Why I Write: Statements That Need to Be Declared and Shared

Why I Write:

Statements that need to be declared and shared

Interview originally published in RadLetters

Hi there! Who are you and what’s your background?

Hi, I’m Katelyn Donnelly. I write a newsletter called Declarative Statements.

I invest in early-stage companies and advise founders at Avalanche VC.

I co-founded Delivery Associates, a firm that advises and builds software products for governments worldwide, implementing big reform programs. For example, we've helped 25 US cities reduce carbon emissions by implementing buildings and transportation policies, and I've worked with education and health ministers across emerging markets to make measurable system improvements.

Previously, I founded and managed the venture capital arm of Pearson, a publicly traded education company, where I invested in and built education technology businesses.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Back in the pre-covid days, when we used to go to parties and networking functions, people often asked me the standard question: So, what do you do outside of work? Like, you know, for fun?

And I’d try to reply honestly: I read a lot and often write about it. The reply would be: Groan. What do you really do? That’s a cop-out.

And it’s like, no, that’s actually what I do! Being serious about reading takes copious time and focus. You can’t multitask. You can’t fall asleep.

I can write a newsletter because I love reading, analyzing, and writing about the world.

What’s your newsletter about?

It’s an eclectic mix. I included all the links and topics that I find most original, current, and crosscutting.

Every week I use a song as a theme and weave that theme throughout the content.

I started Declarative Statements primarily as an investment and economics newsletter, trying to contextualize the current market environment with timeless content from some of the greatest investors of our era.

I like to use primary sources, so I read less news. I also focus on tools or readings that might be overlooked. I reference a lot of thoughts and ideas that are well-articulated in books and often not in Internet culture.

Given my background in education and technology investing, I usually include a section on a unique perspective on the future of education.

I have a community corner section highlighting what my subscribers and community members have been doing that week.

Who is the intended audience for your newsletter?

The curious, the seekers, people who appreciate open-mindedness and creativity, still desire hard analysis, and maintain a keen interest in markets.

I’d rather be a cult classic than a best seller.

The audience is people who I’d like to be my friends, people I’d grab a drink with and catch up with over a long meal. I write Declarative Statements on Friday night, so it’s like a Friday conversation on the state of the world that I’d have with a good friend.

What motivated you to get started writing your newsletter?

I started a year ago as an update email to friends to hold myself accountable for a weekly debrief. I was exploring a few side projects and wanted to write more about what I was learning and have a place where I could share and get feedback. I also had quit Facebook and Instagram, so I wanted to express myself in a more verbal way.

One inspiration was going through the creativity program outlined in Julia Cameron's The Artists Way. I felt the desire to create something that wasn’t corporate or for a client and had a greater creative edge to it.

What do you write about and why?

I write on whatever is most interesting and current, whatever has inspired me that week. Some of the material is timeless, some of it is recent. I stay away from the news and try to index more to primary sources and unique voices.

I’m a lifelong investor across asset classes. I wrote my senior thesis in college on Time Zone Arbitrage Trading Strategies in Vanguard International ETFs, I worked in Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities and Commodities Trading for a summer at Morgan Stanley before working for the banking and financial services practice at McKinsey. Then, I tried my hand at venture capital in emerging markets as part of one of the world's largest education and publishing companies.

I’ve lived in Africa, Asia, and Europe and visited and worked in over 85 countries.

I’ve done a lot and seen a lot. I like combining these diverse perspectives into one weekly publication that is original and personal.

I have published quite a few books and professional essays, either on investing or education. I wanted a place where I could use my voice unfiltered and discuss the topics that were on my mind.

A few years back, I co-wrote a successful essay titled "An Avalanche Is Coming: Higher Education and the Revolution Ahead" for a British think tank called IPPR.

The metaphor of an avalanche for predicting change resonated with me. I grew up racing slalom and love being in the mountains. My curiosity and drive led me to find markets, investment opportunities, and ideas that were pre-avalanche, pre-massive sector change, or pre-discovery. Being on the frontier is what gets me excited and is visible through all my writing.

What does the process of writing your newsletter look like for you?

I collect weekly articles and store all the links and snippets in my Apple Notes. I write notes from books or articles that I’ve had for a while and have stored up. I also bookmark tweets that may be relevant on Twitter. I use Mailchimp to distribute the newsletter, my partner acts as a copy editor, and I have a newsletter landing page made on carrd.co. The newsletter is sent every week on Friday night in the US.

Starting 14 weeks ago, each newsletter has a song that is the weekly theme. The process of generating that theme song is a bit haphazard, but so is every creative process, I suppose. The search for the theme song runs in the back of my mind while I’m walking around or having a quiet moment. And it’s an ah-ha moment when it works well.

What are some of the difficulties you’ve encountered in running your newsletter?

It’s constantly evolving. It’s an evolving process. We live in interesting times. The newsletter is different today than it was four months ago when COVID-19 and the societal conversation around racial inequity became stronger. I didn’t want to stick to topics without acknowledging the times we live through today.

What have you learned through writing your newsletter?

The power of connecting with people through the written word. I bond with people who read and respond to my newsletter and what I’ve written. They are engaging with me at my best, and that feels special.