What to expect from Notes from the Near Future
Things are changing around us. They’re changing quickly.
I’m exploring and experimenting to try and understand how this new world works, a world where AI agents are our colleagues, collaborators, helpers.
This publication is a window into my exploration and experimentation. It’s a place where I share what I learn, what works, and what doesn’t.
I now spend most of my day interacting with AI agents. But I’m not lounging by the beach while my agents do stuff for me. I’m collaborating with my agents. Managing them. Guiding them. Bouncing ideas off them. Reviewing their work. Steering them.
It’s impossible to disentangle my contributions from my agents’ contributions when you see the output. It’s all intertwined. It’s a collaboration.
And since the AI agents are doing all the implementation, I can focus on the bigger picture, the bigger ideas, the creative aspects. I’m enjoying this process.
Where to start? I’ll tell you more about this publication below, but if you’re eager to get reading, here are three starting points:
Curious about what AI agents are and how they work? Start reading the first instalment in the Agents Unpacked series to see whether this is what you’re looking for. You don’t need any technical background for this series.
Curious about how I use AI? Read about how I learn new things in the After AI era.
Are you learning Python programming? You’ll find plenty here, but start with this series that gives you a different perspective on what happens inside a computer program.
This publication started in 2023 as The Python Coding Stack. And, you probably guessed it, I published Python articles.
Then it evolved, just like the world around us. This publication is not just for programmers. It’s for anyone who wants to step into the near future. Programming was one of the first fields to shift into the AAI era – After AI. It’s at the leading edge of this transition.
But every other field will follow. Today’s AI is great at implementing things. Our role as humans is to think about the bigger picture, the grand ideas, the direction of travel…and let our AI agents implement those plans and projects. Our job is to guide them, steer them, manage them, collaborate with them.
Agents Unpacked is where I’m learning about AI agents, how they work behind the scenes. Understanding how things work is the best way to use them effectively. You don’t need a technical background to follow along.
I’ll publish broadly and widely about how I use AI for work and how it’s helping me manage my personal life, too. My views have changed considerably since the early days of AI. They’re still changing. I believe that human-agent collaboration is where the most exciting and interesting work will be. I write about my attempts at becoming a better collaborator with my AI agent.
And sometimes, a bit of self-deprecating humour is just as insightful as a well-thought-out essay. Agent & Co. provides just that. Weekly cartoons depicting a day in the life of Monty, my personal AI agent. You won’t receive these cartoons by default when you subscribe, but you can opt in to receive them in your inbox or check the publication homepage regularly to make sure you don’t miss any of Monty’s shenanigans.
Notes from the Near Future still has Python articles. The Python Coding Stack is now a section of this publication. I love writing about Python. So, I still write about Python.
And Getting Rusty is where I’m making sure my coding doesn’t get rusty by learning a new language, Rust. Join me on this journey if that’s your sort of thing.
One constant in this publication has been that I’ve always published articles that I would want to read myself. That won’t change. In fact, that’s why this publication stepped out of the Python world into the wider world.
Another constant throughout the years has been that I’ve always published the majority of my work for free, fully accessible to all. That won’t change, either.
But I do publish content exclusively for Premium Subscribers. It takes plenty of work to produce a publication such as this and keep it running for so long. The support from Premium Subscribers helps keep this publication thriving.
Benefits of a Paid Subscription
You can support this publication further and get access to a lot more by becoming a Premium Subscriber. Here’s what you get:
Exclusive posts across all domains I write about in Notes from the Near Future
Videos to accompany some of these posts, not replace them! Notes from the Near Future remains a text-based publication!
Discounts and priority booking for live events, workshops, and courses that I run online
…and you’ll be supporting this publication!
Bookshop
You may be interested in some (or all) of the books I’ve published.
The Python Coding Book is my friendly and relaxed programming textbook for beginners. This is available in paperback and ebook.
Breaking the Rules is my short book on how I write, how I choose to communicate. I’ve put quite a bit of thought and research into finding my ideal communication style over the years. This book is also available in paperback and ebook.
And I have one or two more books in the pipeline, so stay tuned, as they say.
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