Integrate with Intercom. It requires syncing your database of users and any data/events that's relevant for the emails you send. So the downside are that it requires a bit of setup, isn't as flexible as a custom-made solution, and costs money. The upside is that it's super easy to write and send emails which is something most of us probably don't do enough of yet.
Add these one-off emails to my codebase. This is a bit of a hassle as it requires re-deploying the app if you want to send an email. It also is prone to error with sending to the wrong people or sending duplicate emails. You'll need to manage unsubscribes, etc. The upside is that it's not yet another monthly bill, and it's really flexible. You can target just the users you want quite easily and have access to all the necessary user data without needing to share it with a third party.
I've tried two approaches:
Integrate with Intercom. It requires syncing your database of users and any data/events that's relevant for the emails you send. So the downside are that it requires a bit of setup, isn't as flexible as a custom-made solution, and costs money. The upside is that it's super easy to write and send emails which is something most of us probably don't do enough of yet.
Add these one-off emails to my codebase. This is a bit of a hassle as it requires re-deploying the app if you want to send an email. It also is prone to error with sending to the wrong people or sending duplicate emails. You'll need to manage unsubscribes, etc. The upside is that it's not yet another monthly bill, and it's really flexible. You can target just the users you want quite easily and have access to all the necessary user data without needing to share it with a third party.
I'm not sure which one I prefer.