heart.head.work.life

Tag: startup

April 30 – Plan: Recovering

Today

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.

See you on the other side.

Wish me luck!

30 April 2013
April 25: Hard Slog!
By: Fort Carson

Check In
- 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.
- I glad that I’m in. Invictus!
I’m in.

Achievements Since Last Retro
- 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
1. Complete the ChittyChat -> ServiceChat port (and decommission ChittyChat
2. Validate my pricing with a customer.
3. Try out my 2 hour (9-11) daily language study from Sunday
4. 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 😉
26 April 2013
April 24: Much Done, Much To Do
By: devra

Check In
- I’m glad that just as I began to slip back into disorganisation I recovered with some planning and regained focus.
- I’m glad that so many people thing ServiceChat is a great idea (except they don’t have to pay for it)
- I’m sad the all these people don’t have to pay for it (if they did – we’d be in business!)
- I’m glad that I achieved a tremendous amount today
- I’m mad that I didn’t get to do any language study
- I’m glad that I’m now in flow.
I’m in.

Achievements Since Last Retro

Most notably:
- The ServiceChat site is up, serving the content (blogs and static info)
- The ServiceChat App site is also up, serving the chatrooms and account management
- Both work seamlessly with each other! (BTW both are password protected for beta purposes, shout me if you want a peek)
- Mapped out my marketing strategy
- Mapped out my game plan for the next few months (with lots of flexibility – who knows what options may emerge)
- Complete 40 push ups and 40 squats in the 2 of 3 ten minute breaks I took today.
- Updated my Business Model Canvas again (2nd time in a week!!)
I Learned…
- That marketing is a skill that anyone can do, but it requires thinking very differently.
- I don’t need anyones permission to pursue my dreams (I really needed to be reminded of this today!)
I Loved…

The buzz.

I’m Grateful For…

Having the skills to turn most of my vision into a reality.

Next Desired Outcomes
1. In-chat invite functionality ported to ServiceChat
2. Validate my pricing with a customer.
3. Caught up on my language study.
25 April 2013
April 22: Frustrations Galore
By: Jason Bolonski – CC BY 2.0

Check In

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…
1. Knowledge is not the pure domain of the experts.
2. 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.

Next Desired Outcomes
1. The rebranding completed
2. Customer research started.
3. Catching up with my adviser(s) this week.
22 April 2013
16-April-2013: Day One of the Rest of Everything
Check In

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
1. Working for 59 minutes and taking a 10 minute break seems ideal for me – I’ll do more of this.
2. 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.
3. 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
1. Do my hour of Spanish language study
2. Do my 30 minutes of fitness workouts
3. 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
1. Have a rebranded ServiceChat app that does atleast as much as ChittyChat does.
2. Have 3 early customers researched enough that I can approach them.
16 April 2013