The world of Artificial Intelligence can feel like trying to drink from a firehose. Every single day there’s a new “game-changing” tool, another acronym to learn, and a dozen think-pieces telling you that you’re already behind. It's exhausting. For years in the SEO and traffic game, I’ve seen trends come and go, but the AI explosion is something else entirely. It feels less like a trend and more like a whole new internet being built right under our feet.
It’s a space filled with noise. And most of that noise is either hyper-technical jargon meant for developers or breathless marketing hype that doesn’t actually help you do anything. So where do normal people—creatives, marketers, small business owners, the genuinely curious—fit in?
That’s the question I had, and it’s the question that led me to stumble upon a little Substack newsletter called Why Try AI. And honestly, it’s been a breath of fresh air.
So, What Exactly is Why Try AI?
At its heart, Why Try AI is a weekly newsletter run by Daniel Nest. Its tagline is “Your hands-on AI for non techies,” and that just about sums it up perfectly. This isn’t the place for dense academic papers or code repositories. Thank goodness. Instead, it’s a friendly, down-to-earth guide focused squarely on generative AI. We're talking about the tools that let you create things: text, images, music, video, you name it.
It’s designed for the person who has heard of ChatGPT but isn’t sure how to make it write better marketing copy. Or the person who sees amazing AI art on Instagram and thinks, “I wonder if I could do that?” without wanting to get a degree in computer science first.
The Vibe: Why It Doesn’t Feel Like Another Tech Newsletter
I subscribe to... well, let's just say a lot of newsletters. Many of them get deleted without ever being opened. Why Try AI sticks because it feels like it’s written by a human being, not a content-aggregation bot. The tone is conversational, sometimes funny, and always practical.
There’s a sense that the author is right there in the trenches with you, testing things out, figuring out what works, and sharing the results. No BS. Just “Here’s a cool tool I found, here’s what it’s good for, here’s a quick guide to get started.” It’s like having a smart friend who does all the homework and just gives you the cliff notes. That’s a service I can get behind.
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A Peek Inside The Content: More Than Just News
The real meat of Why Try AI is in its content mix. It's not just a weekly news roundup; it's a practical toolkit that grows over time.
Practical Tool Showcases & Guides
You’ll see articles like “Beginner’s Guide to Genspark” or “Here Are My Go-To AI Tools.” These aren’t just surface-level descriptions. They are hands-on walkthroughs that show you the ropes. It’s the difference between being told a hammer exists and someone showing you how to actually hit a nail without smacking your thumb. For anyone trying to generate traffic or create better content, these practical guides are gold.
Deep Dives into Popular Platforms (Like Midjourney)
This is where Why Try AI really shines, in my opinion. Take Midjourney, the AI image generator. It’s incredibly powerful but also notoriously confusing for newcommers, especially when it comes to pricing. What’s a “Fast GPU Hour”? Do I need “Stealth Mode”?
Instead of just saying “Midjourney is cool,” the newsletter has an entire post breaking down the pricing tiers in plain English. This kind of detailed, user-focused analysis is incredibly valuable. They literally lay it all out for you.
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Plan | $10/month ($8 if paid annually) | ~3.3 hr/month of Fast GPU Time |
| Standard Plan | $30/month ($24 if paid annually) | 15 hr/month Fast GPU Time, Unlimited Relax GPU Time |
| Pro Plan | $60/month ($48 if paid annually) | 30 hr/month Fast GPU Time, Unlimited Relax GPU Time, Stealth Mode |
| Mega Plan | $120/month ($96 if paid annually) | 60 hr/month Fast GPU Time, Unlimited Relax GPU Time, Stealth Mode |
Seeing this laid out so clearly saves a potential user hours of research and prevents them from picking the wrong plan. That's real value.
Creative Prompts and 'Sunday Rundowns'
It’s not all tutorials and pricing tables. The newsletter also includes creative content like Midjourney prompts, musings on AI's role in creativity (like the “Can AI Tell a Good Story?” post), and fun “Sunday Rundowns.” It keeps the experience from feeling like homework and more like you're part of a cool club.
Who Is This Newsletter Actually For? (And Who Should Skip It)
Look, no single resource is for everyone. If you’re a machine learning engineer looking for the latest research on neural network architecture, this ain't it chief. And that's by design.
Why Try AI is perfect for:
- Marketers & SEOs who want to use AI to create content, write copy, or generate images for campaigns.
- Writers and Creatives looking for new tools to break writer's block or visualize ideas.
- Small Business Owners who want to leverage AI without hiring a dedicated specialist.
- Hobbyists and the AI-Curious who just want to understand what all the fuss is about and have some fun with it.
If you're looking for a broad overview of every facet of AI, including robotics, data science, and ethics, you might find the focus on generative AI a bit narrow. But for most people, generative AI is the part they can actually use today, so I think the focus is a strength.
The All-Important Question of Price
Why Try AI is hosted on Substack, a platform that typically operates on a freemium model. This means you can usually read some posts for free to get a feel for the content. To get full access to the archive, premium posts, and other bonuses, there's a paid subscription.
While the exact cost can vary, paid Substack newsletters are generally in the $5 to $15 per month range. Is it worth it? In my view, you're not just paying for articles; you're paying to save time. You're paying for Daniel's expertise and curation so you don’t have to spend hours sifting through the noise yourself. If one tip helps you create a social media graphic in 5 minutes instead of 50, the subscription has probably already paid for itself.
My Personal Take as an SEO Pro
From an industry perspective, I love this model. It’s built on authority and trust, not clickbait. By consistently providing genuinely helpful, no-fluff content, Why Try AI builds a loyal audience that sees them as a go-to source. This is the content marketing I preach about. It demystifies a complex topic and empowers the reader.
I’ve always felt that the best way to teach is to show, not just tell. This newsletter gets that. It’s a welcome change from the endless stream of AI-generated articles about AI that lack any sort of human touch or practical experience. This one has a real pulse.
Final Thoughts: Should You Try 'Why Try AI'?
If you've been standing on the sidelines of the AI revolution feeling a bit intimidated or overwhelmed, this newsletter could be the perfect entry point. It’s friendly, it's practical, and it respects your time by getting straight to the point.
It successfully strips away the intimidating techno-babble and replaces it with curiosity and a sense of play. In a field that can often feel cold and robotic, a little bit of human guidance goes a long way. If you’ve been looking for that “Start Here” button on your AI exploration, this might just be it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. Is Why Try AI a free newsletter?
- It's on Substack, which means there is typically a mix of free and paid premium content. You can usually sample some articles for free before deciding if you want to subscribe for full access.
- 2. Who writes Why Try AI?
- The newsletter is written and curated by Daniel Nest, who focuses on making generative AI tools and concepts accessible to a non-technical audience.
- 3. Is this newsletter for AI experts?
- No, quite the opposite. It is specifically created for beginners, hobbyists, creatives, and professionals who are not AI experts but want to learn how to use these new tools.
- 4. What kind of AI does it cover?
- The primary focus is on generative AI—tools that help you create content like text, images, and music. It doesn't focus heavily on other areas like robotics or deep learning research.
- 5. Does Why Try AI have its own AI tool?
- No, Why Try AI is a publication that reviews, explains, and teaches you how to use other third-party AI tools available on the market, like Midjourney or ChatGPT.
- 6. Where can I find the Midjourney pricing guide mentioned?
- You can find the detailed breakdown of Midjourney's pricing plans in a dedicated post on the Why Try AI Substack page.
Reference and Sources
- Why Try AI Homepage: https://www.whytryai.com/
- Midjourney Pricing Guide by Why Try AI: https://www.whytryai.com/p/midjourney-pricing
