Now / Next / Later

As of: March 15, 2026 Stage: Pre-prototype. Self-funded. $0 revenue.

This file is the single source of what to do and in what order. It is not aspirational. Every item here has a specific exit condition. When that condition is met, cross it off.

NOW — Do These Before Anything Else

These are the only things that move the business forward in the next 30 days. Nothing in Next or Later matters until these are done.

1. Register the Georgia LLC

Why now: You cannot open a business bank account, sign a charter partner agreement, or receive money without a legal entity.

Who does it: You, with guidance from the business attorney (role 01).

Steps:

  • 1.1 — Engage a business attorney (see docs/roles/01-business-attorney.md for where to find, vetting questions, and budget)
  • 1.2 — Choose the LLC name: confirm “Actual Technologies LLC” or your preferred name is available on the Georgia SOS name search (sos.ga.gov/corporations-divisions-bureaus)
  • 1.3 — Attorney files Articles of Organization with the Georgia Secretary of State
  • 1.4 — Obtain the EIN from the IRS (same day online: irs.gov/ein)
  • 1.5 — Attorney drafts operating agreement (single-member; founder owns 100%)
  • 1.6 — Open a business bank account (Wells Fargo, Chase, or Relay for startups)

Exit: LLC registered, EIN in hand, bank account open, operating agreement signed Budget: $500–$1,500 (attorney fee) Deadline: End of March 2026

2. File a Provisional Patent

Why now: The moment you describe the system publicly to a charter partner candidate, the 12-month window to file a non-provisional patent starts. A provisional stakes your priority date and costs far less than a non-provisional.

Who does it: Patent attorney (role 02), with your technical documentation as input.

Steps:

  • 2.1 — Engage a patent attorney with hardware + software experience (see docs/roles/02-patent-attorney.md)
  • 2.2 — Provide the attorney with docs/technical/system-architecture.md, docs/technical/hardware-spec.md, and docs/technical/event-schema.md as the technical disclosure
  • 2.3 — Define the two core claims with the attorney: - Claim 1: Badge-as-identity (wearable device that is the identity record, not a phone app) - Claim 2: Passive provenance architecture (equipment tag + badge proximity = automatic labor-to-task binding without crew action)
  • 2.4 — Attorney files provisional application with USPTO (micro-entity filing fee: ~$320)
  • 2.5 — Receive USPTO confirmation and file number; note the priority date

Exit: Provisional patent filed, priority date established, USB filing confirmation saved Budget: $2,000–$4,000 (attorney fee + USPTO micro-entity fee) Deadline: Before first charter partner outreach call

3. Buy the Hardware — Phase 2 Prototype Kit

Why now: The firmware engineer (Step 4) cannot start without hardware in hand. Ordering takes time. The kit needs to arrive before the engagement begins.

Who does it: You.

Steps:

  • 3.1 — Order Blues Wireless Notecard (NOTE-WBEX) × 7 (5 production + 2 spares) from blues.com or Mouser; estimated ~$49 each
  • 3.2 — Order Blues Notecarrier (breakout) × 7 from blues.com; ~$12 each
  • 3.3 — Order Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Express × 7 from adafruit.com; ~$25 each
  • 3.4 — Order LiPo batteries 2000mAh × 7 (Adafruit #2011 or similar); ~$10 each
  • 3.5 — Order E-ink display 2.13” (212x104) × 7 (Waveshare or Adafruit equivalent)
  • 3.6 — Order Ruuvi Tag Pro × 8 (5 equipment tags + 3 spares) from ruuvi.com; ~$35 each
  • 3.7 — Order accelerometer breakout × 7 (Adafruit BMA400 or LIS2DH12)
  • 3.8 — Sign up for Blues Notehub account and create the Actual project (notehub.io — free tier sufficient for prototype)
  • 3.9 — Confirm Blues Connectivity Plan: Developer plan free for prototype (covers cellular data); confirm plan tier before production

Exit: All components received and confirmed functional with a basic I2C communication test between the Feather and the Notecard Budget: ~$785–$900 (full kit for 5 badges + spares + equipment tags) Deadline: Order by end of this week; delivery expected within 7–14 days

4. Hire the Firmware Engineer

Why now: This is the blocking role. Phase 2 cannot proceed without it. Nothing else in the prototype timeline moves until this person is found and engaged.

