The Butterfly Affect

The butterfly effect is a random, small change in a system that has an enormous impact later. In business, small changes, when purposefully implemented, also create an enormous impact. This is the Butterfly Affect. ‘Affect’ reflects intentional change, instead of a random ‘effect’.

This underpins our methodology; helping founders identify the small changes that will create enormous impact, then drive focused execution there. 

As a CEO, I intuitively appreciated the power of using leverage to accelerate progress. In my earlier years I struggled to create a reliable method of identifying the highest leverage at the right time. 

Two investors in my previous business, who have each built global companies including the Cimpress Group (VistaPrint) and Capital One Bank, acted as mentors. They shared their methods of uncovering the highest points of leverage to create extraordinary progress, as well as how to drive execution. 

Working with these mentors also surfaced the attributes of highly effective advice for leaders in a scale up environment: 

• Available fast, at the time a challenge is being faced 
• Deeply context specific, so it resolves your unique challenges 
• Derived from hands on experience 
• Shares the ‘how’ to do it, not just the ‘what’ to do

Advising this way made the gap between advice and execution virtually non-existent, allowing progress to be made ultra fast.  

Reflecting on how their advice had such a massive impact on my ability to scale was the penny drop moment that led to Butterfly Affect.