The past 12 weeks have been a whirlwind of ambition, experimentation and adaptation. While the original plan was scheduled to run until 29th June, the timing of my new role at Holland Mountain has brought about a natural point of transition. It makes sense to review where I’ve landed so far, and reset with purpose for the next 12-week cycle, ending 7th September 2025.
Progress Highlights
Quest for Education Foundation (QEF)
The QEF project saw solid progress. Monthly Direct Debits climbed to £250. This was a decent jump, largely driven by the success of our Ramadhan Campaign. This campaign also helped to validate the power of online fundraising. It suggests we should double down on similar initiatives in future. The QEF website has now been built and launched, providing a proper digital front for our work.
The next logical step is to ensure all trustees are on board with donations and to prepare for the upcoming fundraising dinner in Bradford on 7th October. Although it falls outside the next 12-week window, it will be important to lay the groundwork for that campaign during this upcoming cycle.
Crackly
The game continues to gather subscribers steadily. However, the social media outreach experiment taught me a useful lesson: don’t waste energy targeting celebrity accounts. Mathematicians, educators and puzzle communities are a far more natural audience. On a more practical front, some back-end issues still need addressing, including ensuring that email notifications reach those who opted in.
DesignerHijabs.com
I made some exciting strides here. Using 37x.com, I was able to quickly launch a website and integrate a cost-effective AI agent that interprets user requests in plain English to recommend suitable products. It works. But the project is now on hold. This is not due to a technical limitation, but because the platform doesn’t yet generate income from affiliate sales. The potential is there, but it’s not the right time to continue pouring effort into it.
Learning and AI Development
I completed the book Real-World Web Development with .NET 9, which provided hands-on grounding in modern frameworks. However, I didn’t get around to any of the other courses I’d listed. After reflecting, I’ve decided not to pursue the Azure AI Engineer certification for now. There is more to be gained from actually building useful AI-powered SaaS products than collecting certifications. The next cycle will focus heavily on real-world application and experimentation.
Fractional Roster and Positioning
Progress was slower here than hoped. I haven’t yet fleshed out my Fractional Roster profiles, but I’ve clarified my target niches:
- Building robust SaaS products, including deployment and hosting
- Sitecore-focused work, particularly upgrades, development projects (e.g. new features, Coveo integration, etc), and performance tuning
- Practical AI implementation to improve processes
This gives me a clearer lens for where to focus outreach and content.
Family Goals
All of the children have now completed their exams. Over the next 12 weeks, I aim to help them find relevant work experience, ideally aligned with their career goals. Even if the roles are unpaid. Meanwhile, my wife has begun her PGCE application. My support will focus on ensuring she has everything she needs to follow through, whether that’s tech, time or moral backing.
Reflections and Challenges
This period wasn’t without its struggles. The biggest challenges were:
- Failing to stick with a single project long enough to see it through
- Strategic fluctuations driven by job search dynamics
- Classic shiny object syndrome
Also, my daily routines were inconsistent. Mornings often began without a plan, and evenings drifted without proper closure. A defined start and end to each day could have made a huge difference. A morning routine completed by 8:30am, and an intentional night-time wind-down starting by 9:30pm, would likely have helped with clarity and momentum.
There is also a deeper, structural issue I need to address. Years of juggling tasks at ICAEW, where interruptions were frequent and priorities constantly shifted, may have blunted my ability to focus deeply. I need to rebuild the mental discipline required to work with deep intent. Physical exercise might support this mental training and help to strengthen what I think of as my “brain muscles”.
Despite all this, I remain aligned with my purpose. I still believe that to serve my family, my community or the world at large, I need to develop myself and stay focused. If I can’t do that, I become ineffectual. The 12-week plan exists precisely to hold me accountable for that.
Learnings and Recommendations for the Next Cycle
1. Define a Clear Roadmap
Multiple projects are fine, but they must be approached in a deliberate sequence. Each phase should build on the learnings and momentum of the one before it. Create breathing space between phases to review, reflect and re-energise before diving into the next.
2. Make Revenue a Priority
I have a six-month financial runway. Every project must include a monetisation plan and a short feedback loop to assess its viability. If something isn’t likely to generate revenue, it should either be paused or run in the background without dominating my time.
3. Daily Discipline
Lock in a fixed morning and evening routine. Win the bookends of your day to win the day itself.
4. Strengthen Focus
Intentionally train your concentration. Use Pomodoro sessions, longer deep work blocks and reduce context switching. Focus is not a given. It needs rebuilding.
5. Build Before You Learn
Prioritise building over passive learning. The best learning happens mid-project, not in front of a course.
6. Measure Progress Publicly
Blog, post and share. It reinforces learning, documents your journey and grows your presence.
7. Support with Purpose
Continue supporting your family’s goals, but define what success looks like for each one over the next 12 weeks.
A new cycle begins. Time to recalibrate, re-commit and push forward with clarity and intent.
Let’s see where the next 12 weeks take us.
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