Journeying Through 2023: Work, Life, and Learnings

Hey folks! Time to rewind the clock and chat about the whirlwind that was 2023. From dodging workplace surprises to nailing some big wins, dipping my toes into remote work, and jet-setting off for my first international gig – this year was a total mixed bag. Join me for a quick rundown of the ups, downs, and crazy adventures that made 2023 a year to remember!

Work Highlights

Going Through Tough Times at Gojek: Early in the year, I survived two layoffs at Gojek, where I worked in the platform team. It was really tough seeing colleagues leave. Taught me that sometimes things happen that we can't control, and all we can do is be patient.

Big Win at Gojek: Despite the challenges, I pulled off a major project – the Clickstream Web. I built this library from scratch, and it's now used by different web products within Gojek to save at-least few hundred dollars yearly. It was a big achievement as a team and for me personally!

Joining Kisi: Around May end, I started at Kisi as a Senior Software Engineer, working in a true remote team setup for the first time with people from different places and cultures. Also the onboarding process was one of the most detailed till I have seen now :)

Trip to Stockholm: I got to travel to Stockholm, Sweden, for a hack week at Kisi. It was my first international trip! Meeting people from different backgrounds, trying new food, and working on our project, Deep Purple, which got best votes in two categories – it was an awesome week!

Projects at Kisi: Worked on Reports, we created a system for users to see and download different kinds of reports. This was one of the major thing that I have delivered till now in Kisi.

Outside Work

Sticking to Fitness Goals: I'm proud that I kept up with my gym routine, which I started in 2022. It wasn't easy, but I managed it throughout the year.

Getting into Writing: I started writing more about my day-to-day work, like keeping daily work logs and notes on debugging. It helped me understand how I spend my time better.

Facing Fears: I did an open mic standup poetry gig after a long time. Stage fear is going no where, but you just learn to live with it!

Switching to iPhone: I switched to using an iPhone as my main phone, and it's been a good experience so far.

Travel and Lifestyle Changes: Didn't plan any major trips besides the one to Stockholm. But I did move around different cities a lot, which kept me busy.

Taking Care of Health: Started tracking my water intake, trying to stay healthy.

2023 was a year marked by diverse challenges and triumphs. Despite navigating layoffs at Gojek, I led the implementation of a significant project. Transitioning to Kisi introduced remote work and a memorable trip to Stockholm. Outside work, I upheld fitness routines, embraced writing, and conquered stage fear.

If you have read till the end, consider writing your own retrospective and sharing it.

Thanks to Ramana who gave me the initial push and inspiration to write this year review and here is his year in review, do give a read.

Thanks a lot for reading. Wish you a happy new year. Looking forward to another great year.