I gave this talk at the end of EAGxSingapore, which I helped organize. It has been modified for clarity. 

…

Before I start the talk proper, I wanted to get a show of hands – if someone in this conference needs help, who would be willing to lend a helping hand, whether it's sending a message, reviewing a draft or hopping onto a call?

(The majority, if not all, people raised their hands)

For everyone new to EA conferences, take a look around! If there's someone that you wanted to reach out to but didn't send that message, check if they have their hands up. If they do, you should ask them for a call! 

...

I'll get back to why I asked you guys to raise your hands later.

When preparing for this talk, the best advice I got was that I should be authentic, speak from my own experiences and not try to be someone I'm not. So I'm sharing a little about my first conference, what I took away from it, and what I hope you will take away from EAGxSingapore.

My first EA conference was EAG London 2022. Like many of you, I watched Amy Labenz, Will MacAskill, and Benjamin Todd and I was so inspired. I wanted to be an effective altruist and improve the world. So, I applied for the conference and got accepted.

A wave of fear hit me a few days before I was scheduled to fly. I have made an insane decision to meet a bunch of online strangers halfway across the world. It was something that I struggled to explain to my parents, and many of my non-EA friends had doubts about what I was doing. It all seemed like a terrible idea.

It didn't stop there; scheduling 1-1s for someone introverted and new to the community was horrifyingly scary. All the people on Swapcard seemed so amazing and out of my league- researchers, specialists, and directors working on incredible projects. And scheduling 1-1s is only the first step because once you have a successful 1-1, you need to follow up. This means starting something, applying for a job, looking for collaborators or hiring someone. It also means that you'll constantly be stepping out of your comfort zone to grow, but it can also be challenging and nerve-wracking.

So when people tell me that a common criticism of EA is that we are an emotionless bunch that only cares about data and numbers, I disagree because I associate EA with this fear and anxiety. However, beyond this fear and anxiety, there are two more things that I strongly feel when I'm around EAs.

The first one is hope. Don't you think it is ridiculously and wondrously hopeful how so many of us think we can stop an existential risk? That something that can wipe out the whole of humanity can be mitigated by us all coming together and working on the world's most pressing issues. I think that that's the magical part of coming to conferences - that somehow so many of you have come together because we all believe we can do some good in the world. This makes me incredibly hopeful for the future.

The second thing that I feel is warmth. The 1-1s were scary. However, it was also heartwarming how so many of these fantastic people made time for me, especially when many would not have gained value from it. People were willing to be mentors, guide me along my journey, and, even more importantly, I met lifelong friends. People who were there to check in on my mental health, gossip with me, and people who I hope will stay in my life far beyond my EA commitments^[1]. And this is something that I hope you guys will find as well.

What I'm trying to say is that EA can be hard. It can be very demanding of you and your worldviews. And I feel kind of bad because I know it's difficult, but I'm asking you to take a leap of faith. Here are my three reasons why.

The first reason is that I think you are worth it. EAGxSingapore was not planned because the organizers wanted to stay up until 3 AM to work on venue concerns or programming. It's because we genuinely believe that every person here deserves an event like this. You deserve the opportunity to meet amazing people, make connections, and build bonds. And many experienced EAs around the world, from the US, Germany, Austria, and the UK, have flown in because they also think you deserve this support.

And I felt that it is especially important to mention this because the team and I read through every word of your applications. We read your path to impact, significant actions, and hopes and dreams for a better world. From the bottom of my heart, I genuinely believe that you can do some good - whether it is direct work, sharing about EA, donating 1% or 90% of your income, or saving one chicken or a thousand chickens. 

We also got messages where many of you felt like 'I don't think I'm EA enough' or 'I don't think I deserve the travel support' or 'I'm really new and inexperienced.' I wanted to make it a point to tell you that - hey, you deserve to be here, and this conference is for you.

The second reason is that you're not the only person to take a leap of faith. When you feel small or alone in your pursuit of creating good, remember that many groups were once in your shoes. EA Singapore, EA India, EA Malaysia, EA Philippines, EA Israel, and even the global EA community once started as a bunch of people in a room trying to figure out what it means to do good. At one point, they could have also felt lonely or that they were going against the world. 

This also means that if they can do it, you can too! And more importantly, these people are willing to help you. Because I've asked them, and they were more than happy to.

The third reason I am mentioning a leap of faith is that when I left my first conference, I felt really empty and alone. EAG London felt like a magical space where I met people who were like me! I could speak to anyone, and everyone has this same ambitious dream to make the world a better place, even if we come from different backgrounds. There was a feeling of emptiness on the flight back to the real world where no one knew or cared about x-risks or longtermism. The jarring difference felt very destabilizing. Many of you here don't live in EA hubs like me, and this might hit you in the same way it did to me.

We emphasize taking the next steps when leaving a conference, but there will be many frustrations when you leave this room. You might want to apply for a high-impact job, but there's nothing on the job board you can apply to in your country. You might want to socialize or network with EAs, but there's no event in your time zone. You might even get offered a job or get accepted into another conference but can't go because of visa issues. Many factors might keep you from being as effective as you want to be, and these might be circumstances beyond your control.

And when you're alone and trying to figure it out, I hope you'll remember the sea of hands at the start of this talk. Once upon a time, these people all raised their hands, offering to lend a helping hand. After the conference, Swapcard will stay open. The EA Forum and LinkedIn are accessible. Reach out to these people, and ask them, "hey, can we have a call? Can I talk to you about my next steps?" I'm confident that you will find someone who will help because I've experienced it.

Almost one-third of you signed up to help in this conference, and some even helped without registering as a volunteer. This is so amazing. So many of you have checked in on the other organizers and me, supporting us and helping this go well. This is how I know that many of you will experience that same kindness for yourself because this group of people sitting here are so authentically kind and supportive.

So have faith in yourself. You've already taken your first step by coming to the conference, and I am so excited to see what you guys will do next. With this, we end EAGxSingapore 2022.

1. ^{^}

   Thank you to Ollie Base, Vaidehi Agarwalla, Kaleem Ahmid, Yi-Yang Chua, Elmerei Cuevas, Irena Kotikova, Catherine Low, and David Nash for being some of those wonderful people who made time for me when I was new and for giving me courage when I didn't have any during the organizing of the conference and the making of this forum post.