And Thus, I Write On...
The 1000 Subscribers Special
Just a few days back, another random community newsletter crossed a major milestone—WE ARE NOW 1000 SUBSCRIBERS STRONG! Honestly speaking, when the first issue of this newsletter was released on June 26th, 2022, I hoped but never expected that we would have grown so much over time. This is no doubt a massive moment, but what it has also created is the space to introspect and evaluate whether this newsletter serves the purpose it was meant to.
With that said, in this newsletter issue, I’m going to include our little journey of how this newsletter happened and what we will do next.
Why I Started Writing
The idea behind me starting the newsletter happened during a very different phase of our lives—the COVID-19 pandemic. While this period recluded us to our homes without a choice, we saw a rise in online social activity for the majority of us. This rise in activity, for me, happened through Twitter Spaces, Clubhouse, and online community events.
For over two years, from 2020 to 2022, I ran multiple impromptu “no-agenda” catch-ups on Twitter Spaces called ”another random community convos.” While these Spaces created some wonderful conversations, learnings, and connections, the truth is that I needed them to alleviate the monotony and loneliness created by the pandemic. And so, I built a dependency on them, turning them into a reason to keep finding and interacting with new people.
One thing I eventually realized during this exercise of hosting Spaces was that, aside from needing to meet people, I had a lot I wanted to say about my work, community, life, and everything in between. The conversations we had gave all of us insights and perspectives, a lot of which helped me grow into a better person. This led me to create a more static forum that I could share on, and people could visit and debate at their convenience.
And that’s why I started writing this newsletter.
Did I Succeed Or Screw Up So Far?
Sustaining this newsletter over the last 2.5 years has been similar to sailing in choppy seas; I’ve felt every single crest and trough along the way. Honestly, there are a few things we have done really well. There has been at least one new issue consistently released every single month since June 2022, when the newsletter started. Some of the issues have allowed me to share truths that I have been scared to admit in the past, such as:
Some of my issues have also been opinionated, which I don’t expect everyone to agree with, but are perspectives I am willing to stand for in the public court of the community:
And then of course, there was this one, the most liked and most “related with” piece of content that I’ve published yet:
At the same time, some issues I have published recently have been subpar because I have forgone storytelling to ensure consistency in pace. It’s helped ensure that the newsletter doesn't go inactive and those issues still create tangible value for readers but they haven’t been up to the standard I strive to achieve.
At the end of the day, the value of a written article is described just as much as by the reader as it is by the writer. While this newsletter was always meant to be a place where I post my opinions unfiltered, I want you folks to keep me honest and grounded. You should comment and call out issues which you feel aren’t meeting the mark. Whether we agree or disagree is a different story, but the conversation should always continue.
(By the way, there is a little poll below that I’d love for you all to participate in.)
What’s Next For This Newsletter
Going forward, I am going to take this newsletter back to its roots. While informative pieces will continue, I intend to write more opinonated pieces, the way it began. I will also be asking for community opinions more often like the past, to feature more voices and thoughts. Our community of readers has some wonderful of insights to offer and you all should be able to have your voices featured in this newsletter.
(The easiest way to share your opinions is to join our WhatsApp community.)
Lastly I want to thank you all for sticking around here. It means more to me than I can express and I really hope to continue creating value for you all in the days, months, and years to come.
