Year In Review - 2025

I have been following a framework called WINS — Wealth, Insights, Network, and Self — to build gravitas. For the last 11 years, I’ve written an annual review. This year is no different.

But this year had a clear arc.

“we were like those who dream.” — Psalm 126

That sentence stayed with me all year.

I felt like I was living a dream not just because I was doing things beyond my own capability (which I did), or because of the absence of trouble (which was true), but primarily because of the absence of friction. Swimming daily with my family. Enjoying work because I genuinely like the people I work with. Waking up healthy. Going to bed without dread. These are not “wins”; they’re mercies.

Looking back, the dominant emotion isn’t pride — it’s gratitude. And disbelief.

# Wealth

For a long time, I invested directly in stocks. I enjoyed the process — reading, tracking, deciding. This year, I accepted a quieter truth: I no longer have the time or mental bandwidth to do that well.

So I changed course.

I moved a significant portion of my investments into mutual funds and started investing in silver. Investment in silver alone gave me the best returns this year.

I also began investing on my sons’ behalf. The thinking is simple: this money should become a cushion — for higher education and for life choices they may want to make later.

One long-held stock was ITC. It never really grew dramatically, but it paid steady dividends. This year, I decided to exit fully and book profits.

Instead of spending that money outright, I bought a car for my wife and myself, parked the equivalent amount in debt funds, and decided to pay for the car gradually from there. This wasn’t about interest arbitrage. It was about optionality. The money isn’t gone. If something unexpected happens, it’s still there.

Another important shift this year was how I thought through financial decisions.

I used ChatGPT extensively — not for answers, but for thinking. I asked naïve questions. I explored scenarios. I went back and forth until my own thinking became clearer. Earlier, with a human advisor, I might have filtered my questions out of insecurity (will he think I’m stupid?). Here, I didn’t. Only after that did I validate my thinking with a financial advisor.

I wrote in detail how I used ChatGPT as a financial advisor.

I also gave.

I gave 18% of my total revenue to charities. When I started working, money would run out by the 25th of the month. I would have just enough for bus travel to work and milk for dinner. Today, I consistently support three to four charities throughout the year. The feeling is one of deep gratitude.

When you are blessed, don’t raise your spending; raise your giving.

# Insights

Reading has been a constant in my life.

I usually read on Kindle and set aside two to three hours every week. Sunday lunches have become a quiet ritual for us — we eat out as a family, and then everyone reads for an hour. The kids bring their books or Kindles. I bring mine. We simply spend time reading.

This year, I added a Kobo to the mix.

I discovered that Kobo Plus is far better than Kindle Unlimited — not because of quantity, but quality. Kobo doesn’t just surface self-published books; it also includes good, popular titles from established authors and publishers. That single switch put me on a strong reading streak.

Writing followed reading.

Early in the year, I published a post on how to run OpenWebUI locally on a Mac. On its own, it accounted for around 13,000 visits this year. In total, the site crossed 44.9k page views. For years, I’ve aimed for 30k annually and never quite reached it. This year, it happened — accidentally.

Another long-standing idea finally took shape.

Over the last two decades, I’ve read more than 100 books. These books shaped how I think, how I work, and how I see faith and life. This year, I began publishing one idea from each book — not summaries, but reflections on how each book shaped me. I’ve written 17 so far. The long-term goal is 100.

Read those 100 Ideas That Shaped Me from Books I Read.

I also built.

I wrote a small Go + SQLite app called Read to Reflect, which surfaces a random saved essay for reflection. I then built another app, Zlynks, for book recommendations with affiliate links across different Amazon regions.

This second app was largely vibe-coded. The backend is in Go (Fiber), and the frontend in SvelteKit. The experience left me both impressed and cautious. AI can write a lot of code — good code — but judgment still matters. Validation still matters.

It strengthened a hypothesis I’ve been carrying.

Software may soon have its own “Substack moment” — a platform that handles hosting, payments, and distribution the way Substack did for writers.

I remain deeply optimistic.

# How I Used ChatGPT This Year

One quiet but significant change this year was how I used ChatGPT.

I used it more than any other AI tool — more than Claude, Perplexity, or anything else. Partly because it became freely accessible in India, but mostly because it fit naturally into how I think and work.

I used ChatGPT as a:

• scribe & editor
• thought partner
• counselor
• a tool for reflection

I will continue to use ChatGPT the way I use any other serious technology: intentionally, critically, and as a means — not an authority.

Read more of How I used ChatGPT in 2025.

# Talks

Every year I share what I know in conferences in the city. I also participate in "Faculty development programs". This year, I participated in a FDP of an Omani university thanks to a friend of mine. This is the first time, I did that.

You can read all the talks I have given.

This year, insights compounded through disciplined reading, reflective writing, hands-on building, and thoughtful use of AI as a thinking partner.

# Network

This wasn’t a loud networking year.

But it wasn’t empty either.

I stayed engaged with the Gravitas WINS community. Toward the end of the year, we started a structured 12-week goal-setting and weekly review cycle. That rhythm itself feels important.

