As 2024 draws to a close, I sit here wrapping up 2024 scrolling through my commits, my contributions, what I have done from the past year - and wow, what a ride! You know that feeling when you're flipping through old photos and each one brings back a flood of memories? That's me right now with my dev journey. 2024 has been something else entirely!

There's just something magical about these chilly December days that gets you all reflective, right? Maybe it's the holiday vibes in the air 😊. But here I am, thinking about all the exciting moments I've gone through this year.

Welcome aboard! Let me share how captivating this journey has been in 2024! 🚀

• Joined CreoWis as a Developer

• Started working Nest.js from Ground Zero

• Restarted my Tech YouTube Channel

• Built a Tech Community Presence

• Explored mobile development using React Native.

• I bought my very first Apple product - Mac Mini M4

• First Creoconnect Team Meetup in Bengaluru

🏢 The CreoWis Journey

Do you know how some of the best opportunities come when you least expect them? That's exactly how my journey with Creowis began. Back in May 2023, I was in that all-too-familiar job hunt mode - scrolling through LinkedIn, firing off applications, and watching interview prep videos (we've all been there, right?).

Then came this random YouTube recommendation that changed everything. I stumbled upon Tapas Adhikary's channel, and something about his teaching style just clicked. His way of explaining complex concepts made so much sense that I had to find him on LinkedIn. I sent that connection request without thinking twice!

Sometimes, life has a funny way of working out. I remember this one morning particularly well - I was feeling pretty down about the radio silence from all my job applications. But right there in my LinkedIn feed was Tapas's post, looking for a full-stack developer with strong front-end skills. Talk about perfect timing! I didn't think twice - shot him a message right away with my resume.

We jumped on a call, he gave me a project task to tackle (you know, the usual tech interview drill), and I gave it my all. Must have done something right because he brought me on for the project! We worked together through 2023, and I got to show what I could really bring to the table.

Then comes January 2024, and Creowis officially launches as a software development company. When they started looking for developers, it felt like a natural fit - they knew my work, I knew their style, and honestly? It just made sense. That's how I landed my full-time role at Creowis.

Sometimes I look back at that random YouTube recommendation and feel a wave of gratitude. It's funny how the smallest moments can lead to something so meaningful, isn't it?

💻Diving into Nest.js

Ever know that moment when life pushes you way out of your comfort zone? That's exactly what happened with my Nest.js journey. Here I was, comfortable in my React bubble, building sleek frontends and occasionally tinkering with Node.js and MongoDB for my portfolio projects. You know, the usual frontend dev life.

Then came this plot twist at CreoWis. I still remember Tapas's message clear as day: "Hey Syket, you need to handle the backend, With Nest.js." My heart did a little flip - okay, maybe a big flip! 😅 Here's the thing: I'd never touched Nest.js professionally before. Sure, I'd played around with Node.js, but this? This was different.

Instead of letting the fear take over, I decided to dive in headfirst. I mean, what's the worst that could happen, right? Made myself a game plan: first, understand how Nest.js thinks. No coding yet - just pure learning. Started with the basics, and created mini-projects to test things out. YouTube became my best friend, and Udemy my evening companion. Time? What's that? When you're in the learning zone, 3 AM feels just like 3 PM!

The coolest part? Fast forward a year, and now I'm not just working with Nest.js - I'm actually enjoying it! Like, genuinely having fun building new features. There's something incredibly satisfying about conquering something that once scared you, you know? Sure, there's still tons to learn (isn't there always?), but that's what makes it exciting.

Reflecting on my journey with Nest.js, I realize it wasn't just about picking up a new framework—it was about proving to myself that with focus and determination, no challenge is too big. And honestly, I'm so glad I took that leap! 🚀

🎥 YouTube Revival

Creating YouTube content has always been my passion. I started my channel back in 2020, but staying consistent proved to be a real challenge at times. In the middle of 2024, I made the decision to relaunch my channel, and I'm so glad I did. The love and support I've received from my small but growing community has been incredible. From July 2024 to December, I've reached over 23K views and gained more than 500 subscribers. It's been an absolute pleasure, and I'm hopeful that next year, the growth will be a couple of times bigger!

For my small YouTube channel, this kind of comment brings me so much satisfaction. Anyone who creates content will understand the effort that goes into making a video—from brainstorming ideas, writing scripts, and building the project, to explaining everything clearly. It's comments like these that make all the hard work worthwhile.

