What's Going On In 2023?!
Generative AI, YouTube, Side hustles, Changing teams? What's going on in 2023? 💜
By Furquan Ahmad · February 23, 2023Originally sent in my Ready Set Grow newsletter
Hi Reader,
As March approaches, I now have a clearer idea of what I want to achieve this year in terms of creating content, career and working on side projects.
2022
I celebrated my one-year anniversary at Meta.
My favourite travel destinations last year were Turkey, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Netherlands - all amazing places. However, Taiwan truly blew me away.
I was able to purchase my first house in London just before turning 26.
My main goal for side hustles in 2022 was to explore different ways to monetise them. I accomplished this in four different ways and gained valuable experience along the way.
Side Projects
At the beginning of the year, I was able to consistently upload a lot of content and found a good rhythm doing so.
However, it is clear that my job at Meta has taken up more and more of my time. As a result, I have tried to maximise my spare time by spending it with friends, family, travelling, and doing housework.
During the summer of 2022, I had a busy schedule and did not focus on content creation. The weather in London was consistently hot for weeks, with temperatures over 30 degrees becoming normal. I enjoyed playing football, climbing, hanging out with friends, and running in the parks.
2023 Side Hustles
This year, I want to focus on in-person events to engage with the London design community and make an impact in a different way. I plan to organise my first in-person events in London to teach people how to pass design interviews. These events will include fun app critique sessions and whiteboard sessions for practice. I will definitely be looking for help, so if you're interested or know anyone who can help, please let me know!
I will continue to upload content on YouTube, but I'll be taking similar breaks as I did in 2022 during the summer and winter. I enjoy writing this design newsletter and will share whenever I come across something interesting. I will actively seek sponsorships for my YouTube channel and newsletter to help with the running costs, which are starting to pile up :(
Career Thoughts
Career-wise, I plan to switch teams and work on a different project to learn from different XFN partners and processes. I'm interested in generative AI, content creation, and working with design leads. I've been busy with house renovations and chores, but I'm still learning a lot.
P.S - I used the new Notion AI tools to assist me in writing this newsletter and I’m blown away at how useful it is. I will touch on this in the next issue.
Personalised AI DJ Through Spotify
Spotify just announced a personalised AI DJ before their upcoming homepage redesign. This is something I've always dreamed about: having your own personalised radio station with your own DJ.
The DJ voice sounds realistic and adds value to the listening experience by leveraging Spotify's popular recommendations through generative AI.
Game-changing AI writing experience with Notion
This feature is about to change the way we create content forever. It's mind-blowingly useful. Whether you need help simplifying text or brainstorming ideas, this AI generator is so good.
The future for writing is changing forever, more simplified and accurate documents, this helps me focus on the content at hand and the message. This is just as essential as being able to bold and underline text.
Design Mentoring For You.
If you’re interested in acing design interviews, portfolio reviews or general career advice from myself, now is a great opportunity to get some help!
Don’t miss out, limited slots are available, book today.
