A huge email list is not the goal. I've seen more people fail by chasing subscriber count than by focusing on the relationship they have with a smaller, more engaged audience. The real asset isn't the list of emails, it's the trust you've earned that allows you to be a welcome guest in someone's inbox.
The popular advice, of course, isn't entirely wrong. On Honest Ecommerce, Ben Jabbawy of Privy called email the