Building in Public: A Personal Experiment
Building in Public: A Personal Experiment
Over the past few years, I've noticed a shift in how people approach creative and technical work. More people are sharing their process, not just their results. This practice—often called "building in public"—has become a compelling model for learning and creating.
Why build in public?
There are several reasons I'm drawn to this approach:
Accountability
When you commit to sharing your work regularly, it creates a natural form of accountability. You're more likely to follow through when others are watching—not out of pressure, but because you've made your intentions public.
Faster feedback loops
Sharing early and often means you get feedback when it matters most. Instead of perfecting something in isolation only to discover it missed the mark, you can course-correct along the way.
Learning by teaching
Explaining concepts to others is one of the best ways to deepen your own understanding. When you commit to writing about what you're learning, you're forced to organize your thoughts and identify gaps in your knowledge.
Building connections
Transparency attracts like-minded people. When you share your interests and work openly, you naturally connect with others who care about similar things.
The challenges
Of course, it's not without challenges:
- Vulnerability: Sharing unfinished work means showing your mistakes
- Time investment: Writing and documenting takes time away from building
- Fear of judgment: Not everything you share will resonate or be good
But these challenges are also opportunities for growth. Getting comfortable with imperfection, improving communication skills, and developing thicker skin are all valuable outcomes.
My commitment
Starting now, I'm committing to build more openly. That means:
- Regular writing: Publishing notes and reflections here, even if they're rough
- Sharing experiments: Both the successes and the failures
- Documenting learning: Making my reading and research process visible
This site is part of that commitment—a public space for thinking, learning, and creating.
What I'm working on
Right now, I'm focused on:
- Deepening my understanding of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry
- Building better systems for personal knowledge management
- Exploring the intersection of chemistry and sustainable technology
I'll be documenting these explorations here. If you're interested in any of these topics, I'd love to hear from you.
Join me
If this resonates, consider building in public too. Start small—share a learning note, document a project, or simply write about what you're curious about.
The internet is better when we create openly.