Hi. I’m Stepa Mitaki. Morning Walk is a personal weekly newsletter where I share some musings on tech, working on startups, productivity and some nerdy stuff.
This issue was sent out to 89 subscribers (+5 from the previous week). Last week’s issue received 220 views.
📝 Some personal news
This week is probably the first time in 28 weeks I couldn’t come up with the main topic to speak about. I have plenty of essay ideas in my notes, but they seem a bit inappropriate considering current affairs. So I thought I’d share some of personal news.
We’ve spent a month away in Thailand and came back to Moscow last week for several days to properly pack up, collect vital documents and leave for good (to another temporary country for now). At the same time, I’m juggling a day job, immigration errands, launching a startup, and staying sane. That’s tricky, I must say 🤹♂️ Although you get to acquire tons of modern age survival skills. Buying groceries with crypto, learning how to pay taxes when you lead a nomadic life, opening a bank account in a new country within a day with two documents, and many more.
Moscow is surreal these days. It feels like nothing is happening, and everything is the same. Except for Apply Pay not working anymore and some minor price bumps, everything is the same, making it super frightening. Oh, and it seems people don’t talk about the war in public places.
I started reading 1984 for the first time in my life. I know, perfect timing for that book.
I met with my ex-co-founder (from MyCity) in Bangkok, who lives there now. Accidentally sat on the plane from Bangkok to Bahrain next to a guy I’m playing football with in Moscow. What a small world. Lots of my friends are scattered around the planet these days; I even had to have a birthday party over Zoom again just like two years ago during the lockdown. Hope it won’t become a bi-yearly tradition 🤞🏻
👓 Things I've been reading/watching/enjoying
TikTok doesn’t show the war in Ukraine to Russian users
Phenomenally executed interactive by Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation on how two users eighty kilometers apart get entirely different content no matter what.
Russian emigration following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine
If something gets its own Wikipedia page, it’s probably a real thing now. Some people call this the “Sixth wave of the Russian emigration.”
Those who have fled have tended to be young and well-educated professionals, leading some economists to suggest that fleeing Russians have facilitated a brain drain. More than 50,000 Russian information technology specialists have left Russia.
WTF Are Sanctions?? (and will they work against Putin?)
In this war, Russia is throwing bombs and airstrikes. The West throws back sanctions. Johnny Harris explains how sanctions work.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading.
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