2025 Review
Setting a new course
Hi there, whoever you may be, welcome! ✨
First, a quick reminder: since 2022, at the end of the year, I try to wrap up everything relevant that happened to me in the past 12 months and share some thoughts I have.
⚠️ It will likely get truncated if you read it on your email app. I recommend checking it from your browser (and from a computer to better enjoy the pictures 👼).
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This is a public piece, I don’t know for sure who will read it, but if you have some intellectual curiosity, please give it a read, and don’t judge me only by this. I aim for it to be interesting to read in a bunch of years, for it to help me look back at past objectives and set new ones, for it to trigger few smiles here and there as some of you recall things, for it to spark new conversations & adventures.
The funny thing is that it’s kind of hard not to procrastinate about doing it and then I force myself to do it, and then I enjoy doing it, and finally here we are with a bunch of pages of writing and some lovely pictures (& video this year!) along the way.
I mean business
One year ago, as I was gathering thoughts and feelings for my review I settled my mind on the fact that I actually wanted to leave my job at Abrico. That’s what I didn’t want to spoil in my newsletter last year. As with many early startups, the mission had changed a bit since I had joined in June 2024. I also grew more and more uncomfortable building a product to patch the French administration processes. Finally, a deeper personal gut feeling and less satisfaction on a human level brought me to that decision.
I shared this with my bosses, and we agreed on a “rupture conventionnelle” that was enacted towards the end of April this year. So the first months of the year were focused on finishing my contract as best as I could, resting and sorting out what to do next. I applied to a couple of jobs opportunities I found interesting but was not accepted. For the best I’d say. It motivated me to finally get going with the idea of being my own boss for a bit!
After an incredible trekking adventure in Scotland, I came home with my mind set on that new objective. NextMile was born on the 13th of May 2025! Aka 944 385 368.
The plan was to do some freelance work to keep my way of living, get new ideas along the way and go easy on my unemployment benefits, while having time to work on my own entrepreneurial projects and manage my time differently.
I had 2 main clients this year (and a couple of other tiny jobs here and there): Kenko a Health Insurance, whom I found a bit by chance and it ended up being a pretty successful first collaboration ; and then I was back for some involvement in Qomon! Helping them keep moving on the geo data side where I used to work.
Freelance can be quite intense, it’s a new way of working. I want to make sure that my contribution is beneficial, even more than usual. Especially when I don’t know my clients. It’s different, rather in a good way.
In the end I billed roughly 60 days of freelance work this year (over the span of 6 months).
Between freelancing and a bunch of holidays here and there, it was a bit hard at first to focus on “my projects”, but since November I am pretty focused on delivering my first fully self-service own SaaS (Software As A Service), codename GoPutUp. Which will be the new category defining geolocation focused CRM / organizing tool (yeah a tiny bit of marketing here). More on that in next year’s blog post! Depending on how much freelance I’ll do early 2026, I hope for the first version to be live sometime in February. My head is quite focused on that so I have a bit less mental bandwidth for planning more 2026 at the moment. But I really enjoy working on this project, crafting it from scratch, challenging myself to work on tech areas I am less experienced (async backends, mobile & billing), and entrepreneur things like marketing, pricing, plans, support, taxes, etc.
Generally speaking, I want to build products that I enjoy building, that bring useful value, that are effective (do what they are meant to do and do it well), fast & efficient (because that’s better for everyone time and in terms of resources used to run them), have no dark billing patterns, affordable but not “cheap” in terms of product quality, etc. Accept to start small and not to go as fast as with Venture Capital money. Building economically viable products is a priority, that will enable me to hire others, maybe in 2027. It’s definitely not about the inherent technical challenges, rather to keep building useful things. Nor about becoming a millionaire, I don’t care about that. I’ll just aim to sustain my reasonable way of life, contribute back & help around as much as it makes sense.
Once GoPutUp will be live, I intend to focus on a second project that has matured recently on another topic that I enjoy. So I might have 2 live Saas by the end of 2026, hopefully setting the path for a more robust company / business structure in 2027.
