Exceptional Promise eligibility check - WordPress plugin developer with open source track record

Stage 1
1

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying under Exceptional Promise and would appreciate honest feedback before investing the fee and preparation time.

Background:

  • 38 years old
  • Self-taught programmer, 11 years running WordPress plugin business
  • Canadian, currently in US with Green Card (about to become US Citizen), no prior experience working in UK tech sector

Open Source Impact:

  • 1.5M+ total downloads across free plugins
  • ~70,000+ websites using my software (free + premium combined)
  • Multiple open source free plugins with 8,000-10,000+ active installs each

Commercial Track Record:

  • $1M+ total revenue, 19,000+ sales, 7,600+ unique customers
  • Peak revenue ~$130k/year (2019-2023), currently ~£80-95k/year
  • Processed £400M+ in payments through plugins over 11 years
  • 150+ five-star reviews
  • Company YouTube Channel with 200k+ views.

Partnerships:

  • PayPal Partner Program
  • Stripe Partner Program
  • Active technical integrations with both platforms

Other:

  • Co-founded agtech startup (vertical farming / robotics / custom software / hardware) as CTO (2020-2024), received £200k government grant (Advanced Industries Grant), turned down $3.5M USD VC round, company now dissolved

My main concern - REFERENCES:

I’m struggling to identify 3 qualified referees who are “well-established individuals acknowledged as experts in the digital technology field” with “detailed knowledge of my work over 12+ months.”

As a solo founder for 11 years, I haven’t worked under CTOs or in large tech companies. I’ve been the CEO / CTO for the past 10+ years. Potential options:

  1. PayPal contacts (I might be able to get letters from Global Partner Director, senior integration engineers) - they know my work exists but we haven’t collaborated deeply about my overall business, just about PayPal / Stripe. Would this be sufficient?
  2. Local successful tech entrepreneurs - friends/acquaintances who’ve built and sold successful online businesses, but not sure they qualify as “digital technology experts” per the guidance

The guidance explicitly states that letters from “immediate colleagues, managers, or friends are not sufficient” and that referees from consultancies/outsourcing aren’t suitable.

Questions:

  1. Can PayPal/Stripe contacts who know my work through partnership programs (but aren’t close collaborators) serve as referees?
  2. Does my declining revenue (due to WordPress market changes and competition) significantly hurt my chances despite strong cumulative metrics?
  3. Do my open source numbers and partnerships offset the lack of speaking engagements, publications, or awards?
  4. Overall, should I even proceed, or are my chances too low to justify the cost?

Thank you for your time and I appreciate any honest feedback!

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