Hi. I am Rishi. I am 11 years old in the picture below, and I was recording my first YouTube video. I was explaining my 7th grade project where my friends and I made a working model of the circulatory system. But I grew to hate biology.
Class 5-10 was cricket coaching and dance class. School was an obligation. 10th board exam was a matter of pride for me and that was the last time I studied day and night. But 11th and 12th were a burden. I failed JEE. This was the COVID batch (2020-2022).
But I made it to the last merit list at BITS Hyderabad. The only course I was being offered was a dual degree in biology and mechanical engineering, and I took it. 11-year-old Rishi would have climbed on top of a chair (so he could reach my height) and slapped me.
I started writing in the form of journaling. Then I started writing online on Instagram. This was my roommate’s idea, by the way. He saw me making a lot of notes of whatever I would read (books, blogs, Instagram content). He felt that someone who consumes and documents so much must also create. In hindsight, that was good advice. But at that point it just felt like the right thing to do.
Some time in November 2023, I was selected for a one-month writing cohort on full scholarship under Ankur Warikoo.
It did not teach me to write but introduced me to the idea of a newsletter. I came to know that it was one of the most serious forms of writing, and if you want to be taken seriously as a writer, you should build your email list. I launched my newsletter in February 2024.
I like to spend time thinking, researching, curating, and writing the newsletter. It feels meaningful.
I hope to keep writing this newsletter, no matter how bright or dim the future turns out to be. Maybe the newsletter will become the light itself. I don’t really see it becoming popular, but I do see myself writing it at 37, on a late Friday night, while everyone at home is fast asleep. There’s a small lamp on my desk, a quiet hum of the city outside, and a gentle presence in the room. As if the night itself is leaning over my shoulder, curious about these words.
In November, I interviewed my mother for the 26th newsletter.
The idea was to see what I could write by taking content from her. We spoke about her childhood, career, marriage, parenting, teaching, and a lot more. The interview format of the newsletter was well received. Beyond that, I also enjoyed engaging in conversations. So I started interviewing people on my newsletter. Every such interview is like a capsule of wisdom for both me and the readers.
You can read all my interview format letters here.
My 50th newsletter was a dump of 50 notes on navigating college, interpersonal relationships, internship and startup experiences, mental health, the impact of working out in my life, and a lot more. It is a very honest piece. You can read it here.
I have found working out and growing this newsletter to be 2 meaningful pursuits. I am currently focused on pursuing research in the field of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. Some of my newsletters explore the human brain. You can read them here.
A fear lurks beneath my confidence (that is often labeled as blind optimism by my friends) that I might fade into a meaninglessness that looks like a pitch-dark room with no walls and boundaries. And if that happens, then atleast I have this newsletter that peoople might find helpful.
This was probably the most unstructured ‘About Me’ section you found. But I hope it gave you more context behind ‘Life 101.’
This is my circulatory system project I made in class 7.
I wrote ‘Live Young Live Free’ as the description for this video. I guess the writer in me was waiting for a time to wake up. I now hope he does not go to sleep.
So if you are still here, you might as well subscribe :)
