This, ladies and gentlemen, is called a "hook." It's startling. Surprising. Even kind of abrasive. But guess what... it hooks the reader in. "Get what out of the way? Who is this guy? What's this about?" It's just the thing Dave needs to grab a newly subscribed reader's attention.

Secondly, Dave addresses the elephant in the room: it's an automated email. Instead of pretending it's manually sent, he breaks the ice with an admission. And showing this kind of vulnerability, especially when marketing to marketers, is just what they need to start building trust with subscribers.

Now that the reader is hooked, Dave can introduce himself. Imagine this email without the sections above this text. Would it land the same way? Have the same effect? I think not. It's only after the hook that Dave's introduction becomes meaningful, and that the "pumped that you're here" can come across genuinely.

Here's another unorthodox thing Dave does in the email: he makes a promise. At the same time, he's setting expectations. Got some new content? You best believe it. Big announcement? Yep, that's what he said he'd send. It's a primer to get better email engagement later.

This is where things start to really get crazy. Reply to an email?? Haters will say it's unscalable. It's a waste of time. It won't impact sales. But guess what it does do? It builds a personal relationship. And then that opens up opportunities later down the line for a sales opportunity with someone who already knows you and trusts you. Plus, getting replies to your emails is actually a great indicator to the ISPs that your emails are safe so you're likely to boost deliverability over time this way.

The email concludes with a warm signoff implying an expected reply. It's friendly, conversational, and personable. KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid.