I'm subscribed to a few programming and business blogs this way. It is only a few and not many. And you do need to have clear value.
Book that otherwise would cost some money is one option.
A video course is another.
Oh, and every time you signup for a free SaaS service, it is the same kind of deal.
I'm also subscribed to Kotlin Weekly. Because it gave me value in exchange for ability to send me emails.
@karelpeeters oh by the way, need to validate is called double opt-in. If you see double opt-in and well known email list provider (such as mailchimp), you should be in good hands.
That is because, these big email list providers have to comply to dozens of laws in multiple countries around the world. So the unsubscribe functionality is a one click no-brainer.
I've unsubscribed from about 20 email lists from SaaS services recently as I no longer see value in their emails. Only one of twenty didn't properly unsubscribe me.