There are two stories I keep coming back to when I think about timing: one is about startups, the other is about everything.
Timing is one of those forces that shapes everything but often slips under the radar. I used to think of it as luck—something you either have or don’t. But over time, I’ve come to see it as something more structural. Something you can work with.
The First Lesson: Startups and Staying Flexible
One idea that stuck with me came from a TED Talk by Bill Gross. He analyzed why startups succeed and found that timing—not funding, not team, not even the idea—was the biggest factor.
The example that hit home was Airbnb. It wasn’t the first to think of renting out extra rooms. What made it work was when it launched—right in the middle of the financial crisis. People needed extra income, and they were suddenly open to the idea of renting out space in their homes.
The lesson? Timing matters. But you don’t always know when it’s right. What you can do is stay flexible—ready to pivot when the moment feels right. If Airbnb had launched years earlier, it might not have worked. If they’d waited too long, someone else would’ve taken the idea.
The Second Lesson: Earth’s Cosmic Timing
But timing isn’t just about business. It shows up everywhere—especially in nature.
In A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson describes this in fascinating detail. He explains how Earth’s history is a series of incredible coincidences—our atmosphere forming just right, the planet avoiding catastrophic cosmic events, and life evolving against all odds. Timing wasn’t just lucky; it was everything.
What stands out is this: it wasn’t one perfect moment. It was a long string of survivals. Earth just kept going—staying in the game long enough for the improbable to become inevitable.
So what does that mean for us?
It means we can’t always force the right moment. But we can prepare for it. We can stick with things, even when progress is slow. We can stay flexible when things change. The goal isn’t to perfectly predict timing—it’s to give yourself enough time for things to work.
The way I see it, timing rewards patience and adaptability. You can’t game it. But you can grow into it. So keep showing up, keep learning, and stay open. Timing might be outside your control—but what you do with it isn’t.