The Blog Experiment: Scary but Worth a Try
Published: 2020-10-03 08:22:49



So I'd like to start a blog.  This is going to be a pretty rough start as I have no idea really how to write a blog post, or what people want to read.  Think of this post as a way to bootstrap (or kill off) my blog.  I'm on the fence right now but by the time I finish writing this I intend to come to a decision on whether blogging is something I want to invest time into.

There are a million reasons not to do something.  One of those reasons might be its opportunity-cost.  Why do *this* thing?  Is blogging really going to give back more than I put into it?  And is it the *best* use of my time?  Why not do more freelancing, or work on open source software? There's no way to know for sure that something will be worthwhile.  For me to commit to a new habit, I need to see that it aligns with my principles and will contribute to personal growth.  More on this later but a key reason I'm starting is that blogging would help me improve my writing and communication skills.  I want to be a strong communicator, and I think writing is a beautiful medium.  There is no simpler, nor more efficient way to record one's thoughts than simply writing.

So, what if I'm wrong?  Not wrong about starting a blog, or about the time investment, what if I'm actually wrong on the blog?  What if people think that I'm writing misleading content, or that I'm naive, narrow-minded or incompetent?  That's scary stuff.  Nobody want's to be ridiculed or to be dead wrong.  Getting feedback that says "you should stop because you're making the world a worse place" would not be a pleasant experience.  It's counter to my goals.  Although shitty, a situation like this would present an opportunity for growth.  Perhaps one I'd never get if I didn't blog.  In this regard, blogging is a great opportunity for growth if I can take my ego out of it and see it as a learning opportunity.

What if nobody listens?  At first I thought "well then nobody will even know that it's a failure so who cares.." but that's not the real issue, or even the real question.  The real question is "Why do I care if nobody listens?".  And from that follows "What do I expect to get out of this?".  Job offers?  Invites to speak at conferences?  [A call from Elon Musk asking to interview him and write about his brain-implant startup?](https://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html)  A gap between expectations and reality will result in feelings of discomfort and a desire to give up.  Therefore I generally attach my expectations to factors that are within my control, not uncontrollable external ones.  My main drivers behind wanting to blog are:
1. Improving my written communication skills.
2. Practise being able to concisely convey a (potentially complicated) idea.
3. Getting some of my ideas down on paper, in a form that can be analysed and criticised by others.
4. Networking and meet new developers.

The overarching goal of blogging for me is to get better at taking the ideas in my head, examining them, clarifying them, and clearly communicating them.  There are a million reasons why not to but the clear answer for me in the short term is that it's worth the effort.  So I'll set myself this goal: to write one blog post per fortnight for the next two months.  After that I'll re-evaluate and see if it's something I want to continue doing.  Although it's not listed above (because it's not something I have any control over) there's one other thing I'd love to come from blogging; promoting learning, growth and curiosity in others.  We'll see how that goes.  I have a lot to learn in the meantime.