The Four Forces of Entrepreneurship

In aviation, there are four forces that affect things that fly:

Thrust is the force that propels a flying machine in the direction of motion.

Drag is the force that acts opposite to the direction of motion.

Weight is the force of gravity.

Lift is the force that acts at a right angle to the direction of motion through the air.

These same forces affect a startup’s ability to effectively launch and ultimately succeed.

Thrust is provided by access to capital. Capital can take multiple forms such as revenue/cashflow and investment capital (like venture capital) and human/intellectual capital.

The opposing horizontal force, or “drag”, is created by limited resources and the competitive forces targeting your customers and employees as well as alternative/substitute products and services and new market entrants.

Weight, a fact of life, conspires against conventional flight much the same way that the Normal Distribution illustrates the likelihood of the success of a start-up. Entrepreneurs start companies despite knowing that 9 in 10 start-ups will fail.

Lift, the opposing force, is created by a company’s differentiation and the team’s execution and commitment (along with a little hubris and perhaps ignorance).

If these opposing forces are not equal, then you will certainly crash. And if you are flying in the clouds, without a visual reference to the natural horizon (which is what it’s like in a start-up most days) then attention to detail is even more critical because if you aren’t careful, your nose will drop below the horizon and put you into an inverted dive.

Entrepreneurs have an immense capacity to be optimistic and to ignore obstacles, risks and doubt. A good entrepreneur, like a good pilot, learns how to fly straight and recognize which way is up. And, once you can maintain straight and level flight, then there is nothing stopping you from soaring higher and faster.

To learn more about how to avoid the pitfalls that confront every entrepreneur and how to apply piloting skills to startup success, join us at Flying Upside Down on May 23, 2017 at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, CA. Twelve leading thinkers, entrepreneurs (and a few pilots) will share their practical, authentic, and actionable advice and life lessons with startup founders and corporate innovators.