2020 (A decade later…)
Even though it’s been a little over 10 years, it feels like just yesterday. when I went from browsing through brochures of schools in England, to having barely enough allowance to feed in University (UNILAG).
Looking back, I can say the resolutions 15 year old me made, has shaped the man I have become 10 years later.
I was just getting into uni, went through my bouts of depression, suicidal thoughts and self loathing. Funny how the main thing in my life that worked then, was my ability to code.
It was like being in a completely different world, I felt like God. The ability to create something from nothing, give it a will and a purpose (and also remove it when you feel like).
Fast forward 10 years later, that feeling has enabled me to make good on a few resolutions of a 15 year old. Someone once asked me on curiouscat if i felt fulfilled, I’d say not even close, I am still a bundle of mess; But this mess has not a single regret.
I wrote a review for the first time last year, it was a somewhat shitty year for me but I entered 2020 with the hope of a clean slate, and boyyyyyyyy was it wiped clean.
Career
This year, my “code mercenary” lifestyle got me to work on some really amazing products and with awesome people
- Africave
- Concourse (Dexag)
- Concourse (Defipulse)
- EPNS
- GetEquity
This year, GetEquity became an actual thing; An idea i thought of, and worked with a “mentee” who wanted to learn blockchain. Looking at William’s growth in the past year, he’s been nothing short of amazing.
A lot of people I have spoken to have many good things to say about the product, and I cannot wait to show what we have planned.
Family
Part of the resolutions of 15 year old me was to make sure that nothing like what happened ever repeated itself.
- I would out-earn our previous collective monthly earnings
- Everyone in my family would be self sufficient
- I wouldn’t repeat same mistakes that got us there (maybe this is why i never spend so long working in one place)
We have managed to tick everyone of these, 2021 is not just about self sufficiency, it’s also increasing each person’s earning power in multiples
Writing
I told myself I would write more on whatever thoughts fiddled my mind, for a large part of the year, I couldn’t bring myself to do a full article, but I sure tweeted about it.
I did write a few things about some “ideas” i found interesting
- Building an exchange
- Democratising venture capital (This was a precursor to GetEquity and what we’re trying to do)
- Remittance across Africa
Maybe someday, I will build out a few things that come to mind.
Personal
I made a few close friends this year, funny how one tweet can spark a whole lot; now it feels like we had been friends for years.
(Oj, Mykeels, Ray, Proton, Bayo). I don’t think i can trade these guys for anything…
The lockdown gave me a lot of spare time, fortunately it also made me exercise more; I bulked up a little, after the lockdown, going back to the gym and my new training regimen, I am a little less than a beast during workouts
I turned 25 this year, it felt surreal; for some reason I saw things differently, thought about things differently. Some say it’s growth, i’ll wait to see where it leads
I got into a relationship last year with the best woman I could ever think of, it made me learn a lot of things about myself. I finally understood how it is to feel loved and also learn to love someone; It’s a really good feeling and I couldn’t have asked for anyone else!
Major L’s
I think I had a few L’s this year, Got another FAANG interview that didn’t go so well, but I got nice reviews. I have understood that maybe it is not just for me.
I also experienced a major burnout this year and had to quit; funny thing is I still felt really good, because I had done so much in just one year, I could sight the burnout months away but paid no heed.
For the first time ever, I lost people close to me; Mekky and Olamide, I don’t think I really grieved. Yes i cried, but I don’t think I ever really processed their deaths until much later, after my burnout.
2021?
After all is said and done, this was a really good year. I am extremely hopeful for 2021, funny I only have one major goal; and I know we will smash it
In retrospect, I think 15 year old me would be happy with a lot of how I turned out. I met a few people this year who are currently in a state i was 6ish years ago, it’s mainly why i’m writing this.
I need you to know there’s a lot to look forward to, there’s many things ahead, all we have to do is keep pushing…
