The feedback from the "Swimming Pool Test" was a massive boost, but before I committed serious time and family resources to this, I needed more data points. Was it just a fluke?
The Widening Circle of Trust
I decided to broaden the test group, reaching out to two very different contacts who I knew would give me unvarnished truth.
- The Trenches Parent: A close friend of Claire’s with two neurodivergent children currently navigating a very fractured educational situation. She knows the chaos intimately.
- The Industry Pro: A business contact of mine who is a Director in the neurodivergent therapy sector. Someone who sees professional tools every day.
Neither had an immediate need to schedule their own children right this second, but both agreed to test the interface, to bang the tyres and see if it made sense.
The Verdict
The feedback came back independently, but the message was identical to the swimming pool test: It was intuitive. It was self-explanatory.
They didn't need a manual to figure out how to add a repeating lesson or log an achievement. For a professional in the therapy sector to say the UX (User Experience) was solid gave me a level of confidence I hadn't felt before. It wasn't just a useful tool; it was a well-designed one.
The Kitchen Table Summit
Armed with this triple lock of validation - Claire, the pool parent, and the wider testers - I sat down with Claire after Ash was asleep.
I told her: "I think this could be a business. But it means more late nights and it means investing some money."
Claire didn't hesitate. She knows what life was like before October. "Do it," she said. "If it helps other families feel as calmer as we do now, you have to do it."
Making it Official: Plan-Ed.
We needed a name. We wanted something active, something that implied structure without the rigidity of school. We threw ideas around over coffee until one stuck.
Plan-Ed. Planning your education. Simple.
I pulled out the credit card. I typed in the domain. The dopamine hit of seeing "Purchase Confirmed" was intense. We now owned the Plan-Ed domain names.
It’s official. We aren't just muddling through anymore; we’re building a startup.
