Happy 6th birthday, RC

Dear current Recursers, alumni, colleagues, and friends,

Six years ago today was the start of the first batch of the Recurse Center. Since then, RC has both changed dramatically and remained strikingly similar. Many of the changes are easy to spot: We’ve grown from three people with an idea to a global network of over 1,000 alumni; moved from a small room donated by NYU to our own dedicated space; and gone from not having a website to a thriving online community.

The core ideas that animate RC — that self-direction is integral to real growth; that a supportive environment and community are key to helping people flourish; and that you can make such a community free and accessible through recruiting — remain the same, though our understanding of these ideas continues to evolve.

Of course, our path so far has not been smooth, straight, or fully planned. We’ve made many mistakes. And we’d be lying if we said we never wanted to give up on RC. Each of us has wanted to quit when we were feeling particularly down, or our situation felt grim.

But again and again two things above all else have sustained us: A conviction that RC should exist, and the people around us — our community, colleagues, and each other.

The latter — most notably the RC community and our employees — has proven to be an unexpectedly rewarding part of running RC. We have all formed close friendships with Recursers, and been inspired and re-inspired by the dedication, ingenuity, support, and love so many of you have demonstrated over the years.

Thank you for helping make RC what it is today; RC could not exist without you. We hope to have the pleasure of improving RC alongside you for many years to come.

Never graduate,

Nick, Sonali, and Dave
RC cofounders