In a YouTube video by T. Ross Kelly (“Gravitational Illusions”) two ball bearings roll down side-by-side ramps, one smooth and the other wavy with moguls. Intuition tells most of us that the bearing on the smooth incline will outrace that on the wavy incline. And why not? The traversed surface is a greater journey on the wavy ramp. But when Kelly releases the bearings, the unexpected then happens.
In the race between the two balls, the ball on the ramp with moguls wins the race. Apparently, the ball on the smooth ramp undergoes a smooth acceleration as we might expect for an object in a gravitational field, whereas the ball on the ramp with moguls undergoes changing acceleration. The initial drop from the crest into the trough repeats down the ramp. The unexpected ball wins the race.
When I mentioned this to one of my grandchildren, he said, “Ups and downs make one go faster.” And by “go faster,” he meant “win.” I think of what he said in the context of entrepreneurship. Many successful entrepreneurs also undergo changing acceleration toward their goals, hitting lows like economic downturns and even bankruptcies, but the wavy ramp of life and business accelerates their efforts. Now, it is true that some people stay in troughs; some even exit the ramp completely before reaching the goal, but the “successful entrepreneurs” know that at the top of the next mogul, they will start to accelerate again and that acceleration will be added to their last run; in entrepreneurship as on the wavy ramp, the hare, beats the tortoise; uneven acceleration beats steady acceleration. Of course, this says nothing about the potential success of those tortoises, only that hares can win.
For some, the “ups and downs” on the ramps of life are reasons to abandon their endeavors and look for the smooth and predictable plane. For those special few who take the counterintuitive approach, the ups and downs are platforms for success.
So, the next time you encounter bumps—moguls—on your path, take the counterintuitive approach. You’ll thank me later; or, you’ll thank Professor Kelly and his little video demonstration.
In the race between the two balls, the ball on the ramp with moguls wins the race. Apparently, the ball on the smooth ramp undergoes a smooth acceleration as we might expect for an object in a gravitational field, whereas the ball on the ramp with moguls undergoes changing acceleration. The initial drop from the crest into the trough repeats down the ramp. The unexpected ball wins the race.
When I mentioned this to one of my grandchildren, he said, “Ups and downs make one go faster.” And by “go faster,” he meant “win.” I think of what he said in the context of entrepreneurship. Many successful entrepreneurs also undergo changing acceleration toward their goals, hitting lows like economic downturns and even bankruptcies, but the wavy ramp of life and business accelerates their efforts. Now, it is true that some people stay in troughs; some even exit the ramp completely before reaching the goal, but the “successful entrepreneurs” know that at the top of the next mogul, they will start to accelerate again and that acceleration will be added to their last run; in entrepreneurship as on the wavy ramp, the hare, beats the tortoise; uneven acceleration beats steady acceleration. Of course, this says nothing about the potential success of those tortoises, only that hares can win.
For some, the “ups and downs” on the ramps of life are reasons to abandon their endeavors and look for the smooth and predictable plane. For those special few who take the counterintuitive approach, the ups and downs are platforms for success.
So, the next time you encounter bumps—moguls—on your path, take the counterintuitive approach. You’ll thank me later; or, you’ll thank Professor Kelly and his little video demonstration.
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