COPYABLE TEMPLATE

Weekly Progress Update

A repeatable weekly note for shipped work, changed assumptions, unfinished tasks, and the next outcome.

Use this when

You want a sustainable record of the project without writing a polished essay every week.

The template

Week [number] of building [project]

Goal
[The one outcome you intended to create]

Shipped
- [Observable change]
- [Observable change]

Evidence
[Demo, screenshot, measurement, commit, or user behavior]

What did not work
[A failed approach, delay, or assumption]

What I learned
[The current interpretation, stated without exaggeration]

Decision
[What you will change, keep, test, defer, or stop]

Next week
[The smallest useful outcome]

Question
[Optional: one question tied to the next decision]

A shorter version

For a quiet week, use only four lines:

This week I tried:
The evidence showed:
So I changed:
Next I will:

Quiet progress does not need an apology. If the planned feature did not ship but you discovered why the approach failed, report the discovery accurately.

Before publishing

  • [ ] Outcomes are separated from activity.
  • [ ] Evidence supports the most important claim.
  • [ ] The unfinished part is described honestly.
  • [ ] The next outcome is small enough to finish.
  • [ ] The update took less time than the work it documents.
Use this in practice30 Days of Build in Public