This was 2025

It's a yearly tradition for myself to write a recap of the year, so here it is, my take on 2025.

Business-wise

This year was one of seeking stability and growth at Vulpo.
One area where we did particularly well was people management, improving month after month. While continuing to ship features and support clients through rescue interventions, we still made time to have fun.

On a personal level, I experimented extensively with AI and other cutting-edge technologies.

Together, we built awesome solutions, high-performing apps, and efficient processes.

As a Creator

Code with Burt YouTube channel?

At the beginning of 2025, the channel had 3,184 subscribers, and at the time of writing, it has 4,127 subscribers. These are numbers I’m very happy with 🙂

Even though I put in less effort this year, the growth is still there. In 2026, I want to double down on content again.

I’d love to reach 5,000 subscribers, or even 6,000, and hopefully go far beyond that in 2026 🤩

You can help by subscribing here !

Meetups and Conferences.

This year has been quite a year for me. I spoke at two major Laracons.
The first was in Amsterdam at Laracon EU, and the second was in Ahmedabad, India, at Laracon IN. I had a blast on stage, but the nicest part of all was meeting the attendees and fellow speakers.

I also attended several meetups where I gave talks, as well as others where I participated as an attendee.

Looking ahead to the coming year, I’ll be heading back to India for Laracon IN, and I’ve also submitted a few other CFPs.

I'm also still organizing the Devs.gent meetups in Ghent together with Elian and Freek, every two months on the last Wednesday of the month.

Opensource?

Many of you know how much I appreciate what people do for the community. I’ve contributed to a few packages, mostly by fixing small things and helping out where I can.

Meanwhile, my package Laravel Vatnumber Checker crossed 95,000 downloads this year, which makes me incredibly happy

Personal life

In 2025, we encountered both notable highlights and challenging low points.

One highlight that makes me extremely happy is the transition my wife made in her career. She worked as a butcher for 15 years straight. While she always had a passion for teaching, she tried university after college, but French proved to be a bit too difficult at the time. This year, however, she decided to return to university to pursue her degree.

In the meantime, she applied for a job at a school and is already teaching while studying in parallel. She is now combining her passion for teaching with her knowledge as a butcher to teach butchery and cooking.

I truly admire her for taking the leap and following her dream.

This brings me to the lowest point of the year.
After five and a half years of battling cancer, with a major setback in 2023, my mom passed away on December 9th. It’s all still very fresh, and it will take a very, very long time to come to terms with it.

She was the most supportive person in everything I did, whether it was business, sports, or simply helping out with the kids. She was always there.

I will miss her advice, her guidance, and most importantly, her love.

Sports

I participated in a few small races this year, but due to my state of mind, I completely neglected my health and fitness.
It’s something I partially regret, and I promise (to myself, of course) to get back to it in 2026.

Closing

So, this was a complex year for me, filled with both highs and lows.
I wish everyone the very best for 2026, and I hope to see you all at a meetup or conference, or even better, out on the bike.

#year-recap, #personal