Steps:

  • 4.1 — Post on Upwork with the role requirements from docs/roles/03-firmware-engineer.md (copy the technical requirements section directly into the job post)
  • 4.2 — Search Blues Wireless community forum for engineers who have posted nRF52840 + Notecard integration work (notehub.io/community, Blues Discord)
  • 4.3 — Post in Nordic Semiconductor developer forum (devzone.nordicsemi.com)
  • 4.4 — Screen candidates using the vetting questions in the role doc (do all three vetting questions in the first message; do not schedule a call for anyone who cannot answer them)
  • 4.5 — Review code samples from 2–3 top candidates
  • 4.6 — Issue a paid scoping task ($200–$500): candidate must build a minimal Zephyr or Arduino firmware that reads GPS from a Blues Notecard and uploads one event to Notehub — this is the minimal proof of eligibility
  • 4.7 — Select the candidate who completes the scoping task with the cleanest output and sign a contract using the LLC’s agreement template (attorney from Step 1 drafts the contract)
  • 4.8 — Ship prototype hardware kit to the firmware engineer

Exit: Contract signed, hardware shipped, firmware engineer has acknowledged Phase 2A deliverables and the exit gate metrics Budget: $5,000–$15,000 (engagement); $200–$500 (scoping task) Deadline: Firmware engineer engaged by mid-April 2026

5. Begin Charter Partner Outreach — Ring 1

Why now: The charter partner conversation takes time. Starting outreach now means you have active conversations by the time the hardware prototype is ready for a pilot. Do not wait for the prototype to be finished before starting Ring 1.

Steps:

  • 5.1 — Build your Ring 1 contact list: 20–30 names from your direct network (former clients, colleagues, industry contacts). Use the target profile from docs/charter-partner/README.md and outreach-sequence.md.
  • 5.2 — Send 10 Ring 1 messages this week (text or DM; use the templates in outreach-sequence.md verbatim for the first round)
  • 5.3 — Send the remaining Ring 1 messages next week
  • 5.4 — Log every contact in a tracking sheet (Name / Company / Ring / Channel / Date Sent / Status / Notes)
  • 5.5 — For every response, run the first call script (first-call-script.md) and score the prospect on the qualification scorecard
  • 5.6 — Follow up once on non-responders at day 5; then stop Ring 1 and begin Ring 2 for any remaining gaps

Exit: At least 3 qualified conversations scored 7+ on the scorecard, willing to hear more; at least 1 calendar invitation for a demo call booked Budget: $0 Deadline: Ring 1 complete by April 15, 2026

NEXT — Do These Once NOW Items Are Complete

These require the LLC, the provisional patent, and the firmware engineer to be in place. Do not start these in parallel with NOW items unless specifically noted.

6. Phase 2A — Firmware Prototype (Core)

Depends on: Step 3 (hardware delivered), Step 4 (firmware engineer hired)

Steps:

  • 6.1 — Provide the firmware engineer with docs/technical/event-schema.md and docs/technical/firmware-architecture.md as the specification
  • 6.2 — Firmware engineer builds Phase 2A core (40–80 hours): GPS sampling, BLE scanning, accelerometer, e-ink display, event queue, basic upload to Notehub
  • 6.3 — Weekly 30-minute check-ins with firmware engineer; review event logs from Notehub after each upload
  • 6.4 — Run preliminary GPS accuracy test: place badge at a known location; compare logged coordinates against map ground truth
  • 6.5 — Run preliminary BLE detection test: place Ruuvi Tag at 5m, confirm detection rate > 85% over 50 test events

Exit: Gateway check — GPS is logging, BLE is detecting, events are appearing in Notehub. Phase 2B can begin.

7. Phase 2B — Store-and-Forward

Depends on: Step 6 complete

Steps:

  • 7.1 — Firmware engineer implements flash-backed event queue with persistence across power cycles
  • 7.2 — Run the power-cycle test: write 50 events without upload, cut power, restore, confirm all 50 events appear in cloud after recovery
  • 7.3 — Simulate 4-hour cellular outage (disable Notecard); confirm queue holds and uploads on reconnect
  • 7.4 — Firmware engineer implements exponential backoff on upload failure
  • 7.5 — Run 72-hour continuous test on 3 badges (not yet 5 — 3 is enough to confirm before finalizing Phase 2A)

Exit: Power-cycle test passes; 72-hour test passes on 3 badges

8. Deploy Azure Infrastructure (Phase 3 Cloud MVP — Begin Parallel)

Depends on: LLC registered (Step 1), backend developer hired (Step 9) Can begin: While firmware Phase 2B is in progress

Steps:

  • 8.1 — Create Azure subscription under the LLC (use Azure free tier initially)
  • 8.2 — Provision Azure resources using the Bicep template in infra/bicep/ (see docs/technical/deployment-runbook.md Part 2)
  • 8.3 — Initialize PostgreSQL database with the schema in docs/technical/database-schema.md
  • 8.4 — Confirm PostGIS extension installed and working
  • 8.5 — Load parcel polygons for the pilot customer’s service area (Georgia county assessor GIS data — Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, or relevant county)
  • 8.6 — Deploy ingest API (Azure Functions) and confirm a synthetic heartbeat event is accepted (use the curl smoke test from api-reference.md)
  • 8.7 — Configure Notehub webhook route to the Azure ingest API (see docs/technical/cloud-architecture.md Notehub routing section)

Exit: Synthetic event posted from curl → appears in raw_events table in PostgreSQL

9. Hire the Backend Developer (Contract)

Depends on: LLC registered (Step 1) Can run parallel with: Step 7

Steps:

  • 9.1 — Post on Upwork using docs/roles/04-backend-developer.md requirements
  • 9.2 — Run the three vetting questions from the role doc in the first message
  • 9.3 — Focus candidates: must know PostGIS + point-in-polygon; Python preferred
  • 9.4 — Issue a scoping task: implement idempotent event insert for a sample schema; verify they use ON CONFLICT correctly
  • 9.5 — Sign contract; provide docs/technical/event-schema.md and docs/technical/database-schema.md as the specification

Exit: Contract signed, deliverable scope agreed, schema contract understood

10. Phase 2C + 3 — Integration and Cloud Pipeline Complete

Depends on: Steps 7, 8, 9 all complete

Steps:

  • 10.1 — Firmware engineer updates event payload to match the final schema contract (any changes found during Phase 2A/2B); freezes firmware version
  • 10.2 — Backend developer builds geofencing service (deliverable 2 from role doc)
  • 10.3 — Backend developer builds Power BI data layer / work_sessions view (deliverable 3)
  • 10.4 — Founder builds Power BI report consuming work_sessions: crew summary, equipment pairing, anomaly flag
  • 10.5 — End-to-end test: badge in the field → event in raw_events → geofenced to parcel → appears as session in Power BI within 30 minutes
  • 10.6 — Run full exit gate test on 5 badges (docs/technical/firmware-architecture.md exit gate test protocol — all 5 tests)

Exit: Phase 3 exit gate — badge data visible in Power BI within 30 minutes of capture; all 5 firmware exit gate criteria met with documented results

11. Secure First Charter Partner Commitment

Depends on: Step 5 (Ring 1 outreach already in progress from NOW)

Steps:

  • 11.1 — Run Ring 2 outreach (warm introductions) in parallel with firmware Phase 2A/2B (the product does not need to be ready to have these conversations)
  • 11.2 — Demo call with any prospect scored 8+ on the scorecard: walk them through the actual system using Notehub event logs and the Power BI dashboard
  • 11.3 — Present pilot terms (docs/charter-partner/pilot-terms.md) to the right prospect
  • 11.4 — Business attorney reviews charter partner agreement before signing
  • 11.5 — Collect pilot fee ($1,500) and hardware deposit ($500)
  • 11.6 — Schedule on-site deployment session

Exit: Charter partner agreement signed, payment received, deployment date on calendar

12. Charter Partner Pilot Deployment

Depends on: Steps 10, 11

Steps:

  • 12.1 — Provision badges for the charter partner (deployment-runbook.md Part 1)
  • 12.2 — Register equipment tags for all customer trucks, trailers, mowers
  • 12.3 — Load parcel polygons for all properties in the customer’s service area
  • 12.4 — Conduct on-site deployment session: badge introduction with the crew, equipment tag installation, confirm Power BI access with the owner
  • 12.5 — Monitor daily for the first two weeks: badge uptime, GPS events in cloud, equipment tag detections
  • 12.6 — Call the customer owner at day 7: “Is anything confusing? Are your crew members wearing the badges?”
  • 12.7 — Day 45 mid-pilot review: pull metrics dashboard, share with customer
  • 12.8 — Day 90 final debrief: metric scorecard review, refund or conversion decision

Exit: All 6 pilot success metrics met; customer says “I would pay for this”; case study draft approved by customer (optional)

LATER — After First Paying Customer

Do not plan or spend time on these until the charter pilot succeeds and the first monthly subscription payment is in the bank.

