‘Exciting Things Coming Soon,’ Says Official Who Has Been Saying That Since 2019
Medan official Joko Darmawan has declared “exciting things are coming” for five years straight. Still no updates. Still coming soon.
MEDAN — Regional official Joko Darmawan once again took to his social media this week to declare that “exciting things are coming soon.”
Darmawan, who holds a mid-tier position in the Regional Innovation and Transformation Coordination Taskforce (RITCT), has now issued the exact same statement annually since early 2019, shortly after the taskforce itself was announced as “coming soon.”
This year’s declaration came via an Instagram Story featuring a hazy, overhead shot of a city council meeting room, accompanied by the caption:
“Trust the process. Big updates soon. Stay tuned 🔥🚀💡”
The post was later shared across platforms, including LinkedIn, where it was tagged under #ChangeMaker and #Transformation2025. Observers noted that the update was functionally identical to posts he had previously shared in 2020, 2021, and during a very quiet 2022.
“It’s kind of comforting at this point,” said one follower. “Like Ramadan, or the rainy season. You just expect it.”
Since his first viral “coming soon” post in 2019, Darmawan has steadily built a personal brand as one of Indonesia’s most consistently anticipatory public servants.
Highlights of his multi-year tease campaign include:
2019: “Something big in the works. Watch this space.”
2020: “We’re about to change the game for local innovation.”
2021: “On the brink of something amazing. Final stages.”
2022: “We’re aligning stakeholders. Very exciting updates ahead.”
2023: “Execution phase initiated. Long-term vision unfolding.”
Yet despite these repeated previews, there remains no public record of any project, pilot, or policy attributed to his office that has fully materialized. When asked in 2024 if the long-anticipated digital participation dashboard had launched, a spokesperson confirmed, “We’re currently finalizing the framework for the conceptual alignment roadmap.”
Public reaction to Darmawan’s latest post has been mixed.
Some, like 22-year-old civic design student Tiara Sasmita, remain loyal: “He’s a visionary. Vision takes time."
Others are less convinced. “It’s been five years. At this point, ‘soon’ feels like a philosophical position,” said one anonymous civil servant. “I check his posts when I want to feel hopeful and disconnected from time.”
Despite the uncertainty, Darmawan’s engagement rates remain high, aided by his commitment to “aesthetic transparency.”
Meanwhile, his team has teased a “2025 Year of Delivery” campaign, though sources suggest it may be delayed pending a review of the 2022 internal listening tour and 2023 cross-sector synergy evaluation sprint.
While critics continue to push for clarity, Darmawan remains unfazed.
“Good things take time,” he said during a recent 11-minute keynote at a local transformation summit titled Possibilities Over Product. “We’re not here for shortcuts. We’re here to build the future slowly and publicly.”
At press time, Darmawan had just posted a cryptic tweet reading “👀” and changed his LinkedIn headline to “Building Something Worth Waiting For.”
According to sources, he is now preparing a podcast titled “The Waitlist: Conversations About What’s Coming.” It is expected to launch in early 2026.
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