I’ve been ill over the last few days – hence no diary entries. You know the deal, kid picks some bug up from nursery and goes on a germ fuelled rampage, infecting the entire household. Felt totally rundown yesterday, sore throat, phlegmy chest. Attempted to do some work but gave up mid morning.
Today I feel better and rearing to go. Many ideas in the shower today around customer identification and approach, eager to try them out.
I have quite a lot to do today, so I need to be super focused and disciplined with my time. It’s music on, tweets off and head down.
I’m mad that my language learning (which is one of the 3 things I’m focused on this year) – is falling behind.
I’m mad that I’m not making as much time for it as it deserves.
I’m mad that not speaking Spanish at home is affecting my son’s ability to really communicate and make friends at his school.
I’m glad that I have committed to do a couple of hours of language study and practice every morning from 9 to 11 and then begin my startup work. Please help me stay focused.
I’m sad that today was a really hard slog of a day. It felt like walking through treacle with both feet chopped off.
Authentication to chat is ported and working live.
Recorded the script for my explainer video. The first draft at least.
60 pushups and a full HIIT workout in the evening.
I Learned…
Things take as long as they take, I may be best trying to figure out when I should stop/rethink than waste too much time
When you are working on a Startup in some of the most beautiful places on Earth, you lose track of time (what day is it?)
Working out last thing at night works best for me, helps me work out the stress of the day AND prepares me for a deep sleep
I Loved…
Finding all kinds of techniques, tools etc to make the internet beautiful and all freely shared. We are living in a very interesting time.
I’m Grateful For…
Being 5 seconds from work.
Next Desired Outcomes
Complete the ChittyChat -> ServiceChat port (and decommission ChittyChat
Validate my pricing with a customer.
Try out my 2 hour (9-11) daily language study from Sunday
Conclude my night with a retro and start my day with planning – this would be 2 blogs a day (shorter ones) but should be better. Trial from Sunday.
My happyToHelpers can still only read once a day 😉
I’m glad that just after my entry yesterday, I was able to knuckle down (aided by some wine) and fix my issues.
I’m sad that, as a result, I went to bed pretty early in the morning and so today was tiring.
I’m glad that I spent time with my wife, having coffee and catching up in the sunshine.
I’m excited that my WordPress blog site for ServiceChat is almost completely styled and ready for beta soon.
I’m excited at the options that emerged to run ServiceChat app with its blog – making life much easier for me.
I’m glad I pushed myself to exercise even though it was pretty late.
I’m afraid about the challenges that lie ahead and whether I will get through them.
I’m glad that right now I feel I can.
I’m in.
Achievements Since Last Retro
ServiceChat chat is completed and ready to rock!
Blab.by – the pub/sub platform I wrote for ServiceChat is completely refactored. and is more robust, stable and faster!
I Learned…
How to optimise WordPress and a whole heap of DevOps know how.
People are a bundle of stories and it is always worth it to have the conversation.
I Loved…
Stopping for 45 minutes to have a long conversation with a stranger on the street, helping them feel better and helping myself make a new friend.
Trying to help a friend with some empathy and thinking round a personal challenge.
I’m Grateful For…
Broadband , which spelt forwards spells ‘FREEDOM’
Next Desired Outcomes
In-chat invite functionality ported to ServiceChat
Basic info pages sketched out
Two hours of language study (I think it’s going to be a 6am start)
I’m mad that I’ve spent most of today on two of the functional bits that should just work but don’t. With really important customer discovery effectively paused until I can get the ServiceChat beta site up, I’m seething that something I can’t identify is toying with me. Arrgghh – frustrating!
I’m glad that I’m physically feeling pretty great.
I’m excited at the blog posts that are being worked on by my buddy Amit Jaspal.
I’m in. Big time.
Achievements Since Last Retro
Still breathing.
Refactored my chat server to be cleaner and faster.
I Learned…
Knowledge is not the pure domain of the experts.
It’s ok to build something because you have a need (better if you can validate that others have similar need and willing to pay for it)
I Loved…
Every moment of today, even the mad bits.
I’m Grateful For…
My sons – who remind me that life is not startups and tech.
I’m glad that I only worked a half day today, I got to spend the afternoon with my sons.
I’m glad that I was inspired to steal, with permission, Olaf’s template that he was inspired to make by reading this blog (everything is connected!) – Please let me know what you think of the format.
I’m mad that I had intermittent network issues with my broadband. If I only lived 200 meters closer to the exchange!
I’m sad that the week has come to an end, I feel like I could just make and make and make.
I’m glad my wife went to the Alhambra palace with her Mama – I think when we get bigger with children of our own we neglect experience-making with our own parents.
