Stop Trying to Write Original Emails - Steal From These Brands Instead

Max Sturtevant
April 27, 2026

The Inbox Newsletter

Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

Most ecom founders I talk to are stuck on the same thing.

They're staring at a blank email calendar… trying to write something original… something clever… something nobody's done before.

Why?

You don't need to be original… You need to be effective.

The brands doing $10M+ in email revenue aren't sitting in a room trying to invent new email formats from scratch.

They're running emails and angles that have been tested, refined, and proven across hundreds of sends.

Your job isn't to reinvent the wheel and come up with the most unique campaigns possible.

Your job is to steal proven structures, swipe the angle, and adapt it to your brand.

Don’t Be The Guy In The Middle

I keep a running list of brands I personally study.

When I'm stuck on a concept, I don't open ChatGPT… I open my swipe file.

Here's a slice of what's in mine right now:

…

So here's your homework…

Pick three brands from the list above that are closest to your category. Open Milled, search them, and read their last 30 days of campaigns.

Go through every email and write in a Google doc what angles and email ideas could work for your brand.

Screenshot those emails, give it to Claude, and tell it to rewrite that email for your brand.

It works!

Brand:
Rosabella

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JPPBaFmJ8eGDjB3huQuXr5fnH7n_UGLf/view?usp=sharing

Notes:
Great example of finding an email angle you could steal. This is around a TikTok trend that then applies to your product. Who knows if this is an actual TikTok trend, but it's a great angle that gets people to read.

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max Sturtevant

P.S
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