This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Retro’ing and Debugging 2024.
Introduction
Hey there 👋 it's Dhanush N back with my annual retrospective.
For those following my journey through Dev Retro 2022 and 2023 you've seen how each year has shaped my growth. Each year brings fresh opportunities and challenges and for 2024 it was a transformative year.
This year's theme, Dive Deep into Mastery, was inspired by a simple truth:
"The more you learn, the more you realize how vast the unknown truly is."
This year was all about venturing beyond my comfort zone, diving into unexplored areas and broadening both my technical and personal growth.
Throughout the year, I immersed myself around various technologies and experimenting different things.
Best Things Happened
In 2024, I significantly expanded my expertise by participating in some online workshops where I explored topics like OWASP Top 10 Vulnerabilities and the integration of AI in documentation with Let AI Be Your Docs. These experiences deepened my understanding of software security and AI's role in enhancing development processes.
Open-source continued to be a cornerstone of my work this year. I created custom action workflows, contributed to multiple open-source events, published both npm and cargo packages and more. My blog contributions also earned me recognition once as a Top 3 Writer in Hackernoon's Tech Companies category.
Furthermore, I achieved a remarkable milestone by securing a Top 5 position at Dev Fest AI 2024 competing against over 1500 teams. My efforts in the open-source community and content creation were further acknowledged through multiple GitHub sponsorships from renowned contributors.
In addition to my open-source and AI contributions, my journey in cybersecurity has been equally transformative. I have proudly achieved a position in the Top 3% globally on TryHackMe, further solidifying my passion for ethical hacking and security. This accomplishment not only sharpened my technical skills but also deepened my appreciation for the vast, ever-evolving world of cybersecurity. However, this is just the beginning , I'm eager to continue expanding my knowledge and mastering the complexities of this dynamic field. There's still much to learn, and I am committed to further exploring and growing within the cybersecurity space.
This year, I have obtained over seven certifications across various categories. While I always prioritize skills over certifications, these achievements reflect my dedication to validating and showcasing my expertise.
Beyond technical accomplishments, I ventured into content creation, publishing more than 50 long-format videos and building a community of over 800 YouTube subscribers, a testament to my passion for sharing knowledge and engaging with audiences.
youtube.com
Additionally, I have actively contributed to communities by mentoring and collaborating, resulting in recognitions such as the Mentorship Certificate from GDG (Google Developer Group). These experiences not only strengthened my expertise but also deepened my commitment to fostering growth and knowledge sharing within the tech ecosystem.
Conclusion
2024 taught me valuable lessons:
Depth Takes Time: It’s tempting to chase breadth, but true expertise requires focusing on fewer things and mastering them.
Patience is a Skill: Results don’t come overnight. The badges, certificates and projects were earned through countless hours of effort and learning.
Never Stop Exploring: Curiosity drives growth but make sure that curiosity remains intact.
A Big Thank You 🙏🏻
I would have covered atleast 80% of my journey and accomplishments in this blog. To anyone who has followed my journey this far, thank you. Your encouragement, engagement and support have been invaluable. As I move forward, I leave you with this thought:
“Mastery isn’t a destination; it’s a mindset of relentless curiosity and growth.”
Let’s keep learning, sharing, and growing together in 2025. 🌟🚀
Feel free to connect with me on X , Instagram, Github or Youtube.
Top comments (1)
Have a great year ahead!