| Sunday, 04 January 2026 |
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Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],
Good morning to 2026! First Principles has now entered its fourth (calendar) year, thanks to you.
One of the recurring questions I get from non-journalists (sometimes even journalists, too) is a variation of “Are you sure you’ll have enough things to write about? Won’t you run out of unique topics or subjects to write upon?”
We got this when we started The Ken in 2016, when friends and subscribers asked us, “How will you find enough interesting stories to produce a new one every day?”
We got it when we started topical newsletters, for instance, on the second- and third-order effects of the pandemic. “After all, how many things are there to write about from a pandemic point-of-view?”
We got it when we started podcasts. “Are there enough interesting people for episodes? Are there enough interesting topics to create 2×2 maps for?”
It’s a fair question. I’d be lying if I said my colleagues or I conclusively knew the answer to those questions was a yes. Instead, my answer was always a mix of “I think so” and “We’ll figure it out as we go along.”
Which brings me to the First Principles newsletter. If you ask me today, “Will you have enough topics to write about each week for the next four years?” my answers would still be, “I think so,” and “We’ll figure it out as we go along.”
Back to 2026. We’ve been talking for enough time for you to (perhaps? I hope?) know that I don’t have any “new year’s resolutions”. Instead, there are things I am looking forward to spending more time on in 2026. Most of them come with no deadlines or milestones.
For instance, I want to become more conscious, more deliberate, more “leaned in” with music this year. In 2025, I restarted listening to music on a hi-fi stereo after nearly a decade and a half of putting up with lossy but convenient music. I might even take the leap back in time to vinyl!
On the fitness front, I’m planning to add callisthenics to my workout plan. My 2025 goal was to get stronger (which I did) while avoiding getting injured (which I did not).
I enjoy reading The Ken because it is informative, the articles are well researched, well written, without the spin and bias. I admire The Ken team for their dedication to getting closer to the true picture.
Hari Buggana
Chairman and MD, InvAscent
Transparent, Honest, Detailed. To me, The Ken has been this since the day I subscribed to them. The research that they put into each story and the way it is presented is thoroughly interesting. Personally, I’ve always had a great time interacting with the publication and reading the stories.
Harshil Mathur
CEO and Co-Founder, Razorpay
The Ken has proven naysayers wrong by successfully running a digital news publication on a pure-subscription business model in India. They have shown that discerning readers are willing to pay for well-researched, well-written, in-dept news articles.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited
As a designer, it’s easy to get lost in the craft of building products. As a business owner however, keeping up with a rapidly changing landscape is key to saying relevant. The Ken doesn’t just help me stay on top of what’s happening in India(and beyond), but makes it fun to do so.
Rahul Gonsalves
Co-founder and CEO, Obvious Ventures