When it comes to brainstorming and implementing new business ideas, the domino effect is an excellent mental model. It focuses on the bigger picture and can help you avoid the flash in the pan syndrome. It also gives you a sense of control, so that you can prioritize the important tasks and move forward. Dominoes are a set of small rectangular blocks marked with two groups of spots on one side, called “pips.” The most common type is the double-six domino, but other sizes and shapes exist as well. Chinese dominoes, for example, differ from European ones because they are longer and have duplicated pips on the same side. They can also be made of wood, bamboo, or metal. Often they’re coated with a protective layer to make them more durable. The first step in creating a domino installation is to think about the purpose or theme of the design. Hevesh usually starts with brainstorming images or words she would like to use. Once she has a theme, she uses it as inspiration to create domino arrangements that evoke the imagery or emotion of her chosen topic. She then makes a test version of each section to ensure it works perfectly before she puts them all together. She films each of these tests in slow motion so she can make sure every part of the installation works as it should. If something isn’t working, she changes it before putting the entire installation up. Each section of the domino arrangement needs to work individually, so Hevesh makes test versions of each before she begins assembling them all together. She filming them in slow-motion helps her fine-tune any problems she finds, allowing her to make the necessary adjustments quickly. Next, she calculates how many dominoes she needs for each section of the display. She weighs them and then uses a formula to determine how many of each color she’ll need before she begins laying them out. When a domino falls, it knocks over the next domino in its line. This starts a chain reaction that causes the dominoes in its line to tumble down, until they’re all toppled. This physics-based process has the ability to produce astounding effects that can even impress physicists! In 1983, a professor of physics named Lorne Whitehead published an article in the American Journal of Physics about this phenomenon. According to Whitehead’s research, the energy released by a domino can knock down another that is 50% larger than itself. This amplification factor is what allows the dominoes to fall faster and bigger than they otherwise could have. It also creates a ripple effect that travels down the domino’s line. This ripple effects the next domino as well, causing it to knock over the previous domino. Ultimately, this ripple effect is what powers the growth of your business. It’s the force that enables you to overcome challenges and build up your company’s leverage. Whether you’re developing a new marketing campaign or launching a new product, the domino effect is a great tool to use in planning and executing the most effective strategy for your business. It can help you avoid the flash in the pan mentality that so many business projects suffer from. Instead, it’s important to prioritize and execute the most impactful tasks that you can so you can continue building your business with momentum.