---
title: "Momentum and escape velocity"
description: "Startups are like rocket launches."
source: "Preetam Nath"
canonical_url: "https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/momentum-escape-velocity"
published: "2020-09-20"
---

# Momentum and escape velocity

Startups take a lot of effort to get off the ground. In a sense you can think of a startup like the launch of a rocket.

To be clear, I’m not making comparisons about how rocket scientists have a 100x harder job, they do. This is an analogy.

There’s a lot of preparation that goes into building the rocket, calculating trajectory, figuring out the right day and time to launch, having a team of trained astronauts to fly aboard the ship.

And even if you get all of this right, a million other tiny things could go wrong because of which the rocket doesn’t make it out of the earth’s atmosphere. Attaining [escape velocity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_velocity) requires a lot of initial thrust.

![](https://media.preetamnath.com/post-images/momentum-escape-velocity-image-1.webp)

*Photo by* [*SpaceX*](https://unsplash.com/@spacex?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)

Startups too require a lot of preparation into understanding the market, coming up with a product thesis, finding the right distribution channels, discovering pockets of places to find initial customers, positioning with the right messaging, having a founding team that has the right skillset for the problems. It’s a [complex multivariable equation](https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/startups-multivariable-equation.md).

Even if you get all these factors right, it takes a lot of time and effort during which not much might seem to happen. But you’re building up momentum to achieve escape velocity.

And it’s worth putting all that effort. It’s worth pushing relentlessly to build up that momentum.

Because once you achieve escape velocity, you make it out of the atmosphere.

And your initial trajectory and effort continues carrying you for a long time.

![](https://media.preetamnath.com/post-images/momentum-escape-velocity-image-2.webp)

*Photo by* [*SpaceX*](https://unsplash.com/@spacex?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)

---

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## About Preetam Nath

Preetam Nath is an entrepreneur and indie software builder. He writes about building profitable SaaS businesses while leading a good life, from first-hand experience: he co-founded SuperLemon, a WhatsApp plugin for Shopify stores that grew to $25k MRR, and DelightChat, a customer support product for ecommerce and D2C brands.

His website (https://www.preetamnath.com) publishes his blog on business, life, mental models and building SaaS businesses, along with a Micro-SaaS guide, a Programmatic SEO course, and Google Sheets habit tracker templates.

- Homepage: https://www.preetamnath.com/index.md
- Blog: https://www.preetamnath.com/blog.md
- X/Twitter: https://x.com/hipreetam93
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathpreetam/
- Email: hipreetam93@gmail.com

## Continue Reading

- [Startups are a complex multivariable equation](https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/startups-multivariable-equation.md)
- [Obsession is a sprint, life is a marathon](https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/life-sprint-marathon.md)
- [Together vs Alone: Thoughts on building a team](https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/building-a-team.md)
- [Adjusting to life in a pandemic](https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/life-in-a-pandemic.md)

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