Platforms State of the Union (2024)

Published: 02/01/2025

2024 is finished, and I'm very late to publishing my yearly reflection piece. The writing process for this year is starting after midnight on New Year's Eve. India is already in 2025, but the rest of the world is not. Thanks to timey-wimey loopholes, we still have time to get this published!

If you're visiting this blog for the first time, hi! If you're a returning reader, welcome back! I'm Ratik, the owner and creator of this blog. Each year, I publish a post reflecting on the past year. This serves as a documentation exercise for me, but friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers enjoy reading these.

For the past five years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), the format for these pieces has remained largely unchanged. I want to make some changes this year. First, we have a new name. I'm changing it from Reflection to Platforms State of the Union (PSOTU). This name is inspired by Apple's annual PSOTU keynotes at WWDC, where they discuss updates to their various software platforms.

The new name comes with an updated format. Instead of systematically reviewing my goals for the year and evaluating my progress, I want to assess the various pillars or platforms in my life. The old format had become monotonous for me. I hope that by changing the format, writing these blog posts will become more creatively fulfilling.

Before proceeding, as always, a disclaimer: We are all on different journeys and progress looks different for everyone. No Gregorian calendar can determine your self worth.

• State of the Career
• State of the Side Projects
• State of the AI
• State of the Apps
• State of the Writing
• State of the Money
• State of the Body
• State of the Hobbies
• State of the Fun
• State of the Camera Roll

I achieved two significant career milestones this year: my promotion to Lead Engineer and completing four years at Fueled. Both milestones feel bittersweet, as 2024 was also a year of changing team dynamics, with some friends choosing to switch workplaces. I will miss working with them.

Working in tech continues to be a challenge too. The economic cycle still seems uncertain. People who were laid off in late 2023 are still without jobs. Spending within tech doesn't seem to be picking up, unless you're a startup working with AI.

A personal challenge I'm seeing in the tech space is the back-to-office movement. As someone with a physical disability, I rely on working remotely. COVID-19 increased remote opportunities for people in tech, but these options are slowly disappearing again. Organisations are returning to the status quo of office work, which worries me about the longevity of my career. However, my current workplace is great in this respect; they continue to operate fully remotely. Long may that continue.

Workplace rumination aside, I shipped two apps at work this year:

• Meow Wolf
• 2nd Floor.

The Meow Wolf (MW) app is a companion app for visitors experiencing MW's immersive art installations. The app offers a unique visual experience. Upon opening the app, users are greeted with a user interface resembling an operating system, featuring a set of applets for interaction. The applet we spent the most time perfecting was the Psychic Sensor. The Psychic Sensor uses Bluetooth beacons to assist visitors in navigating the art exhibition, unlocking items, and learning more about the space they are exploring.

The 2nd Floor (2FL) app is less whimsical and more impactful. It serves as a support network for New Jersey youth, enabling young people to interact with a support counselor at no cost. The app also features an anonymous message board for sharing thoughts and stories. As part of this project, I got to implement features such as emoji animations for reacting to posts and password-less authentication using universal links.

Outside of shipping products, I also spent time working on internal tooling updates and writing blog posts for Fueled's engineering blog. One of these got published back in August, 2024: "The best apps are built with native SDKs" — a case for Kotlin Multiplatform.

In 2024, my side projects focused on three areas: building websites for projects I find interesting, consulting for individuals engaged in impactful social work, and learning new skills.

I spent my weeknights and weekends working with my friend Namita to build two web projects for the Justice Collective (JC), a Berlin-based initiative focused on ending society's reliance on policing, punishment, and prisons.

The first of these projects was Fine Justice, a campaign aimed at expanding EU procedural rights for minor offenses. This project involved creating a landing page and an accompanying blog. I used Next.js, React, and Sanity to build the project's website. I chose these tools because I had previously used them to build the website for my podcast, Frndship Time.

The second project we worked on for JC was the Racism on Trial (ROT) website. This project focuses on using 'courtwatching' to document systemic racism in Germany's legal system, particularly how courts uphold racial injustice. The website features a Case Archive with detailed records from court cases to highlight patterns of discrimination and violence. The platform also aims to educate and empower individuals to challenge and change these systemic issues.