I’m sad about the bombing in Boston – it is an unnecessary was of lives
I’m mad that the first instinct of the media is to try and paint the perpetrators as muslim and stoke the flames of intolerance.
I’m in.
Achievements Since Last Retro
I reviewed my business model canvas (I use BMFiddle.com – it is really awesome)
I hired someone to work on a wordpress site for the ServiceChat blog to make it look seamlessly with the rebranding – he should be done by Monday
The chat page of the rebranding is further ahead than I expected , though still not complete
I got the first public not-self-initiated contact about ServiceChat today.
Getting feedback from trying to deploy a beta version of ServiceChat. Lots broken in deploy, but better to know now.
I Learned…
The spanish word for pig sty – ‘Pocilga’ (don’t ask me why I learned this)
My business model canvas is indispensable as a coherent memory of the assumptions I made waaay back.
My business mode canvas is only as good as the information I take the time to put into it.
I Loved…
Watching my HootSuite research dashboard of the 4 companies I’m searching, wow – what a stream of pain.
I’m Grateful For…
Spotify. I am having so much fun singing, dancing and discovering new music during my working day.
Next Desired Outcomes
The Chat screen completely restyled and working responsively on common handsets and browsers.
Blog titles and synopses written up and ready for discussion with my collaborator on Sunday
I’m glad that today (day 3 ) of this new way of doing my thing, is the first day that it all pretty much worked.
I’m delighted that I have never been happier.
I’m glad I took time to sketch out the skins, made things go a lot faster and smoother.
I’m sad that my friend had a really hard time last year (lost his Mama – and now he is an orphan) and I knew nothing about it.
I’m glad I took my breaks at the timer
I’m very glad that I was able to do 60 pushups and 30 squats during my 10 minute breaks.
I’m mad I didn’t review my business model canvas as I had expected.
I’m so in.
Desired Outcomes For Today
Two days of toil and I recognise the truth that my rebranding is not a 2-day job. I am at peace with that and very happy with the results so far.
Therefore I am revising my outcomes. I expect to still be working on rebranding ServiceChat – specifically skinning the chat screens to make them responsive and to pare them down to the basics (ChittyChat has some bits I actually don’t want in the MVP for ServiceChat).
3 Things I Learned
Progress is slow when I am learning how to do the work and doing the work. I must think about this, identify when this is the case and manage my expectations accordingly.
My gut is very wise – it knows what I need
Design takes time and thought (all kinds of design!)
3 Things I Will Improve On Before The Next Retro
Reading a customer service oriented blog
Getting out of bed on the first alarm.
Get to bed before midnight (might help with above 😉
Something I’m Grateful For
That, inspite of myself, I am able to learn new things and that I’m loving the process of learning. Awesome!
Outcomes For Tomorrow
The Chat screen completely restyled and working responsively on common handsets and browsers.
I’m frustrated that everything I tried to do today took longer than I thought it would.
I’m glad I stopped to consider why and what I could do about it.
I’m mad that I needed to continue my task to research customers (this shit is important!!! and urgent) and I was not able to.
I’m glad I decided to use a template instead of handcrafting the ServiceChat temporary skin – it made the day less sloow!
I’m afraid that it is Thursday tomorrow.
I’m frustrated that I can be let down by tech (my network) and entire hours can be swallowed up trying to solve it
I’m glad that I can see an end to the re-skinning task tomorrow and I should get an opportunity to get on the Customer Discovery work.
I’m glad that I had almost no distractions (just pain!)
I’m in.
Desired Outcomes For Today
From my high of yesterday I had to reach my outcome of ServiceChat having its own visible identity and completing the work I needed to have at least 2 potential customers researched.
I’m farther along, just not as far as my outcomes. Progress is progress – as they say in Spain “poco a poco”.
3 Things I Learned
Sometimes I need to step back as a developer and look at what solution is required – I don’t have to build everything.
Sometimes the people I pay to do things can do them better than me.
Sometimes I really am the best person to do the thing I hired someone else to do.
3 Things I Will Improve On Before The Next Retro
Sketching/wireframe out what I want the new ServiceChat UI to look like (so I don’t overly experiment when I code)
Taking my break when the timer goes off.
Update my neglected Business Model Canvas!
Something I’m Grateful For
The huge list of stuff that I have done in my life. Skills that I cannot consciously recollect have been internalised in me and they crop up when I need them the most. I just know how to do certain things. Awesome!
Outcomes For Tomorrow
Continue to reach my original outcomes ( a rebranded ServiceChat app that does atleast as much as ChittyChat does AND have at least 2 customers researched)
An updated business model canvas that reflects what I have learnt since I last updated it 3 weeks ago.
