2023 was a year where unexpected goodbyes and unforeseen hurdles reshaped my journey, teaching me the harsh realities of life's unpredictability. It was a year that held the promise of growth, a year where I poured my heart into plans for a better self.

In 2023, my most cherished achievement was fostering my relationship with God. Inviting Him into each step, decision, and thought transformed my days. It was hard at first, but I got the hang of it. Like everything else, it does get easier. Praying every day, asking God if it is the right decision, actually listening to God’s word and direction.

January 2023 was hectic; I was not myself; I wanted to be so done with exams; it was the first time I was away from home during the festive holidays, reading Pathology and Pharmacology. On the 22nd, I passed, and the Joy in me was complete; I vividly remember how it felt like when God literally shows up for you.

Going to the Orphanage this year was a great privilege. I found myself humbled by the sheer Joy that danced in their eyes as they sang for us. Each child, a portrait of strength in the face of adversity, taught me more than any textbook ever could. The hours spent with these vibrant souls were more than just moments;

Oh! I remember this was also the year I made an attempt to start a company; it was to be a Web3 Payment Infrastructure, a friend had already made a logo, and I was already working on building the product solo, but it failed 😂 Hopefully, 2024 will be kinder with me.

I got a full-time devrel role with a Web3 company, and my major responsibility was to write docs and tutorials. We did not work together for long; it was one of those companies that had no use of a devrel.

Highlights

1. I moved apartments - This was one of my goals stepping into 2023

2. Passed my Medical Exams

3. Got a lot of Technical Writing and Devrel gigs

4. Spoke at a virtual event with over 1.5k+ listeners

5. Wrote over 40+ technical content

6. I was opportune to visit and give to an Orphanage - It was the most fulfilling thing I ever done in my life

7. Started a Newsletter, “The Compass” - Subscribe here

8. Helped a lot of people get started with their tech journey - technical writing and software development

9. Co-organized a conference - Techdreal

10. Started Playing the Guitar

11. I met a lot of amazing people this year

12. I joined an Online Christian community to improve my work with God

13. Started reading consistently - send Chimamanda’s books my way

14. Started writing Research papers on Zero-Knowledge Technology

15. I had my Water Baptism this year

16. Constantly receiving good reviews about my work

17. Put GDSC OOU into the best hands - Wrote a review

In 2023, I tried new foods and visited new places, and I’ll tell you, the world is your oyster; open your mind and live.

This year taught me the importance of pursuing what is important to you. I did not care about a lot of things, and I did what I felt was right, and it eventually paid off.

I also could not travel like I wanted to or attend conferences and was unhappy about it.

My relationship with my family members increased. My mum would show up randomly at my place to drop off cooked food, knowing I probably would prefer buying food to cooking.

It was the year I ate Amala the most; its significance extends beyond its taste; its nurturing essence extends to the soul. As one indulges in its wholesome goodness, there's an almost magical ability to calm the mind. (All this grammar is to tell you how much I love it😂)

It was the year I learned that truly you miss chances you don’t take, and most times, the ability to pitch yourself with confidence can be the thin line between you and your dreams. (In other words, no gree for anybody😂🥷)

Lessons Learned:

• Take steps and just start

• No point doing life without Jesus - When things seem overwhelming, pray

• Network with people - makes your Journey easier

• There is no 100% correct way of doing something - The unconventional way might be your path

• I love peaceful people

• Aim to begin your day with positive energy

• People are important. Never disrespect anyone

2024: Sneak Peek

For 2024, my main goal is to live authentically, freely and get to know God more. I want to explore all the varying bits of my creativity and take up new skills.

• Launch a new community - I’ll explain the why later

• I’ll be doing something around Healthcare Insurance

• I've been experimenting with AI recently with a bunch of guys. I hope it turns into a startup in 2024

• I want to explore Protocol engineering - Technical research and zk circuit development

• Probably take more courses or try an online degree

• Get back to the gym

• Attend a physical masterclass with Vusi Thembekwayo

• Speak at more conferences. Invite me to your event, I sabi die don’t worry

I tried a lot of things this year and enjoyed most of them. I’ll try that again next year. I am more confident that the Lord's light will guide my path come 2024.

Thank you to everyone who showed up for me this year. Everyone who supported me, ensured to send opportunities and mentioned my name in places where important shots were being called.

