My 10 Goals for 2026
Some Modest, Some Lofty
Hey, Prasad here 👋 I’m the voice behind the weekly newsletter “Big Tech Careers.”
In this week's article, I'm sharing my goals for 2026 publicly with you all to keep myself accountable :)
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Every end of year, there’s that moment where you sit down and think about what you actually want to accomplish in the next 12 months. Not the vague “be a better person” kind of goals, but concrete ones that make you slightly uncomfortable. That moment of honest reflection is what led to my 2026 list.
I’ve learned over the years that goals work best when they’re attached to something real - a passion, a metric you’re chasing, or a problem you’re obsessed with solving.
Here are the 10 goals I’m committing to this year.
Fair warning: I’m not expecting to hit all of them. But the process of pursuing them? That’s where the real work happens.
1. Continue Growing as an Individual Contributor
The Goal: Lead high-impact initiatives, mentor people, and scale my influence as an Individual Contributor (IC).
Every now and then, a conversation about career progression includes someone asking, “Don’t you want to become a manager?”
The impact you can make as a Manager is bigger, the career growth is faster, they say. I understand the appeal, but I’m at a stage where being an IC genuinely excites me.
My focus for 2026 is threefold: lead initiatives that outlast me, continue mentoring people in the organization, and find clever ways to scale my own impact.
This means being intentional about the projects I take on, selecting ones that solve real problems and create scalable solutions. It also means being a mentor who actually shows up for people, not just in 1-on-1s but in actively opening doors for them.
2. Grow LinkedIn Following to 50,000
The Goal: Increase from 42,000 to 50,000 followers (an addition of 8,000).
Current Status: I added 12,000+ followers last year, so hitting this target might seem like lowballing.. But it might actually be lofty.
LinkedIn’s algorithm has shifted dramatically toward AI content, videos, memes and selfies. The platform is flooded with AI-generated content, making it harder for thoughtful posts to gain traction. Growing by another 8,000 in this environment requires either going all-in on video/selfies/memes (not my style) and AI content (which doesn't feel authentic) or being incredibly strategic about what I share.
I'm going to keep this as my goal because it forces me to think about what kind of content actually resonates and whether I'm willing to adapt (and surpass the cringe mountain) without abandoning my voice.
3. Scale BeSA to 50,000 Participants
The Goal: Grow the free mentoring initiative, BeSA (Become a Solutions Architect), from 18,000+ to 50,000+ participants.
The Context: BeSA started in 2022, and after 8 batches over 4 years, we’ve reached over 18,000 people. That’s real impact. The next batch in Q1 2026 starts on February 21st, focusing on “Agentic AI on AWS”, a topic that’s incredibly timely.
Last year, we experimented with digital badges and certifications, and it was a huge hit. People wanted tangible proof of their learning. For 2026, we are doubling down on providing value through both technical and behavioral skills to help people upskill in their cloud and AI career journeys.
Growing to 50,000 participants is ambitious, but it’s tied to something I’m genuinely passionate about. Every person who goes through BeSA is someone working toward a more fulfilling career in tech. That’s worth pushing for.
As always, BeSA is going to remain FREE!
4. Scale Big Tech Careers Newsletter to 50,000 Subscribers
The Goal: Grow Big Tech Careers newsletter from 23,000+ to 50,000+ subscribers while maintaining weekly long-form articles.
Why Long-Form? I love writing detailed posts. Yes, it’s harder than churning out quick LinkedIn updates. Yes, it requires more bandwidth. But long-form writing forces me to actually think through what I believe and align my thoughts.
Currently sitting at 24K subscribers, I want to continue publishing one article every week and double the subscriber base. And yes, it’s staying free.
Writing helps me think, and sharing that thinking helps others. Win-win.
If you like to read long form articles on how to grow in your career using behavioral skills, please do subscribe.
It will be a perfect symphony if I'm able to reach a 50K audience across LinkedIn, 50K learners on BeSA, and 50K readers on Big Tech Careers newsletter!
5. Fix the Weight Cycling Pattern Once and For All
The Goal: Stop the pattern of gaining and losing 8-10 kg per year. Build a sustainable approach to health and fitness.
The Real Talk: This is my most lofty goal, and I’m not afraid to say it.
For the last few years, I’ve been stuck in a cycle. I get into a good routine of eating healthy, working out consistently, sleeping well. Life is great. Then life happens. A big project deadline, personal chores, travel, stress, and suddenly the routine vanishes. I’m back to skipping workouts, eating poorly, losing sleep, and wondering why I’m back where I started.
The pattern itself isn’t the problem. The problem is that I treat routine as an on-off switch instead of something with flexibility built in.
This year, the goal is about building a system that survives chaos. Because life will happen. My focus has to be to stop letting it derail me completely. I need to normalize the ups and downs while maintaining a baseline of healthy choices.
6. Scale My Big Tech Interview Prep Course and Launch a Cohort Mentoring Program
The Goal: Build a career growth coaching program and turn my side hustle into real side income.
The Honest Part: This side hustle currently pays for the occasional nice meal. I’m passionate about it, but I chronically under-invest in it. Frankly, given other priorities, I don’t spend nearly enough time on this and I know it.
But I genuinely want to help people nail their interviews, get promoted and advance their careers. The gap between my passion and my actual effort is something I need to close.
Here’s where I’m being public about needing help: If you know how to scale online courses or coaching businesses, I want to work with you. I’m open to hiring the right people to help me build this. I’m also looking for partners or collaborators who can help me systematize what I’ve learned about career development into a successful business.
This goal is only achievable if I stop trying to do everything myself.
7. Publish the second edition of Cloud Career Journeys Book
The Goal: Complete and publish second edition of Cloud Career Journeys book.
The Context: I never thought I’d write a book, let alone two. After finishing the first one, I was convinced I’d never do it again. The process was exhausting. But then an opportunity came along that I was too passionate to pass up.
Here we are - working on second edition. A book is a legacy. It’s a way to reach people I’ll never meet and help them navigate their careers.
This time, the book will take a very special direction, one we as authors are deeply passionate about. We'll be exploring stories and lessons from a unique perspective that rarely receives enough attention in our industry.
We're also welcoming a brilliant third author to our team, whom we'll introduce soon. The truth is, this second edition wouldn't exist without their vision and the incredible amount of hard work they've been putting in behind the scenes since they first suggested the idea almost a year ago.
More details are coming soon, but this is real. It’s happening.
8. Get Back Into Running and Complete a Half Marathon
The Goal: Run Half Marathon in 2026.
The Backstory: I injured my ankle running the London Marathon a few years ago. I stopped long-distance running after that - partly caution, partly fear that it would happen again.
But running is when I think clearest. It’s therapeutic. I miss it.
This year, I’m reclaiming it. I’ve already booked the London Landmarks Half Marathon for April 6th. That gives me roughly 3 months to build from where I am now to running 21 kilometers. I’m slowly building momentum to hit 10K first, then scale up to the half marathon distance.
It’s ambitious but achievable. And more importantly, it’s something I genuinely want to do.
Sometimes goals aren’t about productivity or income. Sometimes they’re about reclaiming parts of yourself that got lost along the way.
9. Do Proper Financial Planning
The Goal: Stop procrastinating and create a comprehensive financial plan.
The Honest Part: I’ve been terrible at this. Years of procrastination. No excuses, just the reality that I’ve avoided it.
This year, I’m putting it on the list because sometimes the unsexy goals are the most important ones. Financial clarity reduces stress, opens up options, and gives you more freedom to pursue the things you actually care about.
10. Hit At Least 70% of These Goals
The Goal: Accomplish at least 7 out of 10 goals by December 31st 2026.
This meta-goal is more important than all the others combined.
I could have set 10 modest goals and likely crushed all of them. Instead, I’ve set goals that genuinely stretch me. Some are achievable with focus. Some require significant effort. Some depend on variables beyond my control (like LinkedIn’s algorithm, or how my body responds to training).
The real win will be the attempt itself. It’s being the kind of person who sets ambitious goals publicly, misses some, crushes others, and learns from all of it. Hitting 70% means I’ve pushed myself and made real progress on things that matter.
The Closing Thought
2026 is here. The goals are set. Some are modest. Some are genuinely lofty. And I’m under no illusions that all of them will happen exactly as planned.
Life will happen. Projects will shift. Priorities will change. New opportunities will come up. But that’s exactly why I’m putting this list out there. It’s a north star, not a rigid plan. It’s how I’m choosing to invest my time and energy this year.
If you’re setting goals for 2026, I’d encourage you to think deeply about your passions and realities and set accordingly.
Goals are about growth, not perfection. And growth is measured by movement, not by flawless execution.
Here’s to 2026. Let’s make it count.
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Prasad this is amazing! I really hope you achieve all of them. I have been following you for a significant time and I know one thing, when you put something out there, you mean business.
You have inspired me to make my own list if goals now. Thank you for the motivation haha.