It’s been a little over a month since I last wrote. What I do in the day is often defined by what I prune from the to-do list, and what to-do items I fail to complete. Blog-writing invariably falls into those categories, compromised by more urgent tasks like curriculum development, sales preparation, exercise, eating, etc.
It’s a Sunday morning. Before I run off to the gym to go to war with the weights, I’ll finally address what has been nagging for attention for weeks. I feel pretty good about the progress I’ve made – January has been a productive month.
What I’ve Done
Completed Iteration 3 of AP Computer Science A Unit 4 – Iteration
This is a monster unit. Iteration is arguably the most important unit in AP Computer Science, given its dominant weighting on the exam. Many of the lectures and labs needed time-intensive face-lifts, and all the supporting documents needed to pass through my meticulous qualification regimen. I’m happy with the result.
Website Remodel
Previously, I was a B2C business. My website reflected that in five different languages. It basically needed to be torn down and rebuilt with all new content, graphics, and navigation. The site now reflects what the business is, although it could certainly use cosmetic improvements. That for after we sell and ensure our survival for another year.
Create Promotional Pack for AP Computer Science
I compiled a sample of each type of curricular content in the course. It should give leads a clear idea of what they can expect, curriculum wise, from the AP Computer Science A course.
Designed AP Computer Science A Pitch Slides
These are for potential customers, not investors. It covers who we are, what the course is, what problem it solves and how, and so forth. No flash, just a to-the-point presentation that I hope to be giving many times in the coming months.
Develop a Cold Outreach Strategy
Essentially, these are the steps I need to take to prepare for and then execute sales outreach. I’ll be cold emailing people – lots of people – so want as an effective plan of attack as possible (I’ve never done this before). Tasks here include
- Preparing an outreach sheet for planning and recording first/second/nth contact,
- Setting up new domain (coderpromail.io) email accounts for cold emailing (and warming the inboxes)
- Write and memorize speech to go with my pitch slides
- Locking in pricing targets
- Identifying and prioritizing ancillary outreach channels such as Education Consultants, University Application Advisors, etc
- Actually outreaching
The Next Major Objectives
Developing Cambridge Lower Secondary Curriculum
The Cambridge Lower Secondary will be the counterpart to AP Computer Science. I need to give it the same curriculum loving attention that I gave to its sibling, and to prepare promotional material. I’ve already broken ground on this. I intend to have what’s needed to begin promoting it before the end of February
Begin Sales Drive
This is the Do or Die. This is what all my work has come to – selling! I have my assistant giving support as much as she can, but I need to rise to the occasion and sell like my life depends on it.
What’s Concerning Me
What-If’s
Of course, there are the “what if I don’t get any responses?”, “what if I don’t get any sales – then what?”. Those have always been there, but they rarely occupy my conscious mind in terms of anxious rumination. Sometimes (often) I wake up in the middle of the night, e.g. 2 am, and the thoughts are there. So, I get up, and lean into my morning routine. Nothing hushes the doubt like doing the work. But what’s going on beneath the surface? I suspect my subconscious carries a lot more weight in this regard.
Isolation
This is the biggest issue. It has been for a long time. In fact, ever since I moved into online business for the first time some 14 years ago, loneliness has been a greater issue. However, it became much more prominent in 2019. It was at that time that I quit drinking, so excised my primary means of social interaction. I also began online teaching around the same time.
The isolation has been acute since I began working on this business. My friends are very scattered and concerned with their jobs and families. I don’t have family to talk with. I’m single and in a foreign country. Consequently, I’m lucky to have one real interaction, i.e. a proper conversation, once a month. Usually my only face-to-face interaction with people is transactional – buying food mostly.
There are those who tell me I should go out and try to make friends. Indonesians often say this – just go out and walk around, or sit at a cafe and interject in other people’s conversations I guess. In my mind, sitting around cafes, hoping to have a superficial conversation with someone is a poor use of my valuable time. To overcome this, I imagine it will take a proper investment of time – time which I don’t have. Add to this I still feel pretty bummed about the lady that got away. When I do finally settle down to rest, my mind often wanders to thoughts of her, making my feelings of loneliness all the more pronounced.
As has been said, ‘when going through hell, keep going’. So I carry on.
Feeling Better Already
So, I’m glad I took the time to write this this morning. I feel after spilling my guts to my proxy therapist-blog. I’ve already hammered out 3 hours of Linear Algebra this morning. Now that I can scratch this blog off my to-do, it’s time to go kill the weights.
Be good, everyone!