Another thing that I think we should consider (in addition to the Solstice of course) is the kernel release cycle. An LTS kernel is usually released in the 4th quarter each year, and with minor releases coming every 2-3 months during the year. The most recent LTS kernel is 5.15, the next apparently will be 6.0, which seems to be coming along for release in the next few months.
Reading back through kernel information, it looks to me like the 4th quarter releases are usually "major" releases, with lots of hardware support updates, while the "minor" (maybe "meh") releases are not as focused on new hardware. I think that's where we got caught the last time around, building the ISO on the 5.13 "meh" release instead of waiting for 5.15, which was a "major" release.
With that pattern in mind, it might make sense to build the December (if that is what we do) ISO around the 6.0 kernel, because I understand that it has included major support upgrades for the most recent Intel/AMD hardware.
I'm also wondering whether all we need is an annual ISO, built on the most recent 4th quarter "major" release. I realize that saying this borders on heresy, given the thrust of comments in this thread (including my own), but if the hardware updates are clustered in the 4th quarter "major" releases, wouldn't that be often enough for ISO releases?
