Starting a quiet newsletter
A way to think and connect in the age of anxiety
I’m starting a quiet weekly newsletter. There will be 8 editions, and then we’ll see how it goes.
As with everyone who starts writing on the internet, the first post must be a why-I-started-it meta-post. The second post must be a how-I-chose-this-setup post¹. Here I’m petting two dogs with one hand.
Why write?
Over the years, I’ve noticed that writing helps me think.
It frees up working memory, allows building on top of previous ideas, and (most importantly) identifies gaps in logic. Typically, an idea sounds like a million francs in my head before I put it into words.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.
Richard Feynman, Cargo Cult Science
Writing is how most of my “genius” ideas died, but also how many of my insights were born, like “Home screen is for apps I want to use the most, not for the apps I currently use the most”.
Over the last few years, I’ve written 387 private notes — some with the level of insight comparable to a shopping list 😅, while others I refer to over and over again.
Why in public?
With this newsletter, I’m making some of my writing (both existing and future) public. A few reasons to do so:
encourages me to write regularly ⇒ think deeper (I’ve had month-long gaps before);
helps me stay meaningfully connected with my friends in foreign lands;
leaves a digital footprint to meet new like-minded people (an idea worth a separate post).
Writing to be read by someone else takes more time, but I assume the benefits will be worth it. We’ll see.
Why newsletter?
I want both reading and writing to be quiet and deliberate — closer to books than to social media. No ads, no suggested reels, no cookie or SUBSCRIBE banners, no AI.
I want us to have a direct connection without Zuckerberg’s or Musk’s latest agenda in the way. Email is like that. Today, I used Buttondown to send this letter, but if they suddenly go evil (Justin, please don’t), I can use another service without many of you noticing.
Tom Scott, Steph Ango, Rakhim, Expresso, and Filist have been my inspirations. I would love more of my friends with something to say (Dasha and Olya², I’m looking at you) to start newsletters.
What to expect?
There will be a ~10-minute read every Friday on a topic I’m captivated by: anything from language learning and startup life to health and happiness.
Each letter will be in two parts:
an attempt at an original thought: something with either my blood, sweat, or tears in it;
three things by other people that I’ve found fascinating lately.
Nowadays, I write in English by default (yes, even my journal or this draft), so publishing in (a convoluted mix of American and British) English is a no-brainer.
If there is demand, I’ll also publish a Belarusian/Russian version of the newsletter. If you want this to happen (despite sticking with English until here), let me know.
¹This post has unexpectedly earned me $100 thanks to Digital Ocean’s referral link. Who’s laughing now? 😅
²I sent this draft to Olya for feedback and discovered that she already has a Telegram channel. Прыемная неспадзянка!
Favourites ⭐
Three things I’ve enjoyed this week:
✍️ A comparison page to aspire to: “Buttondown's a great tool, but it's not for everyone.”
🎬 (9 mins) Barcelona’s residents lobbied to remove a bus route from Google Maps, so that they can finally ride it.
🎙️ (24 mins) How the bass made its way into music records in the second half of the 20th century.
This was issue #1, find more at antoniokov.com.
How do you stay connected to your friends and the world without amplifying FOMO and ADHD? Share your thoughts: reply to this email or reach out on Telegram³.
³This is not engagement farming: there is no algorithm to please. I’m genuinely curious.