From Employee to My Own Boss, lessons learned
I have learned a lot of things since I left Abrico. I did enter a bunch of deep intellectual curiosity “vortexes”:
How to create a company?
What legal structure to choose? What are their differences?
What the impact on my unemployment benefits?
What the heck is BNC vs BIC?
What health insurance I should go for?
How to fill my taxes / VAT stuff?
What the heck is reverse charge VAT?
What really are the implications of the JEI status?
How high taxes really are?
How to handle sales taxes internationally?
My funny stories so far:
I was billed 1.08€ HT by the Greffe de Paris because I didn’t provide documents the “Guichet Unique” hadn’t asked for originally,
URSSAF sent me a 2 (!) page PDF to explain how to wire them some money,
On a Sunday I received a message by my URSSAF that was officially sent 3 days later. Magic!
The good news:
So far, because of my freelance work and other thingies, I haven’t technically used a cent of my unemployment benefits! By the way, kudos to everyone I interacted with at France Travail, I had really good and effective support from them!
Also, I want to mention that this year I have discovered new areas of expertise / professions through collaborations. I interacted with:
A lawyer, to help me crack some contract issues (success),
A wealth manager, to help me organize my savings and invest into assets I align with (success),
An accountant, to finally understand some things regarding the company decisions I am taking (super interesting).
I do intend to delegate things to others in the future, but I still want to understand a bit what is being done and why. So I am “losing” time here to understand things better.
To conclude on this business chapter, if you want to start your company, few recommendations:
lamicrobyflo.fr a cool website to help you with anything related to a micro-entreprise,
Qonto does work really great as a bank (yes, it’s a referral link but I do mean what I am saying)
Ksuite by Infomaniak is great if you don’t want to use Google Suite tools.
My all-time best investment and my take on “AI”
Since I have started by talking about business and wealth management, let’s jump to investment. In a rather troll way.
For my freelance work and projects, I bought myself a decent computer with 32 GB of RAM which is pretty big already. Note, for tech neophytes it’s one of computers / phones important components. However, from time to time I would run out of RAM because of some heavy processing I was doing. So I decided to upgrade to 96 GB at the end of September for 243€ TTC. For the record, I was like “64GB should be enough, but it’s like 40€ more to go for 96GB”, so I just did. Today, those exact same RAM sticks go for 1240€ LITERRALLYYY, 5x in 3 months 😱.
Why? Because OpenAI (also known as being the creators of ChatGPT) managed somehow to buy 40% of the world DRAM production. FOURTY PERCENTS. As a result the market is messed up. This company is losing billions per year. Has plans to loose 100s more of billions in the coming years and yet manages to buy 40% of the DRAM supply and the impact is obviously massive. I find this disturbing to say the least. I can recommend reading this article if you are more curious about this situation.
My take?
I was definitely not there in 1929.
[...]
I was not really there for the dot-com bubble.
I was still a bit young for the 2008 financial crisis.
I was there for the Covid, but it had an external taste.
I’ll be there for that AI bubble burst. All comments I read and hear are on the fact that there are already wild things going on, for instance check this recent news:
I am not a finance professional but I find this very sketchy and the impacts are likely to be far-reaching.
Bubble aside, I wish Bernard Stiegler, whose lectures at the University I had the pleasure to attend was still around. I am sure he would have numerous comments to make about that this technology. LLMs are such a powerful tool to which we are delegating big chunks of our reasoning and abilities, and that, in itself, has and will have quite an impact on society and humanity.
It’s kind of weird to feel my job as a “software engineer” has been impacted that much in such a short period of time. I do use advanced LLM completion when coding and chat when I need help on some specific things were Google wasn’t a success. I haven’t really used vibe coding yet, as I haven’t had a positive real life experience with it yet (or demonstration). But I feel I’ll have to keep an eye on that next year to stay up to date. AI has been a bit of an exhausting journey so far, it’s tiring to try to keep up with everything that’s coming out. I have stopped doing so. I do hope the bubble will burst and this AI wave will settle down a bit ; I at least hope for it not to be subsidized by VC money anymore, so that end users actually pay the real cost of it.
