X @@recap_david · Jun 3, 2026
Full analysis by SuperBM
David Roberts: If I had to start one AI side hustle in 2026, this would be it.
3/10 Weak
AI agents run a local newsletter earning $2K/month with minimal human input.
Key Insights
- Post is primarily a lead magnet for selling a course, not informative analysis.
- High subscriber count and revenue are claimed without cost or time-to-build data.
- Trust is built on a single success story with no external validation.
Caveats & Flags
- Claims 47.5% open rate and 11% CTR with zero independent verification.
- Author David Roberts promotes an unverified 'copy/paste-able' system to sell a course.
- 'CEO agent' and 'never written a single edition' are anecdotal, not replicable.
Valid Points
- AI agent automation for local newsletters is a plausible side hustle concept.
- Reported 4 hours/week human oversight is plausible for a highly automated pipeline.
- Aggregating local news via scraping has practical precedent.
Counterpoints
- Scraping local news sites may violate terms of service or copyright.
- Automated AI ad sales and creative may produce low-quality or irrelevant material.
- No evidence that the combined system works in other cities without heavy customization.