Hamill left the podium to whoops and applause from a few starstruck reporters. The first question to the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, began: “May the Force be with you.” She replied: “May the Force be with you or, tomorrow, the 4th be with you, however you want to look at it.”

Star Wars’ Mark Hamill hails ‘Joe-B-Wan Kenobi’ after White House meeting | Mark Hamill | The Guardian

After anti-Israel protesters replaced the American flag on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill&#x27;s quad and with a Palestinian flag, the local chapter of Pi Kappa Phi defended the American flag for over an hour until police were able to clear the protest and safely hoist it back on ...

White House praises UNC frat bros who protected the American flag from anti-Israel agitators as 'admirable' | Fox News

While speaking with the press Hamill praised the president, calling him the “most legislatively successful president in my lifetime,” mentioning the “Bipartisan Infrastructure law, the PACT Act, the CHIPS Act and the Inflation [Reduction Act], fifteen million jobs,” as examples of Biden’s ...

Not Everyone Loved Mark Hamill’s White House Press Briefing Cameo

For his support, Hamill got to meet with Biden before the press briefing and, while Hamill noted that he had visited the White House during the terms of both Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, “I never was invited into the Oval Office.”

Mark Hamill Kicks Off White House Press Briefing After Meeting The President, Reveals Joe Biden’s Jedi Nickname

WASHINGTON (AP) — “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill dropped by the White House on Friday for a visit with President Joe Biden and walked away with a pair of the president&#x27;s aviator sunglasses and a greater respect for the office. “I love the merch,&quot; he said, taking off the glasses during ...

'Star Wars' actor Mark Hamill drops by White House for a visit with 'Joe-bi-Wan Kenobi'

Mark Hamill says the force is with President Biden — the actor made a surprise visit Friday to the White House briefing room and offered a “Star Wars”-inspired nickname for the commander in chief. “How many of you had ‘Mark Hamill will lead the press briefing’ on your bingo cards?” ...

Mark Hamill calls Biden ‘Joe-B-Wan Kenobi’ in White House press room appearance | The Hill

Jones, who was with his daughter at the time, explained that the other activist&#x27;s foot was blocking his child&#x27;s stroller.

Black student erupts on anti-Israel 'White libs' for blocking path on campus: 'Cosplaying as the oppressed' | Fox News

I knew there would be an extreme reaction to the documentary as sadly, the topic of race, especially in connection with South Africa, will probably always be provocative in our lifetime. In my documentary, I visit an all-white town called Orania in the central Karoo region of South Africa.

Visiting a whites-only town in South Africa was difficult. Even sadder was the racist backlash in the UK | Ade Adepitan | The Guardian

Stay tuned with all the latest updates in this week&#x27;s Red and White News, presented by Channel 7.

Red and White News - Round 3, 2024

A second US official briefing a small group of reporters added that Biden aides had been in touch with their Israeli counterparts in the days and hours leading to the vote, explaining that it would not amount to a change in the US approach. The official said Israeli officials understood this ...

Perplexed by ‘overreaction,’ White House says PM stirring crisis in US-Israel ties | The Times of Israel

