LOOKING BACK AT 2020

October 2020 / Reading Time: 4 minutes
This year will forever remain in the memory of the entire globe population. Just like the years of the world wars or the ones of the economic crashes, 2020 will be forever remembered by those who lived it as well as by those who were only told about it. It was the year when we were all introduced to Covid-19, the new coronavirus that made more than one million global victims until now. But this year will also be remembered by many individuals for more happier reasons, like maybe the birth of a child or getting married, building a new home, starting a new job or a new business.
During this year, the Online became even bigger than it was. When thinking of this, it’s just like saying that the Milky Way became even bigger than it was last year, decade or century ago. My mind cannot truly comprehend it as the Online (just like the Milky Way) was already too big to be reasonably understood by the mind of normal people, the kind that don’t always get Sheldon Cooper’s equations or the magnitude of the event which inspired The Big Bang Theory show’s name.
Nevertheless, the Online did become bigger this year, rapidly expanding to new edges, with virtual interaction and remote work as the dominant parts of the new spectre. For many entrepreneurs, this was an opportunity to develop their existing business, to create new ones or to merge their vision with the vision of other entrepreneurs. For the new generation of brave businessmen and businesswomen, 2020 was the year of their first business adventure. For many procrastinators, it was an opportunity to finally start the business they’ve been thinking about for the last few years. For me, it was the moment when, after more than a decade of classic, offline law practice, I started to provide legal services almost exclusively in an online environment. All of us, the established or the new entrepreneurs, had our own reasons to pick 2020 as the year to dive into this vast, virtual playground, called the Online.
Now, imagine we’re a few years into the future, let’s say in 4 or 5 years. So, we’re in late 2024 – early 2025, and we’re looking at our present. What do we see? Hopefully, nothing about any new or old coronavirus or any kind of virus. We see our business that we started or expanded in 2020. We remember the thought we had back then, that the Online was already something too big to be comprehended and we smile, admitting in our minds how naive we were. After all, in 2020 artificial intelligence was not that advanced as we thought it was, if only we compare that present past time with this future present one.
We remember how all people were forced to stay home or to work from home for the most part of that year. We remember the impact this thing had on our social behaviour, the effects being more and more visible in the following years after the pandemic was finally kept under control. We remember the paradoxical feelings of hope and fear that we felt when we started our new business or when we decided to take our existing business to the next level.
We look back and we start to understand how different our world is now than it was just less than 5 years ago. We realise that our slightly-different-than-others’ business approach from that time of uncertainty, led us to run an established enterprise in an area known by many but understood by only a few. And all this made possible by an abstract, untouchable concept: “the Online”. Looking back, how else could we explain the success of our companies born or reborn in a moment of great despair to the world?
As every period that forever remains imprinted into humanity’s spirit, the year of 2020 and the couple of years that followed were marked both by terrible events and unexpected innovations. Have you ever wondered which experiences have left their mark on you the most? You, the one from the future, when looking back at your actions from 2020, are you haunted by the missed opportunities or do you recognise yourself as a member of the horde that had initiative? Were you mourning the decline of the conventional social interactions or did you believe in the power of the remote connections made possible by the all-mighty Online, in the context of the social distancing phenomenon that has grown bigger and bigger during 2021 and 2022?
I can answer all these questions for you. I know exactly how you were back then in 2020, because I know you now in 2025. I know my answer is true because you told me yourself. Moreover, it’s plain obvious. All I need to do is to have a look at your business achievements from the last couple of years. Yes, in 2020 you were among the ones that had initiative. You started your own business, you helped others to develop their businesses, you met and worked with others enthusiasts like you. This is how we met as well, both looking to bring something fresh and helpful to our business areas. At some point, our business paths crossed and we easily recognised each other, although we had never physically met before. We were happy to collaborate not only for our own success but for the greater good as well, a greater good that involved the online world as a whole.
Although in 2020 it was ridiculous to think of ourselves as pioneers in our field of business, that thought seems less absurd now, in 2025. As it often happens, the starting point was a conglomerate of initiatives. Yours, hers, his, mine. With the help of the Milky Way-like constant expansion of the online environment, our businesses grew closer than ever, helping us to evolve as entrepreneurs and be more appreciative as human beings.
Finishing this journey and returning to present day feels, once again, like a paradox. On the one hand, I am looking forward to meeting you and to be mesmerised by the kindred entrepreneurial spirit in you. On the other hand, I’m glad I already met you and that my legal advice helped your business grow. Our paths will surely cross and when they’ll do, it will be the beginning of a mutual beneficial business relationship. Until then, keep promoting your current business initiatives! It will be well worth it!
Thank you for your time!