---
aliases: ["October 2024"]
Is A: Month
Created at: "2024-10-28"
Belongs to: "[[24q4]]"
Rating: "😐"
---
# October 2024

## Focus

- Begin [[24q4-laputa-start]] — initial prototype of the PKM tool
- Design [[24q4-annual-review-process]] template
- Start planning [[24q4-black-friday-campaign]]

## Highlights

- Started [[24q4-laputa-start]]: Tauri v2 + React scaffold, basic markdown file reading, first pass at YAML frontmatter parsing — spending evenings and weekends on it
- Drafted [[24q4-annual-review-process]] template with quarterly, goal, and project review sections
- [[24q4-black-friday-campaign]] strategy defined: 30% off annual premium, referral bonuses, limited-time offers
- Newsletter at 47.5k subscribers — growth steady but nothing spectacular
- [[person-matteo-cellini]] started building the [[24q4-sponsor-dashboard]] concept — mockups in Figma

## Reflections

October was a grind. The post-Codemotion high wore off fast, replaced by the reality of a packed Q4. Starting Laputa was exciting but also a bit reckless — adding a software project on top of everything else. But I couldn't help it. The frustration with existing PKM tools had been building for months, and once I started coding, I couldn't stop. The first time I saw my vault rendered in the four-panel layout, I got that spark you only get when you're building something you genuinely need.

The newsletter growth plateauing at ~47k is worrying. We need a big push to hit [[2024-reach-50k-subscribers]] by year end. The Black Friday campaign is the obvious lever, but we need it to be genuinely compelling, not just another discount email. [[person-paco-furiani]] suggested adding a community element to the campaign — worth exploring. Energy-wise, I'm running at about 70%. Not burned out, but not firing on all cylinders either. Need to protect sleep and exercise.
