Shoving this in ~econ because... I dunno, everything is econ, I'm Undisc's bitch, and this is all one hell of an expected-value calculation anyway — a 0.1%(?) chance at a cool, important, high-paying gig, for a future I just _hope, pray, and want_ to be real.

So, there's this amazing resource out there, called "Our World in Data" (if you've never been... wth are you doing with your life?). They distribute and show absolutely every imaginable data on e.g., global health, there is. They're certainly infused by very woke-y, establishment-y and environmentalist-y crap, but at heart they're a serious data visualization and presentation outlet — dedicated to truth, nuance, and going where the evidence shows you, not pushing ideological nonsense (cough, New York Times; cough-cough Science)

#1471740...

I've never been any good at writing these pompous, not-very-flattering, lying-adjacent letters about how amazing you are and what you, yes you, can do for whatever organization you're keen to work with.

I don't recall having ever landed a job or gig because of them either, so who knows if they even matter.I don't recall having ever landed a job or gig because of them either, so who knows if they even matter.

Alas, a perfect learning-in-the-open opportunity and living by the stacker-muse's ethos: ask for help, see if others know how to write/can help you improve.

Schtackers, let me know what you think and how I can best improve it. Lord knows I rip into yous on here whenever I see some crap, so please tell me off when I'm batshit crazy.

I asked a couple of AIs to improve it, too, but my god did they...
- a) dumbified it down and profesh-polished the shit out of it
- b) made it sound so unbelievably AI that I couldn't stomach it.

(hence why I've kept some personal, unprofesh anecdotes in there... best way to signal non-AI that I can think of.)

I am applying for the writer position at Our World in Data. My work sits at the intersection of data, economics, and public communication: explaining complex global trends to broad audiences in ways that are both analytically rigorous and engaging.

My public writing focuses on long-run economic development, technological change, energy systems, and human progress — topics that closely align with OWID’s coverage. In articles for popular and educational outlets such as HumanProgress.org and The Daily Economy, I interpret empirical datasets and academic research to help general readers understand complicated and nuanced trends. For instance, I have examined how innovations like tractors or AI diffuse unevenly across societies, how much posturing on inequality is unfounded, how many environmentalist claims around deforestation and natural disasters are misleading; how the price system governs, mediates, and regulates resource use. Like the "someone is wrong on the internet" meme, I'm often drawn to challenging prevailing narratives by grounding arguments in evidence. Much of that work revolves around economics-related topics, the sentiment overlap with OWID is clear; the ethos of progress and the commitment to truth — warts and all — is undeniable... Honest storytelling, acknowledging problems while grounding optimism in evidence.

Probably should take that out, I dunno. Was fun.

For years, Our World in Data has been my go-to for fact-checking/reasonability-checks on various claims — in my own writing or the editing of others' work — and the baseline for quickly, powerfully, and beautifully illustrating numbers for some important aspect of global development or economics-related observation. 

Outdated facts, incorrect statements, and motivated reasoning can go overboard on all sides of the ideological distribution — as expertly illustrated by Hannah Ritchie's Not the End of the World, reining in the worst of environmentalism's excesses. (In my notes from reading that book, I have "She does for environmental issues what Hans Rosling did for health — politely telling people they're wrong." That's high praise coming from a native Swede for whom Rosling's lectures and educational efforts were life-changing.) Ever since, my contrarian nature has wanted to help improve even further the incredible resource that is OWID.

Across these topics, my goal has always been to help readers better understand the world through careful and nuanced interpretation of evidence.

My subject-matter background lay in slightly different fields than those most directly relatable to OWID but it illustrates that I am comfortable working with highly specialized material and translating it into clear, accessible writing for a wider audience — always with an eye to educating my readers in unexpected ways.  While my background is in economics rather than data science, I have extensive experience working with empirical research, interpreting datasets, and communicating quantitative findings. I am keen to deepen these skills further, particularly in close collaboration with researchers and through the use of OWID’s data and visualization tools.
Sincerely,
/J

Also, gotta thank the comments in the @0xbitcoiner post #1471740... tagging the rest of the peeps involved @TotallyHumanWriter @chris21million @SimpleStacker