Day 5
So today and the last two days were much more what I expected it to be like when starting a startup. I remember waking up on Monday (Day 3) and for 3 seconds wondering if I would know what to do all day, if there was enough to do, if I would be able to self direct all the things that need to be done. I did not disappoint myself, it took 2 more seconds to have a list of things to do that was longer than I will ever accomplish ... and I felt again at home.
Day 3 held meeting with potential development firms, working on paying invoices and scheduling recurring invoices, setting up interviews with friends and family that are currently candidates for using the application, setting up meetings to discuss content creation with some local talent, reviewing the operating system and form factor requirements for the project, starting the logo design briefing for our marketing team, and catching up with the C-amigos. Wrapping up around 7:30pm - it was a good day.
Day 4 was very productive and it felt great. I reported out the technology requirements to both the potential development partners, spent a solid 5 hours on the logo brief, following by 3 solid hours on the UI style guide briefing, and then some odds and ends like getting some documents together for the lawyer who was stopping by on Day 5. It was a very full day 9 hours of heads down work - plus the odds and ends here or there checking in. We also got our checkbox from the bank, so if you read Day 2 you realize how that was a big deal. Ended the day with a debrief with our marketing team on the briefs and next steps. It was a good day. Imagine ... Monday morning I was concerned for a second about filling the time. Ha!
Day 5 - Today - was good too. I spent about 5 hours with one of my prior Quality Manager friends getting a strategy together for the QMS and determining with ISO standards we were / were not going to follow. Also some brainstorming on workflow of the product. It was a lot of fun to talk about what it was going to do, and a few little nuggets of insight came out of the discussion. I will spend some time later adding more meat to the UI Style Guide Brief.
The lawyer did stop by and pick up the legal documents, I have to admit I did feel a bit important for a minute that a lawyer came to my place to pick up something - then reality set back in when the dogs started barking at her and the kids were running around half naked - reality put me back in my place and I continued on with a productive day. I setup a meeting with the Accountant to get things organized financially and I have a ton of meetings Thursday and Friday that were set up earlier in the week.
The rest of the week is jammed packed full of meetings with potential users, content creators, marketing folks, the two development shops to hear their proposals, and a tour of a CBRF to get some more insights into the industry, and a few other folks that are helping me along the journey. I started out this week wondering what to do and I am half way through the week wondering how to get it all done.
I had a friend of mine ask me today how the first 3 days went. Did I stick with my schedule? Did I get stuff done? Did I feel different? The good news is, yes I stuck with the schedule. This is where the kiddos help - being self employed didn't stop me from being a parent. I still need to get up and take the littles and bigs to school - so the day starts out the same. I still work the minute I get home from kiddos drop offs. I still stop for a few minutes when they get home to greet them and check on their homework status. I still work until at least 5:30pm; the daycare person is done at 5:30pm - so that is a schedule I keep. So, yes. I am getting stuff done.
As for feeling different? Not really, not yet. It is like the first few days of a new job when you are not yet so busy you want to cry. It is still that new and fun and exciting stage where I get to work in the happy bliss of not yet having a solid near team deadline looming. So, no I don't feel different. I only feel happier and less guilty for stopping to help the kids with homework. I only feel less stress for getting 'caught' eating my lunch at 1:30pm away from my desk and hoping not to get a phone call for the 5 minutes I am in the rest room and someone assuming I am slacking off. So, I don't feel different. I just feel better.
Here's to hoping productive days continue and the good feelings keep outweighing the bad. Talk to you all soon.
Jackie Schwabe
CEO of a Start up
Day 3 held meeting with potential development firms, working on paying invoices and scheduling recurring invoices, setting up interviews with friends and family that are currently candidates for using the application, setting up meetings to discuss content creation with some local talent, reviewing the operating system and form factor requirements for the project, starting the logo design briefing for our marketing team, and catching up with the C-amigos. Wrapping up around 7:30pm - it was a good day.
Day 4 was very productive and it felt great. I reported out the technology requirements to both the potential development partners, spent a solid 5 hours on the logo brief, following by 3 solid hours on the UI style guide briefing, and then some odds and ends like getting some documents together for the lawyer who was stopping by on Day 5. It was a very full day 9 hours of heads down work - plus the odds and ends here or there checking in. We also got our checkbox from the bank, so if you read Day 2 you realize how that was a big deal. Ended the day with a debrief with our marketing team on the briefs and next steps. It was a good day. Imagine ... Monday morning I was concerned for a second about filling the time. Ha!
Day 5 - Today - was good too. I spent about 5 hours with one of my prior Quality Manager friends getting a strategy together for the QMS and determining with ISO standards we were / were not going to follow. Also some brainstorming on workflow of the product. It was a lot of fun to talk about what it was going to do, and a few little nuggets of insight came out of the discussion. I will spend some time later adding more meat to the UI Style Guide Brief.
The lawyer did stop by and pick up the legal documents, I have to admit I did feel a bit important for a minute that a lawyer came to my place to pick up something - then reality set back in when the dogs started barking at her and the kids were running around half naked - reality put me back in my place and I continued on with a productive day. I setup a meeting with the Accountant to get things organized financially and I have a ton of meetings Thursday and Friday that were set up earlier in the week.
The rest of the week is jammed packed full of meetings with potential users, content creators, marketing folks, the two development shops to hear their proposals, and a tour of a CBRF to get some more insights into the industry, and a few other folks that are helping me along the journey. I started out this week wondering what to do and I am half way through the week wondering how to get it all done.
I had a friend of mine ask me today how the first 3 days went. Did I stick with my schedule? Did I get stuff done? Did I feel different? The good news is, yes I stuck with the schedule. This is where the kiddos help - being self employed didn't stop me from being a parent. I still need to get up and take the littles and bigs to school - so the day starts out the same. I still work the minute I get home from kiddos drop offs. I still stop for a few minutes when they get home to greet them and check on their homework status. I still work until at least 5:30pm; the daycare person is done at 5:30pm - so that is a schedule I keep. So, yes. I am getting stuff done.
As for feeling different? Not really, not yet. It is like the first few days of a new job when you are not yet so busy you want to cry. It is still that new and fun and exciting stage where I get to work in the happy bliss of not yet having a solid near team deadline looming. So, no I don't feel different. I only feel happier and less guilty for stopping to help the kids with homework. I only feel less stress for getting 'caught' eating my lunch at 1:30pm away from my desk and hoping not to get a phone call for the 5 minutes I am in the rest room and someone assuming I am slacking off. So, I don't feel different. I just feel better.
Here's to hoping productive days continue and the good feelings keep outweighing the bad. Talk to you all soon.
Jackie Schwabe
CEO of a Start up
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