ROT was a more complex project than Fine Justice. Although the tech stack remained the same, the feature set was significantly larger. Notable features I implemented for this project included support for multiple locales, a mobile-first filtration user interface, and webpages with sticky sidebars.

I also made a mini site with an ex-colleague and dear friend Seemant this year called Know Your MP. The website collates data fetched from MPLAD to provide important information about Members of Parliament in India. This was a fun weekend project to work on and I'm glad we were able to get it out in time for the elections.

When I wasn't working with JC, I consulted with Meraki on technical projects. My interactions with Meraki ranged from brainstorming sessions to diving into their AWS setup to tweak config files. I enjoy supporting important social impact initiatives like Meraki whenever possible.

Drop me a line if you know of similar initiatives where I could help. I'd love to be involved!

The final bit of side project work I did this year was learning iOS development. I want to learn iOS development for two reasons: professional growth as a mobile engineer and to build cool shit for my phone. The second reason is how I started building Android apps back in 2014. I felt it was time to do the same for my iPhone. This project is a recent development and I will most definitely continue working on it in 2025.

Some additional side-project-y things I got done this year were:

1. Added an RSS feed to this blog; if you're an RSS nut, you can now subscribe to updates from this blog in your favorite RSS reader
2. I finally rewrote my app Uttam in Kotlin using Jetpack Compose; I built this app in 2016 using Java and it was due a codebase refresh

A piece of writing about 2024 would be incomplete without mentioning AI. It was the year of GPTs and AI. It took me some time to adjust, but I've fully embraced using GPTs for work.

At the start of year, I used ChatGPT occasionally. I was still searching for queries on Google. At the end 2024, I've switched to using AI heavily while working. Steve Yegge's video on Chat Oriented Programming (CHOP) is what finally made things click for me:

My current AI setup is Raycast AI loaded with the Claude Sonnet 3.5 model. I use Claude as my programming assistant. I ask it questions to help me think, and questions I don't know answers to. Claude has also been a great companion to learn new skills with. I'm currently using AI heavily to learn iOS development.

I'm yet to try a code editor with AI baked in. My buds in Book Club recommend trying Sourcegraph and Cursor. I'll be exploring these tools in the coming year.

This is the state of my apps. What's yours?

After years of wanting to write more, I believe I finally did a decent job this year. I owe this progress to the weeknotes project I worked on for a short time during the last few months of 2024. You can read more about my motivation behind writing weeknotes in the first one I published here.

In total, this year I wrote:

1. 1 technical blog post (at work)
2. 3 personal blog posts (this, this, and what you're reading)
3. 7 weeknotes

I'm really proud of this! It's a step in the right direction to becoming a more prolific writer. Shout out to S for pushing me to get my weeknotes over the line. Thank you!

I'm conflicted about doing weeknotes again next year. I do enjoy the weekly publish grind, but it takes a fair bit of work to get something done each week. A part of me also wants to finally start the monthly newsletter I've been planning for years.

Here's what I've decided to do for now: the newsletter is happening. I'm not sure when it will kick off properly, but sign up for it anyway if you're interested. I'm hoping that seeing even one person sign up will be exactly what I need to send out the first edition.

Weeknotes may or may not return in 2025. Decision pending.

A big 2024 target for me was sorting out my term and health insurance. I wanted to sign up for a term insurance and increase the cover amount for my existing health insurance.

Bumping up my health coverage is a task for 2025 when my policy renews. However, I undertook the term insurance project this year, and it turned out to be quite a hassle.

I've tried to get a term cover for myself thrice and I've failed each time.

Insurance companies just don't want to insure someone with a preexisting (rare, but non-lethal) medical condition, even if you're willing to pay a large premium. It's a shame really.

My first attempt at getting a term insurance was when I was much younger. It was through an agent my Dad knew. We filled the policy forms and waited for the insurance company to get back to us. They got back to us with a request to undergo a treadmill test. They wanted someone using a wheelchair to run on a treadmill. Great. We withdrew the application.

My second attempt was in 2023. I tried to go through Policybazaar. I filled the online form with all my details and then waited. Once again, the insurer wanted me to get undergo a treadmill test. I contacted Policybazaar and after numerous phone calls, I was able to explain to them that I can't run on a treadmill. They understood where I was coming from and agreed to talk to the insurance company. As a result, the company changed the test requirements from a treadmill test to a different test to assess my heart's health. The new test required me to undergo an ECG twice: once normally and once after an injection to artificially increase my heart rate. Scary. Pass. I let the application lapse.