Outside of formal calls, I met several community members in person. I also made it a habit to initiate simple conversations on LinkedIn — no pitch, no agenda. Just curiosity.

Nothing dramatic came out of it.

But something steady did.

This was a year of fewer connections, but deeper ones.

# Self

# Family & Homeschooling

Homeschooling continues to be one of the most meaningful parts of our life.

Josh uploaded his Grade 5 videos and is now learning keyboard. He also completed courses in HTML, CSS, and React, and built his homepage. He was visibly proud of it.

Jerry cleared his Trinity First Grade certification. He picked up guitar naturally and learned multiple songs on his own from YouTube. One of them — an Ilaiyaraaja composition — he played for my sister’s birthday. That moment stayed with me.

Both kids explored coding through Coursera. They also attended youth retreats, made new friends, went to birthday parties, and learned how to initiate conversations. The old homeschooling worry — are they becoming asocial? — quietly dissolved this year.

Josh is now doing 12th through NIOS. Conversations with a career counselor opened paths like BBA and corporate law. Nothing is fixed. Everything is exploratory.

A few years ago, my wife learned swimming at around 43. This year, she started learning to drive.

When we were in Chennai, she saw the chaotic traffic. I had been encouraging her to learn driving for a while, but she kept postponing it. After that trip, she came back and said, If I’m going to learn driving, it has to be here.

She enrolled in a driving school, went every day, and within about two months, got her license.

Now that she has her own car, it has opened up a new sense of independence. She’s already imagining all the things she wants to do on her own. Watching that confidence grow has been a quiet joy.

This year was not without anxious moments.

Josh fell sick. Twice.

The first time was during the first anniversary of my mother’s death. We were traveling, and he fell seriously ill. It escalated quickly, and we had to admit him to the emergency ward. He was on oxygen for a while. We were in Coimbatore, away from home, which made it harder.

Thankfully, with good medical care and his own immunity, he recovered quickly. He stayed in the hospital for about five days and was discharged.

The second episode came a few months later. It started as a fever, and we assumed it was seasonal. When it didn’t subside, we consulted the doctor. Initial tests showed nothing. Eventually, it turned out to be typhoid. For nearly fifteen days, he was unwell.

This time, he didn’t want to be admitted. We monitored him closely at home, gave him medicines, and cared for him day by day. Slowly, he recovered.

Looking back, the year wasn’t free of friction or fear. But in each case, things worked out — steadily, quietly, and well in the end.

This year reinforced that homeschooling is not isolation, but intentional formation.

# Fitness

For about three months, we swam daily as a family. Watching my wife learn to swim confidently — even at six feet depth— at 45 was a joy I didn’t anticipate.

The rest of the year was simpler: jogging and home workouts. I typically ran 5 km in about 45 minutes, managed one 10 km run before winter, and worked out with dumbbells and push-ups at home.

Pull-ups remain unfinished business.

Maybe next year.

Fitness this year was about showing up consistently, not chasing performance.

# Spiritual Life

Three years ago, thugs disrupted our church and forced us to vacate. Two years ago, we began thinking — tentatively — about building a church.

The congregation is made up of daily laborers and slum dwellers. They don’t have much. I had never asked people for money before. That didn't stop me from raising funds.

Friends, college mates, and well-wishers contributed. The pastor traveled extensively to raise funds. At Christmas, we dedicated the church. There is still work left — wiring, painting — but standing there felt unreal.

Read more here: Vengeance Is Not Violence.

I also preached at Jesus Calls, Chennai. Having studied at Karunya, this carried deep personal meaning.

As a Christian parent, we have always talked about the Bible, faith, and church at home. We go to church regularly. Like any parent, I wanted my sons to be baptized. But I was careful to leave the final decision with them.

One Sunday, the pastor announced that there would be a baptism and gave a call. Josh went forward on his own.

A month later, after attending the preparatory sessions, he was baptized.

That mattered to me more than the act itself — not because it happened, but because it wasn’t forced. In that sense, this year felt pivotal for his spiritual growth. I’m deeply grateful for that.

This year, faith moved from inward conviction to outward obedience.

# Travel

We began the year quietly with a weekend retreat at Shivjot Resort — no crowds, just rest.

In March, we visited Chikmagalur and stayed in Java Rain Resorts. This was a month after my elder son was admitted in emergency. So seeing him hike to Mullayyanagiri peak was heartening. The unforgettable experience was visiting "Hoysaleswara Temple". I never tire of Indian architecture.

In August, we visited Karaikudi and Rameshwaram. Karaikudi, in particular, stood out. The Chettiar approach to business, wealth, and philanthropy was deeply instructive. The architecture, food, and culture felt like stepping into another world.

We ended that trip with a few days in Chennai at MGM Beach Resort — meeting friends, talking, resting.

Travel became a way to reflect, not escape.

# Closing

In 2025, I said to my friends often, "It feels like I'm living in a dream. I am afraid I will wake up."

This is the phrase I repeated every morning before I got out of bed.

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

That still feels true on the last day of the year.

# Retros of Past Years

I’ve been publishing annual reviews for over a decade. Each review captures the journey and milestones that shaped me. You can read them to see how far I’ve come.