You’ve probably seen the ads. Some guy on a beach, laptop in his lap, claiming he made five figures while he was sleeping because he sent a single email. It sounds like a total scam. Honestly, in most cases, it is. But then there’s Derek Johanson, a guy who has been quietly hammering away at the "minimalist business" model for over 15 years. He isn’t selling a dream of doing zero work. Instead, he’s obsessed with a very specific, slightly weird way of building what he calls email based businesses.
If you haven’t heard the name, Johanson is the founder of CopyHour. He’s the guy who convinced thousands of people to sit down with a pen and a legal pad to hand-write old sales letters. It sounds archaic. Why write out an ad from 1960 by hand when you have ChatGPT? Because, as Derek argues, that’s how you actually "hard-wire" the psychology of selling into your brain.
But the real magic isn’t just in the copywriting; it’s in how he structures his companies to require almost zero overhead, no employees, and—most importantly—no reliance on social media algorithms.
The 4-Pillar Framework for a Minimalist Business
Most people trying to start an online business make it way too complicated. They think they need a Shopify store, a TikTok strategy, a Discord server, and a complex funnel. Derek’s approach is basically the opposite of that. He filters everything through what he calls a minimalist, one-person framework.
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The goal? A business that hits mid-six figures without a team.
He focuses on four main pillars. First, he relies on Affiliates and Word-of-Mouth for traffic. He doesn't spend his day fighting the X (formerly Twitter) algorithm or crying over Facebook ad costs. He finds people who already have his target audience and lets them do the heavy lifting.
Second, he prioritizes Actual Profit over Revenue. It’s easy to brag about a million-dollar business that has $950,000 in expenses. Derek builds businesses where the margins are massive because the "tech stack" is tiny.
The third pillar is Shorter Sales Pages. He argues that if you’ve built a relationship with "True Buyers" through your emails, you don't need a 50-page manifesto to sell them something.
Finally, there’s the delivery. He’s a massive proponent of Email Delivered Courses.
Why Email Courses Are the Secret Weapon
This is where it gets interesting. Most course creators spend six months building a "masterclass" inside a fancy platform like Teachable or Kajabi. They record 40 videos, edit them, and then... nobody buys it. Or worse, people buy it and never actually finish it.
Derek’s method is different. He builds the course via email as it’s happening.
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- Zero Upfront Build: You pre-sell the idea. If people buy, you start writing.
- Drip Delivery: Lessons are sent daily or weekly via email.
- Insane Completion Rates: Derek claims his email courses see 70-80% completion rates, whereas traditional video courses often hover around 15%.
- Feedback Loops: Because you’re writing the content "live," you can answer questions from Tuesday’s email in Wednesday’s lesson.
It’s meta. He uses email based businesses to teach people how to run email based businesses.
What Most People Get Wrong About Email Marketing
Kinda funny, but most people think "email marketing" means spamming a list with 20% off coupons.
If you follow the Derek Johanson philosophy, email is the product, not just the marketing. He talks about the "Correlation Email" and other formulas (he has about 50 of them) that turn a boring newsletter into something people actually look forward to opening.
He’s a big fan of the "lifestyle" side of things. He graduated from UCLA, tried to make it in the music industry, realized it was a grind, and ended up traveling through Panama, Colombia, and Argentina while figuring out affiliate marketing. That "digital nomad" origin story is common, but he stuck with it for over a decade.
One of his core teachings in Email CopyHour is that you don't have to be a "pro writer." You just need to know how to solve a problem. If you aren't an expert yet, he suggests becoming an Expert Curator. You find the best info, summarize it, and send it to people who are too busy to find it themselves.
The "Handwriting" Controversy
We have to talk about the handwriting thing. It’s the cornerstone of CopyHour.
Critics say it’s a waste of time. They say, "I can just read the letter and understand it." Derek’s counter-argument is that reading is passive. Handwriting is active. When you write out a world-class sales letter by hand—word for word—you feel the rhythm. You notice the transitions. You see how the writer moved from a pain point to a solution without being "salesy."
He isn't just making this up; many of the greatest copywriters in history, like Gary Halbert and Eugene Schwartz, recommended this exact practice.
Is it for everyone?
Honestly, no. If you’re looking for a "get rich quick" button, copying 90 days of sales letters by hand will feel like a prison sentence. But for the people who do it, it seems to be the "aha" moment where the "how" of selling finally clicks.
How to Actually Start an Email Based Business
If you wanted to replicate this model today, you wouldn't start by building a website. You’d start by finding a problem you’ve already solved for yourself.
- Identify the Solved Problem: Did you lose 20 pounds? Did you learn how to code in Python? Did you figure out how to get your toddler to sleep?
- Learn the Copy Basics: You need to know how to grab attention. This is where the 15-minute daily handwriting practice comes in.
- Build a Tiny List: Use a simple landing page. Don't worry about thousands of subscribers. Derek says 100 "True Fans" is enough to start making money.
- The Pre-Sell: Tell your list, "I'm building a 30-day course on [Topic]. It starts next Monday. It’s $97. Who’s in?"
- Deliver via Email: If 10 people buy, you have a business. You write the first lesson Sunday night and hit send Monday morning.
The Reality Check
It’s important to note that Derek Johanson doesn’t claim this is easy. He often talks about his "down years" and the 15 years of trial and error it took to reach this "minimalist" state.
Building an email based business is about authority and trust. If you lie to your list or send garbage content, the "unsubscribe" button is only one click away. You can't hide behind an algorithm. It's just you and their inbox.
The biggest risk? Being boring. Most people are so afraid of offending someone that they write emails that sound like a corporate HR manual. Johanson’s stuff works because it has personality. It feels like a guy talking to a friend.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to move toward this model, stop focusing on "reach" and start focusing on "depth."
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- Audit your current "Expertise": Write down three things you know more about than the average person.
- Start a "Swipe File": Save every email you actually enjoy reading. Analyze why you opened it.
- Commit to a Daily Writing Habit: Even if it's just 200 words. The "muscle" of writing is what makes or breaks an email-based solopreneur.
- Research CopyHour: If you're serious about the craft, look into the 90-day handwriting challenge to see if you have the discipline for it.
Building a business based on email is one of the few ways left to own your platform. No one can "de-platform" you if you own your list. It’s old school, it’s simple, and—if you listen to Derek Johanson—it’s the most profitable way to live a quiet, high-income life.