This year, I gathered my willpower yet again for another attempt at sorting out the life cover situation. I keep hearing that premiums shoot up massively once you cross the age of 30 and I wanted to avoid that. For my third attempt, I used a service called Ditto. This attempt was the least painful of the three. Ditto is a really good service. They texted with me over WhatsApp. I told them my situation and they recommended a policy for me. They also told me to avoid adding any additional riders to the policy in order to maximise my chances of getting approved. Would you look at that? An actually useful suggestion. There were no scary tests this time round as well. I went through with the process of applying with Ditto. I filled the forms and waited. I got a rejection yet again on "medical grounds".

I'm tired at this point and I'm considering just giving up on this project. I would be going against all sound financial advice, but I'm really not sure what else I can do. No one has advice for exceptional cases like mine. My hope in writing about my experience is to help others going through something similar feel more seen. I hope I'm able to do that.

I continued to donate to ShareTheMeal and Wikipedia this year. I believe in the missions of both these organisations and plan to continue supporting them in the coming year.

A big financial step for me this year was buying a car. My previous car ran on a diesel engine and according to the current vehicle laws in India, diesel cars older than 10 years are not allowed on the road. So, it was time to buy my first car.

From a financial perspective, this decision was a sizeable hit on my savings. But, I'm happy with my decision. After all, what else had I been saving for? I managed to put my savings to an important life purchase while avoiding any debt. That's a win in my book!

My plan for 2025 is to save aggressively and rebuild my savings. I'm excited to review my financial spreadsheet to prepare for this!

I spent 2023 following a ketogenic diet and experimenting with fasting. In 2024, I focused on returning to a normal diet and building long-lasting, healthy eating habits that allow me to treat my body with the love and care it deserves.

I worked with Natasha from Tetra Nutrition as my nutritionist this year. I analysed my blood work with her and then used dietary supplements to optimise my body's vital levels. I also learned a lot about food order and eating right (while eating everything) during my time with Natasha.

At the end of 2024, I feel healthier, stronger, and happier with my body. In typical Ratik fashion, I now also have a spreadsheet for my blood markets. I plan on updating it whenever I get tested. Once I have a significant amount of data, there will definitely be data visualisations of my body's trends.

Welcome to the most important section of this blog post. I love my hobbies.

I've collected a fair amount of hobbies and interests over the years. New ones keep getting added to the pile all the time. Due to time being constrained, I'm unable to engage with each and every hobby every year. That's why this section is divided into three parts: dormant hobbies, new hobbies, and active hobbies.

Music, crocheting, and playing video games were my dormant hobbies in 2024.

I really wanted to return to playing the piano and making music this year. It was my top goal at the turn of the year. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to achieve this. Maybe 2025 will be the year I finally get back to music.

Crocheting became a new interest for me at the end of 2023. I intended to practice it more this year, but that didn't happen. I'm still eager to learn how to crochet and have a few projects in mind. I hope to get to them in 2025.

Playing video games was a hit or miss this year. I played a few games casually but didn't manage to finish any of them. However, I finally started playing Stardew Valley with S. It's been really nice to build a virtual farm together. We occasionally boot up the game to spend time in Pelican Town.

The new hobbies I picked up this year are vinyl records, matcha, and learning French on Duolingo.

I got a vinyl player this year and figured out how to play records using my existing audio setup consisting of a stereo pair of HomePod minis. Yes, I know that sounds blasphemous. Why am I converting analog audio back to digital? You're right; it doesn't make much sense. For me, vinyl isn't necessarily about the best audio quality. I enjoy the tactility of playing a record more than the audio quality the record produces.

If you're interested in reading more about my the setup, check out this weeknote. If you wanna see my current record collection, find me on Discogs here.

My current favourite record from my collection is Louis Armstrong 'Hello, Dolly!'. I love it not only for the music but also for the hidden message I found on the sleeve.

