By Corey Black FOR STARTUP PRACTICES, even during the best of times, the first few months are the most critical to their overall success. I opened my first office during the pandemic, something I never anticipated, but it didn’t feel especially risky because I believe in the importance of standing out. That’s no small task in New York City. There are almost always many options for every type of product or service—and because the market is so competitive, most of them are good.