Withe

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and HR teams may sometimes feel unfamiliar with the security of e-signatures for processes such as employee onboarding and business contracts. In addition, app developers often have HIPAA-compliant data security concerns related to healthcare providers’ handling of patient data. Management Let’s take a look at how new digital security technology and protocols might affect your . organization E-Signatures vs. Digital Signatures For more common business applications, an effective digital signature not only secures sensitive data through encryption, but it also detects tampering efforts and strengthens signer trust. An e-signature is also a legal concept that provides a durable, long-lasting representation and capture of someone’s intent. Though they may sound the same, an electronic signature (aka e-signature) and digital signature are not one and the same thing. While the as an “electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a person with the intent to sign a record,” a digital signature refers to the encryption technology upon which electronic signatures are built. U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act defines an e-signature Unfortunately, there are — for a price, that is. a vulnerable point of attack that is still utilized by hackers to gain access to private user data uploaded to the cloud. digital code signing certificates available via the dark web Email remains However, electronic signatures used in banking and tax-related transactions incorporate a strong, that make e-signatures just as safe — or safer — than the real thing. Because of the number of biometric and secondary authentication measures utilized in backing up e-signatures, instances of hacking into documents with e-signatures is highly unlikely. complex network of security provisions Healthcare Data Security While for many healthcare transactions that disclose personal health information, signed authorizations for marketing or research purposes should be legally compliant and validate the identity of the user with their full knowledge and consent. For example, medical software applications must be HIPAA compliant, and can help developers through the security protocols. a signature is not generally required guides like this one published by HIPAA Journal Because of the that has become digitized and made available via multiple platforms, that availability is changing the way providers treat patients — as well as the way patients heal. For example, the development of telemedicine is allowing patients greater flexibility in seeing doctors from the comfort of their own home — as opposed to being forced to travel long distances or take time off from work. abundance of healthcare data The internet of things (IoT) has popularized mobile apps that can remotely configure medical devices, personalized medicine, and patient monitoring, as well. In addition, wearable health sensors, 3-D printers, liquid biopsies, and vocal biomarkers are introducing a new, futuristic implementation and accessibility to data that wasn’t available just 10 years ago. Digital Citizenship that lays out nine important elements of digital citizenship: digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security. It is a matter of not only literacy but also etiquette, security, and rights to ensure that client and customers’ personal information remains private and protected via strong digital signatures that can protect the integrity and confidentiality of their e-signatures, as well as other personal information. Ritesh Gujrati recently penned an article A foolproof, business-based digital signature will make clients and more likely to provide their e-signatures and go into business with you. If your company fails to safeguard all its customer data, however, they’re likely to go the way of Equifax or eBay: falling victim to due to a failure to update your security software to include the latest , cryptocurrency, malware-proof cybersecurity programs, and encryption programs available. investment partners security breaches blockchain * * * With , it’s in your company’s best interest to adopt the most secure and encrypted document exchange and cybersecurity defenses available. What is your company doing to collect persuasive electronic evidence via digital signature technology? internet crime on the rise Is your organization able to provide a snapshot of that captured evidence to all concerned business parties, in the event of a security breach? Share your experience in the comments section, below.