Matcha became a new hobby for me this year. I discovered an Indian brand selling high-quality matcha on Instagram and decided to order some. At the same time, I purchased a basic matcha spoon and whisk from Amazon. Once the matcha and the equipment arrived, I learned how to brew it using YouTube, and there was no turning back.

Brewing matcha engages the same part of my brain as brewing coffee. I am a sucker for intricate processes. Plus, what's not to like in a tasty beverage?

The final new hobby this year has been learning French on Duolingo. I'm not sure how successful I'll be at learning the language through an app, but it sure is a lot of fun to try. My learning streak on the app is over 100 days strong, and I don't intend to let it end. Come back to this blog next year to see how I fare throughout 2025!

Custom mechanical keyboards and coffee are my most active hobbies.

I love keyboards so much, man. This year, I've embraced the fact that I'm a 'collector' of keyboards. The collection grew nice and strong this year. I'm proud of the fact that I'm not just chasing rare keyboards. I like to own projects by indie designers who are passionate about the hobby. I also gravitate towards keyboard projects that require me to tinker around and learn new skills.

I started documenting my boards this year. I'm doing this in the form of an Instagram dedicated to keyboards and typing tests on my YouTube channel. I want to add writing to this too in the coming year.

I'm also gradually becoming interested in the maker side of the keyboard hobby. This year, I learned the basics of AutoCAD Fusion 360. I've been experimenting with designing a keyboard using the skills I've acquired.

Another mini keyboard project I am doing with a friend and my Dad is getting custom cut backplates made for a keyboard I own. The keyboard originally comes with a backplate made out of aluminium. But, I wanted to experiment with Copper as a material for the back of the board. Heavier metals like Copper help make the sound of keyboard much nicer.

I envision myself working on more mini projects like this in the coming years. Ultimately, my goal is to design and possibly sell my own custom keyboard. Fingers crossed!

Just like keyboards, I had a great year exploring coffee. I bought an espresso machine at the end of 2023, so 2024 was my first full year of learning how to pull espresso shots.

I spent the summer enjoying delicious iced lattes. For winter, I've switched to flat whites and hot lattes. I've also started learning how to pour latte art. I track my progress daily. It's been really rewarding to see myself get better with each passing day.

Pouring latte art is also a transferable skill and can be used to make beautiful looking matcha lattes!

I love learning how to make different kinds of coffee and matcha beverages. Inspired by Brandon Chou on YouTube, I put together a menu for my coffee bar this year. I hand the menu over to friends and family that visit me. They place an order and I make them their drink of choice. It's so much fun!

In 2025, I want to add even more items to my menu.

I watched 44 movies and read 6 books in 2024. I'm chuffed with that!

Out of the 44 movies, a few lingered in my mind for a long time:

1. Dune: Part Two (2024)
2. The Iron Claw (2023)
3. Roman Holiday (1953)
4. Triangle of Sadness (2022)
5. Notting Hill (1999)

It's hard to look past Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow as my book of the year. It's considered to be one of the best books to have come out in recent times. Given that, I'd like to give a louder shout out to my honorable mention of the year: Ram Guha'a memoir The Cooking of Books.

The Cooking of Books explores the relationship between an author and their editor. I loved how the book incorporates letters exchanged between Ram Guha and his editor, Rukun Advani, into its prose. The letters are crisp and witty. They provide readers with a genuine sense of the strangely enduring and occasionally fractious friendship between the two. The chapter in the book about Guha and Advani's time at St. Stephen's College was my favourite because I am also an alumnus of that college.

If you appreciate the artistry of the written word, be sure to pick up The Cooking of Books.

Here's a snapshot of what my camera roll looked like in 2024:

Welp, that's another one of these posts done and dusted. It took me an entire day nearly two days to get this over the line.

Whenever I write one of these blog posts and look back at the past year, there's always so much to write. I believe that's why reflection is important. When you're focused on living day by day, life can feel like it's moving at a million miles an hour. It's only when you pause and look back at a chunk of your life that you realise how much each of us accomplishes, endures, and survives. That's the power of reflection, and that's why I continue this project.

If you made it all the way to the end, thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you got some form of voyeuristic pleasure while reading.

Until next year, then? Au revoir.

~

This post was typed out on an S2000 Mini SE by Hand Engineering, built with hand-lubed Cherry MX Blacks on a Aluminium plate.