{"id":1647,"date":"2024-12-31T09:25:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T07:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stefanvetter.com\/en\/?p=1647"},"modified":"2025-01-28T11:46:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T09:46:58","slug":"2024-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stefanvetter.com\/en\/2024-review","title":{"rendered":"2024 Year in Review: Hans in Luck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Update 27.01.2025:<\/strong> The Tages-Anzeiger took up my reduction of possessions and published a comprehensive article with a video interview and stop-motion animation of my equipment. Read article<\/a><\/strong> (German only)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020 was a good but also tough year for me. Currently, I am focusing on simplifying and letting go: for example, by working less and reducing my possessions to 76 things. Read more about this in this review and outlook:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A very good year for Friendly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
At our 4th team retreat<\/a> in Ticino.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2024 was a good year for Friendly. This was reflected first of all in the stability of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the employees who were with us at the end of 2023 are still with us today. Kathrin and Luke even increased their workload<\/a> from 40% to 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friendly won prestigious new customers such as the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, the Swiss Human Rights Organization and the Hannover Re insurance company. The number of customers rose by +27% to over 152*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was also reflected in our finances. Our total revenue grew by +25% to 351\u202f171 CHF and our profit by almost +170% to 34\u202f705 CHF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This enabled us to reduce the previous loss<\/a> of over CHF -72,520 (as of the end of 2022) by almost two-thirds to \u201conly\u201d CHF -24,849*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* (Figures extrapolated because December statement not yet final).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The current recipients of our donations<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, in 2024 we were finally able to fully honor our promise to donate 1% of our revenue<\/a> to charitable causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Happy about the Blick article<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As an Open Startup<\/a>, we publish everything at Friendly if there is no reason not to. So it was no big deal for us when we shared the updated employment contracts<\/a> of Kathrin and Luke on LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the reactions went beyond anything we had previously experienced: over 1 million views on LinkedIn<\/a>, and even the Swiss tabloid Blick reported<\/a> on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wortspiel still going strong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
At our 11th team retreat<\/a> in Ireland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even if it looks a bit stormy in the picture: 2024 was another calm and steady year for my agency Wortspiel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were pleased to welcome a new member to our team: Sibylle Jost has been supporting us as an analytics consultant since September. This increased our team from 11 to 12 permanent freelancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Net fee income rose slightly by +6% to CHF 471\u202f227.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in March 2025, Wortspiel will celebrate its tenth anniversary!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repayment of all debts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a founder without investors<\/a>, I had to fund the development of Friendly from my own resources. My money ran so short that I had to borrow over 50,000 CHF<\/a> from friends and family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of 2023, I had already been able to pay back CHF 10\u202f000 of the original debt, and a further CHF 20\u202f000 in the course of 2024. I expect to be able to pay off the remaining CHF 20\u202f000 by the beginning of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am reducing my possessions to 76 things<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
This is all I still own<\/a> at the end of 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I have realized that my main motivation is freedom \u2013 not money or status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the fewer things you have, the more free \u2013 and often happier \u2013 you are. There is wisdom in the fairy tale of Hans in Luck<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have therefore decided to drastically reduce my physical possessions. I have asked myself whether I really need each and every item. And if I do, I have checked whether there is a lighter alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, I now own only 76 things<\/a> weighing a total of 7.5 kilograms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mobile \u201coffice\u201d in 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From January 2025, I will in addition no longer have my own apartment and will live as a \u201cdigital nomad\u201d only in hotels, Airbnbs, with family and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hello 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For almost 10 years, I have felt as if I have been running at full speed non-stop: wedding, founding Wortspiel, buying a house, children, founding Friendly, debts, divorce. That was a lot in a little time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also reflected in my health: I have often felt exhausted and depressed lately. (By the way, ice baths<\/a> help against depression; today, after a 6-month break, I finally took one again.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So for 2025, my priority is reduction and recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, I would take a six-month sabbatical. However, because it does not yet seem possible for me professionally, I will therefore split the sabbatical over 12 months \u2013 and only work 50% during this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will report in the next year in review whether that worked out for me. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I’ve always thought that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone and live more simply
I have no idea what’s happened to that dream
\u2019Cause there’s really nothing left here to stop me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s just a thought, only a thought<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If my life is for rent
And I don’t learn to buy
Well, I deserve nothing more than I get
\u2019Cause nothing I have is truly mine<\/p>\nDido, Life for Rent<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

PS:<\/strong> This is the sixth year for which I have written a review. Here are the editions for 2023<\/a>, 2022<\/a>, 2021<\/a>, 2020<\/a> and 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Update 27.01.2025: The Tages-Anzeiger took up my reduction of possessions and published a comprehensive article with a video interview and stop-motion animation of my equipment. Read article (German only) 2020 was a good but also tough year for me. Currently, I am focusing on simplifying and letting go: for example, by working less and reducing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_trash_the_other_posts":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stefan-vetter","has-thumbnail"],"yoast_head":"\n2024 Year in Review: Hans in Luck | Stefan Vetter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stefanvetter.com\/en\/2024-review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2024 Year in Review: Hans in Luck | Stefan Vetter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Update 27.01.2025: The Tages-Anzeiger took up my reduction of possessions and published a comprehensive article with a video interview and stop-motion animation of my equipment. 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