This blog post is my eleventh yearly reflection. The three previous reflections can be found here: 2022, 2021, 2020.

Usually, I write these at the start of the new year. This time, it’s the middle of December. I’ll start an extended vacation later in the week I finish writing this blog post. It made more sense for me to reflect on the year now instead of doing so in January after a long vacation.

Here are some of the things that happened during 2023 in my life, in no particular order:

• I’ve read 21157 pages across 59 books. That’s slightly more than the previous year and slightly less than in 2021 (I would probably reach the 2021 number if I included what I’ll read during my vacation, but I’ll mark those books in Goodreads for 2024). For the curious ones, I wrote a blog post about how I consume books earlier this year. Here are some of the books I’ve enjoyed the most (in the order I’ve read them):
  • I’m Glad My Mom Died. A worthy Goodreads Choice award winner for the best memoir in 2022. It’s honest, moving, and hilarious. Even if I haven’t watched any TV shows with Jennette McCurdy, I feel I know her now. She portrayed her battle with addictions and disorders in a way that I found highly engaging.
  • Learning Domain-Driven Design. If you work in the software development field, you’ve likely heard about Eric Evans’ classic book about domain-driven design (DDD). The book is so famous that it even has an affectionate nickname - “The Blue Book.” While Eric Evans’ book will always have its place in history, “Learning Domain-Domain Design” by Vladik Khononov has surpassed it as the text to start with the journey in DDD.
  • Thanks for the Feedback. It’s increasingly difficult for me to rate a leadership book with five stars since I’ve read more than a few of them. I absolutely loved “Thanks for the Feedback.” I expected a good book on feedback, and it managed to transcend those expectations. I found the book very practical and made dozens of notes. It was an easy read throughout, with some chapters being truly exceptional.
  • G-Man. Great biographies provide portrayals that feel true. I found that to be the case here. In many ways, J. Edgar Hoover’s story is also the story of the US. He and his FBI were involved in some of the century’s most significant events. It was interesting to see those events from a specific perspective.
  • King: A Life. This book pairs well with “G-Man,” as the lives of these two men overlapped and clashed, yet the values they stood for were in stark contrast. I was worried that this biography would portray MLK in an overly favorable light. That’s not the case. The author does not shy away from the darker moments and shows the complete picture of a complicated and flawed man. Doing so enhances the greatness MLK possessed and the values he stood for.
  • Light Bringer. It’s book number six in the “Red Rising Saga” and the best of them all. The highlight is a heart-pounding action sequence in the first third that entranced me. After finishing the book, I now want to re-read this whole sci-fi series from the start while waiting for the series finale.

• Alan Wake 2 might be the best piece of media I’ve consumed. It’s a wonderfully deep, dark, and weird experience throughout. My wife and I played the game together, exchanging who held the PlayStation controller at various moments. Gaming this way might seem odd, but it works pretty well for a game that’s so much about atmosphere and story. And I’m too much of a scaredy cat to play a horror game on my own.

• I’ve watched 53 movies:
  • My wife and I watched eight movies at the local film festivals this year. The Taste of Things, which we saw at Scanorama was my favorite of those we saw (but not my wife’s).
  • After Yang, Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer are some of the most memorable movies I saw this year.

• I continued playing quite a bit of online chess. I mostly played “daily” and “blitz” (at 5/5 time format), with the former’s rating climbing up to 1901. The latter’s rating is now at 1821, after reaching the high of 1862 in the middle of the year. Surprisingly, my wife got really into chess this year, too, and she continuously plays chess in the “daily” format.

• I also enjoy other board games as a way to spend time with family and friends. With time, I learned I enjoy a mix of heavier (e.g., Brass: Birmingham) and lighter (e.g., 6 nimmt!) board games. There is something intellectually alluring about heavier games, but I now appreciate that time spent with friends doesn’t always have to be about a complex puzzle to solve.

• I have had a driver’s license since January. My wife and I would love to increase the size of our family, and a driver’s license seems like a must-have. I passed the theory on the first try, and to brag a bit - I was confidently the first person leaving the theory exam room. The practical exam took a couple of attempts due to some stupid mistakes on my part.

• Increasing the size of our family is not going as swimmingly as expected. We are two healthy and fit individuals. We don’t smoke. We barely drink alcohol. Not that it matters, but we don’t even consume caffeine! And yet, we’ve been trying for more than two years, and it didn’t happen yet. As a next step, we’ll try in vitro fertilization (IVF).

• On a positive note in this area, I became an uncle this year!

• I spent quite a bit of my year traveling (and that’s not including the upcoming vacation). My wife and I went to see the northern lights in Norway. We spent a month living in Berlin for my work. We went to see Harry Styles in Munich. We were supposed to see Arctic Monkeys in Dublin, but the lead singer got sick, and we learned about it when we were already in Dublin. My mom and I went on a trip through Schwarzwald. This was the most driving I did so far (~800km in five days). I also had my first traffic accident. More on that below.

• My dad died. More of my thoughts are in the linked blog post. I’m ok now. I do get these occasional moments when I remember and start thinking about my dad because of some environmental triggers. I suspect these will never fully subside.

• I learned about my dad’s death while my mom and I were on a Schwarzwald trip. The traffic accident happened the following morning after we learned about what happened. Luckily, only a parking lot gate arm and a signpost were harmed. A few scratches on the car were covered by insurance. The local policeman was very friendly and understanding.

• I was really into running during 2013-2016, culminating with a 1:42:51 half marathon in 2015. I started running more frequently again last year. I ran more than 750km in total in 2023, including a 1:40:42 half marathon, finishing 264th out of 1731 runners at “Vilniaus maratonas.” The last few kilometers were hell (as you can see on my face in the linked video), as I pushed myself too hard at the start. Not bad, but I hope I’ll do better next year!

• I continue to work at Vinted! It’s been eleven years, and I see no reason to switch jobs. Sustainability continues to be important to me and the company is doing great - we continue to expand our Vinted Go network (including through acquisitions and improving the experience of selling on Vinted (e.g., launching a verification service for luxury fashion.

• My title at work changed from “VP of Engineering” to “CTO”. The biggest change in what is expected of me happened almost two years ago - when Vinted Go was split into a separate business unit. Since then, it has been about growing into this slightly different role and showing that I’m capable. I’m thankful for the trust given to me. I don’t feel like I reached some mountaintop; I continue to feel that there are many ways to improve and grow. If anything, the heavier title means I must be even more humble and maintain a growth mindset.

• I gave up the steering of Vilnius Tech Leads into better hands than mine. I even had a lot of fun participating in one of the events as a speaker instead of an organiser.

• LLMs were a big topic in the world of technology this year. I use ChatGPT quite often (including to help plan the upcoming vacation), and I suspect that by the end of next year, using products powered by LLMs will become a daily norm for many people. I am incredibly excited about the combination of headsets like the upcoming Apple Vision Pro when combined with smarter AI assistants. These two technologies seem to provide the missing pieces to each other (quicker feedback loops are essential!).

• The cats are doing well. I’m sure someone would’ve asked if I didn’t mention them.

It would be easy to focus on the negative. My dad died this year. The war in Ukraine continues. The war in Gaza started. And yet, as I write this, I remain positive and optimistic. There are a lot of positive things happening in my life. I’m healthy, fulfilled, and have good relationships. And when I zoom out to look beyond, I see more good in the world than bad. I remain optimistic about the long-term future of humanity.

See you in 2024.