This week was a bit of a roller coaster.
Some big things happened, including a couple of launches that had been a long time coming. At the same time, it was also one of those weeks where emotions, uncertainty, and everyday frustrations all seemed to pile on top of each other. That’s life sometimes, especially during periods of transition.
SideQuestDeals Is Live
The biggest milestone this week was launching SideQuestDeals.
SideQuestDeals is a project I’ve been building to help gamers discover deals on video games in a clean, simple interface without all the clutter and ads that tend to dominate many deal sites. It’s something I’ve wanted to build for a while, and after a lot of work getting the infrastructure, database, and deal ingestion working properly, it finally went live.
Launching any project is always a strange mix of emotions. There’s the satisfaction of finally shipping something, but there’s also the reality that launching is just the beginning. Now comes the harder part: getting people to actually discover and use it.
I spent some time this week setting up things like analytics so I can better understand how people are finding the site and how they’re using it. Promotion will continue over the coming days and weeks, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the project evolves from here.
Another App Milestone
In addition to launching SideQuestDeals, I also had a major milestone with my mobile app Did I Do That?
After what felt like an endless series of resubmissions, Apple finally approved the app for the iOS App Store. That means the app is now available on both Android and iOS, which feels great after spending so much time getting everything through Apple’s review process.
To keep things consistent between platforms, I also pushed a new Android version with the same fixes and improvements that were added during the iOS approval process.
Stepping Outside the House
One of my goals lately has been to try to get out of the house more and meet people in person instead of relying solely on online interactions.
This weekend I attended a speed gaming for singles event in Colorado Springs, which turned out to be a lot of fun. Events like that can be a bit intimidating at first, but they’re also a good reminder that there are still ways to meet people offline.
After the event, I stopped by Jinya Ramen for dinner, which remains one of my favorite places to eat in Colorado Springs.
Even though I didn’t leave the event with a phone number, I’m still glad I went. Getting out and trying something new is always better than sitting at home wondering what might have happened.
Some Tougher Moments
It wouldn’t be an honest weekly recap without mentioning that this week had its share of difficult moments too.
There were definitely times where loneliness hit pretty hard, and there were also those days where it felt like everything was just a little harder than it should be. Between job uncertainty, family responsibilities, and the lingering impact of the breakup earlier this year, some days still feel heavier than others.
But that’s also part of the journey right now.
Looking Ahead
Even with the ups and downs, there are still things to look forward to in the coming weeks.
I’ve got some events coming up, including seeing Jeff Dunham next week and attending a chocolate and cheese festival with a friend next month. Those kinds of things help break up the routine and provide something to look forward to.
On the project side, the focus will be on continuing to improve SideQuestDeals and seeing how it grows over time.
Like a lot of things in life, it’s a process.
Some weeks are about big milestones, others are about simply keeping things moving forward. This week was a little bit of both.
And for now, moving forward is enough.
Leave a Reply