Timing Isn’t Everything (But It’s Close!)
Issue 4: August, 2025
Welcome to Issue # 4 of RunTheNetwork, where I share ideas, tools and resources to build a fee-based funding model, reducing your dependency on grants.
Each month, we'll dive deep into strategies and solutions to help you build a sustainable funding strategy!
This month, we explore how research networks can identify the best fee-for-service launch timing, without copying business playbooks.
Table of Contents
Article: A Smart Launch Begins With a Slow Look Around
Quick Framework: The Launch Window Finder
Trusted Resource: Thinking, Fast and Slow
Q&A: What if we miss our “perfect” timing?
A Smart Launch Begins With a Slow Look Around
Your first big decision is whether to launch a paid service.
Your second big decision is WHEN to launch it.
Get it right, and the change rolls out smoothly.
Get it wrong, and confusion ripples outward. Your team feels off-balance and your PIs become confused. Your days are consumed with answering questions and clarifying why and what is happening.
Good timing gives your team space to prepare.
They understand the new offer, practice how to talk about it, and feel confident supporting it. That confidence spreads to the people you serve. When your team feels ready, your partners feel reassured.
Borrowing Ideas from Product Management
In business, product managers spend a lot of time choosing launch dates.
Their goals are different from yours. They’re trying to beat competitors, influence buying behavior, and maximize revenue.
That logic doesn’t apply here.
You’re not trying to “capture market share”.
You already know your audience. You aren’t competing for their attention. And you're not launching to millions of anonymous users.
But a couple of ideas are worth borrowing:
Team readiness. In business, this is “product readiness.” For you, it’s about your internal team. If they’re not ready, the launch isn’t ready.
Seasonal cycles. In business, this might mean avoiding (or targeting) major holidays. For you, it means launching in a quiet-to-steady period — when your team has capacity, and things are just starting to pick up.
Start With Your Own Seasons
Every organization has natural workload peaks and valleys over the year.
Launching right at your busiest time is asking for trouble.
But launching ahead of your peak funding request season gives your team the opportunity to build confidence without getting overwhelmed.
You can use your own data to find your natural launch windows. It’s a simple exercise to spot patterns (when funding requests are submitted), so you can choose a launch window when your team is ready and your partners are engaged.
Quick Framework
Find Your Natural Launch Window
How do I do it?
You'll use actual data from past funding requests to spot ideal windows for launching a new paid service.
Launching in the upswing gives your new service the attention it needs — without burning out your team or missing critical feedback. By the time your busy season hits, your new process is already tested and ready.
**Start Today: Download and save the pdf version of Find Your Natural Launch Window.
Trusted Resource
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman explores the two systems that drive how we think: System 1, which is fast, instinctive, and emotional, and System 2, which is slower, more deliberate, and logical.
For network leaders making launch decisions, this book offers a valuable reminder to pause and engage System 2 — especially when urgency or pressure pushes you toward quick action.
It reinforces the idea that thoughtful, deliberate timing often leads to better outcomes than reacting out of habit or deadline-driven stress.
Buy it on Amazon.ca.
Q&A
Let's address a question you've been thinking about but haven't dared to ask out loud.
What if we miss our “perfect” launch timing?
Thinking about delays can feel like admitting failure before you’ve even begun, especially when there’s pressure to stay on schedule or prove early success.
But it’s a smart and honest question to ask.
“No plan survives first contact with reality.”
— Paraphrased from Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, a 19th-century Prussian military strategist.
In real life, perfect timing is rare.
Plans shift. Priorities change. Something unexpected always comes up.
If you are in jeopardy of missing your original launch window, don’t panic.
Pause and consider how much more time your team will need to be ready. Then look for the next best window.
Timing matters, but a launch window is not a fixed deadline. It’s a strategic tool. And using it well sometimes means waiting.
A thoughtful delay is almost always better than a rushed launch.
The approach and strategy outlined in this issue can be implemented independently, but you don't have to go it alone.
Surge Advisory offers tailored services to help you develop and execute a sustainable revenue plan that aligns with your mission.
Contact us at surgeadvisory.ca to explore how we can support your transition!