Happy New Year. As we roll into 2026, I have a resolution: To get this system out of my house and into the hands of other families. But first, I had to answer a terrifying question: Is it actually usable?
The Beta Tester
I decided to rip the plaster off. I reached out to a close friend whose son, Oliver, has a very similar story to Ash. He managed to survive Year 7 in mainstream education but eventually hit a wall of burnout and overwhelm that made continuing impossible.
I created a fresh login, sent her the details, and added a simple instruction: "See how you get on."
Her reply came back instantly: "Leave it with me. I’m just off to the little one's swimming lesson, so I’ll have a look while I’m waiting around."
I panicked slightly. A swimming pool viewing gallery - humid, noisy, chaotic - is hardly the ideal environment to learn a new piece of software. I expected a text asking for a user manual or a "How do I do this?" phone call.
"All Done."
Less than an hour later, my WhatsApp buzzed.
"All done!" she said.
I stared at the phone. "What do you mean, all done?" I typed back.
"I’ve added all of Oliver's classes," she replied. "I’ve scheduled the recurring sessions into the future. It was pretty simple to do."
The "Claire Factor" vs. The Real World
This was a massive moment. Up until now, the only users had been me (the builder) and Claire (who lives with the builder). If Claire gets stuck, she can shout to the next room. This friend had no manual, no guide, and no help - just a phone and a noisy swimming pool.
I logged into the database, half-expecting to see a mess of half-saved data. Instead, I saw perfection.
- 100+ Sessions Created: She had mapped out Oliver’s next three months.
- Complex Schedules: She had figured out the recurring dates logic without being told how.
- Zero Support Tickets: She did it all without asking a single question.
The Confidence Boost
We spent the next three hours on WhatsApp (after she got home!) dissecting the experience. She gave me a goldmine of feedback - some features I’d already planned, and some brilliant new ideas that are now firmly on the roadmap.
Seeing those database rows for "Oliver" gave me the biggest confidence boost of this entire journey. It proved that this isn't just a tech project; it's a solution that actually fits into a busy parent's life.
If it works in a swimming pool viewing gallery, it works anywhere.
