Timeline to Launch ( Beta to Full )

---

Initial Notes

• This timeline is not perfect and we can expect some areas to shift into other phases or for the timeframe of the phases to expand. Overall, the dates for each phase are just an estimate.

Phase 1: Legal + Core Backend

• Est Dates:
  • Feb - April
• Tasks:
  • Complete trademark search & ToS/Privacy Policy
  • Finalize business legalities and infrastructure ( Governance, Employee Rights Charter, etc )
    • Will need to consult with legal for official documentation and signoff
  • Wire critical backend: Frens, Waves, Lantern lighting, User profiles
  • Merchant backend integration (signup → approval → offers)
  • Admin dashboard for data and monitoring
  • Initial Merchant conversations and considerations
  • Official Business Plan!
    • Lantern Business Plan

Phase 2: Summer Closed Beta

• Est Dates:
  • May - June
• Tasks:
  • 5 merchants onboarded (using partner network)
    • San Diego and SF first
  • 10-50 invited users
  • Basic safety features: blocking, reporting
    • Beginning conversations with “safety locations”
  • Heavy monitoring & iteration

Phase 3: Pilot Expansion

• Est Dates:
  • July - Aug
• Tasks:
  • Scale to 15-25 merchants ( still on PWA )
  • 50-500 users
  • Analytics/attribution infrastructure
  • Begin initial Android/iOS integration

Phase 4: Pre-Launch Polish

• Est Dates:
  • Sept - Oct
• Tasks:
  • Advanced safety features (if needed)
  • Marketing materials & go-to-market strategy
  • 50+ merchants recruited
    • Requires dedicated sales/onboarding process!
  • Performance optimization
  • iOS/Android PWA testing
  • First revenue validation

Phase 5: Soft Launch 🚀

• Est Dates:
  • Nov - Dec
• Tasks:
  • Staged rollout: San Diego and SF first
  • Monitor for 2-4 weeks
  • Expand to adjacent markets (Orange County, LA)

Phase 6: Full Launch

• Est Dates:
  • 2027
• Tasks:
  • Public marketing campaigns
  • Scale to 100+ merchants
  • Multi-market expansion
  • Influencer partnerships

Critical Path Items

Must-Have for Launch:

• ✅ Legal compliance (ToS, Privacy Policy, trademark)
• ✅ Core mechanics working (light lantern, wave, frens)
• ✅ Merchant system end-to-end
• ✅ Basic safety (block, report)
• ✅ 25-50 merchants recruited -

Nice-to-Have (can defer):

• SOS emergency system - Phase 2 post-launch
• Advanced analytics dashboard - MVP version sufficient
• Light mode - post-launch
• Separate merchant portal