100+ Newsletters Later: A Journey of Curiosity, Consistency, and Conversation
In November 2019, I signed up for Substack — not with a plan, but with curiosity. I didn’t have a clear direction. What I did have was a desire to write — I just had no idea how.
Between that sign-up and my first published post in November 2023, I tried a few paths. I shared thoughts on Medium, Forbes, experimented with Beehiv, and kept searching for the right medium. Eventually, I returned to Substack. I'm still figuring out the exact direction, still wondering where to focus more — but at some point, the writing just starts to take shape.
Now I write mainly in two spaces:
newsletter.hexact.io — where I share ideas on scraping, automation, and product thinking from the Hexact world.
publication.aslanyan.net — a more personal space, less structured, and sometimes far from the tech world — thoughts, observations, and the occasional rant.
Today marks newsletter number 104, and 15,000+ subscribers, it feels like a good time to pause and reflect.
Not just on the numbers (though I’m proud of them), but on what they represent — consistency, evolution, and the pursuit of honest, meaningful dialogue in a noisy world.
What This Journey Has Taught Me
Across these 100+ editions, I’ve explored topics like productivity traps, startup illusions, and the slow, often uncomfortable truth behind building anything real.
In posts like “The Startup Delusion: Beyond the Hype Lies the Real Journey,” I’ve tried to strip away the polished narratives we’re sold — especially in tech and entrepreneurship — and offer something more grounded. Something more lived.
One theme I keep coming back to is the danger of over-optimization, or Chasing a Future That Always Seems Easier.
From to-do list rabbit holes to endlessly tweaking Notion dashboards, we often confuse motion with progress. My writing pushes back on that. It's a reminder to just do the work, embrace imperfection, and stop waiting for the “perfect system” before starting.
This Was Never a Solo Project
Every reply, every quiet nod from a reader has shaped this journey. What started as a personal outlet has grown into a conversation — and I’m deeply grateful for that.
You’ve challenged ideas. And more than once, your feedback has made me think deeper, write better, and stay honest.
To Those Who Want to Start But Hesitate
If you’ve been thinking about writing — Just Do It.
The first year or two? Honestly, it’ll be boring. Not much will happen. It won’t feel exciting. That’s normal.
Don’t worry about writing something wrong or uninteresting. Don’t worry as no one reads it. And if someone does read it, even better — they might send you feedback that helps you grow.
As for what to write about — some say you should only write what your audience wants. That’s fine, but early on… you won’t have an audience. So where do you start?
Probably with a trending topic. But make sure it’s still close to you — because you can’t fake it forever.
There are tools that can help you generate ideas, (a good friend of mine, Chris, recently launched one called GistStack — definitely worth checking out) but no tool will help if you’re not curious, not thinking deeply, or not committed to exploring something real. I know — I’ve been there.
This isn’t a finish line — it’s just a checkpoint.
I’ll keep writing about the things that matter: entrepreneurship without the spin, building in public (with the bruises), the limits of AI hype, the uncomfortable truths about work, and how to stay human in the process.
Whether you’ve been here from the start or just stumbled in — thank you. For reading, for questioning, and for staying curious.