In March 2026, Halden Coffee’s leadership team agreed a strategy to 2029 at an away day. In Headwater, its vision and four pillars became initiatives, climbs, and milestones, and the work began on the first Monday of April. Step through it, then choose any pillar to follow it down.
- Win wholesale
- Grow subscriptions
- Brilliant cafés
- Roast at scale
Halden’s last strategy was agreed at an away day and kept in a slide deck. Within a few weeks, each team was back to working from its own list, and nobody could say which of their work served which goal.
In Headwater, work is planned as milestones on climbs. A climb can link to an initiative, and each initiative works towards one pillar, so every milestone on a team’s list shows the part of the strategy it belongs to. Work that keeps the company running sits in Not in a pillar.
Joe’s climb supports Maya’s, so ticking one of his milestones moves her climb as well.
- TaskWhoDay
- Book five tastings in LeedsMayaMon
- Call Northern Bloc about a tastingJoeTue
- Draft trade prices for the portalRaviWed
- Send trade terms to Kiln CaféMayaThu
- List the Manchester cafés to visitMayaFri
- Test two couriers on trade ordersRaviFri
Halden planned its first quarter in the fortnight before the financial year began on 1 April 2026. The leadership team went first, then each team, then each person, because a climb can only support one that is already confirmed.
From the first Monday, everyone checked in and every team held its huddle. Choose any point in the quarter to see what happened in it.
By 2029, Halden is the coffee people ask for by name across the North.
- Open trade in Leeds and ManchesterQ1 to Q4
- Launch a trade portalQ1 to Q4
- Relaunch the subscriptionQ1 to Q3
- Open café five in YorkQ1 to Q4
- Start a barista academyQ1 to Q4
- Commission the new roasterQ1 to Q4
An initiative that runs this quarter needs at least one climb working on it. Without one, nothing moves it forward until the next planning session.
Needs attention lists every initiative that runs this quarter with no climbs, along with climbs and initiatives that are off track. When Halden’s team sessions were confirmed, it showed that the barista academy had nothing planned for April to June.
The leadership team can set a climb for it, or move its start to the second quarter. Try both.
- Open trade in Leeds and ManchesterWin wholesale
- Launch a trade portalWin wholesale
- Relaunch the subscriptionGrow subscriptions
- Open café five in YorkBrilliant cafés
- Start a barista academyBrilliant cafés
- Commission the new roasterRoast at scale
Progress in Headwater is the share of milestones ticked. An initiative counts the milestones across all of its climbs, and a pillar is the average of its initiatives.
Every Monday, each person ticks the milestones they finished in their check-in, so the leadership team sees the strategy move without asking anyone for an update. Play Halden’s first quarter, or drag to any week.
- Win wholesale2 initiatives4%
- Grow subscriptions1 initiative3%
- Brilliant cafés2 initiatives5%
- Roast at scale1 initiative1%
- Book five tastings in LeedsSign six cafés in LeedsMO
- View three units in YorkSign the lease for the York caféDW
- Order decaf samples from two importersChoose a decaf for the subscriptionTR
Book a demo and we’ll show you how Headwater would run your week, from the vision down to Monday morning.