L1. Post-Pilot: Convert Charter Partner to Paid Subscription

  • L1.1 — Activate charter monthly subscription at $149/crew/month
  • L1.2 — Set up recurring invoice (bank or Stripe)
  • L1.3 — Confirm hardware in good state; replace any damaged badges

L2. Hire Field Ops Coordinator

  • See docs/roles/07-field-ops-coordinator.md
  • Trigger: founder can no longer handle hardware logistics for 3+ active pilots
  • Budget: $50,000–$65,000

L3. Begin Charter Partner 2 and 3 (Scale to 3 Pilots)

  • Use charter partner 1’s case study (with permission) as proof for Ring 2 outreach
  • Run the Ring 2 and Ring 3 outreach sequence for the next two partners
  • Aim for 3 active paying pilots before seeking outside funding

L4. Hire Cloud / Backend Engineer (FT)

  • See docs/roles/08-cloud-backend-engineer.md
  • Trigger: contract backend developer’s engagement ends; platform needs full-time owner
  • Priority integrations: Aspire → QuickBooks Time → ADP
  • Budget: $110,000–$140,000

L5. Build Aspire Integration

  • Charter partners who use Aspire are the highest-value conversion targets
  • Requires the cloud engineer (L4) — do not attempt this with the contract developer
  • Deliverable: crew assignment data from Aspire reconciled against badge presence data

L6. Develop Production PCB Design

  • Replace Adafruit Feather + Notecarrier dev breakout with a custom PCB
  • Engages an electronics design engineer (not yet in the role docs)
  • Target: badge BOM drops from ~$129 (prototype) to $40–$60 (production, 100-unit run)
  • Trigger: 3+ pilot customers validate the design; justifies tooling investment

L7. Provisional Patent → Non-Provisional

  • File non-provisional patent before the 12-month priority window closes
  • Re-engage the patent attorney (role 02)
  • Input: pilot data validating the two core claims
  • Budget: $8,000–$15,000

L8. Hire Enterprise Sales Director

  • See docs/roles/09-enterprise-sales-director.md
  • Trigger: 3–5 paying customers; founder cannot manage pipeline + product + operations
  • Budget: $85,000–$95,000 base, OTE $130,000–$160,000

L9. Hire Hardware Ops / Supply Chain Manager

  • See docs/roles/10-hardware-ops-supply-chain.md
  • Trigger: 10+ active deployments; Badge inventory exceeds 200 units in field
  • Budget: $65,000–$85,000

L10. Seed Round (if needed)

  • Target: $500,000–$1,500,000 on a SAFE
  • Trigger: 3–5 paying customers, validated unit economics, Aspire integration live
  • Do not raise before charter pilot success — no leverage without proof
  • Use the role docs and technical docs as the data room foundation

Dependency Map

Step 1 (LLC)──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
Step 2 (Patent)────────────────────────────────────┐      │
Step 3 (Hardware order)──────┐                     │      │
Step 4 (Firmware eng.)───────┤                     │      │
Step 5 (Outreach Ring 1)─────┼──────┐              │      │
                              │      │              │      │
                              ▼      │              ▼      ▼
                        Step 6/7 ────┤         Step 11 ── Step 8/9
                        (Firmware    │         (Charter   (Cloud
                         Phase 2)    │          partner   infra)
                              │      │          commit)    │
                              ▼      ▼              │      │
                         Step 10 ◀──────────────────┘      │
                         (Integration exit gate)────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
                         Step 12 (Pilot deployment)
                              │
                              ▼
                           LATER

Budget Tracker

Step Item Low High Status
1 Business attorney (LLC + operating agreement) $500 $1,500 Not started
2 Patent attorney (provisional) $2,000 $4,000 Not started
3 Hardware kit (5 badges + equipment tags + spares) $785 $900 Not started
4 Firmware engineer (scoping task) $200 $500 Not started
4 Firmware engineer (full engagement) $5,000 $15,000 Not started
8 Azure infrastructure (dev/prod) $50 $200/mo Not started
9 Backend developer (contract) $2,000 $5,000 Not started
Total (Phase 1–4)   $10,535 $27,100  

Current revenue: $0 Current spend: $0

Decision Log

Record decisions here as they are made. Date + decision + reason.

Date Decision Reason
March 2026 Blues Wireless Notecard selected as cellular + GPS platform Integrated LTE-M + GPS, JSON-native API, developer-friendly, no SIM management
March 2026 BLE tags on equipment (not properties) Equipment pairing proves active work, not just proximity to a property
March 2026 nRF52840 as preferred MCU Best BLE power profile for 7-day battery target; Zephyr RTOS support
March 2026 Azure as cloud platform Founder’s existing toolchain (Power BI, Power Apps); reduces context switching