Happy New Year 2025 and 2024 in Review

I cannot believe how quickly 2024 has flown by. I still remember sitting here a year back and writing my year in review. While 2022 was a rough year with my health issue, and 2023 didn’t feel upbeat due to work-related reasons, I did start 2024 positively.

As I sit here on the last day of 2024, I reflect on the range of emotions this past year has brought. The highs of launching Beyond Develop and three premium plugins, the lows of struggling with marketing and Black Friday sales, the joy of watching our daughter grow, and the challenges of balancing work and personal life are the mixed feelings that have defined my 2024.

WordPress

Let’s start this year-in-review post by talking about WordPress, a platform that has been a significant part of my life this year. My dedication and passion for WordPress work have taken up much of my free time, and I’m excited to share the journey with you. It’s not just a platform for me; it’s a part of my life.

I launched Beyond Develop a year ago to take my two-decade-old, forever-free plugin business professional. My primary goals for Beyond Develop were to build two premium plugins and selectively take on one or two WordPress development projects, time permitting.

As of today, I have developed and released three premium plugins: Contextual Related Posts Pro, Top 10 Pro and Better Search Pro. However, I intentionally did not pick up a single WordPress project in 2024. This is mainly because the demands of my day job take priority.

I’ve had limited success with the plugins. I spent most of the year coding and almost none of it marketing. The Black Friday sales were not as successful as I had hoped, which has given me some things to think about for 2025. However, the joy I get from emails announcing purchases reminds me that every small victory is worth celebrating. I hope that feeling never gets old. Overall, I’ll report a big loss this year.

The only third-party site build I worked on this year was the redesign of Aqua Air Logistics. I also manage and continue to build out their Invoicing System, which I built from the ground up.

Because of the focus on developing the three premium plugins, my free-only plugins received minor updates, primarily bug fixes and security-related updates. I did release a new version of Knowledge Base earlier this month.

I am considering closing two plugins due to their low usage. Alternatively, I may pause development and gradually phase them out.

I also upgraded my workstation with a 49″ curved Samsung monitor, a new keyboard, and a mouse, which has significantly improved my coding speed. I’ve also invested in Windsurf AI Editor, which is allowing me to push the boundaries of the code I’m writing.

I continued writing WordPress tutorials this year, although only 5, as I focused my brain power on plugin development. I’m hoping to be a bit more regular in 2025.

Life

Our daughter has grown so quickly and will be three soon. She’s full of energy, and I enjoy trying to keep pace with her. Ashwina says she’s got it from me, and there is zero doubt that she is Dada’s carbon copy in all aspects. Her energy and zest for life have reminded me to stay young and keep pushing my boundaries. However, one boundary I do need to reduce is the one around my waist 😉.

In January, we made our second trip to India after the pandemic. I also travelled to Australia for the first time, visiting Sydney and Melbourne, which allowed me to meet long-lost friends.

We continued exploring the many castles and gardens in the South East and took a long overdue holiday in Cornwall.

I also visited Turin this year to attend WordCamp Europe 2024. It was my first after London 2013! Exploring a new city and meeting many outstanding people with whom I had been interacting on X (formerly Twitter) for over a year was truly exciting and engaging. It was an excellent opportunity to learn and connect with the WordPress community. I booked my WordCamp Europe 2025 flight and hotel earlier this month.

Reading

I set an ambitious target last year and ended up reducing it. So, this year, I set a target of 30 books, which I crossed in October. However, I’ve read fewer pages across the 35 books I read this year.

I posted my updates in March and October, and you can also follow my reading journey on Goodreads.

Work

I started the year significantly busier than most years—yes, I know it is hard to believe that. However, over six transactions and multiple pitches left me quite exhausted. This, along with my WordPress development, has resulted in a year of limited sleep. However, I’m not complaining, as both Work and WordPress have been generally fulfilling.

What about 2025?

I am looking forward to 2025 with great anticipation. I plan to continue building WebberZone. I’m also debating launching other pro versions, but I need to figure out what features go into them. The possibilities for the future are exciting, and I can’t wait to see what 2025 holds.

I am also considering getting into WooCommerce plugin development. However, this is my first time playing in this space, and I’ll need to seek inspiration.

If you have some ideas, let’s chat.