Navigating Security Concerns With E-Signatures & Health Data

I was wrong. 18 months ago, I launched @storyarb to be the best content agency for founders & executives. My vision was a $10,000,000/year ghostwriting business. SPOILER: we pivoted. But the future has never looked brighter. Today, storyarb is a B2B company's outsourced Head of Content Marketing. We help our partners create high-quality, niche content for their ICP, while driving scalable demand & pipeline. Keep reading (below) for the full story... I launched storyarb to be the best content agency for founders & executives. I saw the acceleration of short-form video agencies (viralcuts, clipt, shortzy), but felt like there were no businesses supporting execs on text-based social (twitter & linkedin). From my own experience (and that of other founder friends), I knew that Twitter/Linkedin could be a magnet of opportunity. From my own experience (and that of other founder friends), I knew that Twitter/Linkedin could be a magnet of opportunity. It’s how I’ve met amazing entrepreneurs like @RomeenSheth , @jspujji , @alexisohanian.
It’s how I’ve gotten 8-figures worth of advertisers at @MorningBrew.
And it’s how I’ve worked through business ideas, company challenges, & thoughts on where the world is going. At the same time, I knew most founders didn’t have the chops or the time to create great content, solo on social. Which led to a literal shower thought. What if I pair founders with world-class strategists & copywriters. A strategist would pull unique insights from the founder & help set their social strategy. A copywriter would translate ideas into sharp content. Seems logical, right? Personal brand is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have for founders. The result was 5-6 months of smooth sailing with a client followed by the gutpunch… “Can we catch up?” Churn for exec social became unpalatable. It was driven by: Founders becoming impatient & expecting results sooner.
Founders being pulled in 50 directions & lacking time for social content.
Founders feeling like their internet voice was slightly different from their real life voice. My cofounder, @AbbyMurray, and I knew that we had to get off the hamster wheel if we wanted to build a $10m biz. So we did two things: First, we asked ourselves: “What unfair advantages do we have as a business today?” “The best writers & strategists on the internet, period. We have better ideas & execution.” Second, we listened to our customers (and honestly, no one else). We reflected on past convos: A B2B HR Tech co asked if we could write their newsletter
An e-comm SaaS founder asked for help with e-books
A CMO wanted a company social revival We also interviewed the shit out of our customers. We asked them if they had any other content needs. We asked their marketing teams about their biggest current challenges. We asked “if you had access to world-class writers/content minds, how would you use them?” The answer (and our pivot) became clear. Founders kinda need content help. B2B companies reallyyyy need content help. Marketing teams are scrambling to stand out & grow their business today. Marketing costs are rising (adios cookies, bye zero interest rates, hello increased competition)
Product differentiation is narrowing (software + AI begets more software + AI)
Attribution has become religion, which forces marketers into a box of undifferentiated content
Most brands are living in a sea of sameness (groupthink + AI tooling)
Headcount is recalibrating (we no longer live in pre-COVID La La Land) Which means every marketer & every company is looking to stand out creatively & acquire customers cheaply & scalably. High-quality, high-value content that drives demand is one of the answers. But marketing orgs aren’t equipped to build & execute stand-out content strategies for 5 main reasons: They don’t know how to hire great content talent (copywriters, video creators, producers, strategists), because they’ve never had to do so.
They have marketers doing a lot of the content work, but are starting to realize it’s a completely different skill from most marketing responsibilities.
They have 1-2 team members creating content, but it feels flat & they have no idea what the hell to do now.
They do a poor job of tracking performance & connecting content to pipeline.
Content isn’t centralized...so it’s good in some places, fine in others, and f*cking atrocious elsewhere. Today, storyarb is your outsourced Head of Content Marketing, helping to resuscitate your company’s lifeless content (no matter which situation you’re in). It starts with us understanding the state of your content today. This includes a literal content colonoscopy up & down the org: Newsletters
Email marketing
Company social
Founder social
Ad creative
Website copy
Blog posts
Lead magnets
SOPs/technical docs
[FILL IN THE BLANK] Next, our strategists & writers work in lockstep to UNF*CK YOUR CONTENT by answering one crucial question: “What strategy (read: channels & ideas) will allow us to drive scalable customer demand without sacrificing the quality of our content?” That was the pivot. And it’s working in a big way. Series C tech startups to publicly traded multinationals trust us to be their Head of Content Marketing & we’re driving pipeline with high-quality, niche content built for our customers’ ICP. A few final notes as I reflect on the experience & journey building @storyarb alongside Abby over the last year. Pivots are basically inevitable. The odds that your day 1 product is your day 365 product is close to zero. It’s impossible to make perfect assumptions pre-launch & what’s most important is how you sift through info from your customers & make intuitive & informed decisions thereafter.


There is a business to build around founder social, it’s just not a recurring revenue agency. If I was to build a founder/exec social-only business again, it’d be a combo of courses (organized by platform & expertise), corporate workshops & paid community (accountability/engagement groups).


Building a great business is far more important than being right. As a first-time founder, you want to stay the course & protect your ego. As a second-time founder, you want to make adjustments & build a strong, dependable business.


