2024 was one heck of a year. It was the most stressful year of my life while also being one of the most rewarding.

What I did#

Moved back to Costa Rica#

Back in 2021, my wife and I sold everything we owned and moved with our dog from Costa Rica to Italy so I could start a master’s degree in Data Science at the University of Padova. After finishing the degree in 2023, we decided to move back to Costa Rica. We missed our families, friends, and the tropical weather.

We’re super happy with the decision to be back. But the whole pre- and post-moving process was incredibly stressful. Even after eight months, we’re still figuring out how to live here, haha. It’s not easy to get back on track after being away for three years and starting from scratch all over again.

I was privileged to work at a company that embraces fully remote work, which allowed me to keep my job. :) Plus, I get to travel to Europe occasionally to visit and collaborate with colleagues.

Started a Book: The Little Book of ML Metrics#

This is probably the most exciting thing I did in 2024.

I started working on The Little Book of ML Metrics—the book every data scientist needs on their desk. It’s a collection of the most common metrics used in Machine Learning and Data Science, covering everything from regression and classification to GenAI, bias, fairness, and more.

Since announcing the book four months ago (as of this writing), we’ve had more than 100 pre-orders and many contributors. The book is also open-source, meaning anyone can check its current state, suggest improvements, or even contribute new content.

One of my main goals for 2025 is to finish and publish it. Hopefully, by the end of Q2 2025, everyone who pre-ordered it will have a copy.

Started a Book Club: AI from Scratch#

The serendipity of the internet is amazing. I tweeted about wanting to start a book club to read Sebastian Raschka's hoping to get at least four like-minded people interested.

Turns out, over 600 people wanted to join something like that. I quickly put together a Discord server, and people started joining like crazy.

Today, we’re more than 950 learners on Discord. I named the community AI from Scratch. If it goes well, it would be awesome to continue studying ML/AI methods from scratch together.

So far, we’ve met six times and covered 5 out of 7 chapters of the book. We’re planning to finish it in the first few weeks of 2025.

Wrote 6 substantive blog posts#

Out of everything I wrote this year, these three posts are the ones I’m most proud of:

1. There's Data Drift, But Does It Matter?
2. We used data drift signals to estimate model performance — so you don't have to
3. Can we detect LLM hallucinations? — A quick review of our experiments

There is a fourth one I'm also proud of, but it is not published yet. I guess I'll have to wait until 2025 to share it. Check out all the other posts here.

In 2024, I became more intentional about my writing, which is something I want to continue practicing and improving in 2025.

Went viral many times#

Followers, likes, and comments are vanity metrics, and going viral isn’t something you can control. Still, I see virality as a signal that you’re putting yourself out there and some things resonate with people. That’s something I’m proud of. I’m proud of the work I’ve done and the ideas I’ve shared. It’s definitely something I want to do more of in 2025.

Things I did not do#

• I barely exercised. In the last couple of months, I went on some hikes and played soccer, but that’s about it. For most of the year, I forgot about my health. My back pains are back—and they’re terrible.
• There were weeks where I slept terribly.
• I didn’t read as much as I wanted to. I finished Fahrenheit 451, Flatland, The Songs of Distant Earth, and 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing. I’m currently reading Build a Large Language Model (from Scratch) and The Creative Act. Those are affiliate links, by the way, I make a small commission if you buy through them.
• I didn’t take guitar lessons, which was one of my goals for moving back to Costa Rica.

2025 Goals#

• Finish The Little Book of ML Metrics.
• Have fun writing more intentionally and sharing it on the internet.
• Get back to exercising. Join weekly soccer games, go to the gym, and go to hikes.
• Continue nurturing the AI from Scratch study group. Read 1-2 books with them.
• Read more sci-fi books.
• Get into guitar classes.
• Cook more.
• Save money for a house.
• Turn my house garden into something beautiful.
• Be grateful with every step.
• Be creative.

Fun anecdote#

During the pandemic—specifically, on May 7, 2020—I wrote some goals on a piece of paper. I folded it, stored it in my wallet, and forgot about it. Today, I found it and realized I’ve accomplished all of them.

Translation

1. "Find a job where I feel genuinely passionate and can contribute and grow professionally." I’m so happy to have found NannyML.
2. #Be constant in continuing to learn about Data Science and keep creating personal projects."
3. "Keep building a circle of love with Kathu and Maple."
4. "Be more present for my family."
5. "Improve my relationship with my friends."
6. "Live abroad with Kathu and Maple." When I wrote this, I didn’t know we’d move to Italy.
7. "Be able to dedicate myself to personal projects and make money doing so." Okay, maybe not a lot of money yet, but I’ve done some.
8. "Be creative and empathetic."
9. "Work at Webflow." At the time, Webflow was my dream company.
10. "Be grateful for every step."
11. "Exercise." I guess this has always been on the list.

See you in 2025!