a = F/m, So Keep Your Foot on the Gas
Let's say you have a box.
Except your box is in deep outer space.
And you strap a magical engine to it.
This engine uses an inconsumable fuel that allows it to apply a constant force to your box forever. Let's graph the box's distance from its starting point over time.
Suddenly, although its in an expansive frictionless vacuum, people are looking at your box's graph and saying that it has traction. Your box is beginning to attract unwanted attention from venture capitalists on Sand Hill Road.
Many of us entrepreneurs would like to see more graphs like that.
Perhaps we should emulate the magical engine: a constant, unquenchable force, determined to push for years on end without respite.
What can we learn from cutting the graph in half?
Overnight success
takes years.
We highly recommend
subscribing to this blog
and
following us on Twitter
Do you instant message your coworkers? Try ShopTalk instead. It's better.
Indeed, great point!
One small note: your curve looks to be of an exponential form, whereas the actual displacement for a constant acceleration is quadratic (from integrating a twice with respect to time). It would not be as shallow near t = 0, and not as steep for larger t. In fact, e^x outstrips polynomials as t -> inf.
Comment by Person — Feb 4, 2010 2:15:07 PM | # - re
Thank you... uh... Person. ;-)
I do realize that the curve isn't entirely accurate. I intentionally fudged it to make my point more clearly. I probably should have noted that on the graph.
Comment by David Shoemaker — Feb 4, 2010 6:10:47 PM | # - re
And of course, if you took the first half of the graph and plotted it with the same convention as the entire graph - namely that the Y-axis spans the range of distance till max time, your graph is totally self similar.
Comment by Another person — Feb 4, 2010 10:25:12 PM | # - re
Person,
I'm also an inner math nerd (sorry for the assumption, but it's ringing loud and clear). Keep in mind math/physics can be a beautiful form of expression. Although your points are valid, I am currently in the website development process and find David's analogy to be very beneficial and motivating. Even if the axis is a bit inaccurate to some math nerds.
Thanks David! It makes sense.
Comment by Jim — Feb 6, 2010 10:34:27 AM | # - re
I'm really upset about the lack of units, particularly on the X-axis. Can you fix that?
Comment by Yet Another Person — Feb 8, 2010 11:56:52 AM | # - re
I really hope you're joking at this point. ;-)
This post isn't about science... it's a pep talk! Now get to work!
"Years" is all the info you need about the x-axis.
Comment by David Shoemaker — Feb 8, 2010 12:01:00 PM | # - re