In 2025, I made a commitment to build 12 products in 12 months. It was a year of experimentation, learning, shipping, failing, and discovering what it truly takes to turn an idea into a product.
In 2026, the mission changed. The focus shifted from building to commercialization: finding customers, generating revenue, and proving whether the products deserved to exist.
This page is the complete, unfiltered record of that journey. The wins, the mistakes, the pivots, the doubts, the small victories, and the lessons learned while trying to build profitable businesses from the ground up.
Nothing is polished for the stage. This is the journey from the ground-up.
-
May 2026 Update: Breaking My Own Rule (And Why It Was Necessary)
When I started 2026, I made a promise to myself. No more building. Well, at least not in the way I had done in 2025. For those who have followed this journey, you know that 2025 was a ridiculous year of experimentation. I challenged myself to build 12 products in 12 months. Some were good.…
-
April 2026 Update: Commercializing InterviewPrep — Turning a Build Into a Business
At the beginning of 2025, I set myself an unusual challenge. Build 12 products in 12 months. Not pitch decks.Not ideas.Actual working products. Some would fail.Some would survive.A few, if I was lucky, would become real businesses. The point of the challenge was simple: execution over theory. Too many founders get stuck in planning mode…
-
March 2026 Update — Monetizing the Machines
Last year I did something that, on paper, looked impressive. I built 12 products in 12 months. Not prototypes.Not Figma concepts.Actual working products. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Building products is the easy part. Anyone with enough stubbornness and caffeine can build things. The hard part — the part that separates hobbyists from builders —…
-
February 2026 Update: Two Products Down, Ten to Go
At the beginning of this year, I made a public commitment. Not a vague resolution. Not a motivational tweet. A measurable, uncomfortable commitment. In 2026, I would commercialize one product every single month. Not build them from scratch. Not brainstorm endlessly. Not sit in the safety of prototypes. Commercialize. That means a product has to…
-
January 2026 Update: One Product Down. Eleven to Go.
At the beginning of January, I set the agenda for 2026. I said I’m no longer chasing volume.I’m chasing real, monetizable, sustainable value. One clear goal for the year:Commercialize one product every month. Not by building shiny new things from scratch.But by taking the existing portfolio — the twelve battle-tested creations — and turning them…
-
From 12 Products in 2025 to Real Revenue in 2026: My One-Product-a-Month Commercialization Plan
In January 2026, as the Nairobi sun rose on a new year, I sat with my coffee (still black, still sugar-free) and felt something shift. Not fireworks. Not a viral moment. Just quiet, earned clarity. 2025 was the year I forced myself to build. Really build. I set a public, slightly insane goal: ship 12…
-
2025 Was Sugar-Free — And That’s Exactly What I Needed
As we wind up 2025, I can say this without exaggeration:this year changed how I build, how I think, and how I measure progress. Not in the loud, celebratory way LinkedIn loves.Not in the “look at my growth chart” way.But in the quiet, uncomfortable, deeply instructive way. 2025 was packed with lessons.Hard ones. Practical ones.…
-
October 2025 Update — BizTools: Making Strategy Simple for Founders
Each month, one new tool.That’s the promise I made to myself at the start of the year — and it still stands. No matter how heavy life gets, no matter how much chaos the entrepreneurial path throws my way, I decided that every 30 days, something new must go out into the world. Not perfect.…
-
August–September 2025 Update: The Long Game
At the beginning of this year, I made a personal vow — one product every month.Not for vanity. Not for clout.It was about discipline — the kind of rhythm that forces creativity to meet accountability. And for seven straight months, I showed up.From January through July, I launched a new product or project every 30…
-
The Power of Saying No
There’s a sentence most people fear to say. Not because it’s offensive, or hard to pronounce, but because it feels like betrayal. The word is No. I didn’t know how to say it. For a long time, I was that guy who moved with the vibe. “Yes” rolled off my tongue quicker than I could…
-
July 2025 Update: The Accidental Win, the Quiet Fail, and What’s Next
First, a big thank you to everyone who’s been reading these monthly updates. If you’re new here and wondering what this is all about, check out the January recap to get the full story:👉 https://elidayjuma.com/january-2025-recap-progress-lessons-and-whats-next As promised:1 month, 1 product. All the way to December. 🔌 July Product: A WordPress Plugin for Paystack Payments This…
-
June 2025 Update: 6 Products in 6 Months, and Still Building Anyway
At the beginning of 2025, I made a bold public commitment: to ship one product every single month for 12 months. No matter what. No matter the circumstances. No excuses. Just consistent execution. Now, standing at the halfway point of the year, I can say this: the streak is alive. Six months. Six products. No…
-
May 2025 Recap: Building Boldly, One Startup at a Time
May 2025 was a month of bold moves, tough lessons, and steady growth. It’s the fifth month in my commitment to launching a new startup every month, and this time I stepped into a space I’ve personally lived through — logistics. The journey so far hasn’t been easy. In fact, some days it feels like…
-
The Visionary, The Hustler, and the Broke CEO
There’s a dangerous place I’ve found myself in. It’s not poverty. It’s not failure. It’s trying to be a visionary, a hustler, and a broke CEO—all at the same time. Let me explain. The Visionary The visionary in me wakes up with fire. I want to build tools that change lives. I want to create…
-
April 2025 Recap: Launching InterviewPrep, Growing Tools, and Living Sugar-Free
At the start of 2025, I made a bold resolution—to ship one tool or product every month. This wasn’t just about pushing code or launching MVPs. It was a commitment to consistency, creativity, and contribution. Each month has brought its own unique challenge and triumph. In January, I kicked things off with Nenopress. February saw…
-
March 2025 Recap: One Product Down, More Momentum Ahead
When I signed off February 2025, I had one clear commitment: ship a product in March. Mission accomplished. 🚀 Product Launch: NameKon This March, I launched a tool for startup founders and creatives — NameKon. It helps you generate startup names, check domain availability, and even see if social media handles are taken. Don’t wonder…
-
February 2025 Recap: A Month of Love, Hustle, and Wins
February 2025 has been a whirlwind of emotions, achievements, and lessons. From celebrating love and family to shipping a new product, facing challenges in my coaching business, and making strides in my fitness journey, this month has been a testament to the beauty of balance. Let me take you through the highlights of my February,…
-
January 2025 Recap: Progress, Lessons, and What’s Next
A Commitment to Consistency At the start of this year, I made a resolution to build and launch a micro-app every month. This deliberate action aligns with my goal of creating tools that benefit startups, especially those I coach. It’s not just about shipping products—it’s about solving real problems for entrepreneurs and continuously refining my…
-
Reflections on 2024: Staying the Course and Planning for 2025
As I sit down to reflect on 2024, I’m struck by the rollercoaster of emotions and experiences that defined this year. It has been challenging in its own measure, a year that tested my resolve, pushed me to reinvent myself, and ultimately laid the groundwork for what I hope will be an impactful 2025. The…