A community of stories · launching soon

The first year is the hardest one. You're not the only one.

firstyearin is a place to read — and eventually share — stories from people in their first year of something hard. First job. First city. First child. First founder year. Real, honest, unfiltered.

From the room (preview)

Stories that won't pretend they have it figured out.

First year as a founder

“Three months in, I cried in the bathroom of a coworking space. Nobody had told me that the first year of being a founder is mostly hiding how scared you are.”

First year abroad

“I moved to Berlin with two suitcases and zero German. My landlord turned out to be a saint. The grocery store cashier still terrifies me.”

First year as a parent

“Year one of being a parent: I learned more about myself than in the previous decade. Not all of it was flattering. All of it was necessary.”

Read sample stories →

Sample stories · real ones once contributors land

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First years come in shapes.

Different first years rhyme more than you'd expect. The first year of leadership and the first year of parenting share more than either group admits. We tag every story so you can read across — or stay in your bucket if that's what you need today.

First job

Most contributed

First year abroad

Growing

First year as a founder

Cult-favourite

First year as a parent

Stories aren't a feed. They're a graph.

Every story connects to others through shared themes — the loss of identity in your first founder year overlaps with leaving home for the first time. We let you navigate by what's actually connected, not by what was posted today.

For when you want structure

Or take a course — eight weeks of someone who's been there.

Reading other people's stories is one path. The other is a structured email course written by someone who lived it — eight lessons over eight weeks, distilled from the community's collective wisdom.

Week 01The first 90 days are louder than they look
Week 02How to read the room without losing yourself
Week 03Permission slip: it's okay to be confused
Week 04Building one good habit at a time
Week 05Conflict you'll meet (and what helps)
Week 06Mid-year wall: what to do when it hits
Week 07What you're actually learning
Week 08Closing the year on purpose

Who's building this

Built by someone who keeps starting first years.

Shen Nan Wong

I've had four first years in the past decade — first job after graduating, first year overseas, first year as a founder, first year of a tough chapter I won't name yet. Each one felt like the only first year that mattered. Each one would have been easier if I'd read someone else's.

firstyearin is the place I wished existed in 2018. If you're in a first year right now — or running on the fumes of one — get on the waitlist below. Tell us which first year you're in. We'll prioritise stories from your bucket.

Be there when it opens

You're not the only one.

Drop your email. Tell us which first year you're in. We'll send one note when stories land — no drips, no spam.