For me, 2023 was all about change. It was not my best year. Most importantly, 2023 marked the year that I left Yoast. Next to that, it marked the beginning of something new. Change is exciting, as opportunities are wide open. Change is sad, as it means saying goodbye to things and people you’re leaving behind. As 2024 is knocking on our doors, it’s time to reflect on what 2023 brought us and to look forward to 2024!
Selling a company you co-founded is hard. It’s not something you decide to do overnight. Leaving that company is even more complicated, even if you leave a company in capable hands. For me, even today, it is hard. I still miss Yoast, my colleagues, the Legos, and the fun and craziness of the culture. I miss working on marketing ideas, the holiday parties, and the puns in Slack. And I am so grateful to be missing all of that. My time at Yoast was very precious. It meant the world to me. The fact that I miss it and that it is sometimes hard for me reflects just that. It was a hell of a ride…
With the new year coming, I am also looking forward to starting new things, new companies, and new ideas. Joost and I invested in several cool startups (both in and outside of the WordPress community). We’ve created an incredible team of people I love working with, in our new offices in Wijchen. And, we’re working on new product ideas that’ll be released in 2024. So exciting!
It’s almost time for the holidays. It’s time to reflect and miss everything you leave behind in 2023. It’s time to get excited about new adventures in 2024. I wish you all very happy holidays and a wonderful new year!
PS. There will be no column in the next two weeks – as I will enjoy some time off over the holidays. I will be back in with a column on January 10th!
Happy Holidays to such a great community of people! I’m glad to call you my friends.