The flywheel effect

I read about the Flywheel Effect in Jim Collins' book "Good to Great" some time ago, and could really identify it, although at a more personal level than the way he was indicating. It talks about a giant flywheel, which you keep pushing against, and it just refuses to budge. Then it moves just a wee bit, then a little bit more. As you keep pushing and straining against it, it completes the first full circle, and then moves more easily. Until its simply flying along and all you have to do is keep tipping it with your finger. The outside world sits up and notices when its flying at full speed, but easily forgets to ask about the days, months, and years spent straining and pushing against it, when it would simply not budge.

I remember the times when I had to take a bus to the railway station, because I couldn't afford a taxi or a rickshaw. Or the times, when we had to keep the AC shut during summers, because we couldn't afford to pay the electricity bills. Or the one and only time, a check bounced because we had insufficient funds. That incidentally was in Oct 2002, and was an inflection point for the business. Since that day, we've never been short of funds - well not critically short. It seemed like such an unending struggle back then. It's been such a long, eventful and wonderful journey these past 5 years - to arrive at a stage where we're looking at 6 figure deals, and hopefully our first 7 figure deal in the next quarter.

So if you're having one of those days when nothing seems to be going right, and all your leads are turning into dust - hang in there. Keep the faith, and it'll see you through to the other side.