Two Years, 104 Posts
Alternatively titled: What 104 posts (and a lot of AI agents) taught me about work, learning, and rest.
Hello fellow datanistas,
First off, Merry Christmas to all! I wanted to thank everyone here for your readership and support.
I started 2024 with a simple challenge: write one blog post every week. Two years and 104 posts later, I’m surprised by how much my thinking—and my work—has changed. This is a look back at what I learned, what I built, and where I’m heading next.
This post is a personal reflection on two years of near-weekly blogging, with a focus on the evolution of my work with coding agents, Bayesian statistics, and the realities of data science in biotech. I want to share the patterns, tools, and lessons that shaped my year, and offer a candid look at what’s next.
Looking back at 2025, one theme stands out: coding agents. I went from experimenting with AI as a tool to treating it as a true collaborator—teaching agents with AGENTS.md files, letting them work autonomously, and developing patterns for agent-assisted programming. This shift changed how I approach both code and research.
But it wasn’t just about AI. I dove deep into Bayesian methods, especially the R2D2 prior, and found real satisfaction in applying new theory to messy lab data. Writing about these topics helped me clarify my own thinking and (hopefully) made the math more approachable for others.
I also got excited about new tools—Marimo for reactive notebooks and Modal for Pythonic cloud computing—because they actually made my workflow smoother, not harder. And I kept writing about the human side of data science: standardizing ways of working, communicating with lab scientists, and navigating the unpredictable biotech industry.
After 104 posts, I’m shifting my goals for 2026. I want to learn quantum computing fundamentals, write more about data science leadership, and build at least 10 experimental AI projects. I’m also giving myself permission to slow down: four posts a month instead of one a week, with more space for rest and strategic planning.
If you’re curious about the full journey, including a categorized list of all my posts, you can find it here: Two Years of Weekly Blogging and What 2025 Taught Me.
Sustained, reflective writing not only documents your journey—it transforms how you think, work, and grow. Letting yourself evolve (and rest) is just as important as showing up every week.
How has your own approach to learning or working changed over the past year? Have you found any tools, habits, or mindsets that made a real difference?
If you want the full story—including all the posts by theme—check out the full blog post. And if you found this helpful, feel free to share or subscribe for more honest reflections and practical tips.
Cheers,
Eric