Kevin Kelly

Optimism, technology and travel - from one of the legends of internet writing

Author

Nik Newcamp
March 05, 2025

A couple weeks ago, we shared Kevin Kelly’s 50 travel tips - it was one of the most clicked links… so we decided to share some more 🙂 

BIO
Why Kevin Kelly?

Where to begin? Kevin Kelly has a seriously long CV. Probably best know as the creator of Wired magazine, he can also count photographer, author and traveler among his titles. He sometimes refers to himself as a ‘radical optimist’.

Above all, he’s an insanely prolific creator! He’s been writing and sharing online (and offline) for decades. His site Cool Tools has been reviewing one new tool everyday since 2000 - that’s like, er, almost 9,000 days!

Kelly is notable for his optimistic view on technology - in all forms. His old blog Street Use, showcased hundreds of unique uses of everyday products. His writing has influenced countless people to pursue creative, independent and otherwise unique careers.

You can find his writing on his main blog The Technium, his recommendations newsletter Recomendo, on Twitter and in his latest book, The Inevitable, which was a New York Times bestseller.

Topics: Travel, Technology, Careers

p.s. the best way to support this newsletter is to share with a curious friend, hit that forward button! 🥳

3 ESSAYS TO GET YOU STARTED
1 - 1,000 True Fans

Kevin Kelly’s most famous and influential essay. Sort of a ‘mindset guide’ to indiehacking, creativity and making a living from an artistic career. Updated in 2016 (original version in 2008).

“ Now here’s the thing; the big corporations, the intermediates, the commercial producers, are all under-equipped and ill suited to connect with these thousand true fans. They are institutionally unable to find and deliver niche audiences and consumers. That means the long tail is wide open to you, the creator.”

Another classic. Kelly describes what ‘scenius’ is (besides just being a fun word) and why it’s so important for art and science (and rock climbing) breakthroughs and movements.

“The serendipitous ingredients for scenius are hard to control. They depend on the presence of the right early pioneers. A place that is open, but not too open. A buffer that is tolerant of outlaws. And some flash of excitement to kick off the virtuous circle. You just can’t order this.”

Above all, Kevin Kelly is an optimist and a believer in using technology in creative ways. This essay, written in 2014, is a timeless reminder that it’s not too late to start.

“In 1994 a Wired writer noticed that mcdonalds.com was still unclaimed, so with our encouragement he registered it, and then tried to give it to McDonalds, but their cluelessness about the internet was so hilarious it became a Wired story.” 

Kelly’s ‘origin story’ in a way. Stories from about a decade as a traveler and photographer in Asia in his late teens and 20s.

Here is a map of his travels in Asia (not only the above trip) + a review from Derek Sivers on Kelly’s ‘walk and talk’ more recent trips.

WHAT IS WORTH CHECKING THIS WEEK?

Some of the most interesting things we found on the internet this week:

  • American Society of Magazine Editors announced the finalists for the 60th annual National Magazine Awards [ASME]

  • AI generated sheet music, it sounds decent to me! [@dreamingtulpa on Twitter]

  • The winners of Anna’s Archive ISBN visualization challenge. They are backing up all of humanity’s knowledge, these maps represent a ‘to-do’ list. [Anna’s Archive]

  • De-extinction startup (!) Colossal Biosciences has gene-edited mice to have mammoth-like features… [Wired]

SUGGESTION BOX

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Enjoy Kevin Kelly’s writing & see you next week! 🙂