Annual Review 2024: 40 Questions (01/06/25)
Rating: 2 Stars Date: January 6, 2025 Notebook: Deep Reflections 2023-2025 Tags: Reflection, Annual Last updated: 2026-04-06
Overview
Jack’s 2024 annual review, written in the “40 Questions” format — a structured self-reflection template. This is the richest single source of biographical facts in the archive. Written during CES week in Las Vegas.
Key Facts from 2024
New Things Done
- Traveled to Japan (Dec 15–30)
- Transferred to Georgia Tech Era
- Leased apartments
- Went to production (first time)
- Did a “YouTube-like challenge”
Memorable Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 6–10 | CES, Las Vegas |
| February 16–18 | Treehacks 2025, Stanford |
| June 29 | Berkeley AI Hackathon |
| December 15–30 | Japan Trip 2024 |
| April 6 | Went to production |
Biggest Achievement
Transferring to Georgia Tech and improving social skills.
Biggest Failure
Not pursuing side projects hard enough.
Hardships
- Losing some friends
- Being isolated in bad locations
- Lack of startup traction
Physical Events
- Twisted ankle
- Minor lung issue
- Electric unicycle crash
Best Purchase
New laptop.
Person Celebrated
Ivan — for his consistent drive on Prodicity. (See Ivan when created.)
Song of the Year
“Hacking to the Gate” — the Steins Gate opening theme.
Compared to Prior Year
Happier, slightly fatter, richer.
What He Wished For
Fast-paced life with fast recovery, committed to projects.
What He Wanted Less Of
Bad YouTube, mindless eating.
Analysis
The pairing of “biggest achievement: transferring and social skills” with “biggest failure: not pursuing side projects” is revealing. The two are in tension — the social investment and the project investment compete for the same time and energy. Jack knows this.
“Losing some friends” as a hardship alongside “improved social skills” as an achievement suggests 2024 was a year of deliberate social recalibration — letting some relationships go to build better ones.
Japan as the defining travel experience, Steins;Gate as the song of the year — both point to a deep affinity for Japanese culture and aesthetics that runs through the archive.
Related
Revision history
| Date | Commit | Edit summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-06 06:45:28 | 948c69c8 | build: auto-update 2026-04-06 06:45 UTC (112 pages) |
| 2026-04-06 06:43:54 | 5ebe9165 | build: auto-update 2026-04-06 06:43 UTC (112 pages) |
| 2026-04-06 04:08:43 | c2e146b2 | ingest: 20 writing pages — walk in park, browser agents DRL, AI/society, nostalgia/burnout, loneliness, MIT frosh, Georgia Tech escapism, social 2022, year-end 2022, annual review 2024, boston, treehacks, philosophy trilogy, steins gate, fear/connection, relationships, ocean town, motivation 2021 |