Happy holidays! Glad to be writing these reviews again. As I skipped 2021 and 2022, let’s recap all three years in one post.
Welcome to explore the reports from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Disclaimer. For anything Userlist-related below — this was a team effort. Sending rays of love and respect to our team for their hard work.
At Userlist, added company accounts which stayed our unique feature (until competitors started building their solutions).
Did a lot of paddle boarding in the summer.
Spent four months raising a pre-seed round from 20+ angel investors.
Moved my office into a separate apartment, giving up the space to our little one.
Started our blogging and SEO journey at Userlist.
Got certified for scuba diving with my husband and fell in love with it.
Moved into a new office apartment next door.
After February 2022, spent a few months figuring out how to work and live in the new reality. Support from the team and my co-founder was a huge factor.
Got buried in work.
Grew the team at Userlist to 6 people, establishing HR processes and team rituals.
Ramped up the Userlist blog to become a respected industry publication on SaaS email marketing.
Migrated the UI Breakfast mailing list to Userlist.
Did more diving (now up to 40m deep). Went on our first diving liveaboard trip.
Got a manta ray tattooed on my arm.
Continued working on the awesome blog content with the team.
Developed and launched done-for-you services for Userlist customers. Spent Q2 working on these packages myself as a consultant.
Started tracking food & macros, which helped me lose another 18lbs (8kg) and get into the best shape I’ve ever had. Now all the weightlifting muscle became visible and I gained that “toned” look. It was easier than I thought, but certainly took some willpower.
Got a better grasp of my personal style in clothing. Yay!
Reunited with my co-founder Benedikt in Athens, for the first time since 2019.
Gave a talk at Rails SaaS conference in Athens, organized by Andrew Culver.
Attended two local conferences, gave a talk at one of them.
Celebrated 4 million downloads at UI Breakfast Podcast.
Made my old design books available for free download behind an email opt-in.
Did another diving liveaboard trip in the Red Sea with my husband. Celebrated our 100th dives.
Implemented an interior design project for our parents.
Realized that I’m burnt out because of the DFY projects, spent a couple months working on content in the low-key mode. Gradually gained the energy back.
With the team, doubled down on the new visual workflows at Userlist. Launched in December and enjoying great feedback.
Good old high-level goals:
Keep growing Userlist
Keep doing both podcasts
Exercise and take care of my body
Go to a few conferences
Do a few diving trips
After a few more years of work, Userlist is gradually becoming a household name when it comes to SaaS email marketing automation. Can’t wait to see where this gets us in 2024.
Our three kids are 5, 10, and 11 years old now. Turning into teenagers, wearing my shoe size, finally staying home alone. It’s fascinating to watch them grow.
These days, nearly everything I do is a long-term play. Growing Userlist, working on the fitness goals, watching our kids grow. Any one-off thing hardly brings instant results. It’s crucial to enjoy the journey and stick to your principles.
Slow and steady is the name of this game.
Thank you for sharing this journey. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday time with your family and friends. Onwards to a great 2024!
— Regards, Jane.
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