Andrew Chen, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, once said something to the effect that “writing is the most scalable networking activity.” The phrasing stuck with me because I think it might be uniquely true of writing over other forms of expression.
Writing can be shared across both time and space. It is the easiest form to produce, reproduce and share, either physically or digitally. It’s really easy to remix, recycle and repurpose (versus something like video editing, which requires at least some technical skills and software). And it’s possibly the easiest form to consume, in that you don’t have to have special equipment to view it (like videos) or listen to it (like radio or podcasts). You just need your eyes and some form of text in front of you.
Of course, if you have accessibility issues, or even if you just want to do something physical while reading, writing can still be consumed either through braille or audio output. (And yes, for the record, audiobooks are books; this is a silly argument people sometimes get into wherein somehow audiobook consumption doesn’t count as reading. Storytelling was an oral art form right up until novels became a thing!)
But back to networking: rather than let my research notes languish on my hard drive, where no one but me and the computer gremlins see them, I’m making them public. I benefit by using the notes as content for this website, which will eventually become a sales channel for the resulting book, and hopefully, I’ll meet some interesting people and have some interesting conversations en route to publication. I’ll also benefit from a writing as thinking (or praxis) approach, because there’s nothing like having to write for someone else to force you to clarify your thinking. Feedback is also incredibly useful in the writing process, especially finding out what resonates, or what questions readers might have.
You, the reader, might find a concept on here that you can use for whatever you’re working on, and of course, you might find conversation, especially if you comment on a post (hint hint) or get in touch directly via the contact form.
All of this is to say that interesting things can happen if you put yourself out there. Connection is one of the most important things we do.