This fall, our second class of 24 blog-building fellows completed our eight-week blog building intensive.
The second interaction of our fellowship program was a success: several RPI fellows are in the vanguard of the growing progress studies movement. You’ll find them leading the AI policy debate, earning recognition for their writing on biotechnology, being cited in the Financial Times on China’s penetration of Western markets, and earning the top spot on the Hacker News forum.
They published 81 essays in total during the program, on topics like techno urbanism, how China hacked comparative advantage, AI as “Black Boxes,” the pace of progress in medicine, the case for positive-sum environmentalism, why air conditioning is a survival technology, progress in metascience, why we should take AI welfare seriously, marine carbon dioxide removal, the non-existent Germany YIMBY movement, how EVs could change the grid, the benefits of microgravity, many different analogies for thinking about AI, and so much more.
As with our first cohort, our 2024 fellows said the blog-building intensive program raised their ambition, improved their writing, and gave them a newfound sense of community and belonging.
By the numbers:
- Over 60% of fellows rated the blog-building intensive at an 8, 9 or 10 (out of 10) for having accelerated their career as a progress intellectual.
- Of our 24 fellows, 7 had no online writing presence when they joined the program and launched their newsletter or blog during the program.
- For those who already had blogs or newsletters, the median audience growth during the program was 84%.
- 80% of fellows said they would stay in touch with one or more of their peers from the program.
Here’s what the fellows had to say:
“RPI made me more ambitious about my progress career”
The advisor sessions, along with individual mentorship and exposure to the other talented fellows, were all designed to inspire fellows and raise their ambition. We feel we’ve succeeded in this area. Here’s what the fellows had to say:
- “BBI has raised my standards. I saw a new standard of intellect, purpose, and execution on display in BBI that opened my eyes to what it means to be truly excellent”
- “The support and encouragement have taken my ambition and sense of purpose to another level.”
- “The RPI fellowship helped me achieve every personal and professional objective I set out for it.”
“It took me to another level as a writer”
We included several elements designed to help fellows improve their writing in the blog-building intensive. Fellows participated in Rob Tracinski’s Think Like A Writer course, workshopped their writing twice per week with peers, and had their essays edited by professional editors. Here’s what the fellows had to say:
- “I felt like it took me to another level as a writer, dusting off ways of thinking I have not used since writing papers in college. The experience of being edited, learning how to pitch, and exploring the possible kinds of writing on my blog are not things I would have done on my own.”
- “When I started in the BBI, I had only barely found my voice. By the end of the program, I felt the wind at my back as a writer. The quality of the group, the visibility participation provided me, and the benefits of RPI staff feedback were invaluable.”
- “The Roots of Progress Fellowship is the single best way I’ve found to hone storytelling skills and, importantly, break into a supportive community of other writers and editors.
“I feel a sense of belonging and community I didn’t have before.”
Without question, the community was the most significant aspect of the program for fellows. Through our 4-week onboarding period leading up to the fellowships, or daily sessions during the fellowships and time spent together in Berkeley and at the Progress Conference, fellows forged a lasting sense of community. Here’s what the fellows had to say:
- “It was wonderful to meet the rest of the fellows: a gathering of smart people who are optimistic, and who care. They find cynicism as boring and shallow as I do, and are actively working to make the world better. It’s their example and their camaraderie that fills me with energy. I look forward to seeing them grow, and to growing alongside them.”
- “I’ve always felt progress-adjacent; being a BBI fellow made me feel more part of the progress community.”
- “I feel incredibly inspired, the community is amazing, which feels very motivating – I want to contribute.”
We couldn’t be prouder of our 2024 fellows, and we’re looking forward to improving upon this year’s program in 2025. Stay tuned; we’ll have more to share late in Q1 2025 about next year’s Roots of Progress Institute blog-building intensive.