The last month has been the first time I've taken sustained, intentional action to try making the future vision I have for myself a reality. The long and short of the vision is to build a portfolio of small bets in the form of mobile applications while effectively launching, marketing, and growing the userbase of each one.

When the idea is packed into a single sentence like that, it sounds nice and it sounds simple. That's just not true though. The days and weeks can be messy. Here's what I've done over the last month to try making that happen.

• Launched 1,000 Spanish Words on Product Hunt, Show HN, Twitter, Dev.to, Reddit, and several other platforms
• Built a user feedback system so real users can tell me what's working and what isn't, directly from inside the app
• Created my first digital ad campaigns on Apple Search Ads
• Started learning App Store Optimization, how keywords work, how people find apps, how to show up in search results
• Built an executive system using AI agents to manage the business end to end: strategic direction, weekly accountability, daily focus
• Wrote and published a blog post every week for five straight weeks

So that's what I've done recently. But why?

In a word, to create sovereignty in my life. To own my work, my time, and my creative output. It's my dream to wake up when I want, work on what I want how I want with whoever I want, and to answer to no one but myself, all the while creating total financial freedom. The dream end state is to leverage that freedom to teach and/or serve others. How? Today, I don't know how. But I trust that'll become more clear over time.

That's what I've done and the abstract view of where I'm going. Using concrete examples, here's what's coming up.

• Continue running ad campaigns and learning what works
• Double down on App Store Optimization to grow organic discovery
• Start tweeting regularly about the journey. Follow along
• Shift the blog from weekly to monthly. More substance to share, less time consuming
• Start planning the next app(s)

Now the fun part, the real numbers. They're not pretty, but to hit any of my revenue goals I first had to get past $1. I did, and that's worth celebrating to me.

• 24 downloads
• $27 in revenue

Why am I sharing these? It feels appropriate. Depending where you stand, it'll improve or reduce my credibility. Use them as a tool to decide if you want to take anything I say seriously or not. This is what's behind the curtain. I've got no intention to represent myself as anything other than what I am, someone who's trying to figure it out.

Over the next month, I'll start learning how to drive more people to the 1,000 Spanish Words app listing. As I do that, I'll figure out how to convert a higher number of those people into paid users. About 6 people per day click into the app in the app store and less than 1 of those converts to a user. If the next month is a success, 6 will turn to 7 and less than one becomes 1. To me, all that matters is growth. I don't care how slowly. I trust sustained growth will compound effectively over time. The beginning is the slowest part. A month from now, I'll let you know how it's all going.