52 things I learned in 2023

52 things I learned in 2022

This year I worked on fascinating projects in energy, media and health* at Magnetic, and learned many learnings.

36 Things I Learned in 2022

Inspired by Tom Whitwell’s annual list (here is 2022’s), I kept a list of interesting things I learned this year. There are supposed to be 52 things but I took

Always Interesting: “52 Things I Learned in 2022”

Something I look forward to at the end of each year is Tom Whitwell’s list of 52 things I learned in 20221 because I know I’m about to read about a bunch of int

52 things I learned in 2025

This year I stopped being a consultant, started a tiny company, sold hundreds of little modular synths, hosted two incredible events, and…

52 Interesting Things I Learned in 2023

Inspired by Tom Whitwell’s annual list, I kept track of some things I learned this year, one for each week. Here we go: Ciabatta was invented in 1982. “If our p

What I Learned About the Future by Reading 100 Science Fiction Books

Over the past two years I’ve read 100 science fiction books, averaging about one per week. See the full list here, with my favorites.

Solving Mysteries In A World Without Answers

I spent 2025 solving mysteries in order to survive 2026

Curse of the Chocolate-Covered Broccoli (or: Emotion in Learning)

So earlier this year, I learnt my whole career was based on a lie. As one does.

I automated my job (and it made me a better leader)

Explore how my day as a senior leader looks now that I use 40 automations to help, and learn more about some of my favorites.

I Started Programming When I Was 7. I'm 50 Now, and the Thing I Loved Has Changed | James Randall

I still love developing but the shifts that AI have brought are tectonic and are forcing me to re-evaluate my own relationship to building things

What’s your apocalypse skill? Finding a future-proof hobby can bring fulfilment today

Take inspiration from Doomsday preppers with the idea of learning practical skills.

Learning to Learn: You, Too, Can Rewire Your Brain (Published 2017)

How an engineering professor who “flunked my way” through high school math and science went on to create the world’s most popular online course.

My 4-Stage System for Learning Anything New - Forte Labs

Discover the systematic approach that turns curiosity into expertise through immersion, building, mentorship, and community.

Reflections on a decade of coding

I've been programming professionally for about 12 years. Here are some of the things I worked on in the last 2 years.

What I Learned About the Future by Reading 100 Science Fiction Books, Part II

This is Part 2 of an experiment in science-fiction prototyping, in which I try to visualize the future by pulling together ideas from 100…

Developing creative identity

I was a theoretical physicist from 1992 to 2007. It was a romantic activity, exploring the fundamental nature of the cosmos! I became a university professor, wrote papers and books, and got to explore some of the most beautiful ideas ever discovered. In parallel, I also developed a fascination with the social systems humanity uses to make knowledge. Systems like the university or peer review are immensely deep inventions: our discovery system is itself one of the great inventions of humanity! But I believed a radically better discovery system must be possible. I became obsessed with this idea, eventually giving up tenure to work on it1. My first big project was to write a book helping develop and spread the fundamental ideas underlying the modern open science movement.