Why LinkedIn ? Tell Me Why ? Why?

LinkedIn 'beta', why are you like this. I woke up early for you. I stayed up late for you. I wrote in between meetings, holding my chai in one hand and my sanity in the other. Every day. Rain or shine. Like a devoted Indian aunty holding the family together while everyone else causes drama.

I write because it brought me peace. Because words help me make sense of this safety world where everything moves at once. I do not write for fame. I do not write for numbers. I write because the thinking felt lighter when I placed it outside myself. Plus it feels right to share on the off chance that it might help some one.

And what did LinkedIn do. Some days it lifted my posts to the heavens. Other days it threw them under the sofa like forgotten 'ladoos'. One hour and gone.

Vanished.

No trace.

No respect for the emotional labour I put in. I tried every trick.

Timing.

Format.

Hooks.

Cold opens.

Warm opens. I tested that algorithm like a strict aunt tests the firmness of mangoes in the market. But no. Without paying fifty to one hundred dollars for boosting, LinkedIn said, beta you stay in your lane.

So picture me now.

Dramatic turn to the camera.

Hand on my heart.

Discovering that Substack, the quiet cousin who never makes a fuss, has been waiting for me all along.

I went there thinking I was talking to myself.

But no.

People had been watching from behind the curtain, patiently waiting for me to notice.

So I have made my emotional (teary eyed)decision.

I will spend more time with Substack.

LinkedIn taught me discipline.

It sharpened my voice. It also showed me its limits. A platform that wants general messages more than deep thinking will only take you so far. That is fine. I am grateful for the lessons. But I am ready for a space that lets ideas stretch without fear of being smothered in the first hour

One post each week here in the blog too. I had no idea people were reading my blog. I started it as a personal space to store my thoughts and happenings, share a few pieces with friends.  Then I opened it again this week and found quiet, steady readership. People had been there the whole time. I just never showed up to meet them.

Calm.

Steady.

No algorithm breathing down my neck. great to know that this ais a no pressure zone. No performance needed like a daily soap heroine who must cry on cue and publish three posts before lunch.

Just writing, teaching and learning at my own pace.

If you have been reading me here, thank you. If you come to Substack, I will welcome you like family arriving after a long train journey.

A new year is coming. New rhythm. New freedom. And finally, a place where I can write without performing for the crowd.