# Weekly Review — February 3-9, 2026

## What Worked Last Week

### 🎯 Major Wins
1. **System v2 Redesign Complete** — Moved from 12 cron jobs to 5, implemented single-brain architecture with sub-agents
2. **Autonomous Task Execution** — Built task executor that completed 8+ tasks without Michael's input
3. **RateRight v2 App Built** — Full Next.js/Supabase rebuild with mobile-first design
4. **Voice System Operational** — VAPI integration working with sub-1-second latency
5. **Growth Engine SMS Fixed** — Updated 18 sequences, removed false claims about fees
6. **Markus Transition Complete** — Team reduced to Michael + Rivet, runway extended to 3 years

### 💰 Cost Optimization
- **DeepSeek sub-agents**: 60-70% cost reduction for background work
- **Edge TTS**: Switched from ElevenLabs, saving $22/month
- **Max plan OAuth**: Opus/Sonnet usage free (no per-token charges)
- **Total monthly burn**: Reduced from ~$7K to ~$680

### 🚀 Technical Achievements
- Claude Code VPS operational for all development work
- WhatsApp integration connected
- Google OAuth working (Gmail, Calendar, Drive)
- All API keys configured and secured
- GitHub repos properly organized

## What Didn't Work

### 🚨 Critical Issues
1. **Kimi Code Changes** — 5 build-breaking bugs introduced (Feb 7 violation)
2. **Gateway Crash Loops** — Multiple session kills from systemctl restarts
3. **Context Overflow** — WhatsApp QR codes crashed sessions
4. **DeepSeek Real-time** — Failed on VAPI voice calls

### ⚠️ Process Failures
- **White Card Confusion** — Agents working from stale compliance data
- **Gap Analysis Staleness** — SMS scripts already fixed but analysis showed old version
- **File Overwrites** — Sub-agents sometimes overwrite each other's work
- **Autonomy Stalling** — System would hang without proper task spawning

## Token Usage & Costs

### Current Model Strategy
- **Main session**: Kimi K2.5 (cost efficient for reviews)
- **Sub-agents**: DeepSeek (near-free for background work)
- **Manual switches**: Opus for complex reasoning, Sonnet for balanced tasks
- **Voice**: GPT-4o Realtime (fastest, ~$0.08/min)

### Cost Drivers
1. **Context accumulation**: 40-50% of tokens (biggest factor)
2. **Heartbeat frequency**: Every 15 minutes adds up
3. **Sub-agent spawning**: Free with DeepSeek, would be expensive with other models

## Concrete Recommendation for Next Week

**Focus: Revenue Generation**

Stop building features. Start getting customers. The tech stack is solid, the product spec is complete, the messaging is fixed. Everything needed to start selling exists.

**Specific actions:**
1. Launch the 3-tier model ($50 individual, $100 crew, agency bulk) immediately
2. Contact the 38 fresh contractor leads captured overnight
3. Test the new SMS sequences with 5-10 leads each
4. Set up Stripe payment processing for the $50 fee
5. Start Wizard of Oz matching — manually coordinate first 10 hires

**Why this matters:** 6 months with no customers taught us the product wasn't the problem — the business model was. Now that's fixed, but runway psychology matters. First $50 hire will unlock everything.

## Emerging Patterns Worth Noting

### 🔄 System Patterns
- **Autonomy works** — Task executor completed 8+ tasks without intervention
- **Voice is sticky** — Michael prefers voice interaction when not at keyboard
- **Sub-agents scale** — Can spawn unlimited DeepSeek agents for research
- **File-based coordination** — INBOX/OUTBOX system replaced with native sub-agents

### 📈 Business Patterns
- **Construction demand is hot** — 44 steel fixer, 84 formwork listings on Jora alone
- **Competitors are overbuilt** — Complex quote systems vs our simple matching
- **Crew hire gap** — No flat-fee crew hiring exists in Australia ($3.8B market)
- **Worker supply is the bottleneck** — All good workers are already employed

### 🎯 Michael's Working Style
- **4:15am-6pm site hours** — Detail fine on breaks, batch non-urgent items
- **6:30-11pm prompting time** — Technical discussion welcome
- **Voice notes preferred** — When sick or commuting
- **Direct communication** — No pleasantries when time is tight

**Bottom line**: The system is built. The model is fixed. The tech works. Time to sell.