The fact is I also enjoy coding, as a craft. LLMs are removing this a bit and I might start to be a bit nostalgic. AI brings a productivity boost. Maybe it’s an enabler. Not so much a helper on mental load though. Let’s also not forget the environmental impact, the societal impact, all the data that was used to train them under fair use (capitalism magic trick) or the people that have already lost their job (illustrators, translators, customer service, …), the extreme wealth concentration at stake, etc. etc. etc.
For the record, this piece is 100% AI free. 100% hard work 😌
Enough about business, let’s get personal and a bit more political.
On the personal side
Of course the year was not a straight chill line, but I end it feeling good! Rested for once. With a strong will to do a lot of things in 2026. I am quite focused on my entrepreneurship adventure but I definitely want to use the flexibility I gained to keep putting energy and presence in human connections I have wherever they are: I want to keep being the trustworthy & reliable friend some of you know me as.
I am very happy that I managed once again to have plenty of great adventures this year. Here is a subset.
2025 started in Dieppe with a chill celebration of New Years Eve with my flatmate Olha.
February will be remembered for my cycling trip friend who came very close to death, but today he is back on his bike! Just a kick reminder that we shouldn’t wait to enjoy life.
In March I went skiing with relatives and was very happy to go snowshoeing for the first time. It was really satisfying to go away from the ski resort and deeper in nature. To be done again.
After my contract with Abrico ended, I went for a fulfilling and engaging 2-week trip in the Highlands in Scotland with my friend Helen. We hiked part of the famous West Highland Way, but I found it to be too much of a pedestrian highway, so we shortened that part and spent more time in Glencoe and Skye. The views were less green than I expected but often stunning. Hikes in Glencoe can be quite challenging and unfortunately we did go through some risky stuff. Never will I ever take again a path called “zig-zag” on a map (by the way, that path has been removed from maps few months later ha ha ha...). Also I’ll try to have a better idea of the difficulty when I hear “I came this way but I don’t really recommend it” (by a 40ish year-old not particularly fit guy — it should have been “I came this way BUT IT’S REALLY DANGEROUS AND TECHNICAL DON’T DO IT”. Here is a video of what we went down by someone else.
Let’s also not forget that we had 15 kg backpacks, not an as good weather and had hiked 6+ hours and 1100m positive elevation gain before going down that path. So it was very stressful, not in a good way. After that we did have the magnificent Lost Valley to rest for us only!
On Skye, we did parts of the Skye trail which were times easier but definitely outstanding. Including a 4-star bivouac in the middle of the Trotternish Ridge. Souvenirs for life with my great friend Helen.
Few weeks after I was back in Corrèze for a lovely university friends’ wedding, with a new suit that I am happy to report positively stood out. ✨
In July I helped my sis family move to their new home and went back near Castelnaudary for my grandpa 90s birthday. From there we went on a challenging 3-day trek with my cousin in the Pyrenees. On the first day, we did 1500 m positive altitude gain and summited the Pic du Carlit. The ascent was pretty scary from far away, but ended up doable.
Day 2 was incredible in terms of ecosystem diversity. Memorable. Same for the thunderstorm during the night. Not again.
My cousin had his drone with him so here is a really nice video sneak peek of what we did. Enjoy it!
NB: if you are not familiar with that song, to be clear, the soundtrack is much more feminist than what you can think at first.
In August, I went with my friend Anaïs to Les Résistantes, a militant festival. Some speakers and workshops were really great. I also enjoyed experiencing another style of organizing, more decentralized and based on trust. For instance, I was not asked to show my entrance ticket but only if I had one. All meals were “pay what you can for them”, and it financially worked out for them. Everyone would have to give a hand involved in some aspects of the festival. On my side, I contributed to the Human Industrial Dishwasher and washed hundreds of plates and cutlery for a couple hours one day. For the record, we were a few thousands per meals.
Overall it was an insightful experience.
We then jumped into a night train to go right to the Cantal for a week-long trek. The GR400 is really challenging. We did parts of it at our own pace. It was really great! Among things, we did the most stunning (and comfortable) bivouac I have done so far.