I appreciate y’all, and because of you, I know too that 2024 will be incredible!

Thank you for reading; see you next year ✨

My time as GDSC Lead came to an end officially last month, and I’m going down memory lane to reminisce on the journey so far.

If you’re wondering what GDSC OOU is well you’re welcome. GDSC OOU stands for it is the Google Developer Student Club, Olabisi Onabanjo University, and is a community where student developers at OOU learn, network, and grow to solve real-life problems in collaboration with Google.

Making an Impact

Back in 2020 and 2021, when I started tech properly, I was actually looking for tech communities where I could meet other student developers as I used to feel nerdy and weird.

I was looking for a group of people to ask questions, begin tech conversations, and encounter amazing developers who would challenge me. So I set out and was always on the search for an opportunity to bring my vision to a reality.

The Journey

GDSC Olabisi Onabanjo University started on 23rd September 2022. I was very excited and started working with Lekan as the first member of the team and co-lead. We worked together to plan the structure, the launch, down to how it would be announced.

Over the next couple of weeks, I reached out to Great, out of the blue, and also to many other members of the team. I built confidence in reaching out to supportive hands as I imagined running it alone would almost be impossible.

If you don’t get much from this article today, learn to reach out, what could possibly go wrong? just ask anyway

Info Session

The Info session was the first event and I thought to myself, why would people attend especially now that we are on strike, what would I say to them? Nevertheless, we drafted a broadcast message and sent out flyers asking interested students to fill out the membership and RSVP for the event.

Then magic happened

Balancing Tech & School

This was another exciting event, where we had 4 amazing speakers come to share their experiences on how they have handled school and tech, they shared valuable tips on how students who are learning and working in tech could navigate their paths without affecting their grades.

Choosing the Right Stack

This was one of the most impactful events/workshops we had, We spent the first two days talking about stacks in tech from Frontend development, Backend development, Cloud, Blockchain development, Technical Writing, Product Design, Graphics Design, Data Analytics, and Mobile development.

We have the sessions recorded on our Youtube channel, feel free to check it out - Here

Being That Tech Sis - IWD Event

Embracing equity means recognizing and addressing the barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential. As a team, this was a major priority and so we set out to host our International Women's Day event.

IWD is a day to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It is also a day to raise awareness of the ongoing struggles that women face in terms of gender inequality, discrimination, and violence.

Mental Health Programme

This was one of my favorite events at GDSC OOU, We had two of my very good friends share their views on how to manage your mental health with your tech career, especially as a student. Big thanks to Juliet Odumosu & Joel Adewole for speaking to us.

https://twitter.com/gdsc_oou/status/1664531468171739136?s=61&t=AXXgnNa_26qsfysv0E3UnQ

Tech & Medicine

Combining medical school with working in the tech industry has been an exhilarating and challenging journey. There are times I would have to run home quickly to attend meetings and Interviews. This dual pursuit has taught me the importance of time management and multitasking abilities, pushing me to grow both personally and professionally. Ultimately, I am excited about the potential to bridge the gap between medicine and technology, revolutionizing the healthcare landscape for the better.

The Best Team Ever

This journey wouldn’t have been possible without the small team of people who help contribute in one way or the other and this wouldn’t be complete without me giving due appreciation. It was an opportunity to work with one of the most talented techies and friends.

• Agboola Olamilekan - “Modern-day Design God”: He is a Visual Identity Designer and NFT Degen. He handled all of our designs and was the co-lead Sagamu. He hosted a number of our events and served as a Design tutor during our Workshop.

• Oloyede Great - I remember reaching out to her out of the blue, she has been one of the best on the team, helped start the community from scratch, She is a Content Writer and Community Manager.

• Folorunsho Temitope - She is a Data Analyst and always helps out whenever she gets the chance. She served as our Content Lead and handled our social channels

• AbdulHafiz Abdus-Salaam - He served as the Data Analytics Lead handled tutorials, and shared his knowledge of Data science with the community.

• Oluwatobi Ishola - He is a Backend developer and seasoned engineering lead, He served as Programs lead, helping to put together some of the amazing events we had together in the community

• Obi Emmanuel - He helped man the gates at the Ibogun campus, He is a Software Engineer and Technical writer.

• Temiloluwa Tegbe - He was the very first community member at GDSC OOU, He is a Backend developer who graduated from our prestigious university. He served as a tutor and mentor on the team.

