First, the background. I wrote the update (which was inspired by Ben Casnocha's regular e-mail updates) because I felt that true value is only created if one manages to stay connected with people. I had the feeling that a lot of people I had met at one point had no idea what I had been up to - and I didn't know what was going on in their lives.

Over the last two weeks, about 20 people, roughly 10 percent of the recipients, replied to my message. Some of them just said thank you, others replied in more detail and actually gave me an update about their lives. Most of the people who replied were contacts with whom I don't interact on a regular basis - "weak ties", if you will. I believe that the power of such an update lies exactly in being able to reconnect with these people, and learning what they are up to.

Most of the feedback about the e-mail was positive, although some said they would prefer just grabbing a beer at some point instead of receiving e-mail, and others told me that the automatic unsubscribe link in the e-mail was too "professional" for such a personal message. I agree with both; I will try to catch up with as many people as possible in person - and I'll remove the unsubscribe link in my next update.

Speaking of which: Yes, there will be a next update. I have no idea when I'll send it out or what it'll say. After all, this is still very much an experiment.