There we met with an amazing Astro-Photographer who taught us a lot (check the last picture of this post). He happened to be named Florent also, what a coincidence! We helped him with 2 L of drinking water too. Cooperation is always fulfilling when hiking! On our side, we were luckily given a small propane tank for our last bivouac too, which saved our risotto!
We saw really beautiful landscapes. Plenty of souvenirs there too.
End of August we moved our flat sharing to my sis in the South to enjoy a bit of the Mediterranean sea. I did work quite a bit in parallel so I was a bit less present.
Finally, in September, I was back on the bike for our annual bike trip, this time around Lake Constance. It was pretty chill. We were lucky to have reasonably good weather. Lake Constance is also more natural than Lake Leman. The part I enjoyed most was, of course, when we could see the mountains in the back.
Adventures aside...
My flat-sharing is going great, with great communication, listening, support and cooking skills on both sides! No plans to move out soon!
Almost forgot to mention a big one! I have started Salsa & Batchata courses. That was not planned early 2025. But during the “fête de la musique” I happened to meet an incredible dance teacher, super kind, that inspired me to give dance finally a try. The first class was HARD, but as months go by I have definitely improved and also we are a very lovely group of people. It’s a queer friendly environment that I enjoy as everyone is super respectful and welcoming 🏳️🌈 ; and we learn “role rotation” so there is basically no gender-related dynamic, which I find easing and more compelling. Give it a try if you are curious and in Paris.
This year I also felt some friendships evolve, other distend. It raises my attention as I do aim for friendships to be an important part of my life. It’s also an opportunity to meet new people and discover new things. One thing is for sure, I know those links have been strong enough that nothing can erase them. Just like few weeks ago, when I met again my friend from high school after 12 years of no contacts whatsoever and it was a super friendly accounting talk, as if 12 years never had gone by.
Connections and connections of connections help me better understand the world and the impact some stupid politics may have. It’s also an invitation to keep learning things and staying curious.
My stance on current Politics
12 months ago, I concluded with “Please Trump, don’t f*** [2025] up too much.”
I remember the early months of his presidency as things were moving dramatically fast. Too fast. Now, we are maybe a bit too used to it. But I feel weird and sad about the clear undermining of democracy, the firm steps back on societal matters, the disgusting complicity with Putin, the unreliability he is bringing to the world scene, the many steps back on the environment, etc. He is irritating (to stay polite).
I do hope the 2026 midterms will impact the power balance in the US in a positive way and that nothing worse than that will drop by after.
On the other side of the Atlantic, I feel the EU is getting closer and closer to a generational shift. The challenges that emerge from free-for-all globalization are real and weaken our ability to sustain our society & social contract long term. We are too nice with Trump, likely too nice with China, also too nice with companies finding ways to avoid paying taxes where they should be paid and too nice with our own companies undermining our own autonomy. I feel we are foolish about opening & extending the Union to partners with asymmetrical labor cost and environmental norms. There is also a bunch of disagreements on major topics between countries. I am pro EU as an ideal, but I am not completely sure where we are heading.
Finally, France.
French politics is messed up right now. And nothing, especially good, seems to really emerge at the national level. We will have a better idea about that towards the end of 2026. Or if Emmanuel Macron somehow decides to call again for snap elections. Please, could we move to a new chapter? (Really not Far Right though.)
I feel the focus on the environment has decreased by an order of magnitude. It’s a bit dull, or sad I don’t know for sure. Even some informed friends and acquaintances seem to be a bit less concerned. The narrative has changed. On my side it’s still a big concern and I try to be a part of the solution as much as possible rather than fueling the problem. By the way, I am still mostly (pesco)-vegetarian!
The hardliner emigration folks are also impacting those who wanted to call France home, I find this dumb, often heartbreaking.
Also, the economics of our retirement system is (already) inherently broken (I really recommend watching this video from Le Figaro — not a newspaper I usually read to be clear).
