Write on day 1. Read it back on day 1800.
At launch you know nothing and doubt everything. In five years you'll have forgotten how much. Write it down now.
A project's story gets rewritten with every pitch, and the day-one version gets lost along the way. Day 1800 falls just before the fifth anniversary of the launch, so within the pack that covers five years. What follows covers what to put on record, and offers three messages from founders.
Launch day
Your doubts, your targets, the number you dream about. Delivered in five years.
The first customer
Write right after the first sale. Read it back at the thousandth.
The dip
Schedule a message of encouragement for six months out. You'll need it.
The target
Set a date, write the result you're after. Reckoning guaranteed.
What should you put on record on launch day?
The numbers you won't dare show anyone later. What's in the bank account, and how many months that buys you.
Plan B, if you have one. And what would make you use it.
Write down what you think you know about your future customers, too. There's a good chance it'll be the funniest part to reread, and the most instructive.
Should you plan messages along the way?
Yes, one for the dip, around month six. The first months run on start-up energy. Then come the chasers that get no reply and the invoices that arrive before the customers.
A note from you to you, written on day one, doesn't fix anything. It just reminds you why you started, at a point when you may have lost sight of it.
That one fits within the 180 free days. The five-year one needs a pack, and Prestige if you're aiming for ten.
The most ordinary objects gain value over time, and Steve Jobs's mouse is a good example. Business plans kept in a drawer, on the other hand, often disappear.
What do you write on day one?
Numbers, doubts, an instruction for later. Three messages from founders, for different dates.
Rosie, Day 1. Business account: £3,420. Stock: 140 bowls, including 12 duds I'm selling anyway as "full of character". I've just left a permanent job. Mum asked twice if I was sure. I'm not sure. My plan B is going back to the shop in September. If you're reading this from the shop, that's fine: you gave it a go. If you're reading this from the studio, buy yourself a proper wheel, not the second-hand one that leans. Rosie
Rhys, On day one you said: "if we last two years, we'll crack open the champagne". We've lasted. Where's the champagne?
Holly, You're reading this in month six. If it's quiet, that's normal. If it's panic stations, that's normal too. Don't drop your prices this week. Wait till Monday. Holly, day 1
Common questions
What should you write on the day you launch your business?
The raw numbers and the doubts, with no tidying up: the cash position, and what would make you stop. Add what you think you know about your future customers. In five years, this will be the only version of the story that hasn't been reworked for a pitch or an investor.
Can a message wait for your company's fifth anniversary?
Yes. The pack that covers five years is enough for an exact date, such as the day you registered at Companies House. The message arrives by email, with a first email the day before announcing it. For ten years, you'll need Prestige, and extensions take it further still.
Should you write to your co-founders?
Yes, each of you separately. A capsül addressed to all the co-founders, written on day one, becomes a reference document the day your visions start to differ. With a pack, a capsül can go to several addresses, and each person gets their link on the same date.
What if the project stops before the date?
The message arrives anyway. Read after a shutdown, it reminds you what you knew at the start, and shows how much you've learnt since. That's not a bad moment to read it. If the idea bothers you, choose a short timeframe, a year rather than five.