To recap back on Q125. After building a working early prototype on replit myself, I undertook to begin looking for funding for the project. The point of funding was to get some resources in the form of someone to take over the mojority of the coding work and begin the bones of a team. The first port of call was the ESA funding thorugh the ESA Space solutions *ESS’
https://www.esaspacesolutions.ie The reason? We’ll I just heard of the fund through someone and it sounded like it might be a fit. What i found in fact was the I was moving swords live in a direction to accomodate the ESA. The ESA direction is something that will suit swordslive in the future but It just wasnt right timing for the ESS (they wanted to know how i coudl make money – fair question. But i was not there yet. I’m way back at feasability – there’s fundamentals I need to make first and it made me refocus on the core story. Why is this getting built, and what do we need to do first.
Related Post from Q125: TL;DR https://howtocompany.xyz/post/building-the-brain-ai-meets-space-and-community
Rolling back from the hyper-dimensional to just plain ol Swords Live was a good step. The protorype I had built had a core focus – a transport model to make getting the bus in swords easy. The ESA satellite immagery can wait.
So that’s where I refocused. I refined what tasks I needed to do. What does the next prototype need – I researched and make a list of modules or features I needed to happen for the next version. Using those requirements I made a list of the skills that such a person would need to have and what budget I’d have.
I made a shortlist on upwork.com. I interviewed through, application screening then messaging then finally meeting. I though I’d found a perfect match, They had a go, didn’t get it – but luckily bailed out early and didn’t cost me too much time. I went looking again refinements in hand and I found another person to work with. That process has been a reality check. I’d forgotten just how hard it is to work with someone else,the explanations, the schedules, the missed meetings, the tools the use like Jira and of course the main one – the other persons life that goes on – their schedules, their sickness, their days off, thier lack of communication etc.
All of that is a thing you had not to deal with on your own, so in Q2 that has caused a reawaking of some latent skills and a requirement to brush up on those.
In terms of funding I returned local in more ways than one. I contacted the Local Enterprise Office. I refined the story enough to explain to the LEO what it was exactly I was trying to do. This in itself was a good process, again I had to examine what it was I was trying to do. I had to go through another round of refining the story – trying to frame it in a way that really explained the core concept. This time I woudl not be trying to make it fit, I’d be trying to make it clear to myself what specifically needs to be done next and how their support coudl halp that happen.
Overall I quite enjoyed working with the people involved in both cases. It’s not those people who are going to make or break your business, but they represent opportunities for you to try and explain to someone who is listening what it is you’re trying to do.
You may have an idea in your head – it might be even clear to you – but can you communicate it without losing it’s essence.?
The first time around in Q1 I totally lost it’s essence. This time around I think I did a good job at refining that message and communicating it in a good way. I guess the ultimate feedback on that is whether LEO decided to support the project. I’m happy to report that they did. It’s not a huge amount of funding and it requires more invtment from HTC’s side too so it’s not an upfront handout, it’s a rebate of 50% on the investment. The required armount that HTC will need to raise and spend is €15’000 up to 50% of that can be drawn down. It’s hardly a golden parashute but it’s very much appreciated. I will use the funds to try my best to achieve it’s targeted purpose – to build the next protorype, get first Swords Live basic service live (the transport module). Get users testing it by using it. Get it the entire project aligned and setup for the next phase.
Q3 has been a slow start, the staffing issues I mentioned are real. The challenge will be to smoothen out those issues. We need to get buiding so HTC will get paying and hopefully we can get this up and launched soon so that we can get that user feedback. The funding should be ok for the rest of the Q2 and hopefully we can draw down some of the LEO funding to help fund Q3. Either way more funding will be needed in Q3&Q4. A generous philantrophic donatioin or two would be great to ease the burden. Ideally some local partner conversations can happen in Q3 and that should be something that’s a reality in 6 months. If you’re out there and want to support this story then don’t be shy. Contact me. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineganxyz/
On the timing, It’s impossible to go faster than you can go – taking in all the constraints, counting the days at this stage is pointless, things will get done, working on this thing on a consistent basis is the key – all the rest will fall into place. Slow is stready, stready is fast is resonating at this stage.
That’s Q2 into Q3.
Currently in progress: I’m producing some content that is derived from the story generated through the LEO funding applicatioin process. I may hire someone to begin a promotional work project at this point but we’ll see.
At the time of writing I’ve a possible style for the content. Rotoscope. If you want to visualise rotoscope thing ‘Aha – Take on me’ the pencil sketch. However the more direct influence is a game I liked around 20 years ago on the the Nintendo DS Lite called Hotel Dusk 215. I remember really beautiful sequences and only know that they are called rotoscope now.
I’m currently making a video to describe one of the scenes. The scenes for what? We’ll you know what I say – everything starts with a story. I wrote about ‘Findin my (next) Purpose‘ a couple of years ago now and storytelling was at the heart of it. Things are more interesting when they are in stories, we love books, movies, youtubers because they are telling a story.
So your business should be no different, that is – if it’s to be great.
I’ve been writing here to practice storywriting dring those 2 years or so while I’m no Bukowski I can at least articulate a few ideas or scenes. Below is the current assett generation for swords live content, from this I will try produce some content.
Some content samples are included.
The Swords Live Story:
THE STORY: TUESDAY MORNING IN SWORDS
It’s a Tuesday morning. You’re heading to work, and the only way to town is the bus.
It’s raining. It’s windy. You’re at the stop, trying to dodge splashback from cars while protecting
your new shoes.
Finally — relief — a bus appears in the distance.
It rounds the corner, and just as your heart lifts… your jaw drops.
Through the rain-streaked glass, the orange LED cuts through: “Bus full.”
You shake your head. Umbrella underarm, now catching the wind like a sail.
You fumble with your phone — load a map — but everything’s late. The timetable is nonsense.
You’re flying blind. It’s in the hands of the gods.
Then, like a miracle, a second bus arrives.
The driver smiles. You shake your umbrella — now shaped like a broken TV aerial — close it up,
find your Leap card, and board.
Empty bus. You’re safe.
Mission accomplished.
It’s 7:45am — and you’ve already faced more chaos than you will for the rest of the day.
We call this normal.
We say we “got there in the end.”
But why does it have to be like that?
THE DATA EXISTS
Look back at that story:
• The location of both buses? ? Known
• Their capacity? ? Known
• Your arrival time? ? Known
• Rainfall, windspeed, traffic? ? Known
Every data point exists.
But none of it is joined up.
None of it helps you.
And in 2025, with more connectivity than any generation before us, we’re still guessing — still
fumbling in the rain — still accepting drama as normal.
That’s not digital.
That’s lazy.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Why can’t the app just say:
• “Don’t take the 7:45 — it’s full. Take the 7:50 — it’s quiet.”
• “Skip the umbrella — the wind’ll wreck it. Bring a raincoat.”
• “Just walk on — your phone’s paid for the fare.”
• “Good morning, welcome aboard.”
And then when you get to work, you tell that story — not one of frustration, but one of a town that
just works.
THE PROPOSAL
Swords Live isn’t about collecting more data.
It’s about connecting what’s already there — and designing the first truly user-first experience of a town.
We’re starting with transport because it touches everyone — and it’s where trust breaks first.
We’re surrounded by aspirational ads — people cycling in suits, taglines like “every journey
counts.”
But that’s dreamland.
We’re asleep to reality.
So let’s wake up.
Let’s make Swords the first town in Ireland — maybe the world — where everything just works.
Where residents feel awe, every day, because the systems around them are quiet, calm, and right.
Not because we invented new tech —
but because we finally used it for us.
That’s Swords Live
Content
chatGPT frame from prompt:
