What is a flywheel?
Our word for the week is flywheel
So imagine I gave you the task of making this really big, really heavy gear you see in the pic spin. Physics says you are gonna have a hard time…
You push really hard, and struggle but eventually you get it moving. Once it gains momentum it will get to the point where it kinda starts to maintain it’s own momentum. And eventually becomes really hard to stop.
It’s a metaphor.
Hard at the beginning
Once you pick a direction (this is the important part), make a bet, test a hypothesis and commit to that direction. You are then able to start to gain momentum. It is difficult at the start, but slowly as you start to see results even the other teams within your company start to get behind the direction - and this makes the flywheel start to spin.
Momentum builds if you maintain direction
The caution here is on divided focus or multiple directions. Imagine the people trying to spin the flywheel pushing in different directions… you can’t gain momentum.
Practically this can happen:
When a company/team is reactive and shifts direction often.
When the direction is unclear - people who don’t know what direction to push in will invariably push in different directions.
When your customers don’t get what you promised them eg: you overpromised then underdelivered or they were the wrong customer to start with. Their dissatisfaction will slow your flywheel.
The flywheel never really spins.
Momentum compounds
Happy customers who love your direction will tell their friends. This then compounds the momentum that was initiated by your continuous input in a clear and specific direction.