Great talent creates great competencies. Great competencies create options. The only reason we’ve been able to evolve storyarb & crush it for our current clients is because the business was built on a foundation of exceptional talent. I hope this post made pivoting feel a little less like a failure to you. And if you’re a marketer, I hope this post made you feel like you don’t have to settle for mediocre content, while growing your business. I was wrong. 18 months ago, I launched @storyarb to be the best content agency for founders & executives. My vision was a $10,000,000/year ghostwriting business. @storyarb SPOILER: we pivoted. But the future has never looked brighter. Today, storyarb is a B2B company's outsourced Head of Content Marketing. We help our partners create high-quality, niche content for their ICP, while driving scalable demand & pipeline. Keep reading (below) for the full story... I launched storyarb to be the best content agency for founders & executives. I saw the acceleration of short-form video agencies (viralcuts, clipt, shortzy), but felt like there were no businesses supporting execs on text-based social (twitter & linkedin). From my own experience (and that of other founder friends), I knew that Twitter/Linkedin could be a magnet of opportunity. From my own experience (and that of other founder friends), I knew that Twitter/Linkedin could be a magnet of opportunity. It’s how I’ve met amazing entrepreneurs like @RomeenSheth , @jspujji , @alexisohanian. It’s how I’ve gotten 8-figures worth of advertisers at @MorningBrew. And it’s how I’ve worked through business ideas, company challenges, & thoughts on where the world is going. It’s how I’ve met amazing entrepreneurs like @RomeenSheth , @jspujji , @alexisohanian . @RomeenSheth @jspujji @alexisohanian It’s how I’ve gotten 8-figures worth of advertisers at @MorningBrew . @MorningBrew And it’s how I’ve worked through business ideas, company challenges, & thoughts on where the world is going. At the same time, I knew most founders didn’t have the chops or the time to create great content, solo on social. Which led to a literal shower thought. What if I pair founders with world-class strategists & copywriters. A strategist would pull unique insights from the founder & help set their social strategy. A copywriter would translate ideas into sharp content. Seems logical, right? Personal brand is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have for founders. The result was 5-6 months of smooth sailing with a client followed by the gutpunch… “Can we catch up?” “Can we catch up?” Churn for exec social became unpalatable. It was driven by: Founders becoming impatient & expecting results sooner. Founders being pulled in 50 directions & lacking time for social content. Founders feeling like their internet voice was slightly different from their real life voice. Founders becoming impatient & expecting results sooner. Founders being pulled in 50 directions & lacking time for social content. Founders feeling like their internet voice was slightly different from their real life voice. My cofounder, @AbbyMurray , and I knew that we had to get off the hamster wheel if we wanted to build a $10m biz. So we did two things: @AbbyMurray First, we asked ourselves: “What unfair advantages do we have as a business today?” “The best writers & strategists on the internet, period. We have better ideas & execution.” Second, we listened to our customers (and honestly, no one else). We reflected on past convos: A B2B HR Tech co asked if we could write their newsletter An e-comm SaaS founder asked for help with e-books A CMO wanted a company social revival A B2B HR Tech co asked if we could write their newsletter An e-comm SaaS founder asked for help with e-books A CMO wanted a company social revival We also interviewed the shit out of our customers. We asked them if they had any other content needs. We asked their marketing teams about their biggest current challenges. We asked “if you had access to world-class writers/content minds, how would you use them?” The answer (and our pivot) became clear. Founders kinda need content help. B2B companies reallyyyy need content help. Marketing teams are scrambling to stand out & grow their business today. Marketing costs are rising (adios cookies, bye zero interest rates, hello increased competition) Product differentiation is narrowing (software + AI begets more software + AI) Attribution has become religion, which forces marketers into a box of undifferentiated content Most brands are living in a sea of sameness (groupthink + AI tooling) Headcount is recalibrating (we no longer live in pre-COVID La La Land) Marketing costs are rising (adios cookies, bye zero interest rates, hello increased competition) Product differentiation is narrowing (software + AI begets more software + AI) Attribution has become religion, which forces marketers into a box of undifferentiated content Most brands are living in a sea of sameness (groupthink + AI tooling) Headcount is recalibrating (we no longer live in pre-COVID La La Land) Which means every marketer & every company is looking to stand out creatively & acquire customers cheaply & scalably. High-quality, high-value content that drives demand is one of the answers. But marketing orgs aren’t equipped to build & execute stand-out content strategies for 5 main reasons: They don’t know how to hire great content talent (copywriters, video creators, producers, strategists), because they’ve never had to do so. They have marketers doing a lot of the content work, but are starting to realize it’s