A Quick Thank You, and a Reminder to Hit the Pause Button

Before we jump into the year-end sprint, I want to start where we should: Thank you. We really appreciate you spending your time reading these newsletters.

We all know the truth about work: it takes up years of our lives. Because of that, the quality of our workplace connections is just as important as the bottom line.

Right now, everyone is scrambling to finish the year strong. But the best thing you can do for your team isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about hitting the pause button and actually being present.

We recently put this idea into practice ourselves…

Slowing down when everything speeds up: The value of shared presence

We’re all sprinting toward the holidays right now: shopping, travel plans, year-end deadlines. This momentum often drives us toward transactional work, just checking off boxes, while sacrificing the relational work that fuels long-term success.

The most valuable investment you can make before the year closes isn’t in a new tool or a last-minute push; it’s in Intentional De-Acceleration.

Consider this your professional mandate to stop and cultivate shared presence with your team. This isn’t just a holiday perk; it’s a necessary organizational reset that reinforces psychological safety and trust.

Your action item: Before the year ends, do something with your team that forces you to step away from the keyboard and co-create: Play a game. Build something. Cook a meal. The activity itself matters far less than the mutual acknowledgment that you are all in this journey together.

We tried this ourselves a few weeks ago.

We hosted an art party at Joan where a professional artist guided us through creating a massive canvas together. It wasn’t about talent; it was about contribution and shared ownership.

When we stepped back to admire what we’d created, I had one of those obvious-but-easy-to-forget realizations: nothing we build happens alone.

The true, profound moment was watching the team gather around that finished piece. Every single person saw their unique mark. They were reminded that their contribution, no matter how small or foundational, is physically integrated into the shared vision.

Every achievement is a group effort, from major milestones down to the mundane tasks that make a regular Tuesday work.

The unlisted contributors

The true value of your organization resides in the “unlisted contributors”, the individuals who keep the system running, often without formal acknowledgment:

• The colleague who catches your mistake at 11 PM before a big presentation.
• The customer who gives you brutally honest feedback that stings but makes everything better.
• The mentor who answers your panicked weekend messages.
• The friend who reminds you that work isn’t everything.
• The family member who tolerates you rehearsing pitches at dinner.

In the end, a company is just like that canvas: We don’t need one famous signature; we need everyone’s deliberate input. These people matter more than any strategy deck. Take the time this month to see them, acknowledge them, and reinforce the vital community you’ve built.

And it’s that very community, that commitment to shared effort, that defines our biggest milestones. With the year drawing to a close, I wanted to take a moment and share what an incredible year it’s been at Joan Workplace.

A quick look back at 2025: Built by shared effort

It’s that very community and commitment to shared effort that defines our biggest milestones. With the year drawing to a close, here’s a quick look at what we’ve been building:

I. Product & operational milestones

• Joan 13 Pro: Launched successfully and is collecting awards and positive reviews as the largest ePaper touchscreen device on the market.
• Simplicity revolution: We shifted to an all-in-one subscription model, unifying room booking, desk booking, visitor management, and digital signage. One platform, one support team, one bill. This solved a major pain point by valuing simplicity.

II. New features that solved real workplace headaches

We focused on eliminating friction points in the everyday employee experience:

• Smarter announcements: Send notifications directly to phones for employees in the office, ensuring remote workers aren’t spammed. Relevant updates, only when they matter.
• Instant booking (QR codes): Walk up to any desk or asset, scan the code, and book it right then and there.
• Air quality analytics: Track temperature and humidity, giving you the data to keep the office comfortable and safe.
• Multi-tenant booking: Solved the cross-platform headache for shared buildings (Google Calendar vs. Microsoft) by unifying all meeting rooms into one simple app.

Here’s the full breakdown of everything we shipped this year.

What’s coming next

We’re building something that changes how you interact with your workplace entirely. 

• AI agent: Manage everything through conversation, a smart assistant for the physical office.
• Independent calendar: A native Joan calendar that works perfectly, even independently of Google or Microsoft.
• MyJoan app: Designed to become your actual workplace hub, not just another booking tool.oan app that becomes your actual workplace hub instead of just another booking tool.

I could try to explain it all here, but honestly, I think you should just see it for yourself.

Watch the product keynote here.

And with this email, I am ready to wrap the year 2025!

Happy holidays!