Eugene Yan

Frequently Asked Questions about My Writing Process

Eugene Yan answers common questions about his writing process, covering why he started writing, his motivations (learning, sharing knowledge, expressing disagreement, networking), who he writes for (himself, practitioners, leadership, community), how he picks topics, his tooling (Obsidian for outlines, Jekyll for publishing), and practical advice for those wanting to start writing online. He emphasizes writing for single-player benefits first — reinforcing learning and clarifying thinking — before multiplayer benefits like reputation and career growth.

•11m read time•From eugeneyan.com
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How did you get started writing?Why do you write?Who do you write for?How do you decide what to write about?How did you find your niche?How did you choose what platform to write on?What’s your writing pipeline? Do you have a template?Can I write about a topic I just started learning about?What’s the right frequency to write?How do you overcome the perfectionist mindset?How did you build a brand for yourself?How do you balance writing (so much) and your day job?How do you set boundaries between work vs. personal writing?Any resources you’d recommend on the topic of writing?