What this app does
Tracks your preparation
Every day has 3 theory tasks pulled directly from your 45-day plan. Check them off as you complete them. The app knows your current phase and shows the right tasks automatically.
Guides your plugin build
One plugin — WP Enterprise Showcase — is built across all 45 days. Each day shows exactly what to code, which files to create, and what git branch to use. Mark done only after pushing to GitHub.
Builds daily habits
Six non-negotiable habits logged every day — git commit, exercise, book reading, AI tool session, communication practice, and end-of-day reflection. All 6 logged = a complete day.
Measures your confidence
Rate yourself daily across 5 dimensions: technical depth, communication, interview confidence, discipline, and energy. Watching these climb over 45 days is the most honest signal of growth.
How to use it every day
1
Open the app — it auto-loads today's day
The app calculates the current day from your start date stored in data/meta.json. You never need to set the date manually. To review a past day, click that number on the heatmap or use Prev/Next navigation.
2
Read today's theory tasks first — all three
Before touching any code, read all three theory tasks in the left column. They are taken directly from your 45-day plan. Understanding the "why" before the "how" is the entire point of this preparation.
3
Do the plugin implementation task
Open your local WordPress dev environment and follow the plugin task instructions. The task description, files to create, and git branch name are all shown. When you have committed and pushed to GitHub, click "Mark done". Do not click it before the push.
4
Tick off theory tasks as you complete them
Click each task card to mark it done. They turn green. Your score updates instantly in the top-right ring. Three tasks done = 30 points toward today's score.
5
Log your 6 daily habits throughout the day
Exercise, book reading, and reflection can be logged at any point. Git commit should be your last action before closing the laptop. The AI tool session is 30 minutes — a different tool is suggested each day to build breadth.
6
Rate yourself and write your reflection before sleep
The five star ratings and the reflection textarea are the most important part of the app. They force honest self-assessment. Do not skip them. The book reading log goes here too — title, pages, and one key insight in 3–5 sentences.
7
Click "Save Day Entry" to confirm everything
All fields auto-save as you type, but the Save button is your end-of-day confirmation. It recalculates your score, updates the heatmap, and writes everything to the server. Do not skip this step.
The 6 daily habits — explained
▶
Git commit
No day ends without at least one meaningful commit pushed to GitHub. Even on documentation days. Non-negotiable.
○
Exercise
30 minutes minimum. Walk, yoga, gym — anything. A clear mind retains more. This is not optional.
■
Book reading
Read before sleep — not a screen. Log the title, pages, and one key insight. 20 minutes minimum.
◆
AI tool 30min
30 minutes with the suggested tool for that day. Use it in your actual workflow. Log what you learned.
◯
Communication
Explain one thing you learned today out loud — to yourself, recorded, or to anyone nearby. Speaking solidifies understanding.
★
Reflection
Write in the reflection box every night. Use the three prompts as starting points. Minimum 3 sentences. Honesty required.
The 5 phases at a glance
P1
Days 1–10
WordPress Core Depth + VIP Standards Intro
Request lifecycle, OOP architecture, hooks, PHPCS with VIP-Go standard, restricted functions, database rules, REST API design and security, object caching. By Day 10 your plugin is PHPCS-clean with a secured REST endpoint and caching layer.
Apply to rtCamp and Multidots from Day 8
P2
Days 11–20
Git PR Workflow + GitHub Actions CI/CD
Branch strategy, writing real PRs with what/why/risk/test descriptions, GitHub Actions CI with PHPCS, commit discipline, CI failure simulation, PHPUnit basics, PR review practice, CHANGELOG, documentation standards. By Day 20 every change goes through a PR with green CI.
Green CI badge live on plugin repo by Day 13
P3
Days 21–30
Gutenberg Blocks + REST API Advanced
Gutenberg mental model, static block, dynamic block with render_callback, InspectorControls, block patterns, JS linting in CI, REST + apiFetch integration in editor preview, accessibility audit. By Day 30 your block fetches real data from your REST API in the editor itself.
Plugin tagged v0.2.0 — Gutenberg release
P4
Days 31–38
VIP Deep Dive + Security + Performance
VIP file system rules, VIP caching architecture, Multisite awareness, full security audit, N+1 query profiling and fixing, VIP Code Analysis Bot self-audit, WooCommerce+VIP awareness. By Day 38 you can discuss VIP constraints from real implementation experience.
Plugin tagged v0.3.0 — VIP-hardened release
P5
Days 39–45
Interview Simulation + Final Polish
Resume and GitHub audit, two full mock interview sessions (timed, recorded), behavioral prep with STAR stories, company research for all three targets, cover letter drafts for rtCamp and Multidots, and on Day 45 — submit the first application. Do not wait for perfect.
Plugin v1.0.0 released. First application submitted.
How your score is calculated
Theory tasks
3 tasks × 10 points each
30 pts
Daily habits
6 habits × 8 points each
48 pts
Plugin task committed
Marked done after GitHub push
10 pts
Self-ratings average ≥ 3
Any rating below 3 = growth signal to act on
10 pts
Book summary written
Minimum 3 sentences in the book log
6 pts
Daily reflection written
Honest end-of-day note in the reflection box
3 pts
Total possible
80%+ = excellent day. 50–79% = good day. Under 50% = what happened?
100 pts
Deployment on webtechee.me
Upload and run in under 5 minutes
1
Upload the tracker45/ folder to cPanel File Manager. Place it inside public_html/tracker45/
2
Set the data/ folder to 755 permissions. Right-click in File Manager → Change Permissions → 755. This allows PHP to write your daily JSON files.chmod 755 data/
3
Visit the URL to start Day 1. Your start date is recorded automatically on the very first visit.https://webtechee.me/tracker45/
4
Back up your data/ folder weekly. All progress is stored as JSON files in data/. Download via FTP or cPanel File Manager → compress → download.
Important rules to follow
🚫
Never mark the plugin task done before pushing to GitHub. The push is the deliverable. If it is not on GitHub it does not exist.
🚫
Never skip the daily reflection. It is only 3 points on the score, but it is the one habit that separates engineers who grow from engineers who just complete tasks.
🚫
Never apply to target companies before your preparation matches the phase. Apply to rtCamp and Multidots from Day 8, add Brainstorm Force from Day 15, add 10up and Human Made from Day 25. Applying early with weak preparation wastes your one chance at a first impression.
✅
You can browse and edit any past day by clicking its number on the heatmap or using Prev/Next navigation. Useful for catching up a missed day or correcting a reflection.
✅
The heatmap shows your phase in colour. Blue = Phase 1, Violet = Phase 2, Amber = Phase 3, Rose = Phase 4, Teal = Phase 5. Darker cell = higher score that day.
✅
All fields auto-save as you type on the server version. Still always click Save Day Entry before closing the tab — it is the final confirmation and score recalculation.
⚠
If you need to reset your start date: edit data/meta.json and change the start_date value to your actual Day 1 date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Deleting meta.json will reset the counter to today's date.