a completely different skill from most marketing responsibilities. They have 1-2 team members creating content, but it feels flat & they have no idea what the hell to do now. They do a poor job of tracking performance & connecting content to pipeline. Content isn’t centralized...so it’s good in some places, fine in others, and f*cking atrocious elsewhere. They don’t know how to hire great content talent (copywriters, video creators, producers, strategists), because they’ve never had to do so. They have marketers doing a lot of the content work, but are starting to realize it’s a completely different skill from most marketing responsibilities. They have 1-2 team members creating content, but it feels flat & they have no idea what the hell to do now. They do a poor job of tracking performance & connecting content to pipeline. Content isn’t centralized...so it’s good in some places, fine in others, and f*cking atrocious elsewhere. Today, storyarb is your outsourced Head of Content Marketing, helping to resuscitate your company’s lifeless content (no matter which situation you’re in). It starts with us understanding the state of your content today. This includes a literal content colonoscopy up & down the org: Newsletters Email marketing Company social Founder social Ad creative Website copy Blog posts Lead magnets SOPs/technical docs [FILL IN THE BLANK] Newsletters Email marketing Company social Founder social Ad creative Website copy Blog posts Lead magnets SOPs/technical docs [FILL IN THE BLANK] Next, our strategists & writers work in lockstep to UNF*CK YOUR CONTENT by answering one crucial question: “What strategy (read: channels & ideas) will allow us to drive scalable customer demand without sacrificing the quality of our content?” “What strategy (read: channels & ideas) will allow us to drive scalable customer demand without sacrificing the quality of our content?” That was the pivot. And it’s working in a big way. Series C tech startups to publicly traded multinationals trust us to be their Head of Content Marketing & we’re driving pipeline with high-quality, niche content built for our customers’ ICP. A few final notes as I reflect on the experience & journey building @storyarb alongside Abby over the last year. @storyarb Pivots are basically inevitable. The odds that your day 1 product is your day 365 product is close to zero. It’s impossible to make perfect assumptions pre-launch & what’s most important is how you sift through info from your customers & make intuitive & informed decisions thereafter. There is a business to build around founder social, it’s just not a recurring revenue agency. If I was to build a founder/exec social-only business again, it’d be a combo of courses (organized by platform & expertise), corporate workshops & paid community (accountability/engagement groups). Building a great business is far more important than being right. As a first-time founder, you want to stay the course & protect your ego. As a second-time founder, you want to make adjustments & build a strong, dependable business. Great talent creates great competencies. Great competencies create options. The only reason we’ve been able to evolve storyarb & crush it for our current clients is because the business was built on a foundation of exceptional talent. Pivots are basically inevitable. The odds that your day 1 product is your day 365 product is close to zero. It’s impossible to make perfect assumptions pre-launch & what’s most important is how you sift through info from your customers & make intuitive & informed decisions thereafter. Pivots are basically inevitable. The odds that your day 1 product is your day 365 product is close to zero. It’s impossible to make perfect assumptions pre-launch & what’s most important is how you sift through info from your customers & make intuitive & informed decisions thereafter. There is a business to build around founder social, it’s just not a recurring revenue agency. If I was to build a founder/exec social-only business again, it’d be a combo of courses (organized by platform & expertise), corporate workshops & paid community (accountability/engagement groups). There is a business to build around founder social, it’s just not a recurring revenue agency. If I was to build a founder/exec social-only business again, it’d be a combo of courses (organized by platform & expertise), corporate workshops & paid community (accountability/engagement groups). Building a great business is far more important than being right. As a first-time founder, you want to stay the course & protect your ego. As a second-time founder, you want to make adjustments & build a strong, dependable business. Building a great business is far more important than being right. As a first-time founder, you want to stay the course & protect your ego. As a second-time founder, you want to make adjustments & build a strong, dependable business. Great talent creates great competencies. Great competencies create options. The only reason we’ve been able to evolve storyarb & crush it for our current clients is because the business was built on a foundation of exceptional talent. Great talent creates great competencies. Great competencies create options. The only reason we’ve been able to evolve storyarb & crush it for our current clients is because the business was built on a foundation of exceptional talent. I hope this post made pivoting feel a little less like a failure to you. And if you’re a marketer, I hope this post made you feel like you don’t have to settle for mediocre content, while growing your business.

