience-building process he experienced on Substack.
“I’ve been writing on Substack for months. Building that audience has been slow, deliberate, and difficult. And in one night, a LinkedIn newsletter passed it.”
Oberman attributes this rapid growth to the mechanics of LinkedIn newsletters. Upon publishing the first issue, he explains, LinkedIn distributes it to all followers via their feeds, push notifications, and email.
This distribution method bypassed the platform’s algorithm, which Oberman believes has shifted to function more like a “For You” page, often limiting the visibility of regular posts. He notes that many followers reached out, expressing that they had lost track of his content due to these algorithmic changes.
The Newsletter as a Direct Communication Channel
According to Oberman, a LinkedIn newsletter offers a unique advantage: it acts as a direct line to followers who might otherwise be missed by the algorithm. Once a user subscribes, every subsequent issue is delivered directly to their inbox, circumventing the need to compete for visibility in the main feed.
“When you publish your first issue, LinkedIn sends it to all of your followers, not some of them, all of them in their feed, as a push notification in their feed and as an email.”
While acknowledging that factors like his newsletter’s controversial nature and his established personal brand likely contributed to its success, Oberman suggests that other creators should consider exploring alternative reach methods on LinkedIn.
“All I am saying is that it may be worth looking at and experimenting with the other ways LinkedIn lets you reach audiences,” he concludes.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Justin Oberman on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on April 30, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →