This blog has been quiet of late. Here’s why:
What is Zeo Mobile?
- Zeo SoftWave Headband direct to iOS or Android device
- Price of $99!
There is a lot more to it of course – see a great writeup from mobihealthnews here. You can pre-order Zeo Mobile here.
What’s Involved In The Launch?
There is plenty of information out there now on Zeo Mobile – so I thought I’d give you an inside view on what launching a product like Zeo Mobile looks like from the Co-Founder/CTO perspective.
Mouthpiece of the Company
My primary role in launching Zeo Mobile has been getting the word out. Here is what my schedule has looked like for the past few weeks:
Boston -> London -> Boston -> San Francisco -> New York -> Boston -> San Francisco -> Los Angeles -> Portland -> Boston
Whew. Lot’s of travel, meeting tons of people at conferences (spoke at Health 2.0, Medicine 2.0, MIT emTech and Connected Health Symposium next), pitching press and press appearances (This Week in Startups), etc.
It’s exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. I’ve been on the road for a month.
Meanwhile Back at the Farm
We have an amazing team at Zeo that actually develops products and markets them. As a member of the executive team I get involved only at the strategic level – should we launch iOS and Android simultaneously (yes!), major feature X isn’t going to make our launch date – do we delay (no!), etc.
This is in distinct contrast to the last time around launching Zeo 1.0. I was actually managing that launch directly. Let me tell you – my current role is less stressful 
Having had both of these experiences really helps me know where I do well, where I should seek help, and what I like doing.
Back to Strategy
Having a mobile product and a new imperative to build a sleep management ecosystem (rather than a sleep tracking device) changes a great deal strategically. New business models must be investigated, new partners approached, and new opportunities explored. Although it’s tough to step back and look at the big picture while launching a new product it’s essential to do so. While the rest of the team is executing like crazy to get Zeo Mobile out the door I am one of the few people in the organization who can step back and have a strategic perspective.
Becoming Fucking Awesome at the Same Time
I’d love to report here on exactly how one continues to Become Fucking Awesome while working crazy hours and traveling around the world for business. But I really haven’t figured it out completely – not a ton of progress has been made in the last month. But I also don’t feel I’ve lost ground. Here is what I have learned.
- Don’t use travel and extreme work as an excuse to toss *everything* out the window. But do modify your goals. For a period of time work will take a larger portion of the pie.
- I’ve pretty much maintained my system of Working on the Right Things. This has been even more crucial during busy times. Things aren’t piling up and getting out of control. I just know what I am focusing on and what will have to wait.
- Selectively and deliberately let yourself off the hook for certain activities on a temporary basis. I pride myself on only checking email once per day. It’s a super productivity enhancer. It’s also absolutely not the right thing to do on the exact day you launch a product. So I gave myself the week off – but look forward to being back on the regime shortly.
- Soften weekly outcomes. When my life was sane – ‘Getting Ripped’ and a hard workout schedule and strict diet was a major focus every week. Instead of dropping this completely I changed the goal to ‘Remain Vital During Busy Times’. For me this meant sleeping as much as I could, mostly retaining my eating habits, and occasionally getting a workout of some sort in. You’d be surprised how little effort you need to put in to just tread water. I will pick up ‘Getting Ripped’ again next week – and I will not have lost substantial ground.
So expect more here soon as I continue my awesome quest – and spread the word about Zeo Mobile!
