Chapter 3 Breakdown: Catching the Next Wave — Timing Is the Hidden Edge

Series: Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Reflections | Author: Brent Parker, Resilience Repurposed LLC

🌊 Welcome to Chapter 3 of the Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Reflections Series
You’ve got a great idea. You’ve taken action. But what if you're just too early—or too late? Timing can feel like luck, but Colin C. Campbell shows it’s something you can anticipate and plan for.

In this chapter, we’ll explore the adoption curve, trend waves, and why being first isn’t always the best. Get ready to learn how to read the market like a surfer reads the ocean—and how to position yourself before the big wave hits.

⏰ Timing Is Essential

Campbell emphasizes that the correct timing often separates successful startups from failures. Entrepreneurs who understand the tech adoption curve know how to ride momentum, not fight against it (Campbell, 2023).

📊 The Startup Wave Chart

Campbell introduces a wave diagram adapted from Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm:

Moore, G. A. (2014).

• Start: Tech Enthusiasts, Innovators
• Early Adopters: Visionaries
• The Chasm (most startups fail here)
• Scale: Early Majority, Pragmatists
• Exit: Late Majority, Conservatives
• End: Laggards, Skeptics

This model helps founders time their efforts and identify where customers are in their adoption journey.

🚦 Ideas Live in the Future

Campbell writes that startup success often depends on seeing just slightly ahead of the curve, not too early, not too late. “The best companies deliver when the market is ready, not just when they are.”

⚡ It’s Not About Being First — It’s About Delivering Fast

Being the first to market isn’t a guarantee of success. Fast followers who execute well often outperform first movers. Campbell stresses: speed of delivery trumps speed of idea.

🧠 Don’t Try to Change Customer Behavior

Focus on existing behavior and make it easier, faster, or cheaper—not different. Attempting to change human nature is a futile endeavor.

🔬 Depth Before Breadth

Don’t chase every customer. Focus deeply on a specific segment and win their trust. Campbell says this gives you more traction—and more referrals.

🏢 Beat Big Corporations, Then Sell to Them

Disrupt with speed, then consider strategic partnerships or acquisitions. Campbell encourages founders to prove value, then leverage their edge.

📈 Watch These Trends

Campbell shares some key trend categories to watch right now, including AI (such as ChatGPT), e-commerce, blockchain, AR/VR, gene editing, drones, cloud technology, online education, and sustainability startups.

💡 Final Takeaway:

Chapter 3 focuses on market awareness. Winning startups don’t just build great products—they build them at the right time. Train yourself to watch trends and anticipate change.

🔁 Coming Next: Chapter 4 – Focus on Something You and Others Love

In the next breakdown, we’ll tackle why loving your idea (and knowing others do too) is the ultimate entrepreneurial advantage.

💬 What Wave Are You Riding?

Tag me on LinkedIn @Brent Parker and share the trends you’re watching or the wave you want to catch. Let’s build in the right direction—together.

📚 References (APA Style)

Campbell, C. C. (2023). Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Wiley.
Moore, G. A. (2014). Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers (3rd ed.). HarperBusiness.

Situation Analysis of Resilience Repurposed LLC

Written by: Brent Parker
Business: Resilience Repurposed LLC
Program: ENT 610 – Entrepreneurial Creation
Date: April 2025

🎬 Introduction

Welcome to my situational analysis of Resilience Repurposed LLC, my entrepreneurial venture based on engineering-driven innovation, advanced fabrication technology, and creative problem-solving.

This blog provides a complete business strategy breakdown using SWOT, PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces, and Porter’s Value Chain frameworks. It also includes embedded screencasts for each section, designed to educate and inform anyone interested in small-batch manufacturing or entrepreneurship.

🔍 Value Proposition

Resilience Repurposed LLC delivers custom-engineered, high-performance products using advanced 3D printing and CO₂ laser cutting techniques. We focus on precision, adaptability, and rapid turnaround and serve small businesses and individual innovators looking for low-volume, high-impact solutions.

This includes prototypes, tooling, personalized items, and batch production—all from a workshop rooted in lean systems, technical expertise, and quality-first values.

Reference: Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.

✅ SWOT Analysis

• Strengths: Engineering and manufacturing experience, advanced 3D printing and laser technologies, customization, speed, and small-batch flexibility
• Weaknesses: Limited startup capital, small team, early-stage brand visibility
• Opportunities: Growth in demand for unique, custom-manufactured goods, local partnerships and small business collaboration, expansion into short-run production services
• Threats: Supply chain disruptions, competition in the maker/manufacturing space, shifting economic conditions impacting consumer spending

Reference: Gurel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT analysis: A theoretical review. Journal of International Social Research.

🌐 PESTLE Analysis

• Political: Tariffs and regulations affecting imported materials, incentives for reshoring manufacturing
• Economic: Inflation and material price volatility, demand shifts in small-scale fabrication
• Social: Preference for locally made, custom products, growing interest in DIY and maker culture
• Technological: Advances in additive manufacturing and CAD tools, expansion of material options
• Legal: IP considerations, compliance with safety labeling and digital delivery
• Environmental: Interest in sustainable materials, low-waste production processes

Reference: Aguilar, F. J. (1967). Scanning the Business Environment. Macmillan.

🏁 Porter’s Five Forces

• Threat of New Entrants: Moderate – accessible tools, but experience and quality are differentiators
• Supplier Power: Moderate – reliance on niche materials affects price and delivery timelines
• Buyer Power: Moderate to high – customers expect precision, customization, and competitive pricing
• Threat of Substitutes: Low – few off-the-shelf alternatives meet the same level of personalization
• Industry Rivalry: High – crowded space with makers, engineers, and Etsy-style operations

Reference: Porter, M. E. (1979). How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review.

⚙️ Porter’s Value Chain

Primary Activities:

• Inbound Logistics: Specialty filaments, substrates, and tooling
• Operations: 3D printing, CAD design, and CO₂ laser cutting
• Outbound Logistics: Shipping, digital delivery, and local drop-offs
• Marketing & Sales: Word-of-mouth, blog content, and local outreach
• Service: Consultations, customer support, and feedback loops

Support Activities:

• Procurement: Reliable sourcing at scale
• Technology: CAD software, machine calibration, and upgrades
• HR Management: Solo operator with expansion potential
• Infrastructure: Lean, workshop-based production model

Reference: Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.

📈 Strategic Summary & Outlook

Resilience Repurposed LLC is strategically positioned to thrive in a market that values customization, speed, and technical precision. With a lean infrastructure and high-performance tools, the company is designed for agile production without compromising quality.

Future goals include increasing local visibility, building partnerships with creative agencies and product designers, and expanding into short-run commercial fabrication.

This situation analysis has helped me refine my roadmap, and I hope it will help you better understand how to evaluate your business using these proven models.

All screencasts and visuals created by Brent Parker. Citations follow APA style.