Why storyarb Pivoted From Ghostwriting for Founders to Producing Niche Content for Customers’ ICP

Proč storyarb přešel od Ghostwritingu pro zakladatele k vytváření specializovaného obsahu pro ICP zákazníků

Por qué Storyarb pasó de ser redactora fantasma para fundadores a producir contenido de nicho para el ICP de los clientes

Miksi storyarb siirtyi haamukirjoituksesta perustajille niche-sisällön tuottamiseen asiakkaiden ICP:lle

Mengapa storyarb Beralih Dari Ghostwriting untuk Pendiri ke Produksi Konten Niche untuk Pelanggan

storyarb が創業者向けのゴーストライター業務から顧客の ICP 向けニッチ コンテンツの制作に方向転換した理由

Storyarb가 창업자를 위한 고스트라이터에서 고객의 ICP를 위한 틈새 콘텐츠 제작으로 전환한 이유

Mpo na nini storyarb Pivoted De Ghostwriting mpo na ba Fondateurs mpo na kobimisa Niche Content mpo na Clients’ ICP

Nahoana ny storyarb no nivadika avy amin'ny Ghostwriting ho an'ny mpanorina mba hamokarana votoaty manokana ho an'ny ICP mpanjifa

Зошто storyarb се сврти од Ghostwriting за основачи до производство на ниша содржина за ICP на клиентите

किन स्टोरीआर्ब संस्थापकहरूको लागि भूतलेखनबाट ग्राहकहरूको आईसीपीको लागि आला सामग्री उत्पादन गर्न पिभोट गरियो

Чаро storyarb аз Ghostwriting барои муассисон ба истеҳсоли мундариҷаи нишеӣ барои ICP муштариён табдил ёфт

Чому storyarb перейшов від Ghostwriting для засновників до створення нішевого контенту для ICP клієнтів

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Creating a Service for Sensitive Data with Spring and Redis

In my current and previous startups, I’ve experienced firsthand the profound impact of timing, both good and poor, and how shifting conditions can dramatically change a business’s trajectory. I’ve seen how timing can influence our outcomes and learned what we did to mitigate its effects. I’ll share examples from my previous companies: my current startup, Withluna.ai, was launched at the beginning of 2023 amid widespread budget cuts and downsizing across tech startups and companies. In 2011, Namshi.com (a Rocket Internet venture) was one of the first large-scale e-commerce platforms in the GCC countries, an emerging market with limited experience in online shopping. To founders and product leaders: while the product, team, and market are all crucial, timing often has an outsized impact on whether a startup succeeds or fails. Poor timing affects sales and traction, shortens runway, and, if unaddressed, can break even the strongest startups. Because timing is often overlooked, I wanted to share my experience and perspective on this critical topic. Why does startup and product timing matter? In his well-known TED talk Bill Gross identified timing as the #1 factor impacting startup success, surpassing team and execution. Similarly, Marc Andreessen has said that the right startup idea will eventually succeed, but it’s a “massive question of timing”: a16z on timing. Startup founders can identify proxies for assessing timing, such as: Market readiness: is the market ready for your product? At Namshi’s inception, many users called to ask about our physical shop location or how to shop online, indicating unfamiliarity with e-commerce.
User behaviour and trends: these can create unique timing opportunities. For example, the shift to remote work during COVID-19 created perfect conditions for Zoom’s growth.
New regulations: regulatory changes can either enable opportunities or present significant obstacles. Understanding these shifts is essential to timing strategy. In their article “Why startup timing is everything”, NfX introduced the “Critical Mass Theory of Startups”, which suggests a tipping point where a product or market undergoes rapid transformation. This critical mass is reached when three minimum preconditions align: Economic impetus


Enabling technology


Cultural acceptance This framework helps founders visualize the timing landscape: Countless startups have had similar ideas, but the when, the timing of their launch, played a decisive role in their success or failure. How can founders assess and mitigate timing? Start small and test market readiness: launch an MVP or pilot to gauge interest without overcommitting. Try to win early paying customers, who are a stronger indication of demand than a large volume of non-committed feedback.

Dropbox famously launched with an MVP video that attracted 70,000 signups, building the confidence to move forward Focus on early adopters first: target a niche audience likely to embrace your product early. As Peter Thiel puts it, “In order for you to succeed in a competitive environment, you need to do something that others cannot. You need to be 10x better or solving a unique problem which means starting in a very small market.”

Slack launched for tech teams first, refining its value before expanding to a broader market. Be ready to pivot or persevere: if timing feels off, adjust based on feedback or refine your product until the market aligns.

At Namshi, we introduced a “cash on delivery” option to support first-time online shoppers, which ended up being used by more than 75% of our users. Stay updated on trends and external shifts: monitor market trends, regulations, and user behavior to adapt as needed.

