Finished work hides most of the work that made it useful.
You see the published book, but not the chapters that were removed. You see the finished workshop, but not the activities that confused people. You see a clear website page, but not the questions, wrong turns, and decisions that shaped it.
This page exists to show some of that unfinished work.
I build books, speeches, websites, workshops, tools, visual maps, and practical ideas. Some projects begin with a clear direction. Others become clear only after I start, share an early version, and see how people respond.
The updates below show what I am building, what I am changing, what I am learning, and what I intend to try next.
Why I Share Work in Progress
I used to think I had to understand the whole path before showing the work.
That often meant waiting too long.
An idea stayed inside a notebook while I searched for the perfect structure. A book remained unfinished because I kept finding another concept to add. A program grew larger before I had tested whether the first activity helped anyone.
I have learned that action can create clarity.
The first draft reveals the real question. The first reader exposes what is confusing. The first workshop shows which move people can practise and which one only sounds good in a presentation.
Sharing work in progress lets me follow evidence instead of protecting my first idea.
It also lets readers see that useful work rarely arrives fully formed. It develops through action, observation, feedback, revision, and judgment.
These Are Not Progress Reports
I do not want to publish updates simply to show that I have been busy.
Activity is not proof that something important moved.
A useful update should reveal a real development:
- a question that changed;
- an assumption that no longer holds;
- an idea that became clearer through use;
- a decision to narrow, combine, pause, or stop a project;
- an early version that another person can already use;
- a mistake that changed how I will build the next version.
Each update should help answer a few practical questions.
What was I trying to create? What changed? Why did it change? What exists now? What will I do next? What proof will tell me whether the work deserves to continue?
What I Build
The projects may take different forms, but they are connected by one question:
How can I make what matters happen every day?
I may be working on a book that helps people move from insight to action. I may be rebuilding a website so readers can find the right starting point. I may be testing a speech, simplifying a workshop, creating a practice card, or turning a larger idea into a visual map people can understand quickly.
Some projects help people begin. Others help them change a familiar pattern, build something useful, finish meaningful work, share what they can contribute, or help another person.
The format changes. The standard remains.
The work must help someone make a meaningful move and recognize the proof that something became different.
Building Requires Judgment
Not everything I begin will become a finished product.
Some ideas will grow. Some will become part of another project. Some will be paused because a more important commitment deserves attention. Others will stop because they do not solve the problem I thought they would solve.
Stopping is not always failure.
Sometimes the honest move is to reduce the scope. Sometimes it is to hand the work to someone else. Sometimes it is to keep what was learned and let the project end.
The goal is not to finish every idea I have.
The goal is to build what deserves to exist, make it useful enough for another person, and finish the version that matters.
What You Will Find in Each Update
Each child page records one meaningful stage in the work.
It may describe a new project, but it may also document a revision, a difficult decision, a failed experiment, or a change in direction.
You will usually find:
The situation. What was I trying to build, solve, or understand?
What changed. What decision, discovery, problem, or response altered the work?
Why it matters. What becomes possible because of the change?
What exists now. What can already be read, watched, tested, practised, or used?
The next move. What will I build, test, remove, or examine next?
The proof. What result will help me decide whether to continue, revise, deepen, or stop?
These updates are not instructions that everyone must follow. They are working notes from someone trying to make ideas useful in the real world.
You may recognize a problem you are also facing. You may find a question worth borrowing. You may see a move you can try in your own project.
That is enough reason to share the process.
Follow the Build
The newest updates appear first.
Some will show visible progress. Others will show uncertainty, revision, or a project becoming smaller. Together, they form a record of how the work develops—not only what eventually gets published.
Explore the latest build updates below.
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About Jef Menguin
Jef Menguin is a leadership development consultant, professional speaker, and founder of Strategic Learning Consultants. He helps CEOs, HR leaders, and L&D teams connect leadership development to business goals and turn strategic priorities into daily leadership behavior.
Explore his work in leadership training, learn about his motivational speaking programs, or connect with him on LinkedIn.