206. How an experiment grew into a 7000+ subscriber newsletter (Edit out the fear of making the wrong choice) (Dexter Zhuang)

As creators, many of us start with a hunch, a curiosity, or a simple “let’s see where this goes.” Today’s guest, Dexter Zhuang, embodies this experimental mindset. He’s the founder of Portfolio Path and a fractional product leader who’s spent the last 12 years leading teams across the U.S., Southeast Asia, and Latin America at companies like Dropbox and Xendit. In 2023, Dexter launched Money Abroad—a newsletter exploring personal finance for expats—as an experiment. Over time, it evolved into Portfolio Path, an education platform that helps high-performers grow their portfolio careers and manage their money with intention. Today, Portfolio Path reaches over 7,000 subscribers. Along the way, Dexter has leaned into audience surveys, embraced feedback, and navigated the common insecurities that come with publishing your ideas publicly. In this episode, we unpack that journey—from testing an idea to building something that resonates deeply with a growing community.     In this episode, we cover:    (00:00) Introduction (02:02) Starting a newsletter as an experiment  (06:11) Pivoting the newsletter  (11:10) Reviewing Dexter’s past content  (16:26) Insecurities when building the newsletter  (20:49) Content is a stepping stone for the audience  (23:24) Conducting surveys with your audience  (30:52) Underrated parts of building a newsletter  (37:26) Actionable Takeaways  Connect with Dexter Zhuang   Newsletter: https://www.theportfoliopath.com/subscribe  Website: https://www.dexterzhuang.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dexterzhuang  Connect with Cheryl Lau   Website: https://cheryllau.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheryltheory  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau ANNOTATIONS - The Newsletter    The edits that got cut from the podcast. Every interview on EDIT HISTORY runs about 60 minutes. But less than 40 minutes makes it into the final cut. This newsletter is where the rest live. ANNOTATIONS is where I share the 33% I left behind — and the insights that came after we stopped recording. Subscribe at: https://cheryllau.com/email  Contact   Please email hello@cheryllau.com for business inquiries.