• Abdulrahman Yusuf - He is the Backend developer who also served as a tutor and mentor on the team.

• Joba Adewunmi - He is a Fullstack Engineer, he handled multiple workshops and shared his experience and skills with the team and the community.

The Next Phase for the Community

Google has selected the next lead Joba Adewumi, a seasoned developer, I believe in his skills and visions for the community. Google selected him because he shares the same passion with Google which is the passion to help peers learn technology and connect.

I absolutely enjoyed my time building an effective community, There were things I wished I had done better but I believe Joba is the right person to continue on this path as we share a similar vision for student developers at Olabisi Onabanjo University.

As I bid adieu to my role as a GDSC Lead, I step forward with a heart brimming with memories, a mind enriched with experiences, and a spirit ignited by the endless possibilities that lie ahead. The journey doesn't end here; it's merely a checkpoint in the marathon of growth and discovery. With the torch passed on, I eagerly await the stories that will unfold as GDSC OOU continues to inspire and shape the technologists of tomorrow.

You can connect with me on Twitter @luxorcode, tweet at me, and feel free to reach out. If you would like to join the community - fill out the membership form - Here

Thank you for joining me on this remarkable adventure.

Here a few pictures of some physical events and a picture of me if we didn’t get the chance to met physically

1. Life is spiritual and that life’s essence is drawn from God

2. Consistency is the key to achieving your goals.

3. Wherever you are now is a consequence of your action and inactions.

My Story

Change. But start slowly, because direction is more important than speed

I started January with so much determination to leave the trenches 😂 Med school took all of my January, and then ASUU strike came in February. It was much needed in my perspective because I was literally burning out from too much pressure, I was slowly entering depression. Stay away from Med School.

February came I applied for a job that required me to write on “How to write a NFT smart contract & Deploy to the Polygon Network” this was my first time writing technical articles in web3 space. I moved on to spend the next few weeks learning about Ethereum concepts. I was sending applications and the amount of rejections made me feel that I had problems.

In May, the grind began to pay off, I literally got chubby unawares as I literally hit 80kg from 59kg. I pushed a lot of internal and external articles at various foreign companies. I also learnt a great deal for myself and was stuck at a point sometime this year whether I would continue with medicine after school or just drop everything and follow the tech money 🤑

In 2023 I want to get serious as a mentee, work hard, create my definition of success, build more and help people around me.

The good

• Became an ambassador at AngelHack

• I landed a full-time technical role at Crossmint in May

• Became a blockchain mentor at Techup Africa

• Wrote documentation at Instadapp

• I finally changed my gadgets💃

• Started writing for Alchemy in August

• Got a first Devrel role at Ardrive

• Started going to the Gym (inspired by Lekan)

• I made my first Open-source contribution this year

• I became DSC Lead at GDSC OOU and found amazing Co-Leads

• I became a developer tribe leader at Afrisplash Remotely

• I wrote 30+ articles this year'

• Turned 21 can’t believe I might become a father one day

• All my earnings came in Dollar and Crypto

• I gave my first tech talk this year at Devfest Ikorodu

• Wrote articles for Blockcoders, Starton, DAOHQ and many others

• Started writing Rust

• I was able to help people get started in software development and technical writing

• I was able to attend more events this year, meet fellow techies on Twitter, and clubhouse

• Started reading again thanks to Roving Heights

• I found Asa’s music - so soothing

• Invested in 3 startups

The bad

• Got interviewed by Binance, Ripple X, Chainlink was served premium breakfast

• Froze up at last stage of an interview with a cloud-based company. They served me rejection straight

• Lost a $6k per month job product documentation job - I spent 24hrs on the test assignment

• Lost Gigs either because I was from Nigeria or could not relocate

2023 - I go hard

• Start 2 communities

• Create more content on social media

• Speak at more conferences

• Play for a live band 😂

• Contribute more to open-source

• Write for more Unicorns

• Maybe start a youtube channel 😅

• Build more projects with Rust and Go

• Network with more techies

• Land plenty gigs & make more money💰

Well ending this year I can confidently say that I am a better person compared to last year. A lot has really changed.

If you are looking for a way to structure your goals. Here is a free notion template I found on twitter. Feel free to duplicate and modify to suit your needs.

Thank you for reading see you next year. #HappyNewYearsEve