I’m sad I was too tired to wake up at my routine time and didn’t get to workout or do my language study.
I’m glad I was much more focused on clear outcomes and really fought distractions.
I’m glad I made time for things that normally distract me and I believe I limited their impact.
I’m glad that I did 20 pushups in each of my 10 minute breaks.
I’m glad I was much more relaxed today than I have been for ages. I feel less stressed than I have been for a long time – focus is great!
I’m mad that my test code for ChittyChat (which was a hack) leaves much to be desired and now I’m having to tread with care with the port to ServiceChat.
I’m very glad that @zurcherart, @auxbuss and @olaflewitz offered to help me to keep focus. Even if they don’t read this, I wrote it (which is what matters!).
I’m afraid that I may have to stop building ServiceChat (or another startup ) in order to go raise more cash reserves by consulting.
I’m in.
Desired Outcomes For Today
I came into today with 3 outcomes to try and achieve (the bottom 3 in the ‘Achieved’ list). I created the ServiceChat blog from nothing.
Basically I was able to focus and manage distractions well enough that I achieved a fair bit more. New options have opened up as a result.
3 Things I Learned
Working for 59 minutes and taking a 10 minute break seems ideal for me – I’ll do more of this.
Keeping a Gratitude Book – making note of things that I’m grateful for – I learnt this from the very amazing Deborah Hartmann Preuss (@deborahh on Twitter) – If you need a coach, she is one of the best I know.
There is a niche yet untapped in the customer service world. Most folk are still hung up on arms length ‘satisfaction’. Very little work going into ‘delightful’ service that is truly in the service of the customer.
3 Things I Will Improve On Before The Next Retro
Do my hour of Spanish language study
Do my 30 minutes of fitness workouts
Read a customer service blog
Something I’m Grateful For
The opportunity to see the problem I’m trying to solve with ServiceChat everywhere and the privilege of being in Spain doing what I am doing.
Outcomes For Tomorrow
Have a rebranded ServiceChat app that does atleast as much as ChittyChat does.
Have 3 early customers researched enough that I can approach them.
Lately I have been feeling very bloated. I don’t mean overweight (I am a little), but mentally bloated – with distractions, ideas, fears and schemes to allay fears. But during a week in the UK visiting my daughters I had the opportunity to have some headspace and to retrospect and I found the determination for renewed discipline to finding the focus I desperately need.
One of my greatest strengths is the ease I have in having ideas, however I find that execution is difficult for me – yet I enjoy trying to go beyond the idea to the the product and beyond still, to a thriving business around the product.
As you may know , I am spending most of 2013 in Spain, working on my startup. I am working on building a business currently called ServiceChat – which is aimed at helping online businesses enhance their customers’ experience and their business brand perception through deeper customer engagement.
But focus has been eluding me since my family and I got here. A number of ‘other’ things have distracted me – Wizetrader (my automated forex trading Expert Advisor), this blog, twitter, my family settling in, improving my Spanish and also trying to improve my wellbeing through exercise and meditation. All the while trying to build my startup – ServiceChat.
Something has to give – either I focus or I forget the whole thing. The former is essential and the latter is not going to happen.
My 3 Things for 2013
I had a good chat with myself and we agreed that this year is about 3 fundamental things.
The Startup Focus on customer discovery and development, find early adopter customers, get some funding, learn and build what my customers want.
Get Conversational in Spanish We came to Spain to enjoy the country, to immerse ourselves in it. Language is a huge part of that immersion and experience and that is why this is important.
Improve my Wellbeing I’m precious to myself, to my family and to the world. I have to take better care of my entire wellbeing. This means making time for exercise, improving my physical fitness (and yes, lose some weight), learning to be still and making time to play with my family.
That is it – everything else not directly connected with any of these is out. This means:
Less Twitter and more @buffer (now made easier with my app @bufferdm);
Make my trial routine permanent (more on this soon);
Measure how I’m doing daily (make short term goals and track how I’m doing against them).
I Need Your Help.
I plan to retrospect on my daily experience around 10:30pm Central European Time everyday except Saturdays. Following my daily retrospective, I will re-plan and set my goals for the coming day.
I commit to write a short blog post on what learnings and improvements I have made and the plan for the next day.
Please check to see I have and ask me about it if I haven’t.
Practically, this really means watch out for a tweet from me announcing the blog post (it goes out automatically on a post – hurray for WordPress).
You should expect it around 11pm (Central European Time). I would love if you would then glance over the retro post and if you think its flakey – please talk to me about it! I promise to keep it concise and digestable (and who knows, you might even find some of what I learn valuable for something you are involved in).
It would mean a huge amount to me if you could help me to find and sustain the discipline I need to focus. I would be delighted to do the same for you.
