My 2025 recap (by the Numbers)

My memory is bad. Not “where did I put my keys” bad, but “did I do anything at all last year” bad. So I wrote this down. When you turn a year into numbers, the vibes immediately flee the scene. In their place are facts, standing there silently, judging you. Here is last year, by the numbers.

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Writing, reach, and audience

• 40 articles published across WordPress, X, and LinkedIn, reaching 100,000+ views on X alone
• 211,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel – up from 165k
• 9,000 subscribers on my email newsletter – up from 7000
• 2,000 members in the Gutenberg Facebook group – up from 1800
• Helped grow both WordPress.com and WordPress.org YouTube channels to 100,000+ subscribers – up from approx 30k

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Speaking and training

• 3 WordCamps presenting live WordPress speed builds

  • WordCamp Asia
  • WordCamp Europe
  • WordCamp Valencia

• 3 training events delivered

  • WordCamp US
  • Barcelona Off Conference
  • New York Fashion Institute of Technology

Live building and teaching remains the fastest way I know to sharpen thinking.

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Built 8 apps

• PootleWriter
  Local-first, no-login writing for WordPress.

• PootlePhotos
  One-click photo uploads straight to WordPress.

• PootlePlayground
  Visual configuration for WordPress Playground blueprints.

• PootleSites
  Multiple persistent WordPress sites running entirely in the browser.

• PootleBooks
  Write chapters, publish instantly, share with a link.

• PootleNoodle
  Instant guitar idea capture published as WordPress posts.

• Tomorrow Times
  A news and sports prediction platform built on RSS and one-click question creation.

• Write or Die for WordPress
  Weaponised procrastination. Stop typing, lose words.

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Built 2 WordPress plugins and 35 block experiments

• Pro Navigation plugin
  An opinionated rethink of WordPress navigation.

• Scrubber plugin
  A time-based content navigation experiment.

• CSS-only Gutenberg carousel
  Fully usable. Zero JavaScript.

• Seamless scrolling marquee block
  Built entirely with core blocks.

• Newsletter signup page experiment
  Focused on flow, pacing, and friction removal.

• 35 WordPress Blocks using Telex
  Automattic’s awesome AI tool

Music

4 gigs played with my band, Shenanigans

In motion

Walking 1,863km, 2.2 million steps (6,666 daily)
Cycling 2,505 km, 48.2 weekly

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Final note

I did not set out to do a lot last year.

I just kept building small things, writing them down, and shipping them when they worked.

Putting numbers against it turned out to be clarifying.

If nothing else, I recommend the exercise.