12 Startups in 12 Months

In the next twelve months, I’m launching twelve software startups.

This post is a tool to document my intention and hold myself accountable.

What this means

For years, I’ve had an itch: I’m not building software projects for me. Projects that scratch my itches, show what I’m capable of, and generate my own revenue. I’d like that to change. The path forward is to force myself to start shipping products.

Someone wise once said: “If you don’t make things, then what you have to offer is your taste.” I’d like to start demonstrating a bit more what my taste is.

Project parameters

I’m giving myself one month to take an idea and get it into production. This will force me to move faster than I’m comfortable with. Luckily, agentic programming tools have made this somewhat easier.

I’m using the term “startup” here broadly, out of respect for others who have attempted this before me¹. “Startup” to me must be:

• A shipped software product, with…
• A team (me), that has…
• A business model I can explain, even if not implemented, that I can…
• Validate

Will I get to twelve? Six? I don’t know. Ideally, one of these ideas takes off and starts monopolizing my time. If that were to happen, I’d stop the project there. That would be a victory to me.

Obstacles

My biggest obstacle? Me. I’m pretty good at talking myself out of shipping software ideas, in my own voice.

Part of this process is for me to find out how to tune out my internal critic and get my software products out into the world, regardless of what happens after that.

My progress

Here are the applications I’ve built for this project:

1. 🗒️ TypeNotes, August 2026: A daily learning site for professional JavaScript and TypeScript developers, particularly intermediate-to-senior engineers working with TypeScript in production.

2. BirdWalk (building!), September 2026: Let’s go on a birdwalk! A bird identification game based on real birding data.

3-12. Coming soon!