A year ago this morning, I watched my first Florida sunrise as I left behind Florida and (and ISWC) to start a new chapter in my life:

This morning, this sunrise, was a beginning not an ending. From here forward, I realize the dream.

On the plane home, I worked out the details of my decision. Immuexa, our six year old software & website service business would need to close to new clients to focus on internal product development (which we did). I'd have to learn more about the semantic web, writing down what I found in a blog (which I started a month later). I'd have to take on a new business partner (which I did). We'd have to find a way to fund at least a year of development (which we did). But most of all, we'd have to brace ourselves for an arduous journey: big goals on a small budget.

We started "Project Realize" two months later, and since then, our all-out effort to build Tidepool & Storymill has been quite a toboggan run. Today I'm writing our "Endgame Roadmap" for the team. Here's a peek:

In a track race, the start is tense, the laps are grueling, but it's that last push ... the home stretch ... that defines the outcome. We've passed the last corner and can see the finish line. All that stands in our way is our own exhaustion. It's been a rough ten months. We've accomplished an amazing amount in a short time, with a small staff and a meager budget. Everyone has clearly given their all up till now, but the hardest work is still in front of us. Somehow, in the next two months, we need to summon up the stamina to push through two final releases.

Now's the time to bring it all together, surfacing code that's been hidden, making things more solid, polishing the edges, presenting our case on the website, so we can then properly unleash our efforts on the world.

In other news, the 1st FOAF Bingo game concluded a few hours ago. Congrats and thanks to all who played. The end was a real slugfest for third place. Top honors go to "benja", "crschmidt", and "pzerkle", who eeked past "mortenf" at the last minute. See the website for standings.