Shopify initially launched as an online store for snowboarding equipment. However, when they noticed a demand for e-commerce tools, they pivoted to become a platform for other entrepreneurs to set up their online shops Plan a phased rollout: instead of going all-in at launch, consider a phased rollout that introduces your product gradually, allowing you to build traction and test assumptions as you grow.

Airbnb first targeted conference attendees in specific cities, then gradually expanded as it gained traction. This helped them gather user feedback and led to product and offering adjustments.
At Luna, we are following Airbnb’s founder, Brian Chesky’s mantra, “If you launch and no one notices, you can actually just keep launching,” Many great startups and products were launched too early to too late, impacting their potential for success and leaving them vulnerable to competitors who got the timing right. Persevering without adapting to poor timing can affect your strategy, team morale, and runway, reinforcing the need for timing awareness and mitigation. Whether you’re a founder or a product leader, considering timing as a core factor will greatly increase the quality and impact of your launches. In my current and previous startups, I’ve experienced firsthand the profound impact of timing, both good and poor, and how shifting conditions can dramatically change a business’s trajectory. I’ve seen how timing can influence our outcomes and learned what we did to mitigate its effects. I’ll share examples from my previous companies: my current startup, Withluna.ai , was launched at the beginning of 2023 amid widespread budget cuts and downsizing across tech startups and companies. In 2011, Namshi.com (a Rocket Internet venture) was one of the first large-scale e-commerce platforms in the GCC countries, an emerging market with limited experience in online shopping. Withluna.ai Namshi.com To founders and product leaders: while the product, team, and market are all crucial, timing often has an outsized impact on whether a startup succeeds or fails. Poor timing affects sales and traction, shortens runway, and, if unaddressed, can break even the strongest startups. Because timing is often overlooked, I wanted to share my experience and perspective on this critical topic. Why does startup and product timing matter? In his well-known TED talk Bill Gross identified timing as the #1 factor impacting startup success, surpassing team and execution. Similarly, Marc Andreessen has said that the right startup idea will eventually succeed, but it’s a “massive question of timing”: a16z on timing . TED talk TED talk a16z on timing a16z on timing Startup founders can identify proxies for assessing timing, such as: Market readiness: is the market ready for your product? At Namshi’s inception, many users called to ask about our physical shop location or how to shop online, indicating unfamiliarity with e-commerce. User behaviour and trends: these can create unique timing opportunities. For example, the shift to remote work during COVID-19 created perfect conditions for Zoom’s growth. New regulations: regulatory changes can either enable opportunities or present significant obstacles. Understanding these shifts is essential to timing strategy. Market readiness: is the market ready for your product? At Namshi’s inception, many users called to ask about our physical shop location or how to shop online, indicating unfamiliarity with e-commerce. Market readiness: User behaviour and trends: these can create unique timing opportunities. For example, the shift to remote work during COVID-19 created perfect conditions for Zoom’s growth. User behaviour and trends: New regulations: regulatory changes can either enable opportunities or present significant obstacles. Understanding these shifts is essential to timing strategy. New regulations: In their article “ Why startup timing is everything ”, NfX introduced the “Critical Mass Theory of Startups”, which suggests a tipping point where a product or market undergoes rapid transformation. This critical mass is reached when three minimum preconditions align: Why startup timing is everything Why startup timing is everything Economic impetus Enabling technology Cultural acceptance Economic impetus Economic impetus Enabling technology Enabling technology Cultural acceptance Cultural acceptance This framework helps founders visualize the timing landscape: Countless startups have had similar ideas, but the when , the timing of their launch, played a decisive role in their success or failure. when How can founders assess and mitigate timing? Start small and test market readiness: launch an MVP or pilot to gauge interest without overcommitting. Try to win early paying customers, who are a stronger indication of demand than a large volume of non-committed feedback.

Dropbox famously launched with an MVP video that attracted 70,000 signups, building the confidence to move forward Start small and test market readiness: launch an MVP or pilot to gauge interest without overcommitting. Try to win early paying customers, who are a stronger indication of demand than a large volume of non-committed feedback. Dropbox famously launched with an MVP video that attracted 70,000 signups, building the confidence to move forward Start small and test market readiness: Dropbox famously launched with an MVP video that attracted 70,000 signups, building the confidence to move forward Dropbox famously launched with an MVP video that attracted 70,000 signups, building the confidence to move forward Focus on early adopters first: target a niche audience likely to embrace your product early. As Peter Thiel puts it, “In order for you to succeed in a competitive environment, you need to do something that others cannot. You need to be 10x better or solving a unique problem which means starting in a very small market.”

