Personal Note: 2025 Reflections

If this template resonates with you, feel free to use it and share...

Hi everyone, how’s everything going with you? Happy start of the year! Let’s make 2026 a great one for all, with coherence over expansion (more on that soon).

Important note: This template was shared with me by Lais de Oliveira (Founder, Hacking Communities) a year ago and saw in it a very simple template to compile year end reflections and keep in touch with connections who have added value to you — this means you for me, so I wanted to compile this list and send over.

The goal is to compile your year end reflections with a surfing analogy:

• Good waves – things that went my way, favorite moments.

• Belly flops – things that almost worked out but didn’t go as planned. Must try again.

• Wipeouts – things that didn’t work at all but taught me something valuable.

If you’re getting this email, it’s because I truly value our connection as well and wish to reconnect soon! If you stop by Mexico City anytime soon, please let me know, otherwise we can always connect virtually or through Whatsapp.

🌊 Good Waves

Things that went my way. Favorite moments.

1. Member experience improved meaningfully
   We exceeded our experience targets. Average NPS landed around 9/10 and CSAT around 4.75/5. The work we put into the accelerator, mentors, and platform translated into better outcomes and stronger trust.

2. We shipped, a lot
   We relaunched the accelerator, rolled out a chapter leads approach, formalized a mentors program, and launched a new platform. Not everything was perfect, but we built real infrastructure.

3. We secured meaningful external wins
   We won Startup Chile (equity-free grant) and secured additional support via Parallel18 as a SAFE. Beyond the funding, the recognition was a strong signal that the mission resonates.

4. Financial stability held all year
   My passive income exceeded my monthly burn in all 12 months of 2025. Even when the ratio was not always where I wanted it, the consistency mattered. It gave me breathing room and better decisions.

5. Health and movement stayed present
   I stayed consistent with sports and daily movement. That routine helped keep my baseline stable and prevented stress from compounding.

6. I reprioritized learning and invested in high-value programs
   I completed two programs that materially upgraded how I think and operate: LBAN at Stanford and a biohacking program. More importantly, I shifted back into learning mode. Not just consuming content, but choosing structured environments that challenge my defaults.

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🤿 Belly Flops

1. Revenue did not match the ambition
   We aimed for 40% growth and ended the year around 70% of last year’s revenue. It was a reality check: experience improved, but the engine did not translate that into top-line outcomes…yet ;).

2. Consulting momentum did not come back
   I planned to onboard 3+ advisory clients and only took on one short one-off client. Part of it was bandwidth and part of it was motivation. This is one to revisit intentionally.

3. Coaching and mentoring stayed inconsistent
   Some sessions were great, some added little value. The issue was not “coaching doesn’t work,” it was that I did not set it up as a system with clear goals and selection criteria.

4. Public presence was not as consistent as intended
   I shipped and shared a lot in H1, then lost consistency in H2. I still believe in being public, but only when it feels coherent and sustainable.

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Wipeouts 💣

Things that didn’t work at all but taught me something valuable.

1. My 5-year financial projections were too optimistic
   I finished the previous 5-year plan and the reality came in below expectations. The lesson was clear: I need a new baseline that reflects how things truly behave, not how I want them to behave.

2. Landa’s recurring model wasn’t compatible with the product
   We kept an annual recurring model longer than we should have, and it created misaligned expectations and friction. The lesson: the business model has to match what we can deliver consistently and how members actually experience value, otherwise we end up fighting the model instead of improving the product.

3. Trying to do too many things at once creates fragmentation
   Whenever I ran too many parallel tracks, I paid for it in sleep, mood, and focus. My best months were the ones with fewer priorities and clearer constraints.

4. Conflict avoidance has a cost
   On family and relationship fronts, I chose distance and calm over resolution. It reduced immediate energy drain, but it also delayed progress. Avoiding conflict is not neutral. It compounds.

PS: I’m turning 8 years in CDMX this February, felt like an appropriate pic from Castillo de Chapultepec this time.

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Looking Ahead ⚡️

As I plan for 2026, my focus will be on:

1. Financial reset and long-term clarity
   Rebuild my 5-year financial plan (2026–2030) from scratch by mid-year, then rebalance assets to match realistic targets, risk tolerance, and lifestyle goals.

2. Coherence before expansion, in business and in life
   Operate with no more than 1–2 major priorities at any time. If something new comes in, something else must be parked.

3. Landa: quality and clarity as the growth strategy
   Keep experience quality high and simplify the narrative. The goal is a stable value proposition and strong delivery that scales without increasing leadership load.

4. Protect emotional bandwidth
   Make room for low-stimulus solo time and consistent friendships, not as “extra,” but as part of the system that keeps me steady.

5. Consulting: either real or parked
   By mid-year, decide whether I am relaunching consulting with clear positioning and boundaries, or explicitly deprioritizing it for the rest of the year.

Thank you for being part of my journey. Please don’t hesitate to respond to this email directly if you have any thoughts or want to share your version. Happy to compare notes and learn more from you.

All my best,
Gabriel (Chuco)