Imperfect

giants in niches

Inspired by Traveling + others?' Andrej Karpathy is on bearblog.

I think of giants in niches not only as renowned specialists catering to specific audiences, but also as prominent figures joining small platforms. Like the blogger above (whose words inspired me to write this post in the first place), I can't recall anyone who fits that title right now better than Andrej.

That doesn't discount the vastness of accolades, roles, and pastimes many of my fellow bloggers own up to. Their posts and pages showcase the breadth and depth of their human experience, work, and play. You can envision many of them as giants of their own niches once you drill down deep enough. If not, they most certainly train on the shoulders of giants. I wonder how enthusiastic they are to expound upon their journey if you kindly ask them about it.

Upside of exposure

Let me be clear: I don't know the specific infrastructural ramifications a popularity windfall can have upon an online platform. I trust that the local management knows how to navigate around expected nasty pitfalls. As far as how it would impact my reader and writer selves, attracting more attention from the public makes me wonder about possible upside.

I can see more people appreciating, sharing, and interacting with leaders in their field as a net positive. Communities can grow to become more interesting, particularly when those that are serious focus on the most interesting, secure spaces and relationships within. If you aren't satisfied with how your space is evolving, can you transform it yourself or find another to uplift?

Acclimating too much to a temporary platform state can blind you or even set you up to be rugpulled. Inevitable gradients of change sweep across multiple dimensions of any platform that has ever existed. Adaptation is key. Surf the waves as they come. You may have more tools at your disposal to survive the storm than you think you do.

Deeper connective opportunities

People I know joining a platform I'm on signals opportunities. Whether they are a friend, acquaintance, or stranger, the chance for (mutually) beneficial engagements skyrockets. Their thoughts become more accessible and remixable for you. The same principle could apply for them with your thoughts. If you harness your language well, you could even realize the positive scenario of strengthening or deepening your connection with them.

Someone arriving at a space accompanied by a hefty reception invites answers from onlookers as to how to frictionlessly engage. Something as indirect as a reply to a tweet can become an open door. I think that RCA's Long conversations with LLMs via language-as-code could be a good example of this. Cross-pollinating their effort to Twitter, DMs, or other avenues of communication can further amplify their win, whether with others and/or with the man himself. Planting your feet in many domains can introduce clever shortcuts to your creative, collaborative mission.

Apply more constraints

For how small people call it, this platform is so popular that you won't digest a fraction of posts discoverable through it. We are only human with so many filters for taste, wants, and desires. Capturing what we can of our world is enough. Like replying to emails from fellow creatives, reading their work isn't a race with a deadline and lone victor. Information exchange is a group effort. We can send out emails when we are ready to. We can work with our friends to fill in what we can't capture and vice versa.

Instead of becoming overwhelmed by abundance: digest what you can, contribute when you can, and create what you want. Better yet, do you have any giant revelations that eclipse the above?

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