2025 has started, and while I'm actually skeptical of anything good happening (just look at the world burning), I decided to give some thought to what I hope to accomplish this year. You know, the good things, as an ask for the universe.
I could describe this all as a roadmap for 2025. But I've learned over the years that my plans usually don't come true, and something unexpected happens. So, instead of compiling a complete roadmap, I call these things wishes.
I assembled them in the form of a bingo card. You know, the game where you mark something when it happens (or, in the original thing, when the bingo host announces the number in the card). And when the things you've marked create either in horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines, you yell "Bingo!" and win something.
I really wish I'd get a "Bingo" this year. I would really need it after the past *mumbles a number* years. Like, really, really need it. Of course, I'm putting in the work towards all of that stuff - but with many things, it's not only about me.
However, I wouldn't be me if I wasn't realistic. So, I also compiled another list of events I predict to happen this year. Heck, I expect that most of them will happen before March, and I will get back to them in my #WeCoded post. Unfortunately, coming from a minority position, I need to be prepared for a lot of negative stuff.
Let's start with the good stuff.
2025, Please, Bring Some Goodness
So, here are my wishes for 2025:
The same bingo as a text version for better readability:
| B | I | N | G | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talk accepted to Kotlin Conf | I get invited to be a guest in a podcast | My research article gets published | Learn a new skill | More non-binary representation in conferences |
| Man speaks up against biased behaviour | New elections in Finland | Night outside, in a hammock | Get into a Doctorate program | Start mentoring again |
| A project is launched without a last-minute crunch | More women and non-binary in staff+ positions | Free space (Dream big!) | Blog post gets boosted or selected to Dev's top 7 | #WeCoded without jerks commenting |
| Conference swag socks in my size | Someone says my work inspired them | A new tattoo | A genuine apology from someone after being a jerk | Get a book deal |
| Get promoted to Tech Lead position | 100K views in Dev | Not burning out during the year | Build a new, useful feature for Neule.art-app | Finish building a keyboard |
I think they're pretty self-explanatory. In general, some are about work stuff, some are about non-work-but-tech stuff, and the rest are just me hoping for some cool things, like a night in nature or a new tattoo.
But they'd make 2025 a pretty decent year. Especially if I don't burn out. Which is an excellent segue to things I wish wouldn't happen, but I predict to happen in 2025.
But I Must Be Realistic
Here's a more realistic bingo card (without the good things):
And the text version of the card:
| B | I | N | G | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Being addressed as a guy | Someone gaslights me | Biased AI-generated content | Man speaks over me | Called "intimidating" for being assertive. |
| Someone interrupts when I'm presenting | "Gender doesn't matter, just talent" | Man takes credit for what I said | Being left out of an important meeting | "You'd be heard better, if you weren't so angry" |
| Someone assumes I can't handle my tech setup | Meeting a new person who assumes I'm not a developer | "I've never seen anyone being discriminated" | "Intent over impact" | Man needs to repeat what I've said |
| Invalidation of lived experience | "Women just don't want to code" | Someone else credited for my work | "But they clearly didn't mean it" | Sexist comment in a blog post or talk |
| "You were hired just for diversity quotas" | Everyone's surprised after something I warned happens | Man splaining my expertise to me | "Equality has gone too far" | Hypothetical developer is referred to as "he" or other gendered noun |
I'm exhausted after compiling this list. I wish I could say I had to look for examples elsewhere, but unfortunately, I've seen, heard, or experienced all of these during my career in tech.
I hope I won't get a bingo with this card. Unfortunately, that's more likely than with the first one - or, at least, faster than with the first one.
But I want to end on a positive note. I'm concentrating on the good, my well-being, and making the wishes I described above true. I'm manifesting a good year - a year with less discrimination, bias, and other similar things happening.
Top comments (5)
Does this imply that you've previously had unsuitably-sized conference swag socks? I'm trying to imagine the sort of tech conference that would sponsor itself with promotional footwear and perhaps I'm overthinking.
Yeah - in Droidcons, the conference itself has had socks as swag, and also one of the sponsors has been giving them out. I once asked from someone from the sponsor (not 100% which company it was) if they had smaller socks than their "One size fits all (and starts from ~EU 42)" (my feet are 38-39), and they seemed to realise only then that there are developers whose feet are smaller than EU 42.
If only they'd written proper tests, eh!
I love that you've formatted your goals into a BINGO card. I think that's a really great way to enable yourself to have lots of goals while seeing where the year actually takes you. I hope you get a BINGO in the first one!!
Men speak over other men too and take credit for other men's work. Not sure if you meant it as such but, I just want to clarify that, a lot of these aren't gender specific issues. Certain types of people just feel a need to treat other people like shit.