The world needs more ridiculous ideas (30 days)

It's not often I email the folks at Google.

It's also not often that when I pitch an idea to someone that they laugh and tell me that the idea is 'Ridiculous' and yet decide to get involved anyway.

It's been that sort of week.

The intentionally vague headline about 177/1000

Today SafeStack reached $42,500 of the $240,000 we need to fund one of the significant mission-driven initiatives we are kicking off in November in conjunction with Summer of Tech. I won't share too many details here because a little bit of mystery is healthy, and everyone likes a slow reveal - you're going to love it, though.

I make no exaggeration when I say that this initiative will be the single largest impact project SafeStack has ever embarked on.

Four NZ-based organisations ranging from global brands to small boutique companies have joined us and our mission. Together, we will make cyber security skills something that every New Zealand software developer has from day 1 of their career.

I mean, how hard can it be?

There is much more to do, though, and we are still far from our target. I'm still looking to connect with businesses and organisations that would like to know more and get onboard as sponsors.

Email me - laura@safestack.io for a sponsor pack and a chat. Perhaps you can help us get closer to turning ridiculous into reality.

Measuring impact is hard.

In other news, today has been a day for measuring (or more accurately anticipating) the impact of the next few months.

It's exhilarating to look at your upcoming strategy and know the potential it has and the impact it could have both on your own community and company as well as the wider ecosystem.

As CEO, I am treading a fine line between anticipating and planning for what could come and letting it play its course and adapt as we go.

For me, this is an underappreciated tension in young companies. We are not supposed to fix things until they are causing problems. We shouldn't hire until it hurts... but sometimes you can't wait for the wounds to show - you have to take a chance and prepare just in case. After all, will potential new customers really be impressed if your company is bleeding when they visit.

Perhaps that is just a security person's slant on being a founder rather than a typical view, though? Perhaps my natural tendency to see risk has led to my approach.

Either way, the questions have been raised, preparations are underway, and the whole of SafeStack is lining up behind the mission.

What could possibly go wrong?