Hello, (quantum) world!

Hello there, hi!

I can hardly believe I'm finally here, and I'm really glad you are too!

Like many of my previous plans, this one - creating this space, or rather, starting to create it - might never have got off the ground if I hadn't fed my mind, just in time, with plenty of moralising stories from children's tales (for the younger ones and the less young alike) about the importance of perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity. Some motivating passages from productivity books helped too - most of all, perhaps, this simple, no-nonsense quote inspired by Newton's laws of motion:

Thanks to this, I've come to understand (at least for now!) what an enormous saboteur perfectionism really is. So I'm setting off with the resources I have right here and now. The rest, I hope, I'll pick up along the way!

As I write these words, I can already say that I've been interested in physics for roughly half my life. During my studies, two things happened in parallel (well, more than two, you can read about my story [here]): I started taking bolder and bolder steps in programming, and I discovered that quantum computers existed. For me, that meant I wouldn't have to choose between delving into the laws of physics and that thrill that comes with coding, especially when it pays off. And so my dream career path looked clear and coherent. Later, it turned out that life (or my life, at any rate) isn't a predictable project that unfolds according to plan, so I had to give myself a bit more time (and other resources, naturally).

What hasn't changed is how excited quantum computers make me. My interest in them keeps deepening and broadening. I once focused mainly on quantum algorithms, today I find myself peering into every corner of this industry with curiosity, looking for my place within it.

On this blog, you'll find posts explaining various topics in quantum computing - I'll be glad to share the knowledge I've gathered through my education and my work. When I'm learning something myself, I often switch between sources whenever I can't quite grasp what's going on. Sometimes it's the nth book that finally explains it in a way that clicks. Maybe my way of explaining will turn out to be that "spot on" one for someone. If so, I'll be thrilled, because I love that lightbulb moment (in myself and in others). And if not, every post will include a list of sources you can turn to instead.

You'll also find posts where I share reflections on my own learning: what methods and techniques I use, what topics I'm studying, and what I'm struggling with. I'll also flag up industry events and learning resources. In short, I'd like this to be a place where we learn from each other and learn together.

I've already been told that writing a blog these days isn't a great idea, because nobody reads blogs anymore, everyone's moved over to social media. Well, there might be something to it - my own research, carried out on a sample of four friends, confirmed as much.

And secondly - even now, after writing just a handful of rough trial posts, very imperfect and not at all thought through, whose only audience will probably be the "Deleted" folder in my digital notebook, I can already see a wealth of positives that come with writing. So even if writing a blog isn't worthwhile these days, I do think it's worth writing one. Or simply writing in general - anywhere, with any purpose, or none at all. I wouldn't want to underestimate the value of writing in itself, including when it comes to learning so-called hard skills, so I hereby commit to preparing a dedicated post on the subject :).