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- 📍Moving SwayID HQ to Washington D.C. | A High Stakes Bet on Asymmetric Leverage + Nervous System Design
📍Moving SwayID HQ to Washington D.C. | A High Stakes Bet on Asymmetric Leverage + Nervous System Design
Kaeya Majmundar
April 03, 2025
Preface: SwayID has Crossed “The Valley Of Death”
I’m not going to dive into what the “Valley Of Death” is here but for anyone who doesn’t know I’ll drop the link to a Harvard Business Review article on it here and a visual cue below.
Since starting this god forsaken company in 2020 when I was 27 bright eyed, grey hair and forehead wrinkle free, I’ve tried nearly every company configuration imaginable to make this company thrive…as it drained the life right out of me.
(I surrender to my obsessions.)
But the truth is: a LOT of my work up until 2024 was wasted effort. The only way to cross the valley of death is to build the right product.
No amount of capital, effort, workspace optimization, product roadmaps, marketing plans, financial forecasting, or witchcraft will make the wrong product thrive.
Conversely, the right product will thrive no matter what conditions it’s in. The only question is how much it will thrive.
In 2024, we got our answer with SwayID.
(It took 4 years, multiple iterations, and near-death moments to get there.)
Now, the critical question is:
"How intensely will SwayID thrive?"
My next bet is that “where to build SwayID” is the next high-leverage decision to increase velocity, legitimacy, and institutional strength.
That’s what this memo is about.
Latest SwayID Thriving Potential Matrix
Low Narrative Control | High Narrative Control | |
|---|---|---|
Low Institutional Proximity | 🟥 Niche Vendor Trap | 🟨 Performer Company Lives on perception, not policy. |
High Institutional Proximity | 🟨 Silent Executor | 🟩 Category-Defining Standard Defines the enforcement layer, cited in lawsuits, regs, and exits. |
I. Executive Summary
SwayID is building the first enforcement-grade compliance infrastructure for creator marketing—covering influencer posts, user-generated content, affiliate programs, and deceptive digital media.
This company will either be cited in future litigation…or quietly absorbed by an acquirer.
❌ So the question is not: “Where is the talent?”
✅ The real question is: “Where do I embed the trust layer for a system that doesn’t yet realize it’s collapsing?”
Conclusion:
SwayID should be headquartered in Washington, D.C. (specifically, inside a converted brownstone in Dupont Circle).
The founder (me) should live upstairs, build downstairs, and host the future of advertising enforcement around the dinner table every Friday.
Over the next 18–20 months, the company should scale into a 10–12 person, in-office team focused on compliance infrastructure, policy-grade engineering, and credible cultural durability.
This is not just startup logistics.
It’s architectural strategy: a proximity map to my nervous system and a symbolic inversion in a city full of institutional collapse.
II. The Operating Premise
Washington, D.C. isn’t “hot” right now. That’s exactly what makes it a powerful HQ (for a very specific kind of company).
This is a city where:
Entire federal departments are currently being cut or gutted
Regulatory institutions are hemorrhaging talent
Real estate is collapsing
Credibility is up for grabs
If the federal system is being defunded and discredited, is private enforcement infrastructure arbitrage opening up?
That’s the arbitrage window I see opening.
And I’m confident placing this bet:
That SwayID has a non-zero chance of becoming an emergency dial.
III. Strategic Terrain Comparison
Criteria | DC | NYC | SF Bay Area | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regulatory Gravity | 🟢 High – FTC, NAD, Brookings | 🟡 Medium – mostly satellite presence | 🔴 Weak – VC’s only | 🔴 Unstable |
Institutional Power Vacuum | 🟢 High – exits, cuts, gaps | 🟡 Medium – status quo intact | 🔴 Low – saturated with noise | 🔴 Unstable |
Office Space Arbitrage | 🟢 High – vacant, elegant, | 🔴 Low — Expensive, saturated | 🔴 Low — Expensive, AI saturation | 🔴 Unstable |
Talent Displacement Arbitrage | 🟢 High – ex-FTC, ex-CFPB, ex-DOJ | 🔴 Low | 🔴 Low | 🔴 Unstable |
Narrative Control | 🟢 High – “No” competitors | 🟡 Medium – crowded ad tech landscape | 🔴 Low – “non” technical / Stanford / YC disadvantage | 🔴 Unstable |
Founder Proximity to Safe Space | 🟢 10/10 – sister @ Georgetown Med School | 🟡 6/10 – train ride from sister | 🔴 3/10 – mostly emotionally isolated | 🔴 Unstable |
Proximity To High Voltage Energy | 🟢 High — 3 hour train to NYC | 🟢 “Mecca” — but possibly too close for comfort | 🔴 Low | 🔴 Unstable |
Proximity To Intellectual Capital | 🟢 High — Georgetown, Think Tanks, Policy, Libraries | 🟢 NYPL, Columbia, NYU | 🟡 Medium — hard to crack in if not YC / pedigreed | 🔴 Unstable |
Washington, D.C. is the only location that maintains highest overlap between key factors:
Narrative asymmetry (first-mover advantage in niche regulatory tech)
Economic and operational leverage (space, talent, timing)
Emotional safety for founder (proximity to family, intellectual sanctuaries)
Long term institutional relevance (durability, legitimacy, policy proximity)
IV. Team Architecture
Configuration | Team Fit | Chemistry | Productivity | Capability Compounding |
|---|
In-Person (10 in DC) | 🟢 High – aligned hiring, shared context | 🟢 High – rituals, trust, feedback loops | 🟢 High – unblocked, focused | 🟢 High – cultural memory + policy IQ scale |
Hybrid (1–3 in DC) | 🟡 Mixed – uneven time zones, presence | 🟡 Medium – partial cohesion | 🟡 Medium – async tradeoffs | 🟡 Low – hard to scale domain rigor |
Founder-only in DC | 🔴 Unstable – no team context | 🔴 Unstable – isolating | 🔴 Unstable – bottlenecked | 🔴 Unstable – no compounding |
Logical Path Forward:
→ Start with a 3-person nucleus:
Legal/policy specialist → Infra-focused engineer → Ops/hosting + rhythm lead
→ Scale to a 10–12 person, in-office team in DC over the next 12–18 months
→ Almost entirely in-person. In-category. Minimal remote dilution.