✍️ Building My Tech Presence

I believe that learning in public isn't something new for you. I've tried to apply this concept in my own life as well. Whenever I’m exploring something new or building something, I make it a point to share it on my social media platforms. It's true—content truly drives the world.

A few months ago, I faced a unique challenge while implementing React Internationalization with Next.js. I struggled to catch the 'not found' pages, even though it seemed like the standard approach from Next.js documentation. After some research, I eventually found the solution. I shared this on LinkedIn, and to my surprise, many others were facing the same issue. Some even shared better solutions, and it was a great exchange of ideas.

Lately, I’ve been focusing on establishing my presence on platforms like LinkedIn and documenting my learning journey. I've also written several blogs this year across various platforms, including our CreoWis blog section: https://creowis.com/blog

📱 React Native Experience

Building mobile apps with my favorite library has always been an amazing feeling. It all started in 2023, but my Windows machine wasn’t powerful enough to run heavy software like Android Studio. Thankfully, there was an existing solution “Expo Go” but even that didn’t always work properly.

I felt pure frustration every time I tried to build a mobile app. It was something I was so passionate about, but I often ended up with incomplete projects or stuck at certain points. I can't even count how many days I spent in that cycle. This constant struggle motivated me to buy a Mac to smoothen my React Native experience. I started saving money early this year with that goal in mind.

I wrote this down in my Notion doc 😂. I was overthinking way too much. I can't even tell you how many hours I spent on the Apple website, endlessly comparing the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini. It was taking up so much of my time, so I made a promise to myself: from now on when I buy a Mac, it’s just work—no more overthinking 😂.

As a web developer, we're so used to working in the browser to create front-end experiences. But when it comes to mobile apps, building an app screen from scratch that behaves like the ones we use daily—it's a feeling that brings me a deep sense of happiness, not just in the work, but in the entire experience of creating something that connects with users.

🍎 My new Mac Mini

Finally, the moment arrived on December 8th—I bought the Mac Mini M4 variant! I was super excited, and development work started flowing smoothly. That's when my React Native journey really kicked into full gear. With my new machine, there were no excuses left. I dove into React Native practice headfirst. By the way, if we haven’t connected yet, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/syketb. I share all of my projects and the new experiences I gather there.

🤝 Creoconnect Meetup

CreoConnect was one of the most fun moments in my CreoWis journey. Everyone was so excited to meet in person. In a remote company, it’s truly special to finally meet the people you spend most of your time working with. From December 6th to 8th, all CreoWis members gathered in Bengaluru. Unfortunately, due to some visa-related issues, I wasn’t able to join my team, but it was still remarkable, especially for our first CreoWis meetup.

What I'm Planning for 2025

As I step into 2025, my focus is to refine my mindset to become more product-oriented while continuing to grow as a strong and skilled developer. Alongside this, I have a few specific goals I am determined to achieve:

• Expand My Social Media Presence: I aim to be more active and publicly engaged on social media, particularly in the tech space, to share knowledge and connect with a broader audience.

• Write Paid Tech Articles: I aim to publish at least 12+ high-quality, paid technical articles across various platforms, contributing valuable insights to the community.

• YouTube Content Creation: I plan to create and share 20+ quality videos on my YouTube channel, focusing on delivering educational and engaging content.

• Build and Launch a React Native App: One of my ambitious goals is to develop a React Native mobile application and successfully launch it in app stores.

• Deepen Backend Expertise: I want to dive deeper into the backend development world, broadening my understanding and strengthening my skills in this domain.

2025 is a year I’m excited to embrace with determination and growth in both my personal and professional journey!

Epilogue:

2024 has been a transformative year of growth and new beginnings. A new role, learning backend development, and buying a Mac, all of these have helped me to expand my perspectives and harden my resolve.

Looking ahead to 2025, I'm determined to push my boundaries further - embracing greater challenges, deepening my technical expertise, and growing both professionally and personally.

I'm committed to giving back to the tech community through valuable content on LinkedIn. Together, let's make each year more impactful than the last.

With gratitude and optimism,

Syket Bhattachergee 🙏

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We at CreoWis believe in sharing knowledge publicly to help the developer community grow. Let’s collaborate, ideate, and craft passion to deliver awe-inspiring product experiences to the world.

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This article is crafted by Syket Bhattachergee, a passionate developer at CreoWis. You can reach out to him on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, and follow his work on the GitHub.