Program Work Hub
A private work hub that turns about ten recurring programs into dated, trackable work, all from a few anchor dates.
My role
Product owner, designer, and tester. I directed an AI assistant to build it.
Timeline
Late October to mid-November 2026. 18 releases, each previewed first.
Scope
About ten recurring programs: all hands, newsletters, recognition, mentorship, internships, and more.
Status
Live, private, and single user.
90 rules
Playbook rules that generate every dated action from a few anchor dates
81 actions
Imported from my existing tracker, with no dates silently shifted
18
Production releases, every one previewed and approved by me first
The problem
Communications programs run on dates that depend on other dates. A newsletter call for content is due three weeks before the send. Recognition needs nominations, voting, winners, and payout messages. Multiply that by ten programs and tracking took up most of my day-to-day operations.
The real cost wasn't effort, it was exposure. When an event moved or got cancelled, nothing told me. Deadlines were easy to remember the week they mattered, and easy to miss the week before.
My approach
1. Start from what I trust
I built from my existing 90-rule playbook, 81-action list, and a rough mockup, not a blank page.
2. Set boundaries first
Private by default, and read-only toward my calendar and mail. The hub never sends anything.
3. Preview, then publish
Every change was shown to me first, and I approved each release.
4. Ask "is this the best way?"
One follow-up question turned a manual workaround into an automatic calendar check.
Screens show sample data.
What I learned
The most valuable moments were questions, not instructions.
Naming the boundaries out loud (read-only, never sends, never decides alone) made every later feature easier to approve. Previews, undo, and honest "not tested" labels built more trust than any promise of accuracy.