Why This Matters Now:
Post-survival, velocity comes from clarity and chemistry.
Early compounding happens at the speed of trust, not Slack threads.
We’re building a category-defining company, not a lifestyle business.
Proximity isn't optional. It’s the infrastructure for rigor, rhythm, and shared memory.
V. Specific Location Format
Format | Narrative Density | Founder State Regulation | Hosting Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|
Brownstone (Dupont) | 🟢 “I live in the infrastructure I’m building” | 🟢 High – control, eclectic, unique rhythm | 🟢 Maximal – salons, briefings, dinners |
Dedicated Detached Office In Building | 🟡 Neutral – legal polish, not personal | 🟡 Medium – sterilized workspace | 🟡 Limited – lacks emotional intimacy |
Co-working space | 🔴 Weak – commoditized, indistinct | 🔴 Low – overstimulating, chaotic | 🔴 None – lacks warmth, privacy, intent |
Logical Path Forward:
→ Converted Brownstone HQ in Dupont Circle
→ Founder lives upstairs
→ Office, library, and dinner table downstairs
→ Build a home of enforcement, memory, and quiet force
VI. Founder Alignment & Nervous System Regulation
This isn’t just about logistics. I used to abandon myself in service of this company. Not anymore. This game is now about not abandoning my nervous system in pursuit of legitimacy. It’s about designing a company from an sound internal locus of control, not toxic external pressure.
Personal Anchor | DC Delivers |
|---|---|
Sister | 🟢 10/10 – My sister at Georgetown Med = emotional home base |
Library sanctuary | 🟢 LOC, GW, Georgetown Law = intellectual fuel |
Solitude & ritual space | 🟢 Brownstone = full control over rhythm, energy |
NYC Trips for customer meetings, conferences, Broadway weekends w/ sister | 🟢 3 hour Amtrak to NYC = joy + stimulation |
Regret if it fails | 🟢 Minimal regret, would still feel honorable and aligned |
I cannot building for scale without building from clarity.
And clarity lives in intentional structures, sacred spaces, and emotional anchoring.
VII. The Math
This final section outlines the HQ decision framework for SwayID using a combined qualitative and quantitative leverage model.
Washington, D.C. emerges as the clear strategic winner, with a total leverage score of 97 out of 100, outperforming New York City, San Francisco, and Remote configurations across every critical dimension for SwayID.
The model reflects what actually drives long term value for this company:
Credibility with regulators
Narrative control
Capital efficiency
Exit surface area
Founder nervous system alignment
Step 1: Define Leverage Categories and Weights
Leverage Category | Weight (%) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
Credibility Leverage | 30% | SwayID must be trusted by regulators, GCs, policy leaders |
Narrative Control | 20% | Category creation is about owning the story |
Capital Efficiency | 15% | Runway + talent access = power in recessionary cycles |
Exit Surface Area | 15% | Multiple exit paths = strategic flexibility |
Nervous System Fit | 20% | Aligned founder = sustained execution and clarity |
Step 2: Score Each City
City | Credibility (30) | Narrative (20) | Capital Eff. (15) | Exit Surface (15) | Nervous System (20) | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DC | 10 (30) | 10 (20) | 9 (13.5) | 9 (13.5) | 10 (20) | 97 / 100 |
NYC | 6 (18) | 6 (12) | 5 (7.5) | 7 (10.5) | 6 (12) | 60 / 100 |
SF | 3 (9) | 4 (8) | 4 (6) | 5 (7.5) | 4 (8) | 38.5 / 100 |
Remote | 2 (6) | 2 (4) | 7 (10.5) | 3 (4.5) | 5 (10) | 35 / 100 |
Step 3: Visualize the Delta
Option | Total Score | Delta from DC |
|---|---|---|
DC | 97 | / |
NYC | 60 | -37 |
SF | 38.5 | -58.5 |
Remote | 35 | -62 |
Conclusion (With Math)
Washington, D.C. wins by an overwhelming margin of +37 to +62 leverage points
It offers 3x the asymmetric power of NYC or SF
And nearly 3x the founder stability and narrative control of Remote
The weighted multipliers reflect what matters most to this stage, this founder, and this company
+Optional Adjustment: Factoring in Financial Cost
To complete the model, we include an additional vector for Financial Cost Efficiency (weighted at 10%) using inverted scoring (10 = cheapest, 1 = most expensive):
City | Financial Cost Efficiency (10%) |
|---|---|
Remote | 10 (10.0) |
Semi-Remote | 7 (7.0) |
DC | 5 (5.0) |
NYC | 3 (3.0) |
SF | 1 (1.0) |
Final Scores (Out of 110)
City | Final Score |
|---|---|
DC | 102 / 110 |
NYC | 63 |
Hybrid | 58.5 |
Remote | 45 |
SF | 39.5 |
Even when cost is accounted for, one HQ city wins for SwayID by a landslide:
📍Washington D.C.
It offers the strongest combination of narrative asymmetry, institutional gravity, operational leverage, and psychological clarity.
It’s the most risk-adjusted, future-relevant, and founder-aligned terrain for SwayID to take root.
Final note to self: Bezos would classify this as a “reversible decision” — no harm no foul. Worst case? You walk away whole. Best case? You build something immortal.
Kaeya