“The beginning seems to be more than half of the whole.” — Aristotle, ‘The Nicomachean Ethics’

Aristotle’s quote suggests that the initial stages of any task are crucial because they set the tone, direction, and foundation for the entire endeavour. It highlights that a good start is disproportionately significant because it shapes the trajectory.

This phenomenon applies to any new product or service, whether you are a startup or a corporate venture. When the new product replaces an existing solution, the new will inevitably encounter immense resistance from the old. This resistance can be likened to the gravitational pull experienced by a spacecraft trying to break free from its home planet. A spacecraft demands enormous energy to escape this gravitational drag, often necessitating an overwhelming quantity of fuel. This parallel echoes established organisations’ challenges when innovating within their well-entrenched structures.

Consider your established organisation as a spacecraft embarking on a journey up the S-curve of growth. The existing processes, structures, and success define the gravitational pull of the present, anchoring your organisation to its current trajectory. Just as a spacecraft must overcome the force of gravity to ascend, your business must transcend the gravitational pull of its legacy mindset, protocols, and procedures.

Shifting towards a culture of innovation requires time and resources akin to fuelling the spacecraft for its launch. Organisational leadership “should” allocate a substantial portion of their efforts to the future. This commitment represents the immense energy required to overcome the gravitational drag of the legacy mindset and propel the organisation up the S-curve. However, the pull of the present often grounds leaders in today’s battles rather than tomorrow’s opportunities.

“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.” ― John Maynard Keynes.

From “Undisruptable”, illustrated by Fintan Taite

As with any journey, the departure from your “home planet” is not enough. A new destination is vital. This destination is the North Star, a compelling vision that acts as a gravitational force pulling your organisation (startup, too) toward a shared vision of tomorrow. The role of a leader is to craft and communicate this vision, particularly when leading a legacy organisation entangled in crystallised mindsets, margin-focused shareholders, and board members who resist change.

In our contemporary business environment, a two-mode approach is often the most effective — a search mode for reinvention and an execute mode for sustaining existing operations. Leading a legacy business demands a departure from the gravitational pull of the past and aligning with a new trajectory, represented by the rising innovation curve.

In conclusion, innovation within established organisations represents a significant shift along the S-curve, and it’s often met with substantial resistance. However, with a compelling vision, dedicated leadership, and a dual approach encompassing reinvention and execution, it’s possible to break free from the gravitational pull of the past and navigate your organisation toward the ascending trajectory of growth and innovation.

THANKS FOR READING

In our current series on S-curves with Theodore Modis, Theodore suggests that the early stages are always tricky. You have to survive what he terms “Infant mortality”. You can find part 3 of that series here:

Scaling the S-Curve: The Tricky Takeoff was originally published in The Thursday Thought on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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