This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Retro’ing and Debugging 2024.
This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Compiling 2025.
2024 was a year of upheaval and introspection, both for the tech industry and in my own life. With widespread layoffs, the 2024 election, benefit cuts, and a mounting AI race, the landscape felt increasingly disconnected from meaningful progress. Venture capital poured into costly AI innovations, often overshadowing deeper, real-world challenges.
I saw this quote recently on Twitter: “this year has, on some level, radicalized me,” and it resonated deeply as I navigated my professional journey, reflecting on the role of AI in reshaping not only our work but our priorities and values.
Professional Reflections
This year brought a whirlwind of releases at TinyMCE, including the significant decision to move TinyMCE 7.0 to a GPL license. This change reinforced our commitment to empowering the developer community by making the editor more accessible while maintaining its team, flexibility, and extensibility.
From the release of TinyMCE 7.0 with features like Enhanced Code Editor and AI Assistant to the rollouts of Document Converters, Markdown Support, and Revision History, there was no shortage of innovation to make the editor more collaborative than ever before. These efforts just came to show how enhancing the developer journey remains a top priority for 2025. Each of these updates was designed to make content creation simpler, faster, and more accessible for developers and end-users alike.
Presenting Typescript Fundamentals at Infobip Shift
On the community front, our DevRel team’s presence at global events like React Summit, We Are Developers, and Front End Nation gave us invaluable insights into how developers engage with RTEs. Interacting directly with developers reaffirmed my belief in working with products that solve real problems, not just cater to AI market trends.
Meetup after talk at DevWorld Amsterdam
While I’m proud of the work we accomplished by exceeding the goals we set at the beginning of the year, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge the areas where we fell short.
The push to deliver new content or projects sometimes came at the expense of deeper problem-solving. In hindsight, I would have advocated for slower, more thoughtful project rollouts that prioritize stability, feedback, and long-term value over deadlines.
Additionally, I’ve grown increasingly wary of the blind optimism surrounding AI in content creation, and going forward, I’d push for greater transparency about what AI can and cannot do, ensuring ethical and practical conversations about its implications and applications at work.
Personal Reflections
On a personal level, 2024 challenged me to reevaluate my priorities. Losing multiple family members last year was one of the most difficult challenges I’ve faced, and navigating that grief while being there for my family was both emotionally and mentally taxing. Balancing these responsibilities with a demanding career taught me the importance of resilience and choosing to be present for my loved ones during tough times.
It also reminded me of the importance of taking intentional breaks to reset and recharge. Travel became a much-needed way to gain perspective and step back from the frenetic pace of work.
Rest, Relax and Recover hike to Machu Picchu
Regular exercise also played a key role in maintaining both physical and mental health, serving as a counterbalance to the stress of the year. Reflecting on these practices, I’m setting clear intentions to prioritize self-care and create a healthier work-life balance moving forward.
Goals for 2025
As I reset and strategize for 2025, I’m setting goals to align my personal and professional growth with a more balanced, sustainable approach to life and work.
Professional Goals
- **Deepen My Understanding of AI: **Learn more about AI technologies to create tools that enhance both team workflows and developer experiences. This includes exploring innovative ways to automate tasks, streamline processes, and derive actionable insights that improve content and marketing strategies.
- Complete My Master’s Degree: Finish my graduate program with a focus on applying my learnings to real-world challenges in product marketing and development.
- Expand Strategic Impact: Drive meaningful collaborations and refine strategies that prioritize developer needs and ethical AI practices.
Personal Goals
- Travel More: Take time off to explore new places and recharge. Travel has always been a way for me to gain perspective and reset.
- Exercise Regularly: Commit to working out at least five times a week to maintain physical and mental health.
- Spend Quality Time with Family, Friends, and Home: Dedicate more time to being present with my loved ones, including my dog Nala, and focusing on creating meaningful moments.
Moving Forward
2024 has left me both proud and apprehensive; proud of the strides we made at my work, but deeply reflective on what it means to work in tech today. Moving into 2025, I’m committed to championing a more thoughtful, human-centered approach to developer relations and marketing.
This means doubling down on real-world impact, advocating for the teams I work with, and being unafraid to challenge industry norms that prioritize hype over substance. The lessons of this year are not just about building better products; they’re about fostering a better industry. And while I can’t change the tech landscape alone, I can’t think of a better place to start than now.
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