It’s almost end of year, so perfect time to take a moment to reflect on the year’s achievements across three dimensions that I believe are deeply interconnected: my professional work, my sport milestones, and a little of my personal life. This year has been transformative in many ways, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned and accomplished.

Professional Highlights

Contributions and Team Impact

In 2025, I made 1,383 contributions across 34 public repositories, including significant work on projects like ReportPortal, Konflux, and OpenAPI Tools. While this represents a slight decrease from 2024’s 1,457 contributions and 2023’s remarkable 1,804 contributions (when I was among the top 3 contributors to Quarkus), the quality and impact of my work has increased significantly.

What I’m particularly proud of is my leadership within the team. In 2025, I doubled the contribution count of the second-highest contributor on my team, and I also led in code reviews, helping to maintain our codebase’s quality and mentoring teammates through thoughtful feedback.

Looking at the evolution from 2023 to 2025, I’ve transitioned from being a heavy contributor to large open-source projects like Quarkus to focusing more on specialized tools and internal systems that have multiplied the productivity of our entire team.

Key Focus Areas

1. AI for Productivity Enhancement

This year, I’ve deeply explored how AI can enhance developer productivity. I primarily use AI tools, particularly Claude, for two main purposes:

• Smart Search: Finding solutions, documentation, and code patterns faster than traditional search methods
• Repetitive Tasks: Automating boilerplate code generation and routine modifications

However, I’ve developed a nuanced perspective on AI-assisted coding. While AI code generation is an excellent tool/service, I also wanted to note and warn about a critical limitation: when the optimal solution requires creativity or novel thinking, AI agents fall short unless you explicitly provide the creative direction. The AI excels at execution but struggles with innovation.

I’m also concerned about the impact on junior developers. In my view, relying too heavily on AI-generated code at the beginning of one’s career is extremely dangerous. Junior developers won’t learn productively if they don’t struggle through problems, make mistakes, and understand the “why” behind solutions.

Looking ahead to 2026, I want to deepen my AI integration by implementing more intelligent solutions, particularly custom MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for our projects. This will allow us to create domain-specific AI assistants.

2. Architectural Evolution

My second major focus area has been architectural improvements across our service ecosystem. I’ve been driving our team towards:

• Event-Driven Architecture: Transforming our services to be event-driven rather than request-response based, improving scalability and resilience
• Domain-Specific Design: Ensuring each service has clear boundaries and responsibilities aligned with business domains
• Enhanced Observability: Implementing advanced monitoring and observability patterns in Kubernetes/OpenShift to give us better insights into system behavior

These architectural changes aren’t just theoretical exercises. They directly impact our ability to debug issues quickly, scale efficiently, and onboard new team members faster.

3. Technology Stack Modernization

The third pillar of my work has been modernizing our technology stack to leverage the latest approaches in:

• CI/CD: Implementing more sophisticated continuous integration and deployment pipelines
• Security: Integrating security best practices throughout the development lifecycle
• Modern Frameworks: Upgrading to current versions of frameworks and libraries while maintaining stability

Running and Athletic Achievements

You might wonder why I’m including an athletic section in a productivity summary. The answer is simple: I do think this is deeply related to and directly impacts my professional performance. Some of my best technical insights and solutions have emerged during easy runs when my mind is relaxed and wandering freely. Running isn’t just exercise—it’s a form of active meditation that unlocks creative problem-solving.

This year, I ran a ton! Here’s my Garmin summary for 2025:

The numbers tell part of the story, but the experiences behind them matter more. Here are the achievements I’m most proud of:

My First Sub-4-Hour Marathon in Málaga

In my hometown of Málaga, I completed my first marathon in under 4 hours with a time of 3 hours and 52 minutes. Running through the streets where I grew up, cheered on by the local community, made this achievement even more special.

UTMB Andorra 50K - The Toughest Challenge Yet

I became a finisher of the UTMB Andorra 50-kilometer ultra trail, the most difficult race I’ve ever attempted. The combination of technical terrain, significant elevation gain, and sheer distance pushed me to my absolute limits. Crossing that finish line taught me lessons about perseverance that have directly translated to tackling complex technical challenges at work.

Barcelona Half Marathon Personal Best

I set a new personal record at the Barcelona Half Marathon with a time of 1 hour and 38 minutes. Barcelona’s fast, flat course and incredible atmosphere created the perfect conditions for a breakthrough performance.

Sub 20 min in a 5 km race

I set a new personal record in a 5 km race with a time of 20 minutes.

Running in Dream Destinations

This year, I fulfilled one of my longtime dreams: running in iconic cities around the world. I explored Central Park in New York City and the beautiful streets of Tokyo on foot. There’s something magical about experiencing a city at a runner’s pace, discovering neighborhoods and perspectives that tourists rushing between landmarks never see.

New York Central Park:

Tokyo:

Personal Milestones

Beyond work and running, 2025 brought incredible personal experiences:

Three Weeks in Japan

My family and I spent three weeks exploring Japan, immersing ourselves in the culture, and natural beauty of this fascinating country. From Tokyo’s electric energy to Kyoto’s serene temples, it was the trip of a lifetime.

New York and Paris

I visited New York City and Paris for the first time, experiencing the unique character of each city. Both trips combined work opportunities with personal exploration, reminding me how fortunate I am to work in an industry that enables global connections.

Family Love

Most importantly, my son Victor continues to bring immeasurable joy to my life. Watching him grow and learn reminds me daily of what truly matters.

First Car

Oh, and I finally got my first new car! Maybe it’s because I just turned 40 and I’m having a midlife crisis? :)

Conclusion

Looking back at 2025, I see a year of balanced growth across all dimensions of my life. My professional contributions have evolved from pure volume to strategic impact, my athletic achievements have reached new heights, and my personal experiences have enriched my perspective on the world.

The interconnection between these three areas—work, athletics, and personal life—isn’t coincidental. They reinforce each other. Physical fitness gives me the energy and mental clarity for deep technical work. Personal experiences and family time provide motivation and perspective. Professional challenges teach discipline and problem-solving skills that apply everywhere else.

Thank you for reading, and here’s to making 2026 even better!