Why I'm Starting a Blog

I've been thinking about starting a blog for months now, always finding reasons to put it off. But recently, I've been influenced by several thoughtful pieces that finally pushed me to action:

• Rachel Thomas's "Why you (yes, you) should blog"
• Rachel Thomas's "Making Peace with Personal Branding"
• swyx's "Learn In Public"
• swyx's "Pick Up What They Put Down"

These posts resonated with me in different ways, and I want to share why they finally convinced me to start this journey.

Learning Through Writing

You know that feeling when you think you understand something complex until you try to explain it to someone else? When Rachel Thomas talks about how writing helps organize our thoughts, it hits home for me. In my current role as a data scientist, each team member presents a new idea or concept to the team on a biweekly basis within a 10 minute span. This process has both honed my storytelling ability and stretched my knowledge boundaries over the past couple of years.

I've found myself repeatedly explaining certain concepts in emails or presentations over the years, and each time I do, I notice I get a little better at it. Instead of keeping these explanations locked away in my inbox or my brain, why not share them more broadly if possible? Not because I'm an expert - far from it - but because sometimes the best explanations come from someone who just figured it out themselves.

Just One Step Ahead

One idea that really clicked with me from Rachel's post was this notion of helping people who are just a step behind you. I kept thinking, "But I'm not qualified enough to teach anyone anything!" Then I realized - I don't need to try to teach the experts. I can write for someone like me from six months ago, wrestling with the same questions and challenges I recently faced. A great example of such content would be learning more about the Microsoft Azure Data Scientist Associate certification and exam. When I was going through this process in Summer 2024, I couldn't find much reputable online sources from a third party speaking about their experience preparing and taking this exam and I wish there was a high quality piece of content I could have referenced before wading into that realm. In the spirit of sharing something my past self would have liked to learn, I'll be writing about that experience on my blog soon.

Learning in Public

swyx's concept of "learning in public" shifted my perspective on what it means to share knowledge. It's not about having all the answers - it's about documenting your journey, mistakes and all. What resonated most with me was his idea of "picking up what they put down" - engaging with new content from people you admire and sharing your learning process. It's not about building a massive following; it's about creating genuine connections through shared learning experiences.

Finding My Lane

Let's be clear - this isn't about creating viral content or chasing followers. In today's world where AI-generated content is becoming more ubiquitous, having an authentic presence matters more than ever. I want to create something that naturally draws people who share similar interests and challenges, rather than having to constantly seek them out myself.

I'm starting this blog to document my journey in data science and AI, create resources for others on similar paths, and improve my communication skills. Will I post regularly? I don't know. The content will come when it comes, and that's fine. The point isn't perfection or consistency - it's about putting valuable thoughts out there when they arise.