The 2025 Retro
learning to carry more without losing myself
At the end of every year, I sit down and write a retrospective. It’s become one of my favorite rituals.
On December 31st last year, I wrote down a list of things I wanted to achieve in 2025. A year later, I looked back and realized: I hit every single one of my work goals, and neglected almost all of my personal ones.
From the outside, it probably looks like momentum. Inside, it’s felt like learning how to carry more every day without losing myself.
My old retrospectives:
my 2025 wrapped:
moved to another city and signed my first lease!
more customers, raised venture funding, started paying myself a salary, and grew the team
struggled with feeling like I don’t fit in, and that I’m never enough
went for a walk everyday
discovered a ton of new french pop songs
850 days on duolingo!
started childhood hobbies again like ballet and painting
Some things I picked up along the way:
real > perfect
I picked up a paintbrush again after years. Not to create anything impressive, but to remind myself that real beats perfect.
There’s something freeing about making messy things. Being yourself attracts the people who click naturally with you, and makes life even more fun. Perfectionism is a slow killer of joy.
the cost of freedom
“Most people can’t afford agency, they’re too busy surviving.”
I read this on Nikunj’s blog and it’s been living rent-free in my head since.
So many founders (myself included) have agency and the privilege of choice. We get to choose where to live, what to build, who to become. Not everyone gets to design their days, many are just trying to get through them.
you can hold multiple truths at once
This was a big one for me this year:
You can be proud of yourself and still want more
You can be grateful for your career and still feel overwhelmed
You can love your job deeply and still feel exhausted sometimes
You don’t owe anyone an explanation for how hard you work
Having freedom doesn’t mean having balance — it just means you get to choose what you’re imbalanced for
I am a founder as much as I am a creative, dancer, and photographer. Pursue everything that makes you come alive and don’t let society tell you that you can’t excel if you don’t focus on one thing.
your work feels lighter when it’s connected to who you are
Your best work is often an extension of who you are and the values you stand for. Which begs the question: who are you, and what do you want?
I’ve designed my life around three things I’m committed to because they bring me joy:
Working on something I care about deeply. For me, that’s helping people move to the city of their dreams.
Surrounding myself with people who make me excited about life, and making the people around me excited to do life with me too.
Living in the city and curating my environment: people + place.
I adored Sam Kolder’s videos growing up, and a quote he always said: “Do what makes you come alive.” I’ve lived by that for years and never regretted it because you end up doing things with more joy and passion, which attracts great people who make the journey more fun.
discontentment as a motivator
I started my company 4 years ago with $3k in my bank account. I never thought I’d pick up engineering along the way and run a company as both the CEO and CTO, but here I am.
A friend of mine built this tool to analyze github profiles — I thought mine would come out much worse but here I am :)
Retrospectively, I kept pushing myself because despite the growth and milestones, I kept raising the bar. In some ways, discontentment can be good — it depends on how you choose to use it. It can crush you, or it can fuel you.
remember it’s your mom and dad’s first time living too
At some point this year, I found myself looking at my parents with an extra layer of understanding: why they are who they are, and why they do what they do.
People express love differently. Spending time to see things from their lens is worth it — remember, it’s their first time being parents too.
think for yourself
Paul Graham has an essay about how to think for yourself. I spend at least 30 minutes a day thinking, usually on a walk.
It’s been exceptionally helpful in regulating emotions and thoughts, and helping me figure out what I actually want. There’s so much noise & people pulling you in different directions all the time. As much as I listen to others’ opinions, I like to remind myself to make the decision that suits me best.
moving into 2026
I try to remember: life isn’t happening to me, it’s happening for me. I’m so excited for all the things that’s coming my way in the next year — here’s to all the joy and success you deserve and see you in my next retro, xx
Great post. Hope you have an amazing 2026. From the outside, your 2025 was exceptional. Cheers to you.