I feel we would need to rethink it completely on its own, without considering the wealth inequalities that should be handled separately (there is things to change there too don’t get me wrong). There is a clear generational unbalancing that is taking place and it feels desperately hard to rebalance anything. I feel there is a need to build a new social and economical contract at the French level and likely at the EU level too.
Let’s do something about it?
This year recipe
Here is my pick for this year recipe: cucumbers the “asian way”. Pretty simple, yet so good!
Peel or not peel the cucumber, there are different schools on that matter,
Remove the core of the cucumber (it helps with digestion),
Slice it in ~8 mm cubes (you get the idea, 8 mm is for the joke),
Prepare a sauce by mixing sun flower oil (2/3), soy sauce (1/3), salt, and as much garlic as you like.
Let it marinate a bit 🎉
That’s how I have done it so far, but while preparing this piece I checked online and for the sauce another option is to go for: 4/10 Rice vinegar, 3/10 soy sauce, 2/10 cane sugar, 1/10 sesame oil, and add a bit of chili peppers / mint. I’ll try that ASAP.
While we are in this section, I’d like to share a bunch of fun food facts I have learned throughout 2025 🤓
A red pepper was a green pepper that became orange then red. Yes, I looked surprised and dumb when I learned that!
Pickles and cucumbers are basically the same.
Curry is not a single spice, it’s a mix of spices.
Well, we never stop learning so let’s keep being curious about things.
A quick look back at the objectives I had set for 2025
Keep caring for those I care, stay open. Respect others’ choices (yes of course, it just can be a bit hard for me to accept doing things I would do in a different way sometimes).
I don’t think I could have done a lot of things differently on that topic this year, so rather achieved.
Be overall less tired across the year, definitely finish it rested, take care of myself.
As described above, big win here I feel!
Find new, robust, optima / equilibria in my personal / professional life. Give a push to myself to get involved in some project other than day-to-day work. Make time / room for it.
I definitely have a new work / life setup. Going freelance / entrepreneur means I am even more focused on what I am building so not a big win for getting really involved in other topics. But I feel OK about it today. Especially because I have gained a lot of organizational freedom and I think I use that freedom wisely.
Gain back more intellectual stimulation one way or another.
This hasn’t been a big focus for this year but I really feel OK at the moment on that topic. I learned a lot of stuff regarding administrative stuff so it was still a year full of learning and intellectual challenges in some ways.
If I have stamina, take on a new sport-related routine, mind more about my diet and lose 8-10kgs, durably => get ready for the GR20 in 2026?
Starting dance is a good win. I did manage to lose ~6 kg after my Scotland trip with some intense workout for 3 months, but I gained them back after (even though the muscle / fat ratio has improved significantly I am convinced — I can do pushups!). I have started going to the gym lately and I feel I’ll stick to that habit now.
Finally, about the transportation numbers I usually include in those reviews: I didn’t do the maths this year. But my intuition is: in 2025 I did a bit less km by train than last year (less abroad travel above all), still pretty moderate car usage, and still 0 km by plane 🌍
The vibe I am setting for 2026
In 2026 I expect that I’ll be quite focused on my projects. So here are my business objectives:
GoPutUp is live,
My second project / product is live or close to be,
Those projects have brought in at least the amount spent in terms of servers, everything else is a bonus in 2026 but the more the merrier (I’ll keep those financial objectives out of this newsletter for now but I have some more concrete ones)
I have billed ~110d of freelance work (less if my products bring in more income),
I am still a net contributor to the French budget (I do expect to use a bit of my unemployment benefits in 2026 though).
On the more personal side:
Keep cherishing connections,
Celebrate my 30 years on this planet and make sure the 8th of May stays a public holiday (what a silly idea),
Keep an informed eye on politics,
Try a lot of new recipes,
Stick to my new sporty gym habit and lose more durably a bit of weight this year,
Hike new places with friends, maybe come back to ones I have already been.
Huge thanks to those I have shared adventures with this year! ❤️ (and for authorizing me to share your faces here).
2026, I am ready for you!
I wish the best 2026 possible to everyone! 👋
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