Summer Challenge 2022: My Project Summary

This entry is part [part not set] of 11 in the series Summer Challenge 2022

31 of August, which means our Summer Vacation challenge (contest) is approaching a happy end. That means we survive this time and deliver some output. Is it perfect? No. Is it finished? No. I have a lot of trouble during this time I changed my approach. (From Deliver MVP to deliver mock-ups, from delivering code to delivering value first). Let’s check my last summary.

Progress

Last week I find out, that adding Cybersecurity Course/Knowledge repository from various sources is a very useful and needed topic. I added separate news about that here. Also, the link to this course is very easy to remember: https://www.blogelist.com/wazne, but as you can see: so-called short links look similar to pages in WordPress and similar to blogs link. (As we are using multi-blog functionality) It ended up, that my vacation side project created its own side project: “https://blg.bz” – Dedicated URL Shortener. It is working already and I start using it, but of course, required still an improvement. All courses will have their own short link, when I will migrate “courses” to a dedicated instance, then I will mass update all links in the tool to the final one. Of course, I have more use cases for it and already started.

Besides URL Shortener, I deployed an additional instance for my NextCloud environment dedicated only for our purpose (both blog and “courses” project”) – read more about NextCloud in the dedicated Tag. Use Cases and example usage will follow in September.

Similar “issue” I have with talking with external content owners, which I can use for transformation and creation of additional dedicated content in our project. All cases I will discuss further in September (outside Contest/Challenge Window). Still, a lot to progress here.

What goes well

  • I delivered first value and created ground for further content development.
  • During my vacation, I used this opportunity to collect content to publish both in Courses and Blogs.
  • Even though I had problems with the original idea development, I change direction and progressed till the end.
  • I figured out, what else I need and deploy additional tools.
  • I can still based on results extend it and somehow meet needs.
  • I had various problems in meantime. Even server issues impacted WordPress, but I was able somehow to proceed till the end.

What I need to improve

  • I underestimated the code development part. I was not able to focus on development and the rest of the activities.
  • For compliance reasons, I started to challenge/contest as a project, not a business. Most competitors build not only a project, but business. I was in the worst position, failing code development not helped me.
  • I should start looking for external content and write to authors earlier. Then I should be able to present the results also earlier.
  • Too late I figured out, that I can implement feedback forms to courses and start working on it.
  • I should provide “the first value” at the beginning and not when I see, that most probably I will not meet the deadline for the code part.

Analytics

First spending 98.39 zł for the domain name for URL Shortener. For earning added 0.04 zł from Affiliates. (Included only if I was able to identify, that it comes from this series/articles or example “courses”. Cybersecurity courses after promotion become the most viewed materials. It is a good sign for me.

Summer Challenge Report - 31.08.2022
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What will happened next?

If I deployed two tools in the last week of the challenge. It means it is not everything there will be more. Now I will make a break and focus only on content. I will finalize and upload all planned (and not done till now materials). Later on between September/November please expect an announcement for new series (not, that regular one), which will replace “Summer Challenge”, but allow you to still look at progress and my opinions. I am also interested if challenges/contests and requirements to report every week what happened, was the only driver to progress the project, or if the summer entry will stay us on track to progress.

Still, I would like to develop further functionality and open Tool for more people. This will be the main goal after starting new series.

Thank you very much for reaching the end of the Article. I hope you enjoy it and the whole series and would like to read the complete story. You can do this by special category or in my Twitter profile.

This year I am participated in Challenge, which is coming from Firestarters Community. This community is planning an online event to show an important announcement 9th of September. You can register for the event here.

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