Retro 2024 — It’s still intense

Every week, it’s the same story: I start writing, then work or life takes over, and I don’t publish. I feel frustrated about it, so today I’m publishing. Honestly, it hasn’t been easy writing this retrospective this year:

• First, I keep thinking it’s way too late.
• Second, I tell myself nobody really cares.
• And third, the beginning of 2025 hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.

But when I reread my 2017 notebook — the year I started writing retros — I remember why I do this: to see the path I’ve traveled and appreciate the steps along the way. Usually, I like taking my time, but this year it’ll be quick, on a Sunday evening.

2024 kicked off beautifully in Vietnam — not really a return to my roots, more a personal quest for the best phô in the world ;) Of course, the culture, temples, and people were incredible, but here are three unforgettable anecdotes:

• Eating phô every morning officially became an addiction.
• Getting my hair cut by a tattooed 20-year-old while drinking egg coffee. Surreal.
• Celebrating Christmas in a biker bar with an incredible atmosphere and eating an amazing pizza (yes, in Vietnam).

The return home — soft and snowy — was perfect: mountains, cats, cuddles. Exactly what I needed.

🎯 Overall recap

2024 in four words: Voodoo, Entrepreneurship, New & Old Friends.

At Voodoo, I mainly worked on the Wizz app (less than 15 people but massive impact 🔥). The numbers speak for themselves: 🎉 1 million daily active users, 🌍 expansion to 20 new countries, 💹 +300% revenue growth, and 📈 +600% increase in gross margin. Pretty cool, right?

If you’re interested in consumer apps, Gen Z, multiple interactions (1to1, 1toMany), IAP versus subscriptions, let’s chat — it’s fascinating.

Honestly, working with this incredible team of GOATs was pure joy, both in terms of hard skills and soft skills. Voodoo pushes you to the max — sharp, radical, precise. An ideal environment for me, but life sometimes has surprises in store (more on that soon…).

The speed of execution at Wizz was unbelievable: about 20 features per quarter, constant MVPs and iterations. Special mention for the custom chat — almost a joke in the end (expected impact: +20% retention, reality: 0.2% usage…). A little nod to “Jinx,” our AI agent designed to help shy teens break the ice, and to Wizzspeak, the interactive feed that lets the community sort and gamify content. Working on integrated mini-games to enrich interactions was a real pleasure.

My biggest personal challenge? Still struggling to let go of operational tasks while trying to maintain strategic impact. Trying to manage everything solo probably isn’t the best approach…

📈 Highlight on personal growth This year, the real breakthrough was my English. It might sound funny, but debating, or doing a recorded talk in English was previously anxiety-inducing. This year, I tackled it all. Sorry for my rough accent and lost words, but apparently, it went okay!

💡 Key moments & anecdotes The big surprise this year was leaving Voodoo after deep consideration. I’ve jumped into an early-stage project with endless potential. It’s chaotic, huge, and very human-centric. I followed my gut — the famous chemistry. Stay tuned…

On the side, I continued teaching through ongoing training and mentoring in incubators, always inspired by students’ passion (yes, it does exist!). I also had the privilege of working as a brand designer on a fantastic project: the first deeptech dedicated to recycling rubber from used sports and leisure equipment. Circular economy — fascinating!

I also spent significant time exploring how to integrate AI into my teams, workflows, and become more autonomous in project phases.

But let’s get back to essentials: family.

A very special and personal moment this year was my dad’s 90th birthday and its preparations — a necessary refocus on what truly matters.

🌱 Well-being & balance To maintain some work-life balance this intense year, I got back seriously into sports, restarted dance sessions, and regularly invited friends to spend precious moments together (finally seeing them surf was a highlight!).

Some small personal wins:

• My partner brilliantly earned her doctorate — someone I deeply admire, personally and professionally.
• My students, whom I gently pushed, had their projects integrated into an entire company’s strategic roadmap. Truly proud of their success.
• I’ve significantly diversified my cooking — now venturing into sweets.
• I think I can finally keep up with my friends on the slopes.
• I landed the 360 on my surfboard at last!

🔭 Vision for 2025

Professionally, 2025 marks the start of an entirely new adventure — chaotic, intense, thrilling, sometimes frustrating, but I sense something different is happening. Why dive into this organized chaos? People first. At this stage of my career, I know connections make all the difference, and here, I feel something special.

An essential conclusion, particularly in these challenging times: cherish your loved ones. Time flies — create moments, gather memories. We can’t say it enough: life moves quickly, and losing someone dear doesn’t only happen to others.

See you next year for new adventures — take care!