Forward and Back. Forward and Back.
Have you ever noticed how AI models evolve like someone trying to find cell service in the woods?
One giant step forward… then a tiny, calculated step back.
Forward and back. Forward and back.
Watch any major AI company and you’ll see it. A new model launches—massive, impressive, trained on an ungodly amount of data. It’s the shiny object that grabs all the headlines.
Then a few months or even weeks later: the “mini” version. A leaner, faster, slightly less sparkly model that still does 80% of the work just as well so that most people won’t even notice the difference—and that’s kind of the point.
Rinse and repeat. Bigger model. Smaller version.
Forward. Back. Forward. Back.
At first glance, this looks like a weird dance. But it’s not backtracking. It’s pacing for power and growth.
And the more I watch this happen in the AI world, the more I started to realize—it’s the exact same rhythm I’ve lived (and painfully re-lived over and over and over and over) in business.
The Step-Back Illusion
In business, we treat “backward steps” like failure. We beat ourselves up. We question our path (like I have been doing recently). We assume we’ve lost momentum. But in reality, the step back is often the setup for the leap forward.
Starting a new business? Everything feels exciting. Ideas are flying. Energy’s high. You make rapid progress—at least it feels that way.
Then something unexpected hits: a system breaks, an employee steals from you, a market shifts, the government change policy, or you realize half your early wins weren’t sustainable.
And just like that, you’re forced to pause. Rework. Regroup.
That pause sucks. Trust me, I know. It feels like losing ground.
But what if it isn’t?
Mini Models & Massive Leaps
Nobody looks at a “mini” AI model and says, “Oh no, they failed.” They look at it as smart. Efficient. Strategic. It’s still getting the 80% done—and doing it faster and cheaper. The other 20%? Not always worth chasing.
But in business, we treat that 20% like it’s life or death.
We obsess over what we’ve lost instead of realizing we just made room to optimize.
That step back gives us something rare: clarity. Space to ask what’s working, what’s not, and what’s worth doubling down on next.
And sure enough, just like those AI models, we refine. We upgrade. We relaunch. Bigger. Better. And, yeah—you guessed it—eventually leaner again.
The Hidden Growth Curve
Step back and look at the bigger picture—your business timeline. You’ll see a strange pattern: a zigzag path that feels chaotic in the moment but undeniable in hindsight.
Forward and back. Forward and back.
But the overall trend line? Always forward.
What to Do With This?
- Expect the step-back. Don’t panic when it comes—it’s part of the process.
- Find your mini model. What’s your 80%? Double down on it.
- Let go of the 20%. Stop dragging dead weight forward just because it was part of the original plan.
- Use the pause. Strategize. Iterate. Reinvent. Then take your next leap.
I have to keep reminding myself, You’re not failing. You’re flexing. You should be too.
Keep going, Spiral Out
—Travis
