2024: A Year of Achievements and Milestones
I blinked, and 2024 is almost done. I wanted to take this opportunity to review everything I set out to achieve and how I fared. Here is what I initially set out to do this year.
- Release a Few Big Features
- Delegating Customer Success
- Code Less and Manager More
- Write 12 Articles This Year
- Reading Less and Doing More
Release a Few Big Features
Frankly, the one major feature we set out to accomplish was V2, and I am proud to say we've achieved it. While V2 is a major feature, it's technically an amalgamation of many features stitched together to present a cohesive vision. Alongside V2, we've also released many small features, quality-of-life improvements, and bug fixes. While this wasn't what I had in mind when I said I wanted to release a few big features, I think this technically checks the box.
Status: Accomplished
Delegating Customer Success
I forced myself to hire a Customer Success Manager (CSM) despite having no experience hiring someone for the role. Since I've been doing the role, I understood the scope of the job. I then delegated more and more of the role to the CSM, eventually reclaiming my time and being able to utilize it for other issues. Having said that, I ended up hiring the wrong person for the role, but I finally acknowledged my mistake and parted ways with my CSM. We will start 2025 by hiring another CSM, but this time armed with knowledge.
Status: Failed Successfully?
Code Less and Manage More
One of my goals this year was to code less and spend more time managing or delegating. This was a bigger challenge than anticipated due to how much I enjoy writing code. However, training a new CSM, new engineering intern, and new backend developer took enough of my time that I was forced to spend more time managing than coding. Furthermore, I also had to bridge the gap between design, marketing, engineering, and support, which chipped away even more time. I am looking forward to continuing this trend until I can code again :)
Status: Accomplished
Write 12 Articles This Year
I completely smashed this goal! I wrote 15 articles, launched a brand new blog site with Next.js and Directus, and started a YouTube channel on a whim, just to see how far I could get with it. I published 9 videos, took down 4, and left with 5. I have 3.5 hours of watch time and 226 views, and some of my friends even subscribed to my channel! I am not sure if I will continue with the videos, but it was a cool experience.
Status: Great Success
Reading Less and Doing More
It's safe to say I nailed it. I didn't read a single self-help book. I browsed online for occasional news updates, but it was more of a recreational reading. Even when I started my YouTube channel, I barely spent any time researching how to do it, and I went and did it. I published 4 videos before I realized what I wanted to do. Took them all down and tried again. I tried 3 different software programs and stuck with the one I liked. I am happy to say I've cultivated a "bias for action."
Status: Accomplished
Looking Ahead
That's not bad! A 90% success rate is incredible by my standards. I will need to sit down and think about what I am going to do next year. This year, I focused more on professional goals, but next year, I would like to incorporate some personal and health goals as well.