Slack launched for tech teams first, refining its value before expanding to a broader market. Focus on early adopters first: target a niche audience likely to embrace your product early. As Peter Thiel puts it, “In order for you to succeed in a competitive environment, you need to do something that others cannot. You need to be 10x better or solving a unique problem which means starting in a very small market.” Slack launched for tech teams first, refining its value before expanding to a broader market. Focus on early adopters first: Slack launched for tech teams first, refining its value before expanding to a broader market. Slack launched for tech teams first, refining its value before expanding to a broader market. Be ready to pivot or persevere: if timing feels off, adjust based on feedback or refine your product until the market aligns.

At Namshi, we introduced a “cash on delivery” option to support first-time online shoppers, which ended up being used by more than 75% of our users. Be ready to pivot or persevere: if timing feels off, adjust based on feedback or refine your product until the market aligns. At Namshi, we introduced a “cash on delivery” option to support first-time online shoppers, which ended up being used by more than 75% of our users. Be ready to pivot or persevere: At Namshi, we introduced a “cash on delivery” option to support first-time online shoppers, which ended up being used by more than 75% of our users. At Namshi, we introduced a “cash on delivery” option to support first-time online shoppers, which ended up being used by more than 75% of our users. Stay updated on trends and external shifts: monitor market trends, regulations, and user behavior to adapt as needed.

Shopify initially launched as an online store for snowboarding equipment. However, when they noticed a demand for e-commerce tools, they pivoted to become a platform for other entrepreneurs to set up their online shops Stay updated on trends and external shifts: monitor market trends, regulations, and user behavior to adapt as needed. Shopify initially launched as an online store for snowboarding equipment. However, when they noticed a demand for e-commerce tools, they pivoted to become a platform for other entrepreneurs to set up their online shops Stay updated on trends and external shifts: Shopify initially launched as an online store for snowboarding equipment. However, when they noticed a demand for e-commerce tools, they pivoted to become a platform for other entrepreneurs to set up their online shops Shopify initially launched as an online store for snowboarding equipment. However, when they noticed a demand for e-commerce tools, they pivoted to become a platform for other entrepreneurs to set up their online shops Plan a phased rollout: instead of going all-in at launch, consider a phased rollout that introduces your product gradually, allowing you to build traction and test assumptions as you grow.

Airbnb first targeted conference attendees in specific cities, then gradually expanded as it gained traction. This helped them gather user feedback and led to product and offering adjustments.
At Luna, we are following Airbnb’s founder, Brian Chesky’s mantra, “If you launch and no one notices, you can actually just keep launching,” Plan a phased rollout: instead of going all-in at launch, consider a phased rollout that introduces your product gradually, allowing you to build traction and test assumptions as you grow. Airbnb first targeted conference attendees in specific cities, then gradually expanded as it gained traction. This helped them gather user feedback and led to product and offering adjustments.
At Luna, we are following Airbnb’s founder, Brian Chesky’s mantra, “If you launch and no one notices, you can actually just keep launching,” Plan a phased rollout: Airbnb first targeted conference attendees in specific cities, then gradually expanded as it gained traction. This helped them gather user feedback and led to product and offering adjustments. At Luna, we are following Airbnb’s founder, Brian Chesky’s mantra, “If you launch and no one notices, you can actually just keep launching,” Airbnb first targeted conference attendees in specific cities, then gradually expanded as it gained traction. This helped them gather user feedback and led to product and offering adjustments. At Luna, we are following Airbnb’s founder, Brian Chesky’s mantra, “If you launch and no one notices, you can actually just keep launching,” Many great startups and products were launched too early to too late, impacting their potential for success and leaving them vulnerable to competitors who got the timing right. Persevering without adapting to poor timing can affect your strategy, team morale, and runway, reinforcing the need for timing awareness and mitigation. Whether you’re a founder or a product leader, considering timing as a core factor will greatly increase the quality and impact of your launches.

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