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Paul Orlando

Paul Orlando

Incubator Director, entrepreneur, and author on timing and unit economics

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Los Angeles, California
Joined February 2025
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Summary

Paul Orlando is a prominent figure in the global startup ecosystem, having built and operated startup accelerators on three continents: Hong Kong (AcceleratorHK), Rome (Laudato Si Challenge), and Los Angeles (USC Marshall/Greif Incubator). His expertise spans founding and directing programs that foster entrepreneurial growth, making him a sought-after advisor for both startups and Fortune 500 companies. usc+3
As an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California (USC Marshall), Paul educates the next generation of founders, teaching courses in Growth Hacking and Venture Initiation. He has significantly contributed to the USC startup community, overseeing over 250 companies through the USC Incubator and mentoring students, alumni, and faculty in launching and scaling their businesses. usc+1
Paul Orlando is a recognized author and thought leader on critical business concepts, specifically timing and unit economics. His books, "Why Now: How Good Timing Makes Great Products" and "Growth Units," provide practical frameworks and case studies for founders and operators to understand market timing, customer acquisition, and sustainable growth strategies. He also writes extensively on "unintended consequences" and second-order thinking in business and technology. startupsunplugged+4

Work

Education

Writing

Why Now: How Good Timing Makes Great Products

January 1, 2024

This book guides readers on how to identify drivers of good timing, assess business model impact, and apply insights to their own situations. It uses examples from successful and failed companies across various industries.

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Growth Units: Learn to Calculate Customer Acquisition Cost, Lifetime Value, and Why Businesses Behave the Way They Do.

August 1, 2020

A direct, practical guide for startup founders, operators, and business students on understanding and improving unit economics. It covers customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), cost of growth, and the difference between growing and scaling a business through 15 case studies.

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Startup Sacrilege: for the Underdog Entrepreneur

January 1, 2014

Written from experiences founding a startup accelerator in an emerging tech hub and teaching entrepreneurship, this book challenges mainstream startup assumptions and offers alternative views and solutions for entrepreneurs and community organizers outside established tech hubs.

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Unintended Consequences Blog

Paul Orlando writes over 100 articles exploring systems, second-order effects, and evaluating decisions, helping readers understand how actions can lead to unanticipated outcomes in technology and business.

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