Dasher.

= Talking about me, not the reindeer.

As I’m sure that many Founders would agree, that while founding a new company is a marathon, it feels like a sprint. There are a ton of moving parts to get to a successful launch, and Habelo is no different as I gear up for 2024.

Some of the moving parts:

Product. Finalizing the products that I’m developing (so that they are both things that “I love,” and not just things that “I made”).

Tangentially, there’s just TOO MUCH out there: too many products (and many of them the same), that not only create noise and confusion for consumers, but contribute to an immense amount of waste. (Sheer volume of products in the market and the associated environmental impact.)

I only want to launch products that are truly new and unique to the market, solving a real problem that exists, and that I love. And do all of that responsibly.

Packaging. Figuring out the container(s) and if/how the container(s) will be housed in (a) box(es) or not. How will it function and be friendly to use? How will it look? How will it hold up? How do all of those decisions impact the environment? Is there a better/friendlier alternative?

… And along the lines of the ‘waste’ topic above: Will this “package” outlive me like so much else that we buy that ends up in landfills or the ocean? The answer for me is: It can’t.

Manufacturing. Figuring out the right fit… as in, who can best help me as a start-up? Who is agile enough to produce the volumes (“MOQs” – minimum order quantities) needed now (very low) but can scale quickly as Habelo scales (high volume)? Who is responsive? Who will worry and care as much as I do about quality, standards, timeliness, etc. as I do and will? Who will lose sleep when I do when a problem surfaces and not rest until it’s made “right”? And who has other ways/tricks up their sleeves to make my life easier (fulfillment, etc.)?

Website. Working with someone great (shout out, Friend), and how are we going to capture attention and quickly develop engagement (a relationship) with someone who checks us out? And sell product?

And. so. much. more. Activating critical brand commitments (environmental stewardship and responsibility), ingredient sourcing, launch marketing planning, logistics planning, etc., etc., etc

The list doesn’t end and won’t end. This is just the beginning.

At the end of the day it comes back to what’s Important vs. what’s Urgent. What actually is critical and meaningful to the brand and business and what’s not. Being intentional.

And then, intentionally, continuing to Dash…