Back in Action: Reflections and Plans 🎯
As I return from paternity leave on February 10th 2025, timing feels perfect for an unconventional year-in-review reflection. Not just because I’m transitioning back to my Developer Advocate role at JetBrains, but because this pause has given me a unique perspective on both personal and professional growth. While others might be watching their New Year’s resolutions fade, I’m using this moment to assess what worked in 2024, set intentional goals for 2025, and share insights that might resonate with fellow tech professionals balancing career growth with life’s major milestones. By making these reflections public, I’m not just documenting my journey – I’m creating accountability for the goals ahead. Let’s dive into how 2024 shaped up, where some aspirations fell short, and what’s on the horizon for 2025.
The DevRel Life: Finding My Groove 🎵
I started my role as Developer Advocate mid of 2023, and I have never done anything like that before. So originally I felt intimidated by the flexibility and variety that this role has to offer. But last year was a game-changer for my role as Developer Advocate at JetBrains. You know that moment when things just click? That was beginning of 2024 for me. The developer community isn’t just a target audience - it’s become this amazing ecosystem where every conversation thrive and everything adds another piece to the puzzle. I am more than grateful for all the interesting people I met, the conversations I held and the relationships I built. I’ve been out there giving talks (probably saw some of you in the audience!), and let me tell you - there’s nothing quite like the energy of live presentations. Sure, there were those classic “demo gods, why have you forsaken me?” moments, but each talk was a step towards better community engagement and personal growth.
The Personal Changelog đź’Ş
# 2024 Release Notes
+ Shipped: Baby #2+ Shipped: -30 pounds body weight+ Added: Muscle mass improvements- Deprecated: Old basically non-existent fitness habits~ Pending: Reading goals (status: in progress)The highlight of the year? Welcoming baby Diana! While my role in the delivery was admittedly supporting cast, the joy is indescribable. Everyone’s healthy and thriving, which is all we could ask for.
Speaking of thriving - transforming fitness habits while juggling tech life and family isn’t exactly straightforward. But necessity breeds innovation, right? Enter the 5 AM workout solution. Setting a fixed schedule turned out to be my secret weapon for consistency. Those early morning session and generally better eating habits became the foundation of my 30-pound transformation.
And remember that perpetually postponed reading goal? You know, like that side project you keep meaning to start? Well, paternity leave unexpectedly became my productive reading environment - three books down in January alone. Who knew baby naps could be such excellent reading sprints (or late night reading sessions if the baby just doesn’t want to go to bed at 11pm…)
What’s Next? The Roadmap 🗺️
Public speaking is getting a major version update this year. For 2025 I want to be more intentional with my language and words of choice and generally improve my stage presence. Because let’s face it - technical knowledge is only as good as the delivery.
And speaking of communication… This year I want to create a lot more content, primarily written content but also videos (which is partially also a driver for this blog post). I Can’t spill all the beans yet, but I am working on something I am super excited to share with y’all in a few weeks. Watch this space for a major announcement!
The Bottom Line
Coming back from paternity leave feels like deploying to production after a long development cycle. You’ve got fresh perspectives, few things pilled up while you were heads-down, and probably a couple fires to take care of.
Here’s to 2025… well the rest of it!
P.S. To those who’ve been part of this journey - whether through conference talks, community discussions, or just reading these words right now - thanks for being the best kind of dependencies one could ask for! 🙏