Does it stem from the functional desire for efficiency and reward?

Or does the emotion arise from a bigger human need, a need that has to do with attachment, identity, and experience?

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our pilots, it’s that you can’t cultivate loyalty – as a person, as a merchant, or as an institution – without playing to both sides of the human mind.

In other words, yes, it is about, “What have you done for me lately?” But it’s also about, “How do you make me feel?”

Put simply, the math needs to make sense but the sights and sounds of the experience need to please, too.

We’re delighted that the tenpass math adds up but mostly happy about the emotion we’re lifting up between people and their favorite restaurants.

Equipped with both facts and feelings, we’re ready to commit. Are you?

Be mindful, they say, of your target market evolving over time and your strategy needing to pivot over and over again to keep pace. Fair enough.

But what informs early product strategy in the first place?

We at tenpass know our approach to delighting users and restaurants with simple ways to connect on loyalty is likely to evolve over time. But before we settle on an approach, we’ve decided to quietly test our product and assumptions with real partners, real people, and even real revenue. We’re learning, getting better, and clarifying what we’re about.

We won’t be piloting for too much longer though; our official launch is coming soon!

Any guesses as to how many times we’ll pivot over the years?

But what about the “where”? Where should I take her out?

Whether we know it or not, we all think just as hard about the where. Which restaurant brings together the best of food, atmosphere, and meaning?

Here at tenpass, we – like you – will be celebrating our loved ones tonight at our favorite restaurants.

But we’ll also be celebrating something else: beginning tomorrow, a number of our – and your – favorite restaurants will begin introducing tenpass to their most loyal, valuable customers. Thousands of customers will have a new way to show their favorite restaurants some long-term, loyal love.

With our inaugural partner restaurants, we’ll learn, get better, and then launch tenpass for the world to enjoy.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

If you’ve been part of a web-based start-up before, you’ve no doubt been advised by many to “focus on the user.”

It’s why most well-known Internet companies are focused almost entirely on delighting individuals interested in consuming relevant content, services, and more.

But what about everyone else? What about all the other “users” – publishers, merchants, institutions – that these companies work with? Don’t they matter too, especially in the new “Daily Deal” industry?

Let’s be clear: here at tenpass, we’re here to empower you.

But we’re also here to delight restaurants and help them be even more successful at finding and keeping many more loyal, long-term customers. In short, we’re here to help restaurants win: they’re our users too.

Remember, we can’t help “people and restaurants connect with one another in simple, exciting ways” without, well, restaurants.

So what does all of this actually look like? Well, we’re almost there!

In this age of information, much has been written about the many hundreds of brands, commercials, and messages we’re all exposed to each day.

But now, in this age of daily deals, numbers are swarming us, too.

On a recent visit to Groupon’s home page, we came across nearly 100 different numbers. Here’s an example: “2-days for 1 or 1-day for 4: from $53, $89 value, 40% discount, $36 savings, 43 bought, 5 days 11 hours left.”

While this complexity works for some, does it really work for the average consumer and average restaurant? We think not.

As our vision for tenpass clarified even further, we asked ourselves how a more simplified approach to numbers might help everyone win.

What’s our favorite number? You guessed it: please join us and read about the world-famous number 10!

Stay tuned for a big 2012. Happy New Year!

Here at tenpass, just some of our favorites include Slow’s BBQ, Shalimar, Mon Jin Lau, and Beni Hana.

Are you rewarded for your informal loyalty? Sure, if you happen to know the staff, you may get a free drink now and then … but what else?

If you’re a restaurant owner, how do you go about ensuring your most loyal customers show up that extra 1 or 2 times per year?

What if there was a way for you to declare your loyalty today? Not tomorrow, not after a certain number of visits … but today.

Asking these questions led us to the next phase of tenpass.

The wait’s almost over!

These days, it seems “social” is all the rage. Companies, governments, and, yes, social change organizations are all beginning to see themselves as social networks — or at least as entities that must partner with social networks.

Management reports hail the arrival of the “social organization”, TechCrunch seems to report daily on the launch of a new social network, non-profit social networks are being acquired by for-profit media companies, and governments are being toppled by ”Facebook and Twitter.”

What’s all the fuss about? Do all new start-ups and initiatives need to be social from the outset?

We considered these questions as our vision for tenpass evolved. Our answer? No, and yes.

While human-to-human connectivity and collaboration is – and has always been – crucial to the success of any effort, we need not lead with an emphasis on social, social, social.

Instead, let’s  build something simple that delights each individual user – and let the community follow.

More to come!

Maybe you’re a consumer that subscribes to daily e-mail lists? Or maybe you’re a restaurant that’s been approached about a deal?

Regardless, we at tenpass have a simple question: are these your deals or someone else’s?

We began the journey that is now tenpass when we realized that the discount industry was moving in a direction that dictated terms to consumers and small businesses — instead of empowering people to make decisions for themselves.

“Up to 56% Off Errand-Running Services” may work for some people but it doesn’t work for us. And we all know that small businesses aren’t exactly enamored with the idea of giving away most of their “deal” to the e-mail list owners themselves.

What if it was easy for you to find discounts that resonated with you and your lifestyle? What if it was easy for small businesses to offer discounts to truly valuable customers and keep all the revenue?

The more we asked these questions, the clearer our vision for tenpass became.

Stay tuned!

Fittingly, the tenpass journey officially begins today, October 10th. Why is today fitting? Well, you’ll find out soon enough.

Through this blog, we’ll look forward to interacting with you about new,  simple, and exciting ways for people and restaurants to connect with one another.

Oh, and we’ll also begin to fill you in on our exciting product.

Enjoy today!

Your friends at tenpass