Funny how fast a year moves when you are deep in code. One moment you are shipping a small improvement, the next you are looking back on a year shaped by releases, milestones, and conversations that influenced how developers learned, connected, and grew along the way.
At Ardan Labs, 2025 was defined by momentum. We expanded how engineers learn Go, Rust, and Kubernetes, introduced clearer paths for skill validation, strengthened our live education offerings, and continued building a global community grounded in craftsmanship.
This article is our rewind. A look at the milestones, highlights, and data points that tell the story of Ardan Labs in 2025.
Big Wins & Breakthroughs: The Moments That Shaped 2025
Every meaningful year is marked by decisions that move the work forward. In 2025, several stood out.
One of the most significant milestones was the launch of our Go and Rust Certification Exams. These certifications extend our long standing focus on practical, experience driven learning. They give developers a concrete way to demonstrate real world proficiency based on how Go and Rust are actually used in production systems. This marked a shift from learning alone to validated skill recognition.
We also introduced the Mastery Bundle, a comprehensive self paced training program covering Go, Rust, Docker, and Kubernetes. It brings multiple disciplines together into a single learning path that reflects the reality of modern software engineering, where knowledge of multiple languages and tools is often useful to building effective systems.
Another defining moment was welcoming Nathan Stocks as our new Rust instructor. His depth of expertise and clear teaching approach expanded our Rust curriculum and directly influenced the elevation of Rust education throughout the year.
To support this growth, we redesigned the Ardan Labs website. The update improved clarity, navigation, and content discovery, making it easier for users to understand their options and engage with our work.
The Year in Motion: Highlights Worth Noting
Beyond major launches, steady progress shaped the year.
Rust education saw meaningful growth with the release of two new courses taught by Nathan. These offerings provided deeper hands-on experience and addressed the community’s demand for more Rust training content.
Live education also became increasingly important. The Ultimate Software Design Liveshow launched in 2025 and created space for real time learning, questions, and discussion. These sessions allowed engineers to explore software design through live coding and direct interaction with Bill Kennedy and his co-star Kevin Enriquez (Ardan Labs Junior Engineer).
By the Numbers: 2025 at a Glance
The data reflects the reach of the year.
In 2025, Ardan Labs attended 7 conferences, hosted 20 workshops and webinars, and welcomed more than 4,800 new students. Each interaction, whether in person or online, strengthened the broader engineering community we are proud to be part of.
We are grateful for every conversation and connection along the way.
Growing Together: Community Momentum
Community growth was a defining theme in 2025.
Across our social media channels (X, LinkedIn, & YouTube), over 6,000 new followers joined the Ardan Labs community. Our YouTube content reached 302,214 views, reinforcing that both long and short form, practical education continues to resonate with engineers worldwide.
This engagement reflects our focus on real problems engineers face daily. The content is accessible, practical, applicable, and grounded in experience. Just as important, comments, questions, and shared insights transformed content into a collaborative learning space where engineers learn together.
What Adoption Really Looks Like Inside Teams
Rust adoption rarely happens all at once. Most teams start small: one service, one performance-critical component, one experimental internal tool. These early wins build trust and create internal champions who understand both the strengths and the limits of the language.
What’s interesting is how often Rust spreads organically after that. Teams see reliability improve. They see fewer late-stage bugs tied to memory or concurrency. Over time, Rust stops being “the risky new thing” and becomes part of the default technical conversation.
This slow-and-steady adoption pattern is one of Rust’s biggest advantages. It allows organizations to grow into the language without forcing risky all-or-nothing migrations.
Fan Favorites: The Videos You Couldn’t Stop Watching
Among everything we published, two videos stood out in 2025 and rose to the top:
Both reflect what our audience values most: real world examples, deep technical dives, and hands on learning.
Hit Replay: Our 2025 Podcast Recap
To close the year, we released a podcast recap video highlighting the guests who joined us throughout 2025. It revisits the conversations and insights that shaped our thinking and challenged our community.
Seeing these discussions together provides perspective on how each episode contributed to a larger story of growth and real world engineering practice. The recap reinforces the depth of experience shared across the podcast and the value of thoughtful dialogue.
It also serves as a reminder that learning is collective. Each guest contributed to something larger than a single episode, helping build shared understanding as we look ahead.
Mark Your Calendars: What’s Upcoming in 2026
We are looking forward to continuing to meet the community in person:
February 18th - 19th |Rust Nation UK Workshop
Featuring Herbert WolversonMarch 4th - 5th |Ardan Labs Connect — Brazil Training & Meetup
Featuring Bill Kennedy | In partnership with GopherCon LATAM
More events are already on the horizon.
These gatherings are about more than content. They create space for real time learning, experimentation, and connection. Hosting them reinforces our commitment to mentorship, dialogue, and a globally connected engineering community.
We hope to see more of you in 2026!
None of this would be possible without the trust of the individuals and companies we serve. From consulting and staff augmentation to training and development, every partnership challenges us to improve.
As we look ahead, we are excited for what comes next. Thank you for being part of the journey. Cheers to the new year and to everything we will build together.
