Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello Wonderseekers!
A HUGE thank you to all of you who participated in the survey! I am so touched by the kind things you said about what this newsletter means to you! I wanted to share the results with the community and then tell you a bit about how I will be taking your feedback on board.
Survey Results
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being ‘not at all’ and 10 being ‘very much’, how enjoyable or useful do you find Wonderbringers? – 9.3
Why do you read Wonderbringers? (select all that apply)
• It helps me stay informed on social science and other wonder-related things - 53%
• It connects me to a community of like-minded people – 19%
• It helps me think differently about the world – 72%
• It gives me a feel-good moment during my week – 66%
• It gives me language for ideas I already feel but maybe couldn't articulate – 38%
What topics do you like to see covered? (select all that apply)
• The science of wonder, awe, and curiosity – 81%
• Books, ideas, and people worth knowing about – 85%
• Optimism, hope, and the psychology of positive change – 84%
• Practical tools for living and leading better – 56%
• Politics and civil society through a hopeful lens – 50%
Would you like to see the timing of the newsletter:
• Stay weekly – 25%
• Move to every other week – 46%
• Move to monthly – 19%
Would you like to see the format of the newsletter:
• Stay as it is (medium to long form intro with wonderbringing links) – 82%
• Be briefer (short form intro or no intro with wonderbringing links) – 6%
• Be longer (longer form essays with wonderbringing links) – 2%
If this newsletter moved to a new platform or service, what would matter most to you?
• That it still arrives in my email inbox – 47%
• That I can still easily manage my subscription – 3%
• That I can read it without having to sign up to a new service – 31%
• I don't mind — I'll follow wherever it goes – 19%
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being ‘not likely at all and 10 being ‘very likely’, how likely are you to recommend this newsletter to someone you know? – 9.2
Anything you’d like to change or like me to know?
• ‘Ways to connect with other wonder nerds!’
• ‘Other people who are inspiring, Maybe also 'wonder maker of the week'.’
Comments:
• ‘I'm grateful for the newsletter and for all the things I learn from it.’
• ‘It helps move humanity forward in the best possible way.’
• ‘It always makes me feel better after I read it.’
• ‘The only newsletter I actually do read regularly.’
• ‘Thought provoking, varied and inspirational. Thank you.’
• ‘THANK YOU for putting an absolute quality read into the world.’
• ‘I love all of your content! It is one of my favorite newsletters.’
Some Thoughts
I was surprised that most of you like the medium/long format! I assumed with our click-n-scroll world, everyone would prefer shorter. What also came through is that you'd like some time to let the ideas marinate, as you don't always have time to read them every week. I was also interested to see that half of you enjoy the occasional political or civil society slant, but really enjoy books, ideas and people worth knowing about. I also heard many calls for more connection with other wonderseekers, and even a chance to learn about some wondermakers!
Some Changes
The first change I’m making is moving the long-form essays to just the first Wednesday of every month, but still sending the Wonderbringer links each week. This way, you’ll still have a tiny weekly smile in your inbox, but can spend more time enjoying the longer monthly thoughts. The next change I’m making is to include some ‘Wondermakers’. These are people doing wonderful things to make the world better through hopeful action (which aligns nicely with a podcast project I hope to share soon!) Lastly, I will be moving the newsletter to another platform, which will add community features for those who want them, while still ensuring the newsletter lands in your inbox as it always has. (FYI, this will happen seamlessly for you—more on this when I’ve completed the move.)
I hope these changes help Wonderbringers evolve in a way that maintains its meaning for you while strengthening and growing the Wonderbringer community.
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
The psychology of exploration: What motivates us to discover?
Watch: The Ultimate Mix Tape: Making Voyager’s Golden Record.
(also worth watching: Spaceman’s best friend: Adorable moment Artemis II astronaut is welcomed home by her dog.)
Listen: Moonstruck: A song for Carroll.
Thank you again for taking the time to help make Wonderbringers the best it can be! Also, someone said they wanted to talk to me for their dissertation, but since the survey was anonymous, I’m not sure who. Feel free to get in touch! :)
With wonder,
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