I'm Done Pivoting. Here's What I'm Building in 2026.
2026 goals from an AI translation founder.
If I'm honest, 2025 didn't go the way I planned. And somehow, that's exactly why I'm grateful for it.
This year brought more ups and downs than I could have predicted. We pivoted our product. We celebrated wins that felt hard-earned. We learned lessons that stung at first but now feel like gifts.
There were moments I questioned everything, and moments I couldn't believe how far we'd come.
So as I sit here wrapping up the year, I'm not just relieved. I'm genuinely joyful.
The ups and downs didn't break us. They shaped us. And now I'm looking at 2026 with the kind of energy I haven't felt in a while.
Putting My Vision on Paper
Here's what I've learned: As founders, we live in a state of controlled chaos. Our to-do lists multiply. Our priorities shift weekly. Our brains juggle a hundred things at once.
That's exactly why I started using vision boards.
Not the fluffy, magazine-cutout kind (but hey, no judgment if that’s your jam! If I had a flair for aesthetics, I’d dive right into that world too).
What I mean is a clear, visual reminder of where I'm headed. Something that cuts through the noise when everything feels overwhelming.
Vision boards work because they force clarity. They make you commit to what actually matters. And when you're deep in founder mode, that clarity becomes your compass.
So here's what I'm calling in for 2026.
App & Product Growth: Building What People Actually Use
The Vision:
- Launch our multi-agent AI translation platform on both web app and mobile app
- Integrate video call capability with real-time translation
- Hit our first 100 users who actually stay (not just sign up and ghost)
This feels simultaneously exciting and terrifying. We've spent 2025 learning what users need. Now it's time to build it properly and get it into hands that will actually use it.
How I'm Making This Happen:
Continue the grind, but smarter. I've learned that grinding without direction is just expensive procrastination.
In 2026, I'm committing to focused building sprints with clear milestones. Two-week cycles: build, ship, gather feedback, iterate. No more "we'll launch when it's perfect" because perfect never arrives.
Ask for feedback ruthlessly. This year taught me that users will be brutally honest if you ask the right questions.
Instead of "do you like this feature?", I'm asking "when was the last time you needed real-time translation and what frustrated you about existing solutions?" The answers guide better building.
Ship productively, not just frequently. Shipping fast is valuable. Shipping things users actually need is more valuable.
I'm setting up a feedback loop where we're talking to potential users weekly, building based on patterns we see, and validating before we scale.
The mobile app launch is ambitious, but we're not starting from scratch. We've learned what works on web. Mobile just requires rethinking the interface for different use cases: on-the-go translation, quick video calls, offline capability for travellers.
Those first 100 staying users? That's the real target. Sign-ups are vanity metrics. Active users who come back, who recommend us to others, who actually use the product in their workflow? That's validation worth celebrating.
Community & Impact: Building in Public and Helping Others
The Vision:
- Build in public more actively, especially on X (Twitter)
- Share founder insights and lessons consistently on Medium
- Help other founders by creating content that's actually useful, not just inspirational fluff
I started building my X and Medium presence in Q4 2025, and honestly, I wish I'd started earlier. The conversations I've had, the connections I've made, the feedback I've received - these platforms aren't just marketing channels. They're communities where founders help each other survive and thrive.
How I'm Making This Happen:
Be more active on X with concrete goals. I'm committing to sending more valuable replies and posting daily.
Things I will post? insight from building, lessons learned, questions to the community. No generic motivational quotes. Real experiences, even the messy ones.
My Q4 stats showed something I should have known earlier: growth isn't about posting perfect content. It's about showing up in conversations. I became the "reply guy" (commenting on other founders' posts, asking questions, adding value to discussions). Engagement grew because I engaged first.
So 2026 is about continuing that: showing up, contributing to conversations, being present in the community rather than just broadcasting into the void.
Medium will be my long-form platform for deeper dives. I'm aiming for at least two substantial articles weekly: one about AI translation developments, one about founder lessons.
Building community isn't about accumulating followers. It's about creating value that helps others.
When I share how we handled a product pivot, I'm hoping it saves another founder the time or mistakes we made.
The best part? Building in public forces accountability.
When you publicly commit to goals, you're more likely to actually do the work. And when you share struggles, people offer solutions you hadn't considered.
Wild Card/Fun: Speaking, Summits, and Big Swings
The Vision:
- Speak at a conference about AI translation, founder lessons, or building in public
- Host or participate in more community events like the Women in Sensing Summit
- Land another major project or grant that pushes our capabilities
Not everything worth chasing shows up on a product roadmap. 2025 gave me some of my most memorable moments outside of building.
We were absolutely delighted to host the networking reception of the NSSN Women in Sensing Summit 2025. And attending the NSW Commercialisation Showcase 2025 filled me with fresh ideas and new connections.
We even got featured on SBS Australia News in 2024 thanks to the NHTP programme, which was surreal and validating in ways I didn't expect. Those experiences taught me that the "wild card" goals often create the most meaningful growth.
I'm forever grateful for the opportunities we had in 2024-2025, like being part of NSW Small Business Innovation & Research (SBIR) and Natural Hazards Technology Program (NHTP). Those programs changed our trajectory.
For 2026, I want to keep that energy going.
How I'm Making This Happen:
Actively monitor NSW grant opportunities and events throughout 2026. I've created alerts for keywords: translation, AI, language technology, multicultural services, accessibility. When relevant opportunities appear, I'm applying early with thoughtful proposals that show we understand the problem deeply.
The Women in Sensing Summit 2025 was incredible because we created space for conversations that weren't happening elsewhere. In 2026, I want to either host another event or partner with organisations doing similar community-building work. There's something powerful about bringing people together in person, even in our digital-first world.
I'm also reaching out to conference organisers proactively. Not just "I'd love to speak" emails, but specific proposals: "I can share lessons from building AI translation products for multicultural communities" or "Here's what we learned hosting technical summits that actually engage attendees."
The key difference between dreaming and doing is taking the first step. For speaking, that's reaching out to three conference organisers per month. For grants, that's applying to every relevant opportunity with strong proposals. For community events, that's having conversations now about what might be possible later in the year.
What I'm Calling In for 2026
I'm calling in a year of focused building, community connection, and strategic risk-taking.
I'm calling in those 100 staying users who actually use our multi-agent translation platform, who come back daily, who tell other people about it because it genuinely solves their problem.
I'm calling in meaningful conversations on X and Medium that help other founders avoid mistakes I made, or encourage them to take swings they're hesitant about.
I'm calling in a conference stage where I can share what we've learned building AI translation products, and maybe inspire someone else to start building what they're dreaming about.
I'm calling in another major project like SBIR or NHTP that pushes our capabilities beyond what we thought possible, that forces us to grow in uncomfortable but valuable ways.
Most importantly, I'm calling in the discipline to actually do the work required to make these things happen. Vision without execution is just daydreaming. Execution without vision is just busywork. I need both.
Now It's Your Turn
This is what I'm building toward in 2026. What about you?
Whether you're a founder, a builder, someone pivoting careers, or just trying to grow in intentional ways, I'd love to hear: what's your top goal for 2026, and what's one concrete action you're taking this week to move toward it?
Drop it in the comments. Let's make this year about collective building, not just individual grind.
Here's to a year of building things that matter, connecting with people who get it, and taking swings that feel impossible until they're not.
Let's make 2026 remarkable.
**Happy New Year, builders. Let's do this! **