This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Retro’ing and Debugging 2024.
Dear reader, the title is, admittedly, clickbait - but can you blame me? Sometimes the easiest way to get your attention is to go for the obvious hook. Now I get why reporters do it.
But before I properly debug 2024, I think a quick introduction is in order. After all, context matters - in code, and when reflecting on the last 365 days of life as we know it.
So, who am I? I'm a developer. Big whoop, so are you probably, especially since you're reading it here. But I am also a husband, a father, a board-game enthusiast, a passable singer, a pop culture junkie, a gourmand of sorts, and, occasionally, a pretty annoying person to boot.
We developers are as diverse as the systems we build, and while people have ideas on what a developer should be, they rarely understand who we are. But don't worry - this isn't a philosophical deep-dive. I'll stick (mostly) to my professional achievements, as I debug my last year.
Deepening my soft skills
With over 15 years of experience, as a senior developer, I am confident there isn't a serious problem I can't handle - given enough time and preparation. Sort of like Batman. And let's be honest, we're all Batman. You can confidently whisper "I am the night" to anyone you meet.
But sometimes we need to be more Bruce Wayne - focused on relationships and human connections.
All joking aside, this year forced me to debug my approach to communication and leadership.
Mentoring a junior developer this year has been equal parts rewarding and challenging. As they learned to tackle coding problems, I learned to adapt my approach to fit how they learn - because, surprise, nobody learns the same way. This was my first real mentoring experience. Building a person from the ground floor (and I do mean from the ground floor) is no small feat.
But it's worth it. I am proud to say my mentee exceeded my expectations, and is on their way to become an excellent developer in their own right.
The hardest part for me, though, was learning to detach myself from the urge to just do it for them. Developers are natural problem-solvers, so resisting that instinct and gently guiding them - talking through solutions, encouraging them to challenge others as well as me - was a lesson in patience and growth. Mentoring isn't just about code - it's about preparing someone to deploy confidently into the real world.
This year, I finally stopped being apprehensive about conflict. As a developer, you know when a firm "No" is necessary, right? But that, dear reader, is only part of the equation.
Sometimes we're all too caught up in deadlines, code, and responsibilities, that we forget the importance of standing up for ourselves when it matters. And no, I don't mean standing up to the business - a well-organized team should always present a united front.
I'm talking about conflict within the team itself. I learned that, when approached with honesty and sincerity, conflict can actually work, if all parties involved are prepared to listen.
I encountered two major conflicts this year. One was a resounding success, completely upgrading my relationship with the other party. The other one remains uncertain. That comes back to the importance of listening - which is essential for true resolution.
So, as you can see, not all of my journey into soft skills was a smooth ride. But that's exactly the point. We learn far more from our setbacks than our successes.
Focusing on writing more
Writing has always been a (not so) hidden passion of mine. I always had this feeling that there's a novel in me, just waiting to emerge - once I find the perfect topic, title, character names, and motivation to write it. While that novel is still on hold, I've discovered that blog posts provide a satisfying way to express myself through words.
Throughout my career, I always found some form of writing in every company I worked for, but finding topics for blog posts has never been a small task. I probably overthought it, but I often doubted if what I was writing about had real merit.
The tech landscape is ever changing, so writing tutorials which could easily become obsolete felt like a risky proposition.
Last year, I managed to shake off that dread. How? Simple. I stopped writing tutorials. Yes, dear reader, I shifted my focus to the "human" side of development - the challenges we face, how it relates to our experience, and the common pitfalls we all encounter. Finding topics on this side of development has proven much easier than I imagined. And now, I can finally enjoy my writing without the pressure of keeping up with the technical tide, focusing instead on the humanity that lies behind our occupation.
Polishing my tech-leading skills
I am no stranger to taking the lead on projects. Making decisions about new features, following an established flow while adding my own twist - this is something I find both comfortable and enjoyable. Innovation is my primary motivator in this field, and I get a certain joy from anticipating pitfalls before they arise.
These moments, however, are fleeting since I don't technically hold a formal leadership position in my team. But when you get a small project to call your own, that in itself is incredibly rewarding.
This year, however, something exceptional happened. It felt as if all of my previous experiences converged into the perfect storm for delivering a project on time. Yes, dear reader, I can almost retire (not just yet) knowing that I led a project that didn't burn extra hours, was properly planned, and was executed exactly how I envisioned. Oh, the personal satisfaction it brought me - truly, you can't imagine!
What a year it has been
In retrospect, 2024 has been a year of growth, challenges, and unexpected triumphs. There were inevitable ups and downs, but the lessons I've learned this year have been more profound than the years before. As I reflect on them now, I feel a deep sense of joy and fulfillment, both personally and professionally.
I am truly thankful for 2024 - the year I turned 40, the year my journey in life and in my career reached new heights. It's been a year of milestones, and I'm optimistic that 2025 holds even more promise.
Here's to 2025! May it be as fulfilling, if not more so, than 2024!
Top comments (3)
Loved this! I'm Batman
I learned from the architect at a past job to let juniors/mentees struggle too. He always said: "if you're still stucked after one hour, come back" In the meantime he let us alone to Google or bang our heads against the wall.
I started doing the same. After a layoff, I took the time to reflect on my career. And I realized that coding is the easy part, figuring out the human side is the hard part.
Thanks for sharing!
Yep, that's me – the mentee! And honestly, everything he said is 100% true. He’s been super patient (even when I was clueless), always encouraging, and somehow knew exactly how to push me just enough without ever making me feel overwhelmed. I’ve learned so much, not just about code but about how to think like a developer. Huge thanks to an amazing mentor and genuinely awesome person. Couldn’t have asked for better :D
Great read Tomislav!