- Got me jobs. I'd estimate more than half of the significant jobs I've had in my life came about through relationships that had originated with people getting to know my work through my blog.
- Speaking engagements. I used my blog to bootstrap a bunch of these, to the point that I've spoken at well over 100 events.
- Invitations to interesting meetings. Most recently, my writing about AI has gotten me invited to some really interesting in-person meetups in the Bay Area.
- Media appearances! I've been on radio and TV a few times now thanks to things I've written on my own blog.
It's also just really rewarding to have somewhere I can post content that entirely belongs to me.
I posted this when I hit the 20 year mark with a whole bunch of highlights: https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/12/twenty-years/