There is one more year left of the 2020’s. I am 28 years old, almost the entirety of my adult life has been spent in this decade. I’ve seen the world change in ways I couldn’t imagine - global health crisis, politics, the environment. I’ve seen myself change in ways I would have never imagined - moving across the world, working in the best startups with the best teams, becoming a face of the AI industry. It seems like both a minute has passed and a lifetime since I set my first set of goals in the end of 2020.
From 2021 to the end of 2022, life was about pushing myself beyond the limits of what I thought was possible. I ran a marathon, moved to a new country, graduated university, got a job I was nowhere near qualified for.
Between the start of 2023 and the end of 2025 I was focused on surviving and keeping my head above water. Moving to a new country was more taxing than I ever thought it was going to be, between learning a new language, trying to figure out the bureaucracy of applying for visas, working in a high profile startup, finding an apartment and all the little things in between. Still, I managed to excel at my job, become a sort of influencer on LinkedIn, travel across the world, grow in a new sport, and learn to love exercise again. These three years set the foundation for the next three.
I have built a level of success I am still taken aback by when I think about it for too long. I have poured by heart and soul into what I’m doing, and I love doing it. I have influence and impact on the industry, when I say something online, people react and believe in me and my narrative. I work with the best people in the industry towards a better world and better AI. Sometimes I feel out of place, but I know the amount of work it took to get here, and I know I provide value to others. I almost wonder if people I used to know would still recognize me, sometimes I feel almost like a different person - confident, strong, open, grounded.
Beyond work, I’m in the best shape of my life - running ultra marathons, training consistently and genuinely enjoying the strength and capabilities of my body. I love finding new ways to push what I’m capable of, whether that’s through races or training with friends or trying something new.
I’ve come far in German, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to say I’m fluent, but it feels almost as natural as speaking English now. I’ve started learning a couple other languages as side projects and hobbies, it’s a good way to keep my brain engaged.
I don’t really watch too much TV or movies, but I still love books. I read everything and anything I can get my hands on, something I hope never changes in my life.
I think I’ll try something different with these goals, just a simple list: