CorporateNature Metaphor Series, No 79
Startups need to iterate in order to survive. In this they very much resemble falling cats. All successful startups have at some point been a falling cat that needed to orient itself downwards to land on its feet and survive.
Entrepreneurs are often described as people who jump off a cliff and build wings on the way down. A falling cat might be an even better analogy: the cat has a solid "cat righting reflex" inside it from several weeks old. A height as little as 30 cm would give a cat enough runway to manage to turn itself and land on its paws. Startups often need a bit more runway but they also need multiple / sequential iterations.
An African proverb says: "If stretching were wealth, the cat would be rich." Cats are remarkably stretchable and flexible, which sets a good example for entrepreneurs: keep flexing.
 |
| Yawning cat (Source: Wikipedia) |
