Eight Years of H+ Weekly

Closing one chapter and beginning a new one

Eight years ago, I sat in the basement cafe at Google Campus in London, putting the finishing touches on what would become the first issue of H+ Weekly.

H+ Weekly began as a compilation of what I thought was worth sharing, from important pieces of news to interesting articles or videos I came across while wasting time on the Internet. It was a place for me to nerd out about futurism and technology and share that passion.

A week later, I created the second issue. This was followed by the third, fourth, and so on, week after week, for eight years.

People started to sign up and the newsletter grew.

Over those years, writing the next issue became a weekly habit. Throughout the week, I collected what I thought was worth sharing. Then on Thursday nights, I sat down to write the next issue to go out to your inbox on Friday at 3 pm UK time.

I never missed a week. There have been weeks when the newsletter came late but I never missed a week.

I’d be lying if I said all those years of writing H+ Weekly were all rainbow and sunshine. I was thinking about quitting in 2021 and 2022. I struggled to find a reason to continue writing and publishing a newsletter every single week. It often felt as if I was writing into an abyss. But somehow I pushed on.

The last 6 months were pivotal. I left my job as a frontend engineer end of November 2022. Coding had been a big part of my life for over two decades. I built my career around it. But with each passing hour spent writing yet another checkout or product listing page, I felt like a part of me was slowly withering away.

During that time, the newsletter hit some big milestones. The 400th issue of H+ Weekly was sent out in early February of this year. For more than 400 weeks, I produced a newsletter without fail. Then, sometime in April, we reached the milestone of 1000 subscribers.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. It does not matter if you joined yesterday or if you have been subscribed for years. Your presence keeps me motivated to push on.

The new chapter

During the last 3 months, I’ve had multiple conversations seeking advice on what I should do next. I spoke with many people and thanks to their generosity and feedback, I’ve got a better understanding of what my next steps should be.

On the personal side, I have decided to close the chapter called “frontend engineer” in my life and pursue a career in bioengineering. I’m going to retake my A-level exams and enrol at a university to study synthetic biology next year.

I shared with you in April my initial plans for what’s next for H+ Weekly. Some of the proposed changes have already been implemented. I added write-ups at the beginning of each weekly newsletter. I started publishing standalone articles. I enjoy researching and writing them, and it seems that H+ Weekly readers have embraced them too. Those articles give me the freedom to dive deeper and to give a balanced view on various topics around futurism and technology.

I have taken some time to think about what I want to accomplish with H+ Weekly. I asked myself what kind of future I want to see happen and how I can help it become a reality.

I want to see a world in which humanity flourishes and expands. I want every human to expand what is possible for them and for everyone and everything on Earth and beyond. I want to see technology being used to elevate humanity.

I don’t want to do it alone. This is bigger than me. I want to build a community of people that see something for themselves in this vision.

As a bioengineer, I will be working with other bioengineers to make that future a reality. As a writer and content creator, I will be a part of a team and a community sharing this vision and inspiring others to contribute as well.

The newsletter is embarking on a new chapter. Its mission going forward is to shed light on the bleeding edge of technology and how advancements in AI, robotics, and biotech can usher in abundance, expand humanity's horizons, and redefine what it means to be human.

I invite you to support this vision.

Becoming a paid subscriber now would be the best way to support the newsletter. As a token of my appreciation, I'm offering a limited-time anniversary deal of 20% off a paid subscription for your first year.

If you enjoy and find value in what I write about, feel free to hit the like button on past and future posts that resonate with you and share your thoughts in the comments. Share the newsletter with someone who will enjoy it, too. That will help the newsletter grow and reach more people.

The new chapter will require a new name for the newsletter. I have already chosen a new name and it will be revealed by the end of June (there are some hints hidden in this post for what the new name is 😉).

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A big thank you to my paid subscribers and to my Patreons: whmr, Florian, dux, Eric and Andrew. Thank you for the support!

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