This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Compiling 2025.
This year is shaping up to be a transformative one for me. After seven years in a full-time job, I am making a significant leap by joining my close friend’s startup. It’s not just a career change; it is the beginning of an entrepreneurial journey that I have always dreamed of. Alongside this, I aim to grow as a stronger engineer, contribute back to the community, explore the future of AI, and pursue some personal adventures. Here’s my roadmap for 2025:
🚀 Starting Back My Entrepreneurial Journey
💪 Becoming a Stronger Full Stack Engineer
🪴 Contributing Back to the Community
🤖 Exploring the Future of AI
⛵ A Bit of a Personal Side Quest
🚀 Starting Back My Entrepreneurial Journey
I have always been fascinated by the idea of running my own business. During my university days, I made a few attempts at entrepreneurship, but they didn’t go as planned. Those setbacks made me hesitant to try again, so I joined a startup instead of a multinational corporation for my first job. Over the past seven years, I have gained invaluable experience, polished my skills, and learned how businesses operate. Now, I feel ready to take the leap and apply what I have learned by starting something. It is a mix of excitement and nervousness, but I am determined to embrace the challenges ahead.
💪 Becoming a Stronger Full Stack Engineer
My career so far has been heavily focused on frontend development, where I have built reliable and user-friendly web applications. In 2024, I began exploring backend and DevOps technologies, diving into areas that were unfamiliar to me. This year, my goal is to master these domains and become a proficient full-stack engineer.
Being a well-rounded engineer is not just about technical skills; it is about finding cost-effective solutions and building products that are reliable, scalable, and maintainable. These skills will empower me to approach problems holistically and make better decisions, especially in the entrepreneurial world where resources can be limited.
🪴 Contributing Back to the Community
As I dive deeper into backend and DevOps, I am committed to sharing my knowledge with others. I have been writing on Dev.to for a month now, and the community has been incredibly supportive, offering feedback that has opened my eyes to new perspectives.
In 2025, I plan to write more frequently, document my learnings, and participate in Dev.to competitions to win at least one. Sharing knowledge is a powerful way to solidify what I have learned and give back to the community that has helped me grow.
🤖 Exploring the Future of AI
Artificial Intelligence and automation are reshaping the world, and I am eager to be part of this revolution. One of my goals this year is to learn more about AI, particularly in areas like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and fine-tuning models.
AI agents fascinate me because of their potential to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more creative and meaningful work. As an entrepreneur, leveraging AI will be a game-changer, enabling me to build innovative solutions efficiently. By diving into AI, I hope to create something impactful and add this valuable skill to my toolkit.
⛵ A Bit of a Personal Side Quest
This year, I also want to embrace the joy of travel. I recently returned from a trip to Bali, which left me inspired to explore more. In 2025, I would like to visit other Southeast Asian countries, India, and China. Immersing myself in diverse cultures and experiencing local lifestyles will not only broaden my perspective but also help me grow as a problem solver. Understanding people from different walks of life can offer fresh insights that are invaluable in entrepreneurship.
2025 is a year of growth, learning, and exploration for me. From taking bold steps in my entrepreneurial journey to mastering technical skills and giving back to the community, I am ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead. Along the way, I will seek inspiration from new places and people, hoping to make this year truly transformative. Here is to a year of dreams, growth, and success! Wish me luck.
Good